Jim Casada is to wild turkey hunting as J. K. Rowling is to Harry Potter. In Remembering the Greats: Profiles of Turkey Hunting’s Old Masters, a 317-page hardbound book, Casada brings his training as an historian, his decades of studying the grand masters of the sport, his avid collecting of the literature and other mementos of the sport, and his personal hunting experiences to bear in a detailed examination of the careers of 27 icons from turkey hunting’s past. Collectively they epitomize the essence of what old timers sometimes refer to as true “turkey men.”

Coverage includes well-known individuals — DSC_0163Tom Turpin, Henry Edwards Davis, Neil Cost, Dave Harbour, Earl Mickel, M. L. Lynch, Ben Rodgers Lee, and Dick Kirby — along with names which might not be quite as familiar to today’s hunters, such as Parker Whedon, Doug Camp, Larry Hearn, Leon Johenning, C. L. Jordan, and Simon Everitt. Others profiled include E. A. McIlhenny, Frank Hanenkrat, Henry Bridges, Roger Latham, Gene Nunnery, Tom Gaskins, Charlie Elliott, Dwain Bland, Wayne Bailey, Jack Dudley, Frank Piper, and Kenny Morgan. Through these richly detailed and lovingly crafted profiles, accompanied by ample photographic support and extensive source notes, the reader can take a delightful trip down darkening avenues into a past which is at once fascinating and enlightening.

The book, which features a striking dust jacket, gold stamping on the front cover and spine, Smythe sewing, and top-quality paper, sells for $39.95 plus $5 shipping and handling. Insurance, if desired, is $2 extra. Signed, inscribed copies can be ordered through jimcasadaoutdoors.com using PayPal, or by personal check or money order by contacting the author directly (1250 Yorkdale Drive, Rock Hill, SC  29730). There is also a sample chapter from the book which can be read on the author’s website.