Land, Lust & Gun Smoke: A Social History of Game-shoots in Ireland - Explore Irish Hunting Traditions & Countryside Adventures" (Note: This maintains the original literary title while adding SEO-friendly keywords and usage context about Irish hunting traditions and countryside experiences.)

Very disappointing book. I was expecting some tales of Victorian Ireland, descriptions of the big estates, and a history of the types of shoots that happened. Instead, the majority of this book is simply a directory of the various gentry in Ireland, and a listing of the people who attended various shoots of the course of years. Possibly of interest to look up some of your ancestors in a particular county, but overall it reads like the telephone directory.This is very well written and thoroughly researched. An awful lot of ink is devoted to the backgrounds and ancestors of the many shooting guests that visited each big house, which get's a little tedious at times. I especially enjoyed the discussions of how each estate's woodcock habitat was managed (especially at the Ashford estate) and how the bird populations declined when habitat was neglected. If you are an avid hunter of Irish woodcock or interested in the history of Irish big houses -- you'll enjoy reading this bookI have waited patiently for this book to reduce in price and now I see what great value it is. Packed with colour tinted and black and white photographs and researched with meticulous precision this is a beautiful and nostalgic book. For anyone interested in the world of Irish 'big house' history this is a book to treasure. Highly recommended.One had little idea there existed such a rich collection of sporting estates and, in particular, game shooting in Ireland in days gone by. Many of the 'old' shoots are still there and providing excellent sport amid splendid Irish hospitality. This book is enjoyable, more to 'dip' into rather than read every word, and the photographs and illustrations most atmospheric. Some of the background research into particular characters is a little too studied (and the subtleties of the British honours system perhaps not fully understood) but otherwsie I would commend it.This is a book for specialists. Unless you are Irish, have gamekeepers in your family etc etc. then I doubt it would be of interest as it is quite an expensive item