Gene Atkins Hill (May 15, 1928, in Swartswood, New Jersey – May 31, 1997, in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

) is known for his contribution to nature-related magazines and his subsequent books. Hill served in

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Upon graduation from Harvard, he worked as an advertising copywriter for several Madison Avenue agencies, including

J. Walter Thompson J. Walter Thompson (JWT) was an advertisement holding company incorporated in 1896 by American advertising pioneer James Walter Thompson. The company was acquired in 1987 by multinational holding company WPP plc, and in November 2018, WPP merge ...

. At first, Hill moonlighted as an outdoors columnist for magazines including

Guns & Ammo ''Guns & Ammo'' is a magazine dedicated to firearms, hunting, competitive shooting, reloading, and other shooting-related activities in the United States. The magazine offers reviews on firearms, ammunition, optics and shooting gear. Also include ...

and

Sports Afield ''Sports Afield'' (SA) is an American outdoor magazine headquartered in Huntington Beach, California. Founded in 1887 by Claude King as a hunting and fishing magazine, it is the oldest published outdoor magazine in North America. The first issue, ...

. Then, in 1977, he left his day job to become a full-time columnist and associate editor at

Field & Stream ''Field & Stream'' (''F&S'' for short) is an American online magazine focusing on hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. The magazine was a print publication between 1895 and 2015 and became an online-only publication from 2020. History ...

, where he also wrote the monthly column, "Hill Country". In his outdoor columns, and later in more than a dozen books, Hill wrote about his many outdoor pursuits. Many remember him for his stories of

hunting dogs A hunting dog is a canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and g ...

and our relations with them.

Books

* ''A Hunter's Fireside Book'' (1972) * ''Mostly Tailfeathers'' (1975) * ''Hill Country'' (1978) * ''A Gallery of Waterfowl and Upland Birds'' (1978) * ''The Whispering Wings of Autumn'' (1981) * ''Tears and Laughter'' (1981) * ''Outdoor Yarns & Outright Lies'' (1983) * ''A Listening Walk...and Other Stories'' (1985) * ''Shotgunner's Notebook'' (1989) * ''Sunlight & Shadows'' (1990) * ''Just Mutts'' (1996) * ''Passing a Good Time'' (1996)

References

*Pete Bod
"Gene Atkins Hill, 69, Columnist For Field & Stream Magazine"
''New York Times'' - June 13, 1997, p. D21 *Contemporary Authors by Thomson Gale {{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Gene 1928 births 1997 deaths American columnists People from Sussex County, New Jersey United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II American copywriters Harvard University alumni Child soldiers in World War II