Favorite gun writers

[timothy75]

So who is your favorite gun writer and why?

[model 25]

I am going to have to say for pure entertainment it has to be Jeff Cooper. He has a number of publications with both good information and the stories of adventure that goes with the gun lifestyle. He has lived a long life and is ten time the man compared to todays man and has done more than most can ever dream of doing.

Some of the better authors who also rank high (that are still alive) I look for people with long real expearience and fit what they are doing in life.

Chuck Taylor--He has been there and knows what he is doing. Combat veteran and teaches combat.

Mike Verintino-- good technical expertise. Knows his guns and loading and teaches you about accuracy.

Rick Jamison-- Knows his guns and how to shoot.

Peter Kokalis-- the most knowledgeable man on weapons on the planet especialy full autos. His technical expertise is far and above anyone else.

There are some other good ones in their field but these are just a few.


Ones I don't like are like Massad Ayyob, never been in a real fight yet tells others what to buy even though he doesn't carry it. He builds a talking reputation and sells himself to the gun companies. You sell yourself and you have no honor because you can't call something a loser when it is junk.

Of the dead authors I like Keith and Askins.

25

[Webleymkv]

In no particular order: John Taffin, Clint Smith, Jeff Cooper, Gary James, Bart Skelton and (I know someone will say they dislike him) Jan Libourel. Of deceased writers: Elmer Kieth, Peter Capstick, Charles Schimek. Peter Kokalis, Mike Venturo, and Paul Scarlata are alright but sometimes they can be a little opinionated and even slightly egotistical.

[model 25]

Another guy with a big history that didn't live too far from me was Col Rex Applegate. He was another man with many adventures and had such effect on gun companies he could get new models made. S&W made the snub 38 special because of him and Gerber makes knives in his honor.

25

[Old Fud]

John Connor and Farnam.
Both have "been there, done that".
Farnam is a deadly serious warrior who practices constantly and is in touch with the serious side of the world --- he talks/teaches solid experience.

Connor presents himself as more of an adventurer, and one with a lighter side.

Every sentence from either is worth searching for and savoring.

[Weeg]

So I take it the guy who wrote the Mack Bolan novels won't make this list?

[model 25]

John Connor and Farnam.
Both have "been there, done that".
Farnam is a deadly serious warrior who practices constantly and is in touch with the serious side of the world --- he talks/teaches solid experience.

Connor presents himself as more of an adventurer, and one with a lighter side.

Every sentence from either is worth searching for and savoring.

Farnam would really hurt you but Conner kills with his sense of humor. Your right about them but they don't write enough for the public to get all the guys are worth. Keith and Cooper were prolific writers.

25

[pax]

Got a lot of favorites, don't have a favorite.

Jeff Cooper of course. His opinions, even when I disagree with 'em, are always so clearly and consisely stated that it's a pleasure to read 'em. His opinions comes from doing and you've gotta respect that.

John Farnam. Not only has he been there, done that, but his 'quips' include a lot of quotes from other people who've been there and done that too.

Brent Wheat. His descriptions sparkle.

Gila Hayes. I know how hard she works to be scrupulously honest, and it's refreshing to hear opinions without ego. Her opinions come from teaching, seeing what works and doesn't work with a large cross-section of people, and she brings an ordinary-person perspective to her writing, which is all too uncommon.

Mas Ayoob. Whether you like the guy or not, you've got to admit that he writes a compelling tale.

pax

[model 25]

Mas Ayoob. Whether you like the guy or not, you've got to admit that he writes a compelling tale.

He tells the tale of others cause he has none of his own. He is like the guy who builds race cars but never driven, knows something about the subject enough to talk about it but never been involved. I will give him credit for writing about those that were there though. Those stories need to be told and retold.

25

[Weeg]

So I take it you don't care for this Ayoob dude?

.

[Samuel2001]

HAhaha I agree with 25! Give the man a cigar, he's right on the money!

Actually my all time favorite has to be Mr. John Taffin! Specially when he writes from his personal experiences, and sometimes it's not even about guns just being human.

[7.62]

No one has mentioned Jeff Quinn. I will not express my in-depth opinion, but one has to admit that Mr. Quinn never dislikes a gun or product. As a result, I find it hard to believe that in the highly discerning world of firearms that one individual could be exposed to such a substancial amount of products and be completely pleased with each one. I guess that is how you keep the companies happy to keep sending you toys.

Thoughts?
7.62

[model 25]

Actually my all time favorite has to be Mr. John Taffin!

One of the best writers today, Taffin knows about guns and shooting.

25

[DBOUNCE1]

Taffin for sure i agreee i like the style

[shooter429]

Peter H. Capstick

Death in the Long Grass was one of my first books on hunting (and taking the big five) that I read, and which lit a fire in my heart for the Dark Continent and the old-time big-bore doubles like the .470 NE. Also, his adventures tracking leopard in the bush with a 12 Guage and some British buckshot ammo made me think about how versatile 12 Ga. really are. I mean they can take down water fowl and then in the next instand stop a charging leopard or lion. Nice. Also, the .375 H&H and 416s and .458s are talked about as well as the proper loads and their efficacy in the field.

shooter429

[Smokey Joe]

I'm surprised that no one so far has mentioned Finn Aagard. Grew up in Kenya; was a PH there; fought against the Mau Mau uprising; left Kenya in disgust when they banned hunting there; bought a ranch in TX where he raised game to be fair-chased; brought up his kids to be responsible citizens and also good hunters/gun handlers, AND he wrote for years for the American Rifleman on various rifles and cartridges and the best uses for both, in addition to fascinating stories about his own experiences.

No one also has mentioned Paco Kelly, who writes on the I'net, used to be located in Africa, now in AZ I believe; has much to say and says it well regarding the uses of various cartridges.

[2400]

I just checked my bookcase here's some of the authors, Jack O'Connor, Elmer Kieth, Peter Capstick, Charles Askins, Townsend Wheelen, Finn Aagard, Gene Hill, Pat McMannus, Ed Zern.

[pax]

Originally Posted by 7.62

Thoughts?

Yeah, I find it depressing but unremarkable that in a thread started by a guy who wanted to know about favorite gun writers, it took so little time to move into the bash gun-writers phase of operations.

Simply put, there are some writers are liars who look at crud and write it up as good stuff anyway, for whatever reason. But most the writers I have met and talked to tell me that they simply don't review stuff they don't like -- life's too short to piddle around with bad guns, when there are so many good guns out there. No one's getting rich from writing for the gun magazines, and most folks who do it, do it for love.

pax

[yorec]

My favorite? - why me of course. Always truthful and sticks to exerience and what's on hand. I just connect to him...

Too bad - underpublished at the least!

[2400]

I've got one more, Theodore Roosevelt.

[DPris]

I look at these Whoosier Favorite Writer threads occasionally out of morbid curiosity.
I notice the same names, most of whom are dead.
I also notice the wistful "They just don't make 'em like that no more!" comments.
One thing to keep in mind there is that the greats usually quoted- Keith, Skelton, Capstick, Jordan- lived in greatly different times, and lived greatly different lives than we do today.
Hunting, open country, guns, policing, The Border, and Africa have all changed immensely since their heyday, and like the great names in many other fields (Cheech & Chong did NOT replace Abbott & Costello, I don't care what my generation says!), we will not see their likes again.
Times today are times today. As I've noted before, the gun mags are no longer reader driven, they're market driven. A new Elmer, or a new Skeeter, assuming anyone came along who was their equal in ability with both guns and writing, would not be very successful with sheer story telling. The editors want articles by & large that include something to sell you, and by & large that's what you get. You'll see some nostalgia pieces, but those are a small percentage of the space available, simply because they contain nothing new that's sellable.
Editors want technical pieces on new products, they don't want Me & Joe stories these days, and it's hard to get in articles that involve field use, or reviews of, older classics.
During the past 20 years, the reading public has convinced editors that Self Defense Rules, so that's why you see such intensive coverage of 1911s,
AR15s, and other defensive guns.
When I was first reading Skeeter's stuff in the mid 70s, the magazines were not so full of defensive content, and I enjoyed reading them more.
Just some thoughts.
These are the times we live in, those were the times they lived in.
You can't really compare today's writers with the greats of the past, apples & oranges, mostly.
Denis

[roy reali]

I vote for Rick Jamison. He seems to write many good technical articles, espically related to reloading. I like the amount of testing and research he puts in before writing.

[farmall]

Mike Venturino, Rick Jamison. Really miss Bob Milek. Skeeter, Elmer and Col Askins were in a league of there own. I'm not suprised to see Layne Simpson's name hasn't made anyones list yet. Something about him seems completely phony to me!

[trigger happy]

writes some good fiction..but my favorite will always be John Dann MacDonald and his Travis McGee books

[trigger happy]

for non fiction in Gunrags I like Duane Thomas and Jan Libourel