Wild Northern Scenes

Hammond, S. H. (Samuel H.), 1809-1878Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 474K words
Chapters: 48

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Wild Northern Scenes by S. H. HammondAuthor: Hammond, S. H. (Samuel H.), 1809-1878,Language: English, Class: SK: Agriculture: Hunting sports, Release Date: Nov 1, 2003

Editor's review

This is a collection of essays set in the wilds of the northern United States. Samuel H. Hammond, long devoted to hunting and nature observation, weaves together woodland observations, travel impressions, and descriptions of wildlife. Its value lies not in systematic natural history but in preserving a nineteenth-century view of the wild: how people entered the wilderness, how they observed, and how they lived with nature. The prose is leisurely and bears clear marks of its era, suited to quiet, unhurried reading. A caveat: the book involves hunting and period attitudes toward nature, so today's readers should approach it with historical awareness, appreciating the landscape writing while noting the distance in outlook.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nature writing and wilderness essays
Those interested in nineteenth-century American rural and woodland life
Readers seeking leisurely English prose for reading practice
Those interested in the history of hunting culture and the human-nature relationship

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic modern ecology or natural history
Readers uncomfortable with hunting descriptions or who prefer animal-protection perspectives
Readers looking for fast-paced plots or strong storytelling

Reading tips

Read by individual pieces, one or two sections at a time, in a quiet setting to absorb the rhythm of the landscape writing.
In hunting passages, notice how the author observes rather than focusing only on the kill.
Consult a map or learn about northern U.S. geography to help recreate the book's woodland and water scenes.
The English original carries nineteenth-century style; in long sentences, grasp the main structure first rather than parsing word by word.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book mainly about hunting or nature writing?

Both. The title points to northern wilderness scenes, and the book contains travel and woodland observations as well as hunting and animal descriptions. It is closer to essayistic record than to a hunting manual or systematic natural history.

Will the content conflict with today's views on nature?

Possibly. The work dates from the nineteenth century, when hunting was a common outdoor activity, and its attitudes differ from today's conservation-oriented ecology. Read it as a historical text, understanding its context while keeping your own judgment.

How difficult is the English? Is it suitable for beginners?

The language is generally plain but has the long sentences and older expressions of nineteenth-century prose, posing some challenge for complete beginners. Readers with intermediate English are better suited; start with shorter pieces and adapt gradually to the style.

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About the author

Hammond, S. H. (Samuel H.), 1809-1878 Author · American · 1809–1878

Samuel H. Hammond (1809–1878) was an American lawyer, journalist, and writer. Public information about him is limited, and many details of his life remain obscure; extant records indicate that he long worked in law and journalism and drew on that background for his literary writing. He is known for his nature essays on the Adirondack region and his accounts of frontier life, and his representative work is Wild Northern Scenes. That book draws on his observations and experiences in the northern American wilderness, combining reportage with literary prose: it records natural scenery while reflecting life on the frontier, and stands as a sample of the nineteenth-century American traditions of nature writing and regional observation. One work by him is currently held in the collection, offering a view of his subjects and style.