Big Game and Big Game Rifles by John Taylor

Big Game and Big Game Rifles (Safari Press 1993 Edition in Dust Jacket)

A Hunter's Candid Verdict on the Rifles and Cartridges Used Against Africa's Dangerous Game

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Big Game and Big Game Rifles
• Author: John Taylor
• Publisher: Safari Press, Inc., Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.
• Publication Date: 1993
• ISBN-13: 9780940143876
• ISBN-10: 0940143879
• Edition Details: Safari Press edition, Long Beach, 1993. A reissue of John Taylor's work first published in 1948 by Herbert Jenkins.
• Binding: Publisher's hardcover with printed dust jacket, Safari Press rhinoceros logo to the spine.
• Physical Format: Octavo-sized hardcover, 215 pages.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Boards: The boards are protected by the dust jacket and are not described here. The Safari Press rhinoceros logo appears on the spine.
• Interior: The copyright page and the bookplate page are clean and unmarked, with a faint vertical crease running down the bookplate page.
• Provenance: Printed Ex Libris bookplate pasted in, reading "Dr.-eng. CHARLES M. FENWICK FIMgt / NELIA MADREDEO MARTINEZ y FENWICK", 19 Mtomba Crescent, Buena Vista, Kingsburgh 4126, with a coat of arms and the motto "PERIT UT VIVAT".
• The Dust Jacket: Present: a black printed jacket with white lettering and an elephant silhouette. The spine head is chipped with some loss, and the spine shows wear and rubbing. The front panel has light scratches and scuffing, and the back panel has creasing and a few small nicks at the edges. Protected in a Mylar sleeve. Grade: Good (G).

Synopsis & Historical Value

Big Game and Big Game Rifles is John Taylor's account of rifle and cartridge choice for Africa's dangerous game. Drawing on his own field experience, he sets out to defend his preferred rifles against the alternatives. The original appeared in 1948 from Herbert Jenkins, and this copy is the Safari Press edition published in Long Beach in 1993.

The book ranges across the practical questions a hunter faced in the bush: safeties, single versus double triggers, double rifles, ballistics tables, sights and the .375 H&H. It is opinionated, first-hand writing rather than theory, and it gives a clear picture of how professional and private hunters weighed their armament.

For collectors of African hunting literature and firearms reference, this makes a useful, handsome shelf copy in its original jacket. The bookplate of a previous owner adds a small note of provenance.

Author Profile: John "Pondoro" Taylor

John Howard "Pondoro" Taylor was an Irish big-game hunter, born in Dublin, who hunted in Africa mainly for his own account rather than guiding clients. He is credited with developing the Taylor KO Factor, a measure of a cartridge's stopping power on big game.

His other writings include African Rifles and Cartridges (1948), Shadows of Shame (1956, a novel) and Maneaters and Marauders (1959).

John Taylor Big Game and Big Game Rifles · Pondoro Taylor rifles book · African big game hunting book · Safari Press 1993 hardcover · double rifles and .375 H&H · African hunting classic with dust jacket