McMurtry did a good, quick sketch of Custer & the events that led to & followed the battle of Little Big Horn. There was more from the Indian point of view than is normal plus a good balanced account of the man himself. Highly recommended....more
This isn't the correct edition. Mine was a straight narration by Stefan Rudnicki, one of my favorites. The story is pretty typical. Guy rides into towThis isn't the correct edition. Mine was a straight narration by Stefan Rudnicki, one of my favorites. The story is pretty typical. Guy rides into town & gets involved in an issue. Of course, he wins, does the right thing, & winds up with the girl. Just under an hour long, so just fun....more
I read the first JD King & it was OK. I was in the mood for a western & tried this, the second. Too corny. The narrator didn't help, so I didn't finisI read the first JD King & it was OK. I was in the mood for a western & tried this, the second. Too corny. The narrator didn't help, so I didn't finish....more
Joe Pepper is quite a character. He tells a preacher his story while he waits in jail to be hung, so the style of the story is more like a fireside yaJoe Pepper is quite a character. He tells a preacher his story while he waits in jail to be hung, so the style of the story is more like a fireside yarn. The narrator did a perfect job. I really thought I was listening to an old cowboy in his last hours.
Joe wasn't really a bad man, though he had that reputation. Life was hard & Joe was just a bit harder than some others around him. Often enough, he did unto others what they would have done unto him, but he did it first. Not always. He wasn't the smartest, fastest draw, best shot or card player, but he was usually a bit better than the other guys & he knew when & how to run as needed.
There is a lot of interesting history & facts about the Old West, but this certainly isn't a lecture. Just a name dropped here & there. Some situations come up like the graft or revolution in Mexico where he had a good thing going for a while. As he got older, the story got a bit thinner, but there's enough to see how he became more desperate to earn a dollar & that got him into some nasty situations. He didn't dwell on them, but some pain came through. And then there was the end. Fantastic!!!
Highly recommended, especially the edition narrated by Pete Bradbury. Again, he does a really fantastic job....more
A fascinating history with some good pics in the HB edition. It really gave me a feel for the times & filled in a lot of trivia about the Wild West (tA fascinating history with some good pics in the HB edition. It really gave me a feel for the times & filled in a lot of trivia about the Wild West (the Show, rodeos, & general west) Teddy Roosevelt, & especially Hawaii's history. Very readable & in depth enough without bogging down. Highly recommended....more
A who-done-it western with some shootouts & the usual stuff. The romances were tacky, but bearable. Unfortunately, the break wasn't particularly belieA who-done-it western with some shootouts & the usual stuff. The romances were tacky, but bearable. Unfortunately, the break wasn't particularly believable. If you can roll with that, it works pretty well, though. Fairly well drawn characters with no trouble keeping them straight. The narration was good except for the voice of Crow which was almost unintelligible sometimes. All in all, not bad. I won't be in a rush to read another....more
What a fantastic story! I read it years ago & remembered liking it & the movie a lot, but so many books are disappointing on a reread decades later. TWhat a fantastic story! I read it years ago & remembered liking it & the movie a lot, but so many books are disappointing on a reread decades later. This is NOT one. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, reading it from two entirely different age perspectives just made it even better.
Yes, it's a western & the type of story has been done to death, but this 1949 book is one of the trend setters. It's so concise & well written, too. Highly recommended. This time around, I listened to it & Grover Gardner did a great job....more
While this western didn't cover any new territory, it was pretty good. The author obviously knows horses & the country, at least. There were a couple While this western didn't cover any new territory, it was pretty good. The author obviously knows horses & the country, at least. There were a couple of fair mysteries to keep the tension up. A very solid western read....more
This was a lot of fun, but I'm glad I read the abridged version. Lynde managed to take every country saying & pack them into this narrative in completThis was a lot of fun, but I'm glad I read the abridged version. Lynde managed to take every country saying & pack them into this narrative in completely believable ways. It was a fairly typical western in most ways, but with a better plot overall. Quite funny. Excellent narration & characters....more
I remembered this as one of my favorite L'Amour stories. It follows a number of settlers on their way west & the growth of a mining town over the courI remembered this as one of my favorite L'Amour stories. It follows a number of settlers on their way west & the growth of a mining town over the course of a decade. That's really interesting, although fairly scanty. A lot of tidbits & half stories such as the mention of the Pony Express. It briefly served the town, but L'Amour makes it sound as if telegraph lines coming in put an end to the service. There's no mention that it only existed for less than 2 years or the trains that replaced it. Still, it makes some important points & shows something of the life they experienced.
The characters weren't very good. Overblown or caricatures, never much nuance, & predictable, gooey romance with a lot of repetition. While the narrator was good, I've always read L'Amour in paperbacks that allowed me to skim. No such ability in this format & it grew tiresome. I think I'll stick to memories & paperbacks from now on.
This edition had a 1982 interview with L'Amour tacked on to the end & it was interesting, although I recommend reading Education of a Wandering Man for a lot more detail. If you're a L'Amour fan, I highly recommend it....more
I don't read many westerns any more since they're too similar & it's pretty obvious that most authors don't know a thing about horses, cattle, or the I don't read many westerns any more since they're too similar & it's pretty obvious that most authors don't know a thing about horses, cattle, or the west, so it's rare that I find one that is readable any more. This is one such. It has all the traditional western tropes, but they're very well done & mixed up with some material I've rarely read in the genre.
This novel is actually 2 novellas about some older (Not old! They're younger than me.) lawmen who were pretty much retired, but have to band together once more. Why is really well done. It's not just that lazy coincidental thing that is used too often. Trap O'Shannon, Clay Madsen, & Ky Roman are excellent characters, along with O'Shannon's wife & son.
THE HELL RIDERS
In 1910, a girl is kidnapped in Montana & a dry summer has fires blazing all over. Trap's son, Blake, is now a lawman & winds up getting his father & friends to help him find the girl. It's an exciting adventure with Maggie, Trap's wife, doing some very tough, heroic stuff as well as the girl. No wimpy women. Even the kid is a tough little booger. 4 stars!
HARD ROAD TO HEAVEN
This takes place shortly after the previous story, but keeps jumping back in time to tell the story of how Trap, Maggie, & the rest got together. The current story is interesting in its own right & since flashbacks are used, the meeting story gets to skip all the boring parts. Very well done. There isn't much to the current story, but it's fun.
Unfortunately, this ends on a bit of a cliff hanger that would bring it full circle with the first story & my library doesn't have that one! I'm not sure it has been written yet. I'm not sure the author linked with this book is the correct one, either. If anyone knows, please tell me! I'd love to find it....more
Not for the faint of heart! Two women are mail order brides & their lives are hard ones shown in brief situations months & years apart. Each scene is Not for the faint of heart! Two women are mail order brides & their lives are hard ones shown in brief situations months & years apart. Each scene is wrenching, tearing at another heart string with a clarity that is incredible for the brevity of the piece. I could really see the area they lived in, feel their struggles, & was horrified by their actions at times. Wow. If it wasn't so damn depressing, I'd give it 5 stars, but she didn't throw us a single bone of hope....more
A fun story, direct adaptation of the movie, so no surprises. The description slowed & dragged it down for me. A lot of it wasn't necessary. Still, itA fun story, direct adaptation of the movie, so no surprises. The description slowed & dragged it down for me. A lot of it wasn't necessary. Still, it was enjoyable & well narrated....more
Definitely not Louis L'Amour sorts of stories. They're gritty & full of men's frailties as well as bravery & all sorts of real situations. A couple arDefinitely not Louis L'Amour sorts of stories. They're gritty & full of men's frailties as well as bravery & all sorts of real situations. A couple are funny, some sad, & a couple are downright chilling. All are short & to the point, something I really appreciate in a short story.
I searched, but couldn't find a table of contents for this. The introduction was well done & is worth listening to as are all the stories - 13 I believe. They were all published in the 1950s. The take place from the early 1800s, such as his take on Colter's Run (One of the best I've read.) to Prohibition times. The characters just pop off the page. I could almost smell one of them.
This was fun. I've never read a western by Spillane & it read like a John Wayne movie script. Not surprising since he probably wrote it for the Duke, This was fun. I've never read a western by Spillane & it read like a John Wayne movie script. Not surprising since he probably wrote it for the Duke, a friend according to Max Allen Collins who finished this from Spillane's notes after he died.
This was so similar to the tone & characters of Rio Bravo & Rio Lobo, right down to the fiesty old side kick with a shotgun, although the latter reminded me more Walter Brennan (Rio Bravo) than Jack Elam (Rio Lobo). The plot is a little more Rio Lobo, though. It's a twisty murder mystery that almost puts a town into the hands of the bad guys.
This is the wrong edition. I listened to it as an audio book narrated by Corey M. Snow who did a great job. I didn't see the first of this series available that way & this story pretty much filled that in, so I won't go looking for it.
The story ends abruptly, but I'm sure there's a follow up. Caleb isn't particularly likable, particularly in his relations with the ladies, but there's this lady... ...more
The basic idea was OK, but everything was far too long starting with the first chapter which describes the setting of the novel. It's not the real wilThe basic idea was OK, but everything was far too long starting with the first chapter which describes the setting of the novel. It's not the real wild west, but the one we hold in our heads due to all the penny-dreadfuls, John Wayne movies, & such. There, I described it in a sentence. He took an entire chapter!
And then there was an excellent chapter about what Johnny is up to. Flew right along, very well done, but then we get a terrible information dump as we go back in time & spend an entire chapter on Johnny's early life before returning to the story at hand. What story was that? Oh, yeah, but nothing much happens for a while...
The narrator was pretty good, the story idea not bad, the execution just awful. Friends of mine with more patience might find a good story which is why I gave it 2 stars, the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps I didn't stick with it long enough, but I was zoning out too often & I have a lot of other books I'm looking forward to....more
It was a fun western with some great characters. Sturgeon is best know for his SF, so this was a hoot to read just for that reason, but the bonus is tIt was a fun western with some great characters. Sturgeon is best know for his SF, so this was a hoot to read just for that reason, but the bonus is that the book is based on the movie of the same name that came out in 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rar... It had a lot of great old stars such as Jimmy Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Jack Elam, & Brian Keith. I don't think Stewart was the best actor for the role as written in this book. Kirk Douglas would have been perfect, but I still remember it fondly....more
The early 1900s in the American southwest were an interesting time, a mix of new & old such as cowboys driving cars. That went about as well as might The early 1900s in the American southwest were an interesting time, a mix of new & old such as cowboys driving cars. That went about as well as might be expected all too often. Plenty of accidents caused major issues as neither the roads nor the cars were up to the challenge. (Studebaker had a pamphlet made promoting their cars with AZ lawmen who used them almost exclusively. "The Arizona Sheriff" by Major Grover F. Sexton)
Prohibition came early to AZ, then NM & TX. The population was closely divided on the issue & this led to big problems for law enforcement not to mention plenty of abuses. Fanatic or power-mad cowboys with guns were bad enough, but too often the newly formed units were made up of men with no prior law training who had no uniforms & little direction. Where the public would help with most crimes, they rarely did with alcohol or drugs. Many still wanted both & businesses were just shut down by the new laws. Mexico wasn't dry & the border was quite porous. In some places people could simply cross the street.
A lot of hard feelings with Mexico & a divided population with a lot of prejudice. Poncho Villa raided into the US, Mexican revolutionaries used the US for staging, recent war with Mexico, stolen land & property via both 'legal' & criminals. Plenty of blame to go around & tempers to flare. A lot of accusations of corruption & lack of cooperation on both sides.
The abuses of the various Prohibition squads reminds me a lot of the current mess with the war on drugs & the author brings this up in the Author's Note at the end. Funny how this always increases gov't power, tramples rights, & yet doesn't solve the problem since so many still want the product. No compromise & there should have been one. Drinking, drugs, gambling, guns, & prostitution were rife & unregulated. Drunks cutting loose with guns & knives wound up causing a lot of grief. Prostitution spread a lot of disease. Instead of trying some regulation though, they just tried to stop it all never thinking or caring about the economic or social impacts. What other jobs were the owners & workers supposed to do? The amount of money that could be made running drugs & liquor was just too good for both the bosses & their patsies runners.
I found the legal system the biggest shock. Many sure sounded as if they were guilty, but weren't charged at all, had charges tossed out because they weren't read their rights (I thought that was Miranda in the mid 1960s.), or were convicted but sentenced to amazingly short amounts of time such as 5 years for killing a Border Patrol Officer or deputy. Some of the accounts were obviously slanted while others were finger pointing where no one is sure what happened & never will be.
The book was long on actual newspaper accounts, reports, & first hand accounts given as late as the 1980s by people who lived through the time. There were a lot of exact dates & many, many names. Too many for me to keep more than a handful straight in audio. That wasn't a huge problem, but might have made it better - would have been a necessity if I really wanted to study the period. Instead, I got what I wanted, a good overall review of the times, people, & situations. ...more
This was a great set of short western stories, all well narrated. All the stories were fairly short, but well drawn & they made a good point. I couldnThis was a great set of short western stories, all well narrated. All the stories were fairly short, but well drawn & they made a good point. I couldn't ask for any more. They covered quite a good range of subjects, too.
I normally try to give a list of them all & a rating, but it's been a busy day so I'll settle for an overall score of 3.5 rounded up a bit.
''The Winning of Poker Alice'' by John Jakes [Read by Rex Linn] was interesting throughout, but I didn't really get the point, if there was one. 3 stars.
''Sojourn in Kansas'' by Lenore Carroll [Read by Gabrielle DeCuir] is about Custer told from a feminine point of view. Interesting characters. 4 stars
''The Diamond-Ring Fling'' by Lori Van Pelt [Read by Kathe Mazur] was horrible & great. What's a woman to do? 4.5 stars
''The Cotton Road'' by L. J. Washburn [Read by Mirron Willis] is an excellent story of a boy & his boogey 'man'. 4 stars
''Buffalo Bill's Last Dream'' by Arthur Winfield Knight [Read by Stefan Rudnicki] was sad & humanizing. Heroes have clay feet & sorrowful issues. 4 stars
''A Commercial Proposition'' by Richard S. Wheeler [Read by Judith Smiley] was a hoot. I'm still chuckling about the mustached old saloon & whorehouse owner. She was quite single-minded. 4 stars
''Day of Vengeance'' by James Reasoner [Read by Rex Linn] was heartbreaking in many ways. Posse, feud, & an Injun fight. Quite good. 4 stars
Read this. Highly recommended.
Available through Amazon or cheaper directly from Blackstone Audio's consumer site. They're a great audio book producer. Check out some of their other titles. They're the ones producing the Matt Helm & Quarry books in audio. They've also done the audio version of The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay, one of the best original Star Trek episodes written by Harlan Ellison. (I only gave it 3 stars, but that's because I think Ellison is an ass.)...more
I thought about going back to this, but found I wasn't halfway through, but less than 25% of the way (on 9 of 38). I have many other far more interes I thought about going back to this, but found I wasn't halfway through, but less than 25% of the way (on 9 of 38). I have many other far more interesting books to listen to & I seem to be in a nonfiction mood. Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History was great & now I have Being Human: Life Lessons from the Frontiers of Science.
This wasn't awful, just way too slow for me. I really don't want to explore characters & their motivations in such detail. The writing was good, just too descriptive. Not enough was happening, so I'm going to abandon it. ...more
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