An ode to one man's life-long love affair with hunting "Valdene's wondrousfieldmemoiris a rich sportsman's miscellany-- memorable and erudite fowling lore, camp etiquette, ballistics, poaching ethics, glorious anecdote, bloody ducks, persistent bawdiness, and better wine than you or I'll ever drink--all elegantly spun as an affectionate and sentimental education of loss and renewal. It's a terrific book." --Richard Ford Part memoir, part history,The Fragrance of Grassstands as a testament to Guy de la Valdene's deep love of, and abiding respect for, the natural world and all that inhabit it. Set in places as far afield as France and Montana, Saskatchewan and Florida, this is a beautifully written book that is also an elegant treatise on everything from dogs, birds, and wildlife to food, wine, and women. The Fragrance of Grasswill be treasured by all sportsmen and by the readers of Tom McGuane and Jim Harrison. The author's first book in nearly a decade, it is now being published to coincide with the paperback edition of his classicRed Stag. FROM THE INTRODUCTION I am watching a thousand feathers--grey partridge feathers--floating high on the surface of the pond in front of the cabin I pretend to work in. I have plucked a million feathers from the bodies of all the grey partridge I have cooked in my life, beautiful golden-brown feathers that match the fall colors of the cypress tress that grow on the edge of my pond. It is November, and all at once winter includes me. On the porch of the cabin there is a wooden rocking chair, weathered and comfortable, that I sit in every day. On quiet afternoons I think about the slowing growth of the loblolly pines I have been watching for twenty years, the everchanging face of the pond now active with fish, and the condition of the natural world outside of my custody. . . . I have hunted at least one hour a day for three months a year, ever since I was eight years old. That translates into more than 5,000 hours in the field, a lifetime walk that, u

Guy de la Valdène was born and raised in France. He is the author of a novel, Red Stag (Lyons Press; 3/2011 paper, 9/2003 cloth). His other books include For a Handful of Feathers and Making Game: An Essay on Woodcock. LaValdène's articles have appeared in Sports Afield and Field & Stream. He lives on an 800-acre farm near Tallahassee, Florida.