For those interested in the lore of hunting around the world with big bores from about 1845 to 1890, I can't recommend "Wild Beasts and their Ways" highly enough. I had been told the first chapter, on firearms, presented one of the better nineteenth-century discussions of sporting arms extant, and it is a good chapter. But then his sketches of the various "beasts" that Baker hunted in Asia, Africa and North America continue to focus heavily on firearms field performance. Baker is a very fine writer -- lively and fast paced, never stuffy -- nad packed his life full of the experiences 100 men today would never see in all their lifetimes.
I am not sure I want to go out and build a 20-pound "three-ounce ball gun" taking 16 drams of powder as he used so tellingly on dangerous game, but a good .577 with 650-grain solid over six drams of black makes considerably more sense.
Great read, guys. I got my copy for less than $25 through the bn.com out-of-print service.

Another good read by Baker on hunting in India is "The Rifle & Hound in Ceylon".

Bill, some real nice people tp deal with on books are located in England at www.countyman.co.uk,they carry several hunting books,and come up with some you don't see here in the states, I have bought several from them.