author
W. Coape Oates
Best known for writing about both country sport and military service, this English author left behind books that feel practical, firsthand, and rooted in a very specific time and place. His work ranges from a guide to rearing wild ducks to a history of the Sherwood Foresters in the First World War.
1 Audiobook
Wild Ducks: How to Rear and Shoot Them
by W. Coape Oates
About the author
Born in 1862, W. Coape Oates—also published as William Coape Oates—was an English writer connected with Nottinghamshire. Records linked to his books and cricket history identify him with the same William Coape Oates who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire in the late 19th century.
His surviving books show two clear sides to his life and interests. Wild Ducks: How to Rear and Shoot Them reflects practical experience with field sports and rural life, while The Sherwood Foresters in the Great War, 1914–1918: The 2/8th Battalion points to his military background and his role in recording wartime service.
Because reliable biographical material online is limited, many personal details are harder to confirm with confidence. Even so, the works themselves suggest a writer valued for direct knowledge, useful detail, and a strong sense of duty and place.