The Bullwhip Book [Paperback]

Andrew John Conway (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Greenery Press (CA); 1st edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890159182
• ISBN-13: 978-1890159184
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,817,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A one of a kind book covering many aspects of bullwhip use., November 17, 2003

By 

Randy McLish (Wichita, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bullwhip Book (Paperback)

I wish The Bullwhip Book had been available when I started playing around with bullwhips. It would have helped me to find a whip, learn some throws (preventing some mistakes), and care for the whip (Don't use neatsfoot oil). But, as it is, I can still learn from this book. So far it has caused me to modifiy my grip and try new variations of cracks. Mr. Conway starts the book with the process of choosing a whip, discussing the parts, types of whips and the materials used to make them. He then goes on to basics such as pre-use care and the physics of the whip (a whip breaks the sound barrier when it cracks). Other chapters include: keeping safe--i.e. protective gear and the hazards of practicing in public (watch out for people and dogs). "Three Basic Cracks" is a chapter covering basic throws and it's very helpful that Mr. Conway describes how to recognize common mistakes and offers some corrections. Next is variations on the basic cracks, including some of my favorites: the overhand and the backhand cracks. Also covered is the use of targets (be careful in target selection as hitting anything can damage your whip), doing wraps (of yourself and an assistant), tricks and stunts (like the multi-crack Queensland Flash), and throwing and catching the whip. The book has a good description of how to care for your whip and ends with a little history and a list of other resources the reader can investigate. If I had to make a suggestion to improve this book it would be to make the illustrations multi-part--showing each crack in at least four stages: setup, mid throw, crack, and follow through. I enjoyed this book as it is the only book available that brings together information on many whip topics that you would otherwise have to pull together piecemeal from a wide range of sources. I think at any skill level you can either learn something from this book or at least come away with an idea or two. If you are interested in bullwhips, buy and read The Bullwhip Book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars crack of the whip, June 26, 2001

By 

Deepforestowl "JJ" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bullwhip Book (Paperback)

This book is excellent for the beginner. Conway is clear and to the point about how to crack a whip as well as what to look for when purchasing one. The illustrations are clear and easy to follow as are the written directions. This book is a definite must read for anyone at all interested in learning how to use a bullwhip. More than that, Conway doesn't just teach you one way to use a bullwhip, but multiple ways to crack and wrap it as well as the maintence involved. Definitely a keeper!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Whip it up!, October 8, 2000

By 

Binder - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bullwhip Book (Paperback)

"The Bullwhip Book" is a great introduction to whipsand how to use them. Mr. Conway has written a concise, clear, and veryuseful book for anyone that has an interest in the fine art ofthrowing a whip, be it a bullwhip, stockwhip, snake, orsignalwhip.

From safety, to throws, cracking, what goes wrong, andhow to fix it, to resources and suppliers, to maintenence and history,this book covers the subject, if not in great depth, quite adequately,and very clearly. It won't teach everything one needs to know to be astage performer, but it will make the first dozen steps considerablyeasier, and a lot less painful.

The cracks are illustrated clearly,and Conway's instructions are very clear. Safety information is wellcovered, as anyone who wants to learn the art should be. Getting one'swhip across the face (or on the wrist, ear, or any other uncovered bitof flesh) can be quite painful. I think it's better to find out whatgetting hit feels like on purpose; mistakes happen, and by stayingwell covered, a novice can avoid having to explain where those oddmarks came from. The safety information is presented withoutdescending to "because I say so " advice; it's just verypertinent information...