The Wild Host: The History and Meaning of the Hunt (The Derrydale Press Foxhunters' Library)
A fox-hunting enthusiast and travel and environmental writer,  Isaacson (Southern Africa on the Wild Side) presents both an  informative and lavishly illustrated history of "the cult and  legend of The Wild Hunt" (or Wild Host, or Furious Host) and a  thoughtful discussion of the present and future role of the  hunt. Beginning with the prehistoric hunter-gatherer ritual of  the "sacred chase," Isaacson examines in detail the evolving  stages of the practice of hunting. In the process, he examines  some intriguing connections between the practices of such  hunting cultures as the San (Bushmen) of the Kalahari and the  Cree of northern Quebec and present-day, highly formalized  versions of the hunt. Isaacson opens his investigation with a  question: "Is there still a place for such an arcane many would  say barbaric ritual in our modern world?" Although his  consideration of the question is both balanced and  nonconfrontational, his closing reflections reveal where his  sympathies lie: "Formalized and ritualized as hunting has  become, it is still very much a part of this symbiotic  relationship between man and the planet on which he relies."  Recommended for public and academic libraries. Robert C. Jones,  Central Missouri State Univ., WarrensburgCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.