IronOkie Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 (edited) **This is going to be a LONG post. For those who might not be interested I will provide a shorter summary right here at the top. ** What is the best version? My first recommendation is a tablet (NOT an e-reader), with an 8 inch or larger full color HD screen. The advantages of the tablet are going to be relevant to all types of readers, especially those with bad eyes (you can increase the size of the text and zoom in on the pictures). Plus if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription the book is free to 'borrow'. Do you miss out on anything in the digital version? No! In fact, you get the added bonus of functional links directly to the articles that are used in the book and believe me there are quite a few! There are some layout issues in digital, and you may find some photos in odd places on a page or even a page or two off from where it should be, but this is a minor annoyance at most. But I don't like reading digital copy! Great, the paperback version is just fine. It's a big book that is cumbersome to tote around, but it's well laid out and the pictures are a good (not great) resolution. If you want the paperback copy I recommend buying it from Scarlett Darlin's store HERE. Her copies are autographed and you get the added bonus of supporting someone who offers tremendous support for this hobby. It's well worth the $10 extra shipping charge over what you will pay Amazon directly. Avoid E-Readers. You're going to lose out on a fair amount of goodness from this book, because you won't have color photos with good resolution on an e-reader. It's not a total loss but you are going to miss out on a fair amount of the things Captain Baylor wants to show you by not getting high resolution color pictures. Is it worth it? It's a slam dunk for the $19.99 digital price assuming you have a suitable device to read it on (your phone will work but I hate reading on phones). So that's a resounding 'hell yes'. As for the paperback copy I'm going to say yes if you are exploring Cowboy Action Shooting or are still new to the hobby. It can save you a lot of time and provides good information from a trustworthy source. That said, it's not going to save you any money that doing quality research would not also save you. A significant part of what you are paying for in this book is the convenience of having the research done for you and the confidence that it was done by a reliable source. When conducting research on the internet you have to research your topic and your sources to make sure they are trustworthy. Like ol' Abe Lincoln said "You can't believe everything you read on the internet." All of that research will take time, and you can save quite a bit by buying and reading this book. It's a very easy read, only takes around 8 hours at average reading speeds, it's entertaining, and packed with useful information. In summary, I recommend the book. Yes, even at the $50 price point for the paperback copy! Having this much information gathered, organized, and presented to you by a very knowledgeable, well respected, and experienced CAS Veteran is a tremendous value. Captain Baylor's insight is worth that $50 and more and the time you would spend to gather this information on your own is worth quite a bit more than $50. If you want more details read my detailed review below! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ At the jump I'll say some folks will think I have no business reviewing this book. After all, I don't even have a SASS number........ yet. To that I can only say, having read the book, it seems clear that I am the target audience. That is to say, the book seems aimed at those who are considering or have decided to dive into the world of Cowboy Action Shooting. My review will be from that perspective, and though it might not be relevant to the veterans on the SASS wire, it could prove valuable to others like me who are considering diving in, but hesitant to spend $50+ on a paperback book no matter how many recommendations we see for it. For reference I purchased the paperback directly from Amazon (don't buy the paperback from here without checking here first). I received the digital copies for free with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. This allowed me to load the book onto my Fire 10 tablet and Paperwhite e-reader. First, as promised, we will talk versions. I recently finished the book and having read the first 40% of the book from my paperback copy and the remaining 60% on my Amazon Fire 10 (9th gen) tablet. I am confident I can report on both the paperback and digital versions in detail. Additionally, I have also taken the time to look at the book on my Kindle Paperwhite (first generation), as well as the Kindle app on my smart phone (Samsung Galaxy S20). In other words, I have at least looked at every version of the book you are likely to look at yourself, across all the options you are likely to consider using to read it. Paperback - This is, obviously, the format in which the book was meant to be consumed. It's well laid out and the pictures/diagrams are good, but not great, print quality. The print resolution on the photos is lower than I would like and some of the photos are smaller than they should be to show off some of the details. That said, they are plenty good for you to make out what you need to from them. I will note here that I am fortunate to have 20/20 vision so your mileage may vary on the photo size and resolution. The book is large and while this is a good thing for the photos and the larger type, it's not good when it comes to traveling or holding at arms length for reading over long periods of time. My copy, ordered new from Amazon, arrived with a damaged cover (which is very common when shipping large paperback books). Retail price at the time of this posting is $51. Pros: Physical Copy Does Not Depend on Technology No need to purchase anything but the book in order to read it Designed and laid out to be consumed in this format Turning pages is fun! Can be carried for use as reference without the need to worry about charging a device Cons: Bulky Easily Damaged due to being large and paperback Price Tablet Reader - This version was included with my Kindle Unlimited subscription at no cost, but can be purchased for 19.99 from Amazon. Honestly, I found this book most enjoyable to read on my tablet. The 10 inch screen was the perfect size for the pages of this book and when I needed to zoom into a picture, my tablet gave me the ability to do this with ease. For this reason I would give the tablet the edge over the paperback book specifically because some of the details in the photos benefit greatly from zooming in. The photo resolution is better in the digital version and you can really see this when you zoom in on pictures. Additionally, near the end, there are pages of links to the Cowboy Chronicle articles that are referenced in the book (<--See my general review for notes on this subject), and those links work directly on the tablet to pull up the articles. That is an outstanding level of convenience that you simply cannot get in paper copy. On the other hand the pictures often appear a page or two off of where they should be. It's annoying to read a paragraph referencing a picture that is one or two pages before or after the text appears. Either the digital editor did a seriously half-assed job of laying out the digital version, or, more likely, the book was automatically formatted for digital without any intelligent editing/review. That's unfortunate because this is really the only thing that holds this version of the book back. For all the other benefits of the tablet this minor annoyance is easily overlooked. Pros: Price Photo Quality and ability to Zoom Portability/Weight Working Links to Articles Can be read in any level of light, including the dark Adjust the text size to suit your eyes Cons: Layout is poorly done (pictures and captions in the wrong place) You have to buy or already own a suitable tablet E-Reader - (Paperwhite, Nook, Kobo etc) - This version is a hard pass for me. These readers are not designed for color photos and the resolution on the photos, which are ABUNDANT in the book is bad. Though my first gen Paperwhite can pull up the photos the grayscale they are presented in is very low resolution and not much use for reference. The photos are a big part of this book and you lose almost all of that value on these types of readers. It has all the same issues of photo alignment the tablet version has, but greatly exacerbated by the fact that it takes so many pages to encompass one page of the paperback. So a photo may be several pages out of place rather than just 1 or two like it is on the tablet. The only way I could recommend this version is if you have an e-reader and a Kindle Unlimited subscription already. At least in that case you get the book, effectively, for free. There is a ton of value in the text alone so there is value in this version, but you're going to lose out on maybe 20-25% of the value by not having good photos for reference. Also, if you have an older e-reader like my Gen1 Paperwhite, the file for this book is big and cumbersome for the little processors in the e-readers so you end up with a ton of lag which is very frustrating. Pro: Free if you have the device and Kindle Unlimited Portable Lightweight Can be read in any light even the dark Cons: Photos are all but useless Captions/photos are all out of place large file lags the weak hardware in e-readers Phone - Just like the tablet version, only smaller. Seriously, it's the same thing but handheld. It's very readable on my phone despite the text being much smaller than my tablet. I can zoom in on the pictures just like the tablet and while the screen is smaller it's a very good resolution so you can pick out a lot of detail. It has all the drawbacks of the tablet with photos randomly appearing a page or two early or late. I did not see any that were further off than that but it's very possible this can happen given the limited screen size. I could see this causing strain on my eyes after awhile due to the small size. Personally I hate reading on my phone so this version was never going to be something I spent a ton of time on. That said, it's perfectly serviceable and you can get the full value out of the book in this format IF your eyes are up to the task. Pros: You probably already own the device and the kindle app is free All the pros of the tablet some of them, like portability, are enhanced! Cons: It's small and could strain your eyes Reading on the phone irritates me In summary, I recommend consuming the content of this book on a good 8 inch or larger tablet with a nice HD display. The lower price of the digital copy is an absolute slam dunk in terms of value. Being able to adjust the size of the text in a digital format will be a huge win for readers with less than ideal eyes, and the ability to zoom in on pictures is very useful. The higher resolution and better portability the tablet brings are also huge wins. The fact that you can read it in the dark, on a dark airplane as you fly back from your company Christmas party for example, is fantastic. The biggest negative is formatting and that could easily be fixed if someone cared to try, and is at worst a minor annoyance. If tablets are not your thing or you don't own a suitable one already, I'd go with the paperback. The higher price point is rough, but the value is there if you are considering getting into CAS or are still new to the hobby. The layout is good, the book itself is easy to read and entertaining, and the information is very helpful. When you are done, It'll be a nice one for your shelf or a good reference to keep around just in case. Worst case, you'll be able to sell it on the SASS Wire for 80% or more of what you paid for it (ship it via USPS media mail which is dirt cheap). I would have jumped all over a slightly discounted used copy when I was in the market (don't wait around to find a discount on a used copy though, folks don't' sell these). General Book Review: As a newcomer who is interested in Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) I found this book valuable, but not quite essential. It can save you a ton of time researching the many topics that are very relevant to folks looking to get started in CAS. On top of that it saves you the trouble of having to worry about finding a reliable source. It will answer a lot of your questions about CAS in general (no book could possibly answer every question). The reason I say it's not essential is you can do your own research outside of the book and also get much of the same information. You can also find many of the answers to your questions right here on the SASS wire. That being the case, you might be asking yourself 'well are your recommending the book then?" Good question, part of it is the convenience of having so much information gathered, organized, and presented in an entertaining fashion by a source that is experienced and trustworthy. This will save you a TON of time that you would otherwise spend researching the topics yourself then investigating the sources of the information you found to make sure it was legit.... you do investigate the sources of information you read on the internet right.....RIGHT?!? Another reason is the value of the tips and tricks that Captain Baylor throws in along the way. He is a long time CAS veteran (and an actual Veteran too boot), and his experience has a TON of value. In some ways, reading this book has the feel of sitting down with an old rancher and having him teach you the tricks he has learned over the years, but doing it in the form of stories that are entertaining to listen to (or in this case read). You need another reason? How about the passion Captain Baylor has for CAS? Believe me, HE IS PASSIONATE about this hobby. He has a deep love for CAS and for the people in it. This passion shines out clearly in his writing and his enthusiasm is contagious. As an example, I'm interested in CAS for the competition and the cool old guns, but after reading the book I can't deny an interest in the costuming aspect of the hobby. I found the details about the firearms to be very interesting and useful. I paid special attention to the information regarding specific weaknesses in some of the most popular CAS firearms. Let's get specific. Early on, Captain Baylor talks about the best method for a weak side draw and transfer to the strong hand, with some good pictures to elaborate. This is something I did not think to study, and although I would have picked it up through observation, it's always easier to learn good habits than it is to have to unlearn bad ones so getting coaching like that early is priceless. There is great information about double strong side vs cross draw holsters, gotchas that come with specific types of holsters, things to look out for in a gun cart..... the list goes on. I won't spoil any more of the valuable nuggets sprinkled throughout this book, but trust me the book is full of them. It's not all roses and sunshine, and let's be honest you should be very skeptical of any review that only focuses on the highlights. With that in mind let's talk about a few ares where the book missed the mark for me. Remember, this is coming from the perspective of someone who has just recently decided to get involved in CAS. For this price and a book of this size I would prefer to have a hardback option. I would, in fact, be willing to pay a bit more for that option. I am sure this is done in paperback only for reasons of cost, nevertheless I have several books on my shelf now, in hardback that have more, higher resolution photos than this one that cost about the same as this one in paperback. Also, the lack of a chapter list at the beginning of the book is a big oversight (It made going back and counting the specific numbers of firearms reviews a real pain). A great majority of the content of this book is articles that were copied and pasted word for word straight from the Cowboy Chronicle. Occasionally, Captain Baylor throws in a note from 2022, but these are not detailed revisions of the articles, rather they are simple statements like "Sadly this gun is no longer in production," or "that price was from 2011." Useful tidbits to be sure, but in several cases the articles covered obsolete products that are out of production. This re-use of already published works is the reason I say you are purchasing convenience when you buy this book. I would like to have seen a greater breadth of firearms coverage in the book. There are 10 detailed articles on specific SAA clones, 3 reviews for rifles (one of which is long out of production), and 1 specific side by side (SxS) shotgun (also out of production). The coverage on SAA's is great, but why not include some generic models for beginners rather than focusing so much on comp ready guns only? What about the rifles? There are so many options available from Winchester and various other manufacturers/importers this feels like a big miss. What I'm getting at is this: All of the content about firearms and equipment, which are two VERY key areas for new CAS shooters, is limited to works already written and published by Captain Baylor in the Cowboy Chronicle. Some of it is over 10 yeas old and covers out of production hard to find equipment. If you are going to publish a book why not include some fresh reviews for relevant options at the time of publishing (2022)? There is also a significant portion of the book dedicated to black powder and Wild Bunch. These are two subjects that hold no interest for me despite the good Captain's enthusiasm for them both. I would much rather have seen these be part of a multi volume release. The first and largest would contain 60% of the info in the existing book, and be filled out by fresh reviews on current firearms and gear. The second, would focus on black powder and the unique gear that goes with it. Then a 3rd and final volume focused on Wild Bunch. Maybe that would be more trouble than it's worth, but it seems a natural separation to me and would have left room for more updated information in all 3 volumes. Next, I want to address a point that will likely ruffle some feathers no matter how truthful it is. Before doing so I want to make it clear that this has NOTHING to do with Captain Baylor. I do not agree with the statement that you should buy the book because "it will save you more money than it costs." I have seen that several times in reference to this book over the last few weeks. That statement assumes people are lazy, ignorant, or otherwise incapable of doing their own research. What this book saves you is time, not money. Let me explain. If you are able to access and read this post as well as access and read the book then you have all the resources you need to do your own independent research on CAS. If done correctly, your own research would save you the same amount of money this book is purported to. It would, in fact, likely lead you to the word for word source of 75% of the content of this book (the Cowboy Chronicle). For those who will say time is money, that is only true if you are currently able to, and desire to, exchange your time for money. I'll get off my soapbox now..... I'll end this marathon post with this: The book is an excellent resource and well worth the money to buy it and the time to read it. I believe it is packed full of valuable information to those getting started in CAS. You can't put a price on advice from a trustworthy experienced source like Captain Baylor and this book is full of that and more. It's not perfect (nothing is), and it may not answer every question (no book could), but it's the best single source of information, by far, I've found on getting started in CAS. Then again, I'm just a random Okie who is interested in CAS and decided to research the hobby before diving in, and as part of that research, I read a book. Note: For those concerned about the 'free' version of the book with the Kindle Unlimited subscription Captain Baylor is still paid royalties on those copies. In other words borrowing and reading the book in the 'free' digital edition still supports the author. *Edited to remove space left for photos. Edited December 20, 2023 by IronOkie 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 thanks for the comprehensive review , 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 Did he bring folks in to help him write any section(s) of the book that have experience at being at the top of the "competitive" side of SASS? Would love to know. Phantom PS: No, I'm not buying the book. Everyone here will attest to the fact that I already know everything. 1 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Maverick Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 You forgot one other way of reading the kindle version and that is on your computer. This gives you a bigger screen and easier to read in my opinion. But that is just me. Yes, kindle is available on your computer. I have it and read a lot of books on it via kindle downloads. TM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 I like the Captain's book. GG ~ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronOkie Posted December 20, 2023 Author Share Posted December 20, 2023 4 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said: Did he bring folks in to help him write any section(s) of the book that have experience at being at the top of the "competitive" side of SASS? No, there are only two articles in the entire book that were not written by Captain Baylor himself (the book is largely a collection of articles). Those two articles were not related to high end competition. The author mentioned including them as a tribute to a friend who has passed. He does reference a technique or two regarding cross draw stance and strong hand transfer that I gather were based on top shooters best practices, but that's about the only nod to high in competition that is covered. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronOkie Posted December 20, 2023 Author Share Posted December 20, 2023 2 hours ago, Texas Maverick said: You forgot one other way of reading the kindle version and that is on your computer. This gives you a bigger screen and easier to read in my opinion. But that is just me. Yes, kindle is available on your computer. I have it and read a lot of books on it via kindle downloads. TM Great call out. I actually didn't know that there was a Kindle app for PC. If I'm at my computer I'm not reading a book so it never occurred to me to check. I will try to take a look over the next week or so and update the review with that version. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Maverick Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 29 minutes ago, IronOkie said: Great call out. I actually didn't know that there was a Kindle app for PC. If I'm at my computer I'm not reading a book so it never occurred to me to check. I will try to take a look over the next week or so and update the review with that version. https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=ruby_redirect?ie=UTF8&node=16571048011 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 On 12/20/2023 at 8:30 AM, Phantom, SASS #54973 said: Did he bring folks in to help him write any section(s) of the book that have experience at being at the top of the "competitive" side of SASS? Would love to know. Phantom PS: No, I'm not buying the book. Everyone here will attest to the fact that I already know everything. True but should you buy the book it may well confirm your assertion and validate your beliefs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 32 minutes ago, Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655 said: True but should you buy the book it may well confirm your assertion and validate your beliefs Yeah...uhhhh...thanks but no thanks. Phantom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 On 12/20/2023 at 1:05 PM, Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L said: I like the Captain's book. GG ~ It's a great book. Bought one and another for my brother who is just getting started in CAS. Horace 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Here’s a picture of Captain Baylor at EOT on Wild Bunch Match day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 On 12/20/2023 at 10:30 AM, Phantom, SASS #54973 said: Did he bring folks in to help him write any section(s) of the book that have experience at being at the top of the "competitive" side of SASS? Would love to know. Phantom PS: No, I'm not buying the book. Everyone here will attest to the fact that I already know everything. This was his Covid/hearing loss project. Hugs! Scarlett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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