The Premier Collection, which reprinted classic works of sporting literature in a wide range of areas, was an outgrowth of the early focus of Sporting Classics magazine, and over time it became one of the largest collections of its kind yet to appear. Today many volumes in the series are quite collectible, and anyone who owns a representative sampling of the Premier Collection has a couple of shelves of books which have both aesthetic and literary appeal. What follows is some insight into the evolution of the Premier Collection, along with a full listing of the works it comprises.
At the outset books were chosen by an Advisory Board of four individuals associated with the magazine. John Culler, the founder of Sporting Classics, was board chair. The other members were a noted collector and expert on sporting memorabilia, Shelly Spindel; an employee of the magazine, Bill Vartorella; and yours truly. Kay Jackson designed the volumes, many of which are truly striking in appearance and included a foreword or introduction written by an authority in the field. I wrote a number of these and played a significant role in suggesting others who performed similar duties.
Sometime in late 1989 or 1990 Premier Press and John Culler parted ways. For a few years after that I chose the books, wrote most of the forewords, and, when that was not the case, personally selected the individuals who did. In 1995 John Culler and his son Wade reacquired control of the series, and shortly thereafter my involvement came to an end.
The early volumes featured calf leather, marbled endpapers, and other special features. As the series grew and the cost of bookbinding increased, some of these aesthetic items were replaced with cost-saving measures and the use of forewords was discontinued. After considerable research, I believe that a total of 50 titles were reprinted, although I cannot state definitively that such is the case. The list given below is of the ones I have identified.
As it reveals, the number of volumes published annually varied, as did the amount of limited, numbered editions. Subscribers to the series got the same number each time, though—an individual who started with No. 2711, for example, always got No. 2711.
The listing is ordered alphabetically by author. Also, for further reference, there is a chronological listing of all the books in the Premier Collection showing the year of publication and, where applicable, the name of the individual who provided new material.
BOOKS ALPHABETICALLY BY AUTHOR
1. RUSSELL ANNABEL, Tales of a Big Game Guide
2. NEVILL A.D. ARMSTRONG, After Big Game in the Upper Yukon
3. HAVILAH BABCOCK, My Health Is Better in November
4. HORATIO BIGELOW, Gunnerman’s Gold
5. JOE BROOKS, Bass Bug Fishing and Bermuda Fishing (two volumes in one)
6. NASH BUCKINGHAM, Blood Lines
7. NASH BUCKINGHAM, De Shootinest Gent’man
8. NASH BUCKINGHAM, Ole Miss’
9. ROLAND CLARK, Gunner’s Dawn
10. ROLAND CLARK, Stray Shots and Pot Luck
11. EUGENE CONNETT, Fishing a Trout Stream
12. EUGENE CONNETT, American Big Game Fishing
13. EUGENE CONNETT, Random Casts
14. EUGENE CONNETT, Upland Game Shooting in America
15. EUGENE CONNETT, Wildfowling on the Mississippi Flyway
16. JAMES COOK, Fifty Years on the Frontier
17. EDMUND DAVIS, Woodcock Shooting
18. HENRY EDWARDS DAVIS, The American Wild Turkey
19. T. DAVIS, Caribou Shooting in Newfoundland
20. W. DIMOCK, Wall Street and the Wilds
21. EARL OF DUNRAVEN, Canadian Nights
22. GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL, American Game Bird Shooting
23. PAUL LELAND HAWORTH, On the Headwaters of Peace River
24. VAN CAMPEN HEILNER, A Book on Duck Shooting
25. AGNES HERBERT, Two Dianas in Alaska
26. R. HUBBACK, To Far Western Alaska for Big Game
27. PRESTON JENNINGS, Trout Flies
28. HENRY LANIER, B. Frost
29. HAROLD McCRACKEN, Alaska Bear Trails
30. EDWARD McILHENNY, the Wild Turkey and Its Hunting
31. DAVID MOORE, Camp Fire Reminiscences
32. CHARLES PHAIR, Atlantic Salmon Fishing
33. THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman
34. THEODORE ROOSEVELT, The Wilderness Hunter
35. ARCHIBALD RUTLEDGE, An American Hunter
36. ARCHIBALD RUTLEDGE, Hunter’s Choice
37. ARCHIBALD RUTLEDGE, Plantation Game Trails
38. C. SELOUS, Recent Hunting Trips in British North America
39. CHARLES SHELDON, The Wilderness of the Upper Yukon
40. CHARLES SHELDON, The Wilderness of the Northwest Pacific Coast Islands
41. CHARLES SHELDON, The Wilderness of Denali
42. P. SHELDON, Tranquility
43. P. SHELDON, Tranquility Revisited
44. BURTON SPILLER, Firelight
45. BURTON SPILLER, Grouse Feathers
46. BURTON SPILLER, Thoroughbred
47. THEODORE VAN DYKE, The Still Hunter
48. HOWARD WALDEN, Upstream & Down
49. CASPAR WHITNEY, On Snow Shoes to the Barren Ground
50. O. YOUNG, Alaskan Trophies Won and Lost
BOOKS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE, WITH CONTRIBUTOR OF NEW MATERIAL LISTED
1983
1. Roland Clark, Gunner’s Dawn (Foreword by Paul Rundell)
1984
2. Havilah Babcock, My Health Is Better In November (Foreword by Lloyd Davis)
3. Nash Buckingham, De Shootinest Gent’man (Introduction by Jim Casada)
4. Eugene Connett, Wildfowling the Mississippi Flyway (Foreword by Charles L. Woodard)
5. Preston Jennings, A Book of Trout Flies (Foreword by Paul Schullery)
1985
6. Russell Annabel, Tales of a Big Game Guide (Foreword by Ellen Enzler-Herring)
7. Roland Clark, Stray Shots and Pot Luck (Foreword by Ernest S. Hickcock)
8. Eugene Connett, Upland Game Bird Shooting (Foreword by George Bird Evans)
9. Henry W. Lanier, A.B. Frost (Foreword by Charles Woodard)
10. Charles Phair, Atlantic Salmon Fishing (Foreword by Joseph Wilcox)
11. Burton Spiller, Firelight (Foreword by E.M. Saniga)
12. Howard Walden, II, Upstream & Down (Foreword by Paul Schullery)
1986
13. Nash Buckingham, Ole Miss’ (Introduction by Jim Casada)
14. Eugene Connett, American Big Game Fishing (Foreword by Jim Casada)
15.Edmund Davis, Woodcock Shooting (Foreword by George Bird Evans)
16. E.A. McIlhenny, The Wild Turkey and Its Hunting (Foreword by John Randolph)
17. Burton Spiller, Grouse Feathers (Foreword by George Bird Evans)
1987
18. Eugene Connett, Random Casts (Foreword by Jim Casada)
19. Theodore Roosevelt, The Wilderness Hunter (Foreword by Jim Casada)
20. Frederick C. Selous, Recent Hunting Trips in British North America (Introduction by Charles A. Wechsler)
21. Charles Sheldon, The Wilderness of the Upper Yukon (Foreword by Jim Casada)
1988
22. Nash Buckingham, Blood Lines (Introduction by Jim Casada)
23. Henry Edwards Davis, The American Wild Turkey (Introduction by John Randolph)
24. Theodore Van Dyke, The Still Hunter (Introduction by Rob Wegner)
1990
25. Horatio Bigelow, Gunnerman’s Gold (Foreword by Jim Casada)
26. Eugene Connett, Fishing a Trout Stream (Foreword by Paul Schullery)
27. Theodore Roosevelt, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman (Foreword by John D. Fair)
1991
28. Archibald Rutledge, An American Hunter (Foreword by Rob Wegner)
1992
29. Joe Brooks, Bass Bug Fishing and Bermuda Fishing—two books combined (Foreword by Jim Casada)
30. Van Campen Heilner, A Book on Duck Shooting (Introduction by Jim Casada)
31. G.O. Young, Alaskan Trophies Won and Lost (Foreword by Jim Casada)
32. Harold P. Sheldon, Tranquility Revisited (Foreword by Jim Casada)
1993
33. Archibald Rutledge, Hunter’s Choice (Foreword by Jim Casada)
34. A.W. Dimock, Wall Street and the Wilds (Foreword by Jim Casada)
35. Charles Sheldon, The Wilderness of Denali (Introduction by Jim Casada)
36. Burton Spiller, Thoroughbred (Foreword by Jim Casada)
1994
37. T.R. Hubback, To Far Western Alaska for Big Game (Introduction by Jim Casada)
38. Archibald Rutledge, Plantation Game Trails (Foreword by Philip Drennon Thomas)
39. Charles Sheldon, The Wilderness of the NW Pacific Coast Islands (Foreword by Jim Casada)
1995
40. Nevill Alexander Drummond Armstrong, After Big Game in the Upper Yukon (Foreword by Jared Lobdell)
41. Lord Dunraven, Canadian Nights (Foreword by Phillip Drennon Thomas)
42. George Bird Grinnell, American Game Bird Shooting (Foreword by Phillip Drennon Thomas)
43. Harold Sheldon, Tranquility (Foreword by Jim Casada)
1996
44. Paul Leland Haworth, On the Headwaters of the Peace River
45. David Moore Lindsay, Camp-Fire Reminiscences
46. Casper Whitney, On Snow Shoes to the Barren Ground
1997
47. Harold McCracken, Alaska Bear Trails
48. James H. Cook, Fifty Years on the Old Frontier
49. S.T. Davis, Caribou Shooting in Newfoundland
50. Agnes Herbert and A. Shikari, Two Dianas in Alaska
Jim Casada has a wide selection of books in the Premier Collection. Visit his website, jimcasadaoutdoors.com, for details, or contact him at jimcasada@comporium.net or (803) 329-4354.