The Old Man and the Boy (Hardcover)

by Robert Ruark (Author) "The Old Man knows pretty near close to everything..." (more)
Key Phrases: terrapin stew, fice dog, puppy drum, Mister Howard, Miss Lottie, Carrie Mae (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Filled with homespun humor and salty common sense. This is a book to be savored slowly, and kept and cherished."-Herald Tribune

"Written with great joy . . . the book is a delight to read."-Library Journal
-- Review

Review

"Filled with homespun humor and salty common sense. This is a book to be savored slowly, and kept and cherished."-Herald Tribune

"Written with great joy . . . the book is a delight to read."-Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (December 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805002391
• ISBN-13: 978-0805002393
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #271,005 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Old Man and the Boy, January 12, 2000

By	Mike DiSalvo (Iowa - USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Old Man and the Boy (Paperback)

Ruark's book conjures up memories of my own Old Man. The same guidelines on handling guns and how to shoot are still valid today. Some of the more important parts of this book deal with just going hunting, fishing , etc. not with the results of the day, but why we go do these things. Learn why fishing isn't about catching fish. Learn why some dogs are made to hunt and some aren't. The last chapter "All He Left Me Was The World", is not to be read by the tenderhearted. It strikes a chord with any of us who have lost our Old Man. I too went hunting the day of the Old Man's funeral, I know that's what he would have wanted, and so does Ruark.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 6 stars, July 31, 2004

By	Ryan McNabb (Ooltewah, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is glimpse back into an America that is rapidly vanishing. Robert Ruark can rightly be considered the dean of serious sporting writers. Gene Hill is very good, but only wrote short pieces. Hemingway was vaster, but his angst and internal gordian knot muddy the clear waters. Ruark walks the top rail of the fence: you get the very best of it all. And nowhere does he do it better than in his two "Old Man and the Boy" collections. Others here have said it, but there are stories here that will break your heart clean in two with their aching beauty, their crystal clear images, the smells and tastes of a life spent in rural North Carolina before television. My personal favorite is "September Song", which is, along with "The Road to Tinkhamtown", one of the two or three finest pieces of American sporting literature ever put down. Any appreciation for American sporting literature must begin with Ruark, and any study of Ruark must begin with the Old Man. Without him, you'll never grasp "Horn of the Hunter", or even "Uhuru" or "Something of Value". The Old Man is the key to all the locks. Favorite quote: "Only hunting and mountain climbing are sports. The rest are just games."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Old Man and the Boy, May 13, 2000

By	Mrs M Lipscombe (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

My dad introduced this book to my husband a long time ago, and it is his favourite book. The story of the idyllic childhood of Robert Ruark is a must for anyone who loves nature, it make you and laugh and it makes you cry. There is a lesson to be learned in every chapter of this book, which young people do not realise that they are being taught. We have a grandson and he has two copies of "The Old Man and the Boy", one which he leaves with us and one he keeps at home. My husband is teaching Kieron the philosophy of life, as a result of this wonderful story. I have read it too, and can recommend it without reservation.