The Grand Tradition

"Whether you were a sportsman, civil servant, subaltern, or tea planter, you wanted a good rifle if you were headed out to the colonies. From the height of British imperialism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries through its demise in Asia, Africa, and beyond in the twentieth, John Rigby & Co., an elite cadre of gunmakers working at the heart of Britain's empire, crafted some of the finest sporting rifles and guns ever made." Thus begins this fascinating story of John Rigby & Co., which details the legendary exploits of famous Rigby owners Jim Corbett, W.D.M. Bell, Field Marshall Mannerheim, and others. Rigby's story is the story of colonial adventure, of the world's most famous big-game hunters and their rifles. In Rigby: A Grand Tradition, authors Calabi, Helsley, and Sanger bring Rigby owners Jim Corbett, W.D.M. Bell, Field Marshal Mannerheim, the Maharana of Udaipur, and others to life in rich detail. Extensively illustrated and including a thorough treatment of the development of the technology behind Rigby rifles and ammunition, this book provides substantial insight into the people, adventures, and rifles behind big game hunting in the early 20th century.