Posted 26 May 2006 00:37
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet but Finn Aagaard's book is being published once again by Safari Press. Finn was never pleased with Aagaard's Africa after the N.R.A. finished with their editing, and Berit, his widow, has provided Safari Press with the original manuscript as well as much new additional information from meticulous field notes.

Also, a collection of 3 audio C.D.s of Finn telling hunting stories and talking about his life are being released as well. These are absolutely wonderful. The recordings were professionally done not long before Finn's death. Finn tells all the stories and again they are wonderful. Berit gave me a copy of the C.D.s at Finn's memorial or not long afterwards and I still get a lump in my throat everytime I hear his laughter.

Tom Russell

www.americanfirearmsacademy.com

I saw that also in the Safari Press catalog. The book and the CDs are a "must buy" for me! I really miss Finn's articles. I never met him but he seemed to be a very fine gentleman. I would have loved to have had the chance to sit around a campfire with him.

-Bob F.

I was blessed to have hunted with Finn in '73 in Kenya and met Berit and his young children.
The release of the tapes and the unabridged book
(I have the original) is a must have for anyone who loves the Dark Continent. Finn was a fine individual and a class act as a PH. His knowledge of hunting and guns was well earned due to the time and notes he kept. He loved the .458 Win Mag and always felt the .375 was enough gun if used correctly.
Robert

I bought Finn's book years ago from an ad in NRA Hunter magazine. I think the price was $13.95. Today I understand collectors will pay over $100 for a clean copy! I look forward to the new book and the cds! (even if it lowers the price of the NRA version)

A number of years maybe 1992 I was in Joe Sherrod’s smithy in Llano Texas Finn came in to visit and signed a copy for me it is one of my prized possessions. I look forward to reading the new edition.
Doyle

I always enjoy Aagaard articles ,he was very respected by Jeff Cooper ,i believe that his son is a marine officer .Juan

Great! Better look at the Safari Press catalog. Thanks for the headsup y'all.

The book is listed for $70. You guys think it is worth it?

Yep.

Finn was quite amazing in a number of ways. His knowledge of hunting and firearms was excellent. His communication skills were superb. The United State truly became his country because he could not tolerate living in a country (Kenya) whose government would not trust him with firearms. He believed the ownership and skilled use of firearms was the mark of a man, and a free man at that. He was a man of honor, courageous, possessed of sensible strong convictions, and humility, traits common only to the best of men. Well, I thought quite a lot of Finn and miss him dearly.

Tom

The book: AAGAARD'S AFRICAN ADVENTURES
Aagaard, Finn & Berit
http://www.safaripress.com/product.php?productid=6455&cat=0&page=1
Available Summer 2007

The CD: FINN AAGAARD ON KENYA
Aagaard, Finn
http://www.safaripress.com/product.php?productid=6466&cat=0&page=1
Available Fall 2006



Book description from the Safari Press web site (I have added some bold highlights):

"Finn Aagaard was a special man. He was a highly respected Kenya professional hunter (1967–1977) and, later, a gun expert and writer. After the hunting ban in Kenya, he and his wife of 32 years, Berit, moved to the USA where Finn became a hunting guide in Texas. Soon thereafter he became a writer for the NRA, and his opinions on guns, calibers, and African hunting gained worldwide recognition. The first part of Hunting Adventures contains the complete, original manuscript of Aagaard’s Africa, which was published in an abridged form in 1991. Berit, who knew him better than anyone, has expanded on Finn’s hunting stories while offering new, and never-before-published material found in Finn’s meticulously kept journals dating back to 1956. Together with these and the adventures and tales recorded on CDs shortly before his death, she paints a unique picture of the man. We follow him through the bloody Mau Mau uprising; we learn what it took to become a PH; we share in their courtship and engagement on an elephant hunt; and we watch as he tracks after large-tusked elephant and big buffalo. Their descriptions of the animals Finn pursued make the reader feel as if he could reach out through the pages and touch them. She has interviewed clients who still, after 30 years, recall how their hearts raced when a charging buffalo or leopard came at them. This new and hugely expanded version is double in size and has more than five times the photos, and no other African hunting book of the last few decades does such a masterful job of transferring the flavor of Africa, its game, big-game hunting, and people to the reader. Finn and Berit’s humorous outlook in life is evident in the writing. A tracker once told the Aagaards he intended to vote for the same corrupt cabinet minister of Kenya as always. Asked why he would vote for a known crook, he answered “Because if a new cabinet minister wins, he will have to start stealing from us all over again!†Foreword by John Wootters and tributes by Jeff Cooper, Craig Boddington, the late Gary Sitton, and Phil Shoemaker. This is volume 56 in Safari Press’s Classics in African Hunting Series. Not Sold in Bookstores $70.00"

I couldn't be happier. I tried buying the original a few months ago. Only found one copy for sale but couldn't handle the $200 price tag. Now I can also buy the cd's.
Frank

Tom:

Many thanks for alerting me to the new and improved version of Finn's book and the issue of his CDs. I had the privilege of a bit of correspondence with him about my original Ching Sling, of which he approved. One of my greatest regrets in life is that I never had the opportunity or took the effort to meet him (and Berit) in person.

I was fortunate to find a very clean copy of his NRA book and look forward to owning Berit's work of love on his behalf.

"I had the privilege of a bit of correspondence with him about my original Ching Sling, of which he approved."

Eric,

Finn really did like your Ching sling and as you know the Colonel believes it is the best design available. I used it in 2000 in South Africa, in Tanzania in 04 on my Blaser, and have taught more students on it than I can count. I hope you've made all that you deserve off that sling.

I regret that the book will not be available until 07 but I may be going back to Africa then for elephant and the book will certainly get the juices flowing. I took Aagard's Africa with me to Tanzani and read it in the evenings on the bank of the Great Ruaha. That's the life.

Tom

Another must have African text!

I really enjoyed Finn's writing and still dig out some of his old articles from time to time.

IMHO Finn always steered us tword the practical and made good sense in his observations & recommendations...I miss that!

Regards,
Dave

i will later this month order Aagards book and tape as a many shoters and hunters here consider him our PH.

And i have read some of his writings and they are exellent written and based on facts and knowledge.

I just learned from Wolfe Publishing that they are going to publish a legal sized paper back book which contains all of Finn's Rifle Magazine and Handloader Magazine articles. What a treasure that will be.

Their website is www.riflemagazine.com and their phone number is 1-800-899-7810.

Tom

Finn's greatness lay in his straight foreward, honest, simplicity.

Im very happy i read Aagaards articles since my childhood ,and always agreed with him ,he carried a commander 45 ,cocked and locked as i lkie when i was a child ,now forgive me ,i carry a glock 40.I believe he was one of the greatest gunwriters of all the times ,and he was rigth there can be not freedon without gun ownership .My country with a long tradition of shooting and hunting ,with a federal range in every town where every citizen was required to shoot now is going to strictly gun control .Juan

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Finn's greatness lay in his straight foreward, honest, simplicity.

Phil,

I think of that quite often. He was, I believe, a naturally humble man who was extremely gifted at the same time. He didn't think of himself as being special in any way but he most certainly was. He constantly communicated honesty and manliness without making a point of it.
Tom

I am fortunate enough to have had a set of those CD's for several years. They were recorded by a friend of mine "on December 4 & 5, 1999 in Llano Texas at the dining room table, with candles of course" per the fine print on the back. I don't know if the Safari Press version is an edited/shortened version or not. My set is 4 CD's, probably about 3 hours worth. They are absolutely fabulous.

I don't think that I have ever heard anybody say anything bad about Mr. Aagard. He used to post here occasionally, which was really wonderful. A great man in my humble opinion.

Good for you Steve. I can't say how thankful I am that your friend made and edited those recordings. I hope that Safari Press does not shorten them. Finn's action during the Mau Mau (?) uprising was very interesting. There was a time when he was a very serious man hunter. I never knew Finn to be boastful but he was matter of fact. Generally speaking if he had a comment to make it was about something that he had given a great deal of thought to and was therefore most worthy of a good listen.

If I had to pick, i would take Finn over Keith or O'connor or any of the other greats. And I will tell you what, I would bet Jack and Elmer would respect that.

Finn was the best and he will never get the credit that he deserves.

Jason

The previous posts have been quite eloquent. I too share their admiration of Finn.

To be frank I have not read many of the gunwriters in the last few decades. Not much new. Aagaard was an exception and I admire him greatly.

I understand he could really work a bolt in a hurry. Is there any video of that?

Finn could run the bolt quickly. I saw him do it many times. Finn came out to the Whittington Center in 96 to train on the rifle with Colonel Cooper. We all know that Finn was a Master Hunter but this was yet another example of his trying to always improve. He wrote it up in Rifle Magazine I believe. Finn also attended the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial / Gunsite Reunion with us at Whittington. He took one or two pistol classes from us which he wrote up as well.

Colonel Cooper's patent question was always "What are we trying to accomplish here?" I believe that Finn lived this question as well and this is reason their writing was so cogent. It is ever so much easier to get someplace if you know where you are going. They did.

Safari Press says their CD's are three hours. Hopefully unedited. Seems the latest CD's about Kenya are sold out and on back order, and the Big Book is coming in 2007. I gotta hav'em.

Good for you RIP. I believe we have something to really look forward to in 07. I am going to try for buffalo and reading Finn's book (The way he originally wanted it published.) on the trip over will make the flight much more enjoyable.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Safari Press says their CD's are three hours. Hopefully unedited. Seems the latest CD's about Kenya are sold out and on back order, and the Big Book is coming in 2007. I gotta hav'em.

Just then. I ordered a set of cd's on Thursday and they said they were on the way.