I first read this book one cold snowy day in Northern Idaho. At that time I thought to myself, “Man, this guy lived the life I would have loved to have had.” Growing up in Montana and settling in Salmon Idaho, Elmer Keith became synonomous with big bore handgunning. In his own words, Elmer tells about life growing up in the West just after the turn of the century. He was a man’s man, (even if he did wear dresses until he was four years old.) He cowboyed and broke horses, guided and did what ever he had to do to make ends meet.
His firearms career grew out of his every day use of revolvers, as well as his experience in the National Guard competing in rifle matches. Later he became a prolific writer for numerous periodicals and had a role in the development of the .41 and .44 magnum handgun cartidges. At the time “Hell I was THERE!” was published, he was the Executive Editor of Guns and Ammo magazine.
The book covers his entire career and is filled with first person accounts of hunts thoughout the West and Africa. He truly lived in a Golden Era, that few of us will ever experience. Since all of the stories are in the first person, it’s like you are sitting around the campfire after a day of hunting as Elmer spins his yarns. It is a refreshing break from many of the “How-to-Do-it” hunting books available today.
“Hell, I was THERE!” is a rare book these days and commands a steep price from collectors. When you look on Amazon.com to find a copy, many editions go for $250 and up. I was able to find a weathered and yellowed copy, without the dust jacket, for around $30. If you find a copy of this book at a garage sale, pick it up! It is 308 pages in Hardcover, and my copy is published by Peterson Publishing.
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