Casting a Spell: The Bamboo Fly Rod and the American Pursuit of Perfection
by Black, George
- Used
- Good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN 10
- 1400063965
- ISBN 13
- 9781400063963
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
Thirty-five million Americans--one in eight--like to go fishing. Fly fishers have always considered themselves the aristocracy of the sport, and a small number of those devotees, a few thousand at most, insist upon using one device in the pursuit of their obsession: a handcrafted split-bamboo fly rod. Meeting this demand for perfection are the inheritors of a splendid art, one that reveres tradition while flouting obvious economic sense and reaches back through time to touch the hands of such figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Henry David Thoreau.In Casting a Spell, George Black introduces readers to rapt artisans and the ultimate talismans of their uncompromising fascination: handmade bamboo fly rods. But this narrative is more than a story of obscure objects of desire. It opens a new vista onto a century and a half of modern American cultural history. With bold strokes and deft touches, Black explains how the ingenuity of craftsmen created a singular implement of leisure--and how geopolitics, economics, technology, and outrageous twists of fortune have all come to focus on the exquisitely crafted bamboo rod. We discover that the pastime of fly-fishing intersects with a mind-boggling variety of cultural trends, including conspicuous consumption, environmentalism, industrialization, and even cold war diplomacy. Black takes us around the world, from the hidden trout streams of western Maine to a remote valley in Guangdong Province, China, where grows the singular species of bamboo known as tea stick--the very stuff of a superior fly rod. He introduces us to the men who created the tools and techniques for crafting exceptional rods and those who continue to carry the torch in the pursuit of the sublime. Never far from the surface are such overarching themes as the tension between mass production and individual excellence, and the evolving ways American society has defined, experienced, and expressed its relationship to the land.Fly-fishing may seem a rarefied pursuit, and making fly rods might be a quixotic occupation, but this rich, fascinating narrative exposes the soul of an authentic part of America, and the great significance of little things. George Black's latest expedition into a hidden corner of our culture is an utterly enchanting, illuminating, and enlightening experience.From the Hardcover edition.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- World of Books Ltd (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- GOR013696575
- Title
- Casting a Spell: The Bamboo Fly Rod and the American Pursuit of Perfection
- Author
- Black, George
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- ISBN 10
- 1400063965
- ISBN 13
- 9781400063963
- Publisher
- Random House
- Place of Publication
- New York
- This edition first published
- August 8, 2006
Terms of Sale
World of Books Ltd
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase for any reason, simply email customerservice@worldofbooks.com and we will quickly resolve any issues you may have. If you have any other queries about your order, please email customerservice@worldofbooks.com. Our goal is to deliver to our customers the best possible service and we hope your experience of dealing with us lives up to our promise. If for whatever reason we fail to meet your expectations then please let us know.
About the Seller
World of Books Ltd
About World of Books Ltd
- Wob: Through Wob, we sell. We provide affordable, preloved books and media to customers all over the world. A book leaves our collection of over seven million titles and begins a new chapter every two seconds, enabling more goods to be reused.
- Ziffit: Through Ziffit, we buy. We give people around the world the opportunity to contribute to the circular economy, earn money and protect the planet, by trading their unwanted books and media.
- Shopiago: Through Shopiago, we help others. By sharing the technology that has grown World of Books Group into the business it is today, we're helping charities increase revenue and reduce waste through re-commerce.