Legendary Hunters and Explorers

Hardcover with Dust jacket, 208 Pages.

Finishing the final book in the iconic Legends series, Legendary Hunters and Explorers is the epitome of Sir John Seerey-Lester’s spirit. Filled with over 120 paintings and 45 descriptive chapters, the new 200-page book relives the compelling stories of 25 acclaimed hunters and explorers.

Amid his fight against cancer, Sir John Seerey-Lester was working tirelessly on his final book of the Legends series, Legendary Hunters and Explorers, when he passed away in May of 2020. He is survived by his wife and fellow artist, Suzie Seerey-Lester, who carries his torch with vigor and pride.

All of the men and women featured on these pages shared an unquenchable thirst for adventure, and a remarkable ability to survive in the face of extreme hardship and dangerous encounters in the wild outdoors. Spanning the years from 1800 to the mid-1900s, the careers of these dedicated hunters and explorers were filled with all sorts of adversity and challenges, which they somehow managed to overcome.

Consider the amazing story of frontiersman Hugh Glass.  Savagely attacked by a grizzly, Old Hugh was left to die by two of his fellow soldiers. Though severely injured, he began a weeks-long ordeal of crawling and eventually limping more than 250 miles, eating whatever he could find—including a rattlesnake— to sustain him on his harrowing journey. On the way he had to fight off an attack by Indians before he finally reached the safety of his fort.

That same unyielding determination to survive the worst possible conditions can likewise be found in the Arctic research expeditions of John Torrington and Adolphus Greeley, who were stranded on ice floes for more than a year.

Sir John Seerey-Lester devoted almost three years in researching and writing about these and other eminently fascinating characters, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Revered as two of the world’s greatest leaders, both men journeyed to Africa to hunt the Dark Continent’s dangerous game.

About the Author: With work hanging in the White House, as well as museum collections, private homes and assemblages all around the world, Sir John Seerey-Lester was known for his mystical and mysterious animals and  was frequently called “The Godfather of Wildlife Art.” One of John’s favorite subjects was Theodore Roosevelt, and he was named “The Preeminent modern-day painter of Theodore Roosevelt.” John was knighted by His Imperial and Royal Highness, Archduke Andreas of Austria for his work in conservation. He and his wife, Suzie, received the Simon Combes Award for Conservation in 2014 from Artists for Conservation, and the Society of Animal Artists presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.  Just recently, he was awarded the NRA’s Hunter’s Leadership Forum Award for his work in conservation. These are just a few of the numerous awards he won.