1 Feb 2012
Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (Oxford World’s Classics)
Author: admin | Filed under: For Boy ScoutsScouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (Oxford World's Classics)
A startling amalgam of Zulu war-cry and Sherlock Holmes, of practical tips on health and hygiene and object lessons in woodcraft, Scouting for Boys (1908) is the original blueprint and inspiration for the Boy Scout Movement. An all-time bestseller in the English-speaking world, second in its heyday only to the Bible, it is one of the most influential manuals for youth ever published, known and loved around the world.Including all of Baden-Powell's original illustrations, this new critical edition of Scouting for Boys serves up a wonderful hodge-podge of true crime stories, stern moralizing, stock adventure tales, natural history, first-aid tips, advice on observation and tracking, and much more. Readers will find a roughly composed pastiche of jingoist lore and tracker legend, padded with lengthy quotations from adventure fiction--from Rudyard Kipling and James Fenimore Cooper, to Alexander Dumas and Arthur Conan Doyle--and seamed through with the multiple anxieties of its time: fears of degeneration ("the fall of the Roman empire was due to bad citizenship") and a constant worry over imminent war. Alongside practical instructions on how to light fires, build a boat, or stalk animals (or men), it includes sections on chivalry, self-discipline, self-improvement, and citizenship. Indeed, the book brims with Baden-Powell's philosophy of life, one that replaces self with service, puts country before the individual, and duty above all. The introduction by Elleke Boehmer illuminates the book's maverick complexity and her notes clarify obscure references.
Though almost a century old, Scouting for Boys continues to fascinate, surprise, and motivate readers today. It will delight anyone interested in popular culture, Victorian history, and literature for children.
Boy Scouts Rockets 2011
Image by georgeanddana
Boy Scouts Rockets 2011
Related Posts
Tags: Boys, Citizenship, Classics, Good, Handbook, Instruction, Oxford, Scouting, World's
3 Responses to “Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (Oxford World’s Classics)”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
February 1st, 2012 at 12:32 pm
“The British Empire wants your help”,
At the very beginning of the twentieth century, retired General Robert Baden-Powell, the hero of the siege of Mafeking, coalesced his ideas for an organization to train young British boys in scouting for the British Empire. Not a very organized thinker, Baden-Powell borrowed heavily from all sorts of unrelated resources – newspaper articles, military dispatches, fiction, and much more – and produced this, his first book on scouting. Originally published as six separate books, this book brings all of them together, complete with original illustrations.
Now, as might be expected from its roots, this book reflects a lot of the biases and ways of thinking from Edwardian England. But, leaving that aside, this is a fun and interesting book that shows clearly the forms that have stayed with the Boy Scouts movement to this very day. The introduction was written by Elleke Boehmer, a professor of Colonial and Postcolonial literature, and is a fairly predictable deconstruction/analysis of B-P and his movement.
Now, as a newcomer to Scouting (my son is a Tenderfoot) did I find anything useful in this book? I sure did. Robert Baden-Powell was very knowledgeable about the subject, and this book sure shows it. (I never thought of tying my shoes like that!) Of course some of the information is out of date, especially the first-aid information, so it isn’t really usable by the boys “as is.” But, this is a nice resource, one that shows you where Scouting started.
Oh, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the somewhat jumbled organization of this book. It isn’t as scholarly and antiseptic as modern Boy Scout books, and the stories and tales laced throughout make the reading much more fun. Plus, I did find the focus on some subjects, such as logic and deductive reasoning, to be quite interesting. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!
Was this review helpful to you?
|February 1st, 2012 at 12:50 pm
SM202,
I was an Eagle Scout as a boy, and now I’m the founding Scoutmaster of my sons’ troop. As such, I was anxious to get a copy of this hard cover version. Baden-Powell’s work is a classic and well worth the read. The problem with this edition is the Introduction by Elleke Boehmer. Without it, the book is a 5-star. Ms. Boehmer appears a non-believer. Reading her is like taking a pessimistic art critic along side while viewing an art gallery. Far more benefit (for all concerned) would occur without her input. For each positive she states about BP, she mentions a negative. She also spends just over two pages discussing homosexual tendencies (pp xxxii-xxxiii) within BP’s works, something which is out of place in this work. I started to list several quotes, but I think one sums it up best of all from the back cover: “She has never been a scout, but she did once shake hands with Lady Baden-Powell at a jubilee celebration in South Africa.” I guess that must make her an expert.
Was this review helpful to you?
|February 1st, 2012 at 1:05 pm
A Book That Changed The World,
This book is the basic foundation of the largest youth organisation in the history of the world and has been printed in more editions and languages than most other books apart from the Christion Bible. It was designed to be read by young people and to motivate them to develop all of their skills. It continues to be a major force in motivating young people to prepare to be active citizens in society. However it also contains simple truths for adults on the nature of young people and how best to help them learn and to achieve their full potential. It is required reading for adults educating or working with young people. Read it, enjoy it and then come join Scouting.
Was this review helpful to you?
|