The Sporting Arms of Ernest Hemingway - Book

[JJEH]

I'm aware that there are several threads about Ernest Hemingway on this board. I also realize that noy everyone was fond of him, be it as a writer or overall human being.

Well I don't know him (I'm too young), neither do I know anyone of his family (to my knowledge).

I love books but I'm not into fiction so I got his book Green Hills of Africa and so far it's okay. I'm only a few pages in but I can "get into it" and feel closer to Africa.

I'll see how I like it when I keep reading. We didn't learn much about him in school, other than that he was a successful writer who did commit suicide. But I don't want to talk about these issues here in this thread.

Also, to be fair, I could "get into" books like The Gun That Wasn't There, Lucky Bwana and Roy Sr's Safari reports in the Weatherby book as well. Love it!!

The book I'd like to talk about is Hemingway's Guns.

I know it has been mentioned here before but I'd like to get a bit more into it. Anyone has it?

He sure had an interesting life... probably not an easy childhood. Served in two wars, was wounded and had several accidents later on. He traveled a lot and raised his kids (from what I read).

He's got several houses all over the place. The Hemingway house in Key West looks very interesting, I did Google maps it like a stalker. I don't know if I'll ever visit Florida, but if I do I'll go by there for sure, like a darn tourist does.

Wonder why he went to Cuba. I can see the climate, the flair, the women, music.... I don't know. But in the end I don't think the gov. over there cared too much for him.

Anyway, one thing that's for sure is that he had a good taste in firearms. The book talks about Model 12 pump actions, Merkel O/U, Griffin & Howe, Mannlicher, a Westley Richards .577 Nitro Express Double rifle amongst others. Of course, the Thompson sub machine gun is mentioned too.

I haven't finished it yet, but if you are interested in E.H. I think this is a must have book.

 

[Ray]

Does the book mentions the Woodsman Match Target 2nd Series that was shipped to him in Nairobi by Abercrombie & Fitch ?
It was cover of one issue of Guns magazine in 1981 if I´m not mistaken.
Regards, Ray

 

[JJEH]

Does the book mentions the Woodsman Match Target 2nd Series that was shipped to him in Nairobi by Abercrombie & Fitch ?
It was cover of one issue of Guns magazine in 1981 if I´m not mistaken.
Regards, Ray

There is a whole section in the book about several Colt .22 pistols. Apparently he had 3 Colts shipped to Kenya but I haven't read the whole chapter.

 

[federali]

Hemingway, the man

Indeed, Hemingway was an interesting character but I could never live his lifestyle no matter how much money I made. I believe he was attracted to Cuba, partially for the excellent big game fishing near the island.

Regretfully, his wealth and fame did not spare him from whatever psychological pressures that led him to take his own life.

 

[JJEH]

Indeed, Hemingway was an interesting character but I could never live his lifestyle no matter how much money I made. I believe he was attracted to Cuba, partially for the excellent big game fishing near the island.

Regretfully, his wealth and fame did not spare him from whatever psychological pressures that led him to take his own life.

Agreed. Wonder how the Cuban - American relations were back then... I can't imagine...

 

[Walter Rego]

I have a copy of the book and like it very much. The author mentions that one of Hemingway's Model 12 Winchesters is floating around out there somewhere unrecognized. It is a 30" full choke, S/N 525488 and was consigned to Abercrombie & Fitch by Hemingway's widow on 7/3/63. Last reported as heavily worn and refinished and restocked in birdseye maple and traded in at a gunshop in Jeffersonville, NY around 1980.

Hemingway owned three, and possible four Colt Woodsmans. A pre-Woodsman Target Model, S/N 12072, and couple of Second Series Match Target Models bought at A&F in June 1953. S/N 128866-S and 118929-S. The sales ledger page from A&F for the two Match Target guns is reproduced in the book.

And finally, the shotgun that he used to end his life was not a Boss as reported in Wikipedia (who used old, and assumed information as the source) but a W & C Scott & Son Monte Carlo B. And here is some crazy trivia: After the gun was torch cut and broken up the pieces were scattered and buried in a field in Idaho. The author says that they now lie beneath the (former) home of the late Adam West.

 

[Texas Star]

I've read that book,but he was far less good an author than was Robert C. Ruark. If you don't like fiction but want a feel for Kenya then, read his, Something of Value and, Uhuru!.

You won't feel they 're fiction, and they are VERY good.

His, Horn of the Hunter is a true account of one of his own safaris.

Wilbur Smith's, Dark of the Sun is another good source of info about Africa ca.1960. If you don't like it, you really must not like fiction, but pretty real, too. Smith, BTW, was born in then- N. Rhodesia. He lives now in London and in Cape Town.

If your library has, Playboy on file, see the March, 1965 issue, with Ruark's safari article and fine photo of safari gear and guns. It may have been his last published material; he died that year, in Spain.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

He didn't expect Castro to confiscate everything from him in '59. We visited his Havana house which was a ways from downtown so he would stay out of the bars as much. Everything is there as he left it including his boat that he armed during WW2 to patrol the waters. But his wife thought he just did that to get U.S. gov't boat fuel to go fishing and partying. Those graves are his dogs. His house has 1,000s of his books and manuscripts rhere still. Rooftop view of Capitol building our 4th floor apartment we stayed on our "people to people" cultural trip Feb. 2019.

 

[transit]

10 Facts About Hemingway in Cuba

 

[Rudi]

One of my favorite authors. I'll watch for it.

 

[Texas Star]

One of my favorite authors. I'll watch for it.

If used book dealers don't have it, try Interlibrary Loan.

Same for the Ruark and Smith titles that I mentioned above.

And see if you can find, Man-Hunt in Kenya, by Inspector Ian Henderson, GM. A fascinating account of hunting Mau-Mau terrorist Dedan Kimathi. Henderson received the George Medal for his gallantry.

 

[Buick]

One of the best biographies of Hemingway ive read is " Hemingway's Boat" by Paul Hendrickson.

 

[jeffsmith]

Cuban American Relations in the 1950's were pretty good
Havana was a popular travel destination
My dad talked about a Navy "Cruise" (Training Duty) on a DE that had Liberty in Havana

 

[JJEH]

Cuban American Relations in the 1950's were pretty good
Havana was a popular travel destination
My dad talked about a Navy "Cruise" (Training Duty) on a DE that had Liberty in Havana

I just read up a little bit on that and it's not something I'd like to cover here. Seems like Cuba had a troubled past and it got from bad to worse and now we are here.

Sad though, seems such a nice island...

 

[DWalt]

A. E. Hotchner, one of Hemingway's closest friends, wrote probably the most authoritative biography of him.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079YK2JQT/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1[/ame]

 

[JJEH]

A. E. Hotchner, one of Hemingway's closest friends, wrote probably the most authoritative biography of him.
Robot Check

Thank you, it's on my list of what books to get next.

 

[Stevens]

I was in a group, about 7 of us, from the company I worked at spent a week in Havana to attend (legally) an International Sugar Industry conference in 1996. About 500 attendees from all over the world. We stayed at the Havana Libre Hotel which had been the Hilton pre revolution days.
We did have a very nice time, it was interesting to see the old black phones still in use in the rooms. Some of us did go to both of Hemingway's usual bars for Daquiris in Floridita and Mojitos (not the same day)in La Bodeguita del Medio.
Havana really looked run down then not much in stores except for the "Diplomat" stores where foreigners can buy with hard currency.
It is a treat to see all the antique US cars still on the road some have been rebuilt many times and have updated engines, sometimes from a tractor. It was an enjoyable trip the locals were nice, everyone wants dollars, Usually these conferences have field trips out to the sugar farms nothing like that in happened. The general opinion was they didn't want anyone to see how out of date their facilities were.
Steve W