Philip Holden was one of our best-loved authors. His first book, Pack and Rifle, was published in 1971 and detailed his adventures as a deer culler for the New Zealand Forestry service. Encouraged by his initial success he produced another two popular works, Hunter by Profession (1973) and Backblocks (1974). Over the next three decades, Holden gained a dedicated following and reputation amongst the rural and outdoor/ hunting community of New Zealand and Australia. Not just as a narrator of hunting adventures but also as a talented photographer, historian and fictional writer.