Product Description
The greatest classic of angling literature and a unique celebration of the English countryside, Izaak Walton's IThe Compleat AnglerR was originally published in 1653 and first appeared with Charles Cotton's continuation in 1676.No book, apart from the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, has been more often reprinted.
As a treatise on the art of fishing it has never wholly been superseded.For its advice on the catching and cooking of fish, the rules for baits, and the making of artificial flies, it remains a valuable and engrossing guide.As a graceful and affectionate portrait of rural England its charm is irresistible and in Walton and Cotton we could not wish for more congenial companions.
This illustrated edition, with an Introduction by the novelist John Buchan, has been expanded and revised by John Buxton. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I prefer another edition
Eventhough this book has a funny title, it's a well known classic. It is not just for fisherman, eventhough the title seems to indicate that that would be the case.

First published in 1653, Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler celebrates the art and spirit of fishing in prose and verse. Walton infused his work with anecdotes and commentaries on catching and preparing everything from carp to trout, chub to pike. The Compleat Angler is as fresh and relevant today as it was two and a half centuries ago. The Compleat Angler continues to be "must" reading for every new generation of fishermen (and fisher women!) who have ever picked up a pole, line and lure to set forth on one of human kind's oldest pastimes -- fishing.

Undoubtedly, its most enduring distinction--what's raised an essential sporting how-to to the level of literary classic--is the one cast off by its subtitle The Contemplative Man's Recreation with its graceful evocations of a life free from hurly-burly in the company of friends intent on physical and moral sustenance.

Personally, I prefer the editon here:The Compleat Angler;Or,The Contemplative Man's Recreation, as it has a more attractive price. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Accessible and Thorough Critical Appreciation
Stanwood's reputation is high amongst students of seventeenth-century literature, and deservedly so.This book provides an engaging critical survey of Walton's principal works and their place in English literature.The prose is admirably clear and direct.Altogether, Stanwood provides asolid resource on Walton, and a valuable addition to the less-than-vastWalton bibliography. ... Read more

Product Description
Although the 1653 world of Izaak Walton was far different from our own, his advice on fishing has never gone out of style. For those who fish or just love the outdoors, this classic of English literature, loved for the character of its author as well as the lore he imparts, is a treasure. Includes a new Introduction by Thomas McGuane and charming illustrations throughout by the great Arthur Rackham.Amazon.com Review
For a book to stay in print for nearly 350 years, its meritsmust continually entice and satisfy. The Compleat Anglerqualifies on both counts. On the most obvious level, it remains asgood a primer on fishing as any angler would want. But its mostenduring distinction is hinted at in the subtitle--"the ContemplativeMan's Recreation." Izaak Walton's sometimes convoluted 17th-centurygrammar can still reel in our imaginations with his gracefulevocations of a life free from hurly-burly in the company of friendsintent on physical and moral sustenance. "He that hopes to be a goodAngler must not only bring an inquiring, searching, observing wit,"suggests the master, "but he must bring a large measure of hope andpatience.... Doubt not but Angling will prove to be so pleasant, thatit will prove to be like a virtue, a reward to itself." Just likeWalton's magnificent literary catch. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A lovely book
A lovely ramble with a fascinating old gentleman, quaint, charming, sunny and a true picture of one aspect of a bygone age and of the way our great-great grandfathers talked and lived. The fishing lore and naturalhistory are hopelessly out of date but who cares? Has been in print forcenturies and deservedly so. ... Read more

Product Description
What keeps this 1653 classic on fishing alive is its celebration of the pleasures of the countryside and the moral virtue of a simple pastime. The Compleat Angler will reveal itself as a charming dialogue between an experienced angler named Piscator, Venator, his newfound disciple, and a fowler named Auceps.Amazon.com Review
For a book to stay in print for nearly 350 years, its meritsmust continually entice and allure. The Compleat Anglersatisfies that on two counts. On the most obvious level, it remains asgood a primer on fishing as any angler would want. But its mostenduring distinction--what's raised an essential sporting how-to tothe level of literary classic--is the one cast off by its subtitle;Izaak Walton's sometimes convoluted 17th-century grammar can stillreel in our imaginations with his graceful evocations of a life freefrom hurly-burly in the company of friends intent on physical andmoral sustenance. "He that hopes to be a good Angler must notonly bring an inquiring, searching, observing wit," suggests themaster, "but he must bring a large measure of hope andpatience.... Doubt not but Angling will prove to be so pleasant, thatit will prove to be like a virtue, a reward to itself." Just likeWalton's magnificent literary catch. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

From Fishing One Finds Meaning in Life
This book is to fishing as military music is to music. True, THE COMPLEAT ANGLER does discuss the various aspects then current in England, but any focus on fishing was secondary to giving acombination of practical advice, pastoral fantasy, and good-humored piety. The book is a dialogue with 3 speakers: Piscator (the angler), Venator (the hunter), and Aucer (the falconer).Frequently, Walton abandons the dialogue and simply presents Piscator giving some very long instructional speeches on a plethora of topics ranging from angling to cooking to just about anything else under the sun. Walton is not bashful about inserting poetry of Raleigh, Donne, Drayton, Herbert, and many others. Piscator is not simply the champion of angling; he is pious, a moralizer, a gourmand, a singer, and above all, a lover of the lovely British countryside. Further, he is unflaggingly polite and upbeat. His duty to God is never more than one sentence from his tongue. He drops quotes from the Bible the way a Vegas gambler drops chips at the blackjack table.Since Piscator was so clearly drawn as the prototypical Englishman, it is no surprise that all Englishman saw in him more than a bit of themselves and correspondingly loved him.Non-English readers are often puzzled as to why he was so widely read.First, even non-fishermen can share in the joy with which he expounds the mysteries of angling. Next, he is a genuine lover of country sights and sounds. Finally, he embodies the temperamental qualities on which the English place such huge store: he is kindly, tolerant, patient, one who interferes with nobody and asks nothing better than to be allowed to enjoy his hobby in peace.His style of writing includes a fondness for writing a balanced, parallel sentence with much frolicsome humor. THE COMPLEAT ANGLER is a work full of digressions and a fondness for the fabulous natural history derived from Pliny the Elder, so much so that we might wonder whether so credulous a man could be a trustworthy biographer.Yet, it is this unsophisticated and uncritical inclusiveness of vast masses of unrelated and unverified data that constitutes one of its great charms.

A necessary addition to an library of angling classics
The Complete Angler - Izaak Walton and Chalres Cotton

This book deserves a place in a collection of great angling books, such as those of John Geirach, Henry Middleton and Scott Waldie. It is really two books and an odd sort of middle section on property rights and fishing (funny how some issues have not changed much since the late 17th century). It has some wonderful discourses on not just fishing but the lifestyle and philosophy of fishing. There are some sections and descriptions that can be tedious but they minor compared to the overall wonderful dialogue of the majority of the book.

The first section is written by Izaak Walton and, to me, was Canterbury Tales-esque, is it's older English language (which is entertainingly preserved) and its format. Three travelers - a fisherman (angler), hunter and falconer meet. In the course of discussing the merits of their activities the angler convinces the hunter to come along fishing with him (after seeing a hunt with hounds). Over the course of a few days on the rivers of England, the angler turns the hunter to the quiet joys of angling. He goes through the fish in England and all the baits and methods of fishing for them as well as how to prepare each of them. I had never through of carp of chubs and fish to eat, but after some of the descriptions in this book, I may have to give the a second look someday. The first book is as much of a celebration of the social and contemplative nature of angling as it is descriptions and methods of fishing. Interspersed are encounters with the local farmers, milker and inn-keepers as well as the talking over of the days activities among friends. But the highlight of this first section, and in my opinion the entire book, is the parting words of the angler to the hunter of how angling is a life philosophy that departs sharply from the hustle and bustle of the capitalist life. The first book is replete with references to early Christianity and its admonitions against looking to wealth for happiness.

There is an odd middle section about property rights and fishing which serves as a rather odd bridge to Charles Cotton's section. This book focuses on fishing for trout and graylings in a small section of England. If found the wordy descriptions of the flies by month to be tedious and the lack of philosophical discussion of fishing to be a little disappointing of an end.

Splendid conversation
Five days of fishing along the river Lea which joins the Thames near London is the background on which the cheerful narrative of The Compleat Angler is laid. The splendid civil conversation of Latin named Piscator, Venator, Auceps, Viator, and Piscator Junior is a joy to hear. Shakespeare was just publishing his first work when Izaak Walton was born in 1593 in Stafford. Walton retired in his early fifties and traveled about rural England visiting friends, fishing, and writing in his easy-going fashion. After publication of The Compleat Angler in 1653 he continued to add to it in his leisurely way for the next quarter century. Samuel Johnson praised the book in the eighteenth century and later Charles Lamb recommended The Compleat Angler to Samuel Taylor Coleridge. 'It breathes the very spirit of innocence, purity, and simplicity of heart,' he noted. 'It would sweeten a man's temper at any time to read it; it would Christianise every angry, discordant passion; pray make yourself acquainted with it.'
The Compleat Angler is a true classic of English literature that owes it's esteem not to advice about fishing but to Izaak Walton's pre-occupations and exquisite manner. Subtitled The Contemplative Man's Recreation the pages glow with delight in the hills and dales, woods and streams of the beloved countryside. Walton conveys a message of meek thankful fellowship and peace to all "honest, civil, quiet men". 'The Compleat Angler is not about how to fish but about how to be,' said novelist Thomas McGuane. 'Walton spoke of an amiable mortality and rightness on the earth that has been envied by his readers for three hundred years.'

Anciet fish for modern anglers
This is surely one of the earliest books available to the modern angler. But it's worth distinguishing 'anglers' from 'fishermen'. I take 'anglers' to be people who go after fish for fun or sport or pleasure and 'fishermen' to be people who go after fish for work.

The first thing to be said about Izaak Walton's book, is that it is a play followed by a text book. The second thing, is that it's in a foreign language even to the English, because it was first published in 1653 when the author was 60. A ripe old age in England in those days.

Walton was essentially a biographer. He got paid for it - often commissioned as a good artist might. He wrote 'The Life of Donne' - a poet who even I've heard of. He's alleged to have been a prosperous merchant, but it doesn't really matter. Great angling writers like Richard Walker were engineers. Old school writers like George Skues, were public school educated solicitors in London practices who took the train to the chalk streams of Winchester in Hampshire at weekends, tying flies as they went.

The play concerns three people who meet by chance and get into conversation about their interests. They're travelling at a walk, and so they lighten their journey with convoluted conversation. Before long, it develops into a bit of a competition. Walton is the angler (Piscator). Another gentleman is keen on falconry (Venator) and yet another is keen on hunting (Auceps).

If you tire of 17th century banter, skip forward to the chapters on each particular species of fish, which will ring true immediately. To me it's a revelation that these friendly old fish will still fall for the same tricks as Walton was playing on their ancestors over 350 years ago.

How The "Brotherhood of the Angle" Invites a Trout to Dinner
Three hundred fifty years ago Izaak Walton wrote of the curious blend of inner peace and giddy excitement which the amateur naturalist finds at streamside. He invites us to stroll with him through the countryside, discussing the mythology, superstition, and the science of England's aquatic fauna.It is an unrushed journey, though we often arise at sunrise, and the author introduces us to many of the local inhabitants.Indeed, if our fishing is successful, we might exchange our catch for the song of a pretty milkmaid.The Compleat Angler is a brief book, and Walton's intent is to hook the reader, and encourage him to try fishing for himself:"I do not undertake to say all that is known...but I undertake to acquaint the Reader with many things that are not usually known to every Angler; and I shall leave gleanings and observations enough to be made out of the experience that all that love and practise this recreation, to which I shall encourage them."Interestingly, Walton starts off on the defensive, since the fisherman's passion was even then caricatured.By the end the reader has joined the "Brotherhood of the Angle," making artificial flies and enjoying the poetry of fishing:"The jealous Trout, that low did lie, Rose at a well-dissembled fly."To the modern ear Walton's literal belief in naturalists' old wives tales may seem humorously anachronistic, and it comprises a remarkably large part of his affection for his subject.We are also frequently reminded of the book's timeline with comments such as "...the Royal Society have found and published lately that there be thirty and three kinds of Spiders," while we now know that there are thirty thousand species of Arachnids.And the Brotherhood of the Angle is a genuine fraternity to Walton, "...I love all Anglers, they be such honest, civil, quiet men."The prospective reader must also be disabused of the misconception that Walton was a purist for artificial lures; he strongly recommends worms, minnows, and live flies.In Walton's watery world there is no dry humor, only fresh.Following his description of the twelve most effective artificial flies he says, "Thus you have a jury of flies likely to betray and condem all the Trouts in the river."And here he compares the beautiful coloration of a living trout to...well, you'll see: "Their bodies [are] adorned with such red spots, and...with black or blackish spots, as give them such an addition of natural beauty as, I think, was never given to any woman by the artificial paint or patches in which they so much pride themselves in this age."At the risk of taking some of the surprise out of the book, I here present a sample of Walton's fishing secrets: "Take the stinking oil drawn out of Polypody of the oak by a retort, mixed with turpentine and hive-honey, and anoint your bait therewith, and it will doubtless draw the fish to it."I would guess that Walton wasn't much of a cook, however, and I do not recommend his recipe for eel (partially skinning it, packing the viceral cavity with nutmeg and anchovy, cutting off the head, slipping the skin back over the body, and sewing it together where the head formerly was, then barbecuing it on skewers).Walton's affection for fish and fishing extends beyond the aquatic nobility of trout and salmon, to the often ignored commoners: gudgeons, sprats, bleaks, herns, tench, roach, umber, loach, and sticklebag.And as for the importance of fishing in Walton's world: "I envy not him that eats better meat than I do, nor him that is richer, or that wears better clothes than I do; I envy nobody but him, and him only, that catches more fish than I do." ... Read more

Product Description
First produced for the stage in 1839 in London, this is the only known English language play ever performed with an angling theme. This is not simply a dramatized version of The Complete Angler, but rather, it is the engaging and unfolding story of a particular day in the life of Izaak Walton - presented here amusingly, a bit out of character. It is funny, clever, crisp and biting, utilizing all the elements of farce and melodrama: mistaken identity, the imperiled heroine, the bad guys (Gypsies) and the savior, Father Izaak (of course).Along the way we have Izaak providing instruction on the art of angling to a young Templar (lawyer) and we find that dear old Izaak has some rather tart ideas concerning lawyers: "... the besetting sin of all young lawyers is too great a proness to make long speeches upon slight occasions."This is a very pleasurable tour through Walton's rural, idyllic, seventeenth-century England. The book is illustrated with magnificent steel engravings of the period, and Hoagy Carmichael provides excellent commentary on the theatre, Victorian drama, and the enduring legend of Izaak Walton.Hoagy B. Carmichael is well-known to most. He is a fine angler, author, bamboo fly rod designer and builder, and a Broadway producer. He is currently developing and original stage piece, "Hoagland," featuring his late father's iconic music. It is bound for the Great White Way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mr. Izaak Walton relived
A high quality slipcased edition of Izaak Walton history.Anyone interested in Mr. Izaak Walton or the history of fishing should have this wonderful book.Worth twice the price!Buy it and enjoy every word. ... Read more

Product Description

"Izaak Walton was my excuse to go to England. I had been thinking through ideas to get money from Yale in the form of a traveling fellowship for two years, and several attempts had failed. My last--and best--idea was to suggest to the fellowship committee that I go to England and fish in the footsteps of a legitimate seventeenth-century author, Izaak Walton, who wrote The Compleat Angler, the third most frequently reprinted book in the English language, one that has been in print for over three hundred years. I told them during my interview that Walton's words spoke to me, that fishing was my passion, and that his book represented and defended every facet of the art more lucidly than I ever could." -- James Prosek

James Prosek has been called "the Audubon of the fishing world" by the New York Times. A passionate fisherman and talented artist from a young age, he published two illustrated books on fish and fishing while still an undergraduate at Yale. After winning a traveling fellowship to follow in the footsteps of Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler became his obsession. He was fascinated by Walton, a humble man who won the friendship of kings, and he was intrigued by the book's philosophies concerning the timelessness and immortality that could be achieved by fishing. Although Walton was sixty when The Compleat Angler was published and Prosek only twenty when he set off to visit England, they each had traits in common: a love of fishing and an extraordinary ability to make friends.

This is the story of a young man's pilgrimage through England, fishing the waters that are now privately held. Along with wonderful stories about good times, great fishing, and fine eating, this trip becomes an exploration of Waltonian ideals: how to live with humor, wisdom, contentment, and simplicity.

The original watercolors complementing the text are wonderful. Like Walton's book, The Complete Angler is not about fishing but about life. Or rather, it is about fishing--but fishing is life.Amazon.com Review
Prosek has commandeered a unique branch for himself in thelong stream of fishing literature. With Trout: An IllustratedHistory and Joeand Me, he's reeled in the reputation of a modern-day Audubonwith a keen eye that translates experience into both words andwatercolors. In The Complete Angler, he sets out to tackle thelegacy of Isaak Walton, the granddaddy of littoral lit and his17th-century classic, The CompleatAngler. While still an undergraduate, Prosek convinces thesolons at Yale to fund a traveling fellowship for him to fish thewaters Walton fished, to ponder their joint obsession with angling,and the fellowship and philosophies inherent in sitting on banks witha rod in your hand. "Fishing is my religion and the trout stream is mytemple," Prosek declares proudly, which makes Walton at least a HighPriest, if not the Messiah.

You certainly can't accuse Prosek ofshrinking from a challenge. Walton's Compleat Angler is one ofthe towers of English literature. Not only the third most reprintedvolume in the language (after the Bible and Shakespeare), it is therare book that has spanned several centuries of readership withoutever going out of print. Stepping into Walton's waders--literary andsporting--and fishing his way through public and private watersthroughout Britain, Prosek attempts to navigate deeper, trickiercurrents than he's previously attempted. What he catches is parthomage, part pilgrimage, part meditation, and entirely alluring--awork that balances youthful exuberance with insight anddepth. Walton's considerable shadow challenges and encourages Prosek'sgrowth as writer and artist; both his writing and the painting thatillustrates this handsome effort are maturing. "I didn't exactly knowwhat I would find," Prosek admits at the start. It's precisely thisattitude that makes his journey, and the surprises he snares, all themore enchanting. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not Even Close to the Original
This book is false advertising and the name should be changed.Prosek is capitalizing on the name recognition of a classic.Walton's book is about fishing, respect for nature, and ultimately about how these parallel Christianity and Christian virtues.Prosek's book is about a privileged college student fishing in highly restricted areas in England, on someone else's nickel.Worst of all, Prosek makes it very clear that he does not believe in an afterlife, that he is not a Christian at all, and that fishing is his religion.Not a mention of ethics or conservation.Even if you are not a Christian (like Walton) it is clear that this book is an agnostic's attempt at flowery language, baseless earth worship, and self-fulfillment at other's expense.Walton would consider this book absolute bologna and consider Prosek a spoiled, self absorbed, pseudo-intellectual heretic.While reading Prosek I continually wondered how he could completely miss the point of the original.Walton's book is about fishing and how it parallels Christianity, Prosek's book is about fishing and how he does a lot of it at other's expense.

I give this book two stars for two reasons.First, it elaborates to the reader the current state of the classic waters in Walton's book.Unfortunately they are in a sad state of being enjoyed only by the super rich.Second, by reading this book maybe some will be encouraged to read the real item.

James, I love you man but please stick to painting.

Meet Izaak Walton
I enjoyed this book.I was one the people who had heard (quite a bit, actually) of Izaak Walton's "Angler", but had not read it.Prozek's work was the motivation for me to dive into the 17th century for a few hours and read the book.So, if for no other reason, I'm grateful to Prosek.There is a lot here to remind the reader that this is an effort made at the beginning of a literary career; some undisciplined gushing here; a bit of bragging there.But it's hard to deny that there was real effort involved.Prosek has worked on understanding both his subject and himself enough to win me over, even though I'm jealous that he (at least by his account) catches way more fish than I do.

not-so-deep thoughts
This book tries very hard to be "deep" and insightful; it is neither. This is not a book about the human condition; it is a book about a privileged young man fishing with privileged old people.

Prosek doeslovely paintings, but the bottom line is that his writing lacks maturity.He violates many rules that should have been drilled into his head during"freshman comp" class. He doesn't show, he tells. He overusesflowery adjectives. And he can be melodramatic to the extreme.

There isno shortage of books about flyfishing that are filled with overblown prose,books that try to make flyfishing something it is not. This book is one ofthem.

Comparisons to Izaak Walton abound. This gets old after a while. Sodo the many "characters" Prosek fishes with, who we are told arevery interesting and "quite delightful," but most seemed to bepompous, bland individuals.

For some reason, the trip itself bothered me.He got to fish many rivers only because he was a young man of privilege.Everyone he meets is awed by him, mainly because he is an Ivy Leaguer withthe right connections. He then makes sure we know that the class-obsessedpeople he meet complimented him on his "class" and"character." He seems to revel in this, never examining hisprivilege. Many times I wanted him to quit rhapsodizing over trout andstart examining his own life.

I was very disappointed in Prosek as awriter. It lacks the depth of a good travel book (like Fen Montaigne's"Reeling in Russia"). And he can't compare to sporting writerslike McGuane, Bodio, Tom McIntyre and Robert F. Jones, all writers whosebooks reflect fierce joy, love, pain, conflict, and ambiguity.

Iunderstand Prosek is now writing about love. Be very afraid.

For a painter he's a good writer...
Let's face it, this is not a very good book.There is a tendency among those who fly fish to readily accept any ink put to paper as elegaic, contemplative and downright superior.Young Mr. Prosek is a fortunate lad,having pulled the wool over the eyes of the academic sachems at Yale tobless his fly fishing vacation in England as the subject of his thesis.Hewraps the proposal in the esteemed pages of Izaak Walton's The CompleatAngler, the most purchased and least read book in the history of print. Prosek forces us to wade through a number of English rivers and sometedious prose, and in this respect he does resemble Walton.His constantcomparisons of himself to Walton tend to bog down his writing.Heruminates on how he is standing in the same water that Walton once stood,the worst kind of conceit. You don't even stand in the same river yourselfwhen you happen to be standing in one!The only redeeming feature of thisvolume is that it is beautiful book, with Prosek's watercolors generouslypeppered throughout.He is a gifted painter and his first book is one ofmy favorites.This volume, however, has more of the red herring about itthan the noble trout.I admire a good con job, I just hate it when it'spulled on me.

I really look forward to reading this book
Having read Prosek's other two books (and having thoroughly enjoyed them, and given copies as gifts), I really look forward to reading this one - long anticipated.This young man has unusual talents, and (at least as ofa couple of years ago) possesses another rare quality today - humility andpoliteness. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is part of the "Everyman" series, which has been totally re-set with wide margins and easy-to-read type. It includes an introduction, a chronology of the life and times of the author and a selection of criticism. It provides a blend of practical advice on fishing, anecdote, natural history, poetry and song. Taking the form of a dialogue between an angler, a falconer and a hunter, this book contains a wealth of advice to fishermen. In modern times, however, it is largely read for the attitude of life it embodies rather than the sport it commends - a celebration of a contented life in tranquil surroundings. ... Read more

Product Description
This book argues that Walton's practice, in his Lives, was crucial in shaping modern expectations of biography, including issues such as how it should be organized, how it should treat evidence, how seriously it should regard narrative coherence, and most particularly in the modern expectation of an intimate relationship between author, reader, and subject. Martin considers Walton's biographical ethics in relation to the tributary genres influencing him as they emerged from post-Reformation commendatory practice after 1546, most particularly classical funeral oratory and the emergent Protestant funeral sermon, the Plutarchan parallel, the didactic Character, martyrological narrative, and finally Walton's direct model, the exemplary biographical commemoration of the conformist minister. ... Read more