THE EAST AFRICAN HUNTERS. The History of the East African Professional Hunters' Association. [From the library of Bill Ryan and with the Signatures of more than 20 members of the EAPHA].

Clinton, NJ: The Amwell Press, (1979)., (1979).. Very good. LIMITED EDITION, NOT ONLY SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR BUT ALSO SIGNED BY BILL RYAN AND OVER 20 MEMBERS OF THE EAPHA - Octavo, 9 inches high by 5-3/4 inches wide. Hardcover, bound in faux brown leather with the EAPHA seal stamped in gilt on the front cover and titled in gilt on the spine, housed in the original plain marbled tan slipcase. There is some minor wear to the edge of the slipcase's spine. vi, [2] & 146 pages, illustrated with a color frontispiece, full page black and white drawings by Bob Kuhn and a section of 24 pages of photographs of professional hunters. There is some slight moisture damage to the bottom of the rear endpaper & pastedown. Very good. <p>Number 87 of a limited edition of 1000 copies signed by the author Anthony Dyer and by the President of Amwell Press Jim Rikhoff. The first book in the African Hunting Heritage Collection.<p>Following are the names of the members of the East African Professional Hunters Association who have signed the book and whom we have been able to identify: 1) On the front endpaper David Mead and the ownership signature of Bill Ryan with his Malindi address and dated "Aug - 1980". 2) In the photo section on their photograph Tony Dyer, Jens Hessel, Tony Archer, Soren Lindstrom and Danny McCullum. 3) At the end of the section titled E>A>P>H>A> Newsletter John Dugmore. 4) On the rear endpaper David Williams, David Mead, Tony Archer and 6 others we have not been able to identify. 5) On the top part of a torn sheet of "Glen Cottar Safaris letterhead" titled in ink by Bill Ryan "A E A P H GET TOGETHER 8/6/84" are 3 legible signatures, David Williams, Michael Prettejohn and Rick Hopcraft. The other 4 signatures are badly damaged by moisture. 6) On the bottom part of this sheet are the following signatures: Kevin Torrens, David Allen, D.H. Shaw, Danny McCallum, Tony Seth-Smith, H.P. Steyn, George Adamson, Alick Roberts, Robin A Hurt, Andrew Holmberg and 3 others we have not been able to identify. This torn sheet of autographs was tipped onto the rear endpaper of the book causing some minor damage to the endpaper & pastedown.<p>From the library of professional hunter Bill Ryan, signed by him on the front endpaper and again on the rear endpaper. In a tribute to Bill Ryan (c.1908-1985) in Gamecoin Magazine, Chuck Ennis writes of him: "Bill was one of Kenya's best liked and well-known professional hunters". Bill Ryan arrived in Kenya from South Africa when he was 11 years old. He quickly became a crack shot and an expert horseman. He spoke several African languages fluently. After serving in World war II h went into the saw milling business. In 1954 he took up professional hunting full time. He was eagerly sought after and escorted many celebrities throughout East Africa - including Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper Bing Crosby and others. During the last 14 years of his life he resided in Nairobi and Malindi with his dear friend "Bimbetta", the widow of Ambassador Lincoln MacVeagh, Virginia.