A Brief Background of the Boy Scout Fieldbook (BSA)
The BSA produced forerunners to the Fieldbook as early as 1920 with pamphlets called the Scout's Fieldbook or Scoutmaster's Fieldbook. And from 1927 to 1942, they produced "The How Book of Scouting", which was also a Fieldbook forerunner. They finally produced the first official Fieldbook in 1944.
1st Edition—Scout Fieldbook (1944-1967)
Author credit went to both James E. West, Chief Scout, and William Hillcourt. West retired as Chief Scout Executive in 1943 and was named Chief Scout until his death in 1948 (only other Chief Scout was Ernest Thompson Seton). Cover art was by BSA artist Don Ross, who also did the cover art for the Scout Handbook. The book is lavishly illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Some photos were updated as uniform styles changed. Chapters are called "Pow-wows". The back cover of many printings had an index listing references to all Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class advancement requirements.
1st Edition Summary and Printing History
title from title page—Scout Field Book
authors are James West and William Hillcourt
cover art is drawing of Scout cooking in camp, by Don Ross (first printing appears "faded" compared to later printings)
1944-1967 (23 years, although the last printing was in 1959)
