Minneapolis, Minn. —Zumbo, by K.J. Houtman with foreword by Patrick F. McManus, is now available at Amazon and select retailers upon request. In paperback at 416 pages, the adult non-fiction will also be available in e-book prior to Christmas. Other formats are under consideration for 2017, including a collectors’ limited edition.
Published by Fish On Marketing, an independent publishing company, early reviews of the book indicate this collaboration with the living legend hit the mark. Jim Zumbo achieved international media attention in 2007 for a controversial blog he wrote. It cost him his job as hunting editor of Outdoor Life magazine, a post held for decades. “The fallout from the blog doesn’t occur until 300 pages in,” Houtman said. “That’s intentional. The route this New Yorker took to became one of America’s favorite western big game hunters is equally as interesting—if not more—as are his incredible adventures all over the world.”
But the story doesn’t end there, nor is the blog the end of the line.
“Readers get to know the man who wrote that blog, quirks and all, as well as who he is today and what life’s been like these last 10 years,” Houtman continued. “I believe Jim was the first to experience cyber bullying as thousands of divisive comments, including death threats, back lashed after his blog.” Additionally, turmoil followed when he landed front and center in major news headlines.
What’s the buzz on the book from early editorial readers?
“Zumbo is a fascinating peek behind the curtain into the career of one of the country’s best-known outdoor writers. Jim Zumbo’s contributions to the hunting industry go so much deeper than the infamous blog and its fallout, and K.J. Houtman’s storytelling pulls the reader in to discover the man behind the controversy.” – Hilary Dyer, editor at Grand View Outdoors
“In Zumbo, the sometimes rocky, always interesting, climb up the outdoor ladder takes the glamour and fame out of outdoor journalism and replaces it with the reality of hard work, near constant travel and personal sacrifices. His fall from grace made the man a better man. Great storytelling skills to highlight a living legend in the outdoor industry.” – J. Wayne Fears, award-winning outdoor writer
“If K.J. Houtman’s Zumbo came with aromas it would remind you of campfire smoke, trout frying on an open fire, and steaming cowboy coffee, mixed with a dash of burned gunpowder. Zumbo takes us from life’s highs to lows and back again in the fascinating true story of Jim Zumbo. The man and the legend will leave you wanting more!” – Larry Weishuhn, wildlife biologist, outdoor writer, hunter
“When the firestorm erupted, the most common question was, ‘What was he thinking?’ Zumbo is the long-awaited answer to that question, but it’s also far more. Houtman gives us a poignant look at the life which sculpted the career of one of the greatest hunting communicators of the ‘golden era’ of outdoor writing.” – Bill Miller, former editor of North American Hunter magazine and co-author of Reflections Under the Big Pine
“As a leading writer and hunter in the outdoor industry, Jim Zumbo’s story needed to be told! Houtman has allowed readers a first-person glimpse into the life of a man who saw a rise to fame, a fall from grace, and a true test of resilience.” – Kali Parmley, editor, outdoor writer, hunter
“This book is finally ready, and I couldn’t be happier,” Jim Zumbo said. “The early reviews, by Fears, Weishuhn and others, are over-the-top flattering. It’s been a long road and the result is, to me, fantastic. I can’t thank K.J. Houtman enough for her talents and ability to make my professional life story come alive.”
