Pulp Gallery: ZEPPELIN STORIES (1929)
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unForgotten Books: LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry (1985)
Remember when there were shops specializing in renting audiobooks on cassette? Yeah, there really were such places, some twenty-odd years ago. That’s when and where I came upon a copy of the unabridged reading of this book by Lee Horsley. Yeah, I’m talking about the Archie Goodwin-Matt Houston-Guns of Paradise Lee Horsley, who I didn’t especially like on TV, but who did a masterful job with this novel. It stuck in my brain ever since as the perfect marriage of narrator to book, and I’ve been hankering for another listen ever since.
Well, I finally got one, and I’m pleased to report it’s still every bit as good as I remembered. And while Horsley’s narration makes it shine, the real star of the book is Larry McMurtry’s prose. I have to say that word-for-word, the first half of this novel is one of the most entertaining reads I’ve ever had.
Point of view shifts quickly, often from one paragraph to the next, introducing us to a huge cast of outrageously captivating characters. Each has his own cockeyed world view, and many of the lines are laugh-out-loud funny. McMurtry keeps the yuks coming through most of the first half, leaving me agog with envy.
But somewhere in the middle, things turn serious. McMurtry’s West is a grim and deadly place, and the further our cast of characters stray from Lonesome Dove, the grimmer and deadlier it gets. The new characters we meet are dumber and duller, and the older ones stop having fun. Point of view shifts much slower, and we’re stuck with dumb, dull folks for way too long. That’s when a lot of people start dying, while others are subjected to such misery they wish they could die (and I was rooting for them to hurry up and do it).
So I think everyone should read it. Or better yet, listen to it, if you’re lucky enough to score the Horsley version. Just don’t be surprised when it turns your smile upside down.
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Western Round-up: GEORGE O'BRIEN
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Pulp Gallery: CLUES Detective Stories
1933
1930
1932
1928
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Davy Crockett Comics: FRONTIER SCOUT!
This thrilling slice of history, featuring special guest stars Davy
Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Barrett Travis and Sam Houston, appeared in Young Heroes #37, from June-July 1955, and was uploaded to comicbookplus by a swell fellow known as "prime user." Thanks, prime!
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Comic Gallery: SCI-FI ONE-SHOTS
1952
1951
1951
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The Art of WALTER POPP
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Forgotten Books: TO TRY MEN'S SOULS by New Gingrich and William R. Forstchen (2009)
In gearing up to visit George Washington's Mount Vernon® later this year, I googled around for historical fiction featuring old Georgie. And found surprisingly little. Along with a one called Citizen Washington by William Martin (which I'm now reading), only three pop to the surface. This is one of those three, first in a trilogy by Gingrich and Forstchen. If anyone can name other novels, I'd be pleased to hear about them.
To Try Men's Souls begins on Christmas Night, 1775, and ends the evening of the following day. As you've likely guessed from the cover, the action focuses on the celebrated Crossing of the Delaware, and the all-important Battle of Trenton.
Actually, heroic as it was, the Crossing wasn't all that important, or the Battle either, except that they gave Washington and his men their first taste of victory (after several disastrous defeats), and emboldened them to carry on. The feeling conveyed here is that without this small win, they would have all given up and gone home.
I find that pretty hard to believe. Washington was used to defeat, and could likely have absorbed another. His overall strategy was just to keep his army alive and avoid conflict unless he could be pretty damn sure of victory. The Crossing the the Battle were both very risky endeavors, and he was mighty lucky to get away with them. But I have to believe that if they had never taken place - or even resulted in defeat - he would have kept on trucking, likely with the same result.
Still, it's a good story, and Gingrich and Forstchen tell it well. Point of view alternates between Washington himself, Tom Paine (the Common Sense guy) and a common man volunteer from New Jersey, named Jonathan.
With George, we feel the problems and pressures heaped upon him by the Continental Congress, the British, the Hessians, the tories, his soldiers, Mother Nature, Providence, Martha and he himself.
With Paine, we feel the pain of expectations, and the guilty fear that he may have led everyone astray. Soldiers carry copies of Common Sense in their packs, and either revere him or revile him, depending on they react to trudging around New England without clothes, or shoes, or food, or pay.
With Jonathan, we feel every bit of that misery resulting from those deprivations, plus a family that has taken the easy way out and sided with the British.
Gingrich and Fortschen have collaborated on a good number of other books, and this is my first. My guess is that Gringrich provides most of the historical detail, while Forstchen cranks out the prose. But that is just a guess. I've found nothing online describing their writing methods. Anyway, they do a good job of bringing history alive.
My only complaint is that there are a lot of musings and flashbacks, particularly in Washington's POV, about earlier battles, which I don't know enough about to fully appreciate. OK, that's partly my fault, but still disturbing. I guess the authors can't be blamed for starting here, rather than with all the drubbings, which would NOT have resulted in a rousing read.
The following books in the trilogy are Valley Forge and Victory at Yorktown. Rumor has it those books are less laden with flashbacks, and since I toured both sites a few years ago, I expect to like them even better than this one.
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Movie Posters of 1913
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WEIRD TALES 71, 72 & 73 (1929)
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PHANTOM LADY in "Knights of the Crooked Cross" by Matt Baker (1947)
Phantom Lady, created by Eisner & Iger Studios, made her debut in Police Comics in 1941, but didn't hit her stride until 1947, when Matt Baker took over the drawing board in Phantom Lady 13. This ish was uploaded to comicbookplus by Flatterman. Great job, Flat.
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Comic Gallery: PRINCE VALIANT
1941
1955
1956
1956
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Pulp Gallery: Opening Day for AMERICA'S GAME!
1917
1936
1942
1938
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Forgotten Books: DISCOVERING THE MALTESE FALCON AND SAM SPADE (2005)
In fact, there is so much cool stuff in this book I despair of even attempting to describe it all, and will resort instead to overwhelming you with the table of contents. Beyond that, be it known that there are many, many photographs, reproduced articles and manuscript pages, letters, advertisements, magazine and book covers, movie posters, and miscellanea.
Suffice it to say that for Hammett fans (and if you're not one, you should be) this is one hell of book. You'll get your money's worth, and then some.
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Comic Gallery: TONTO (1952)
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Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
A recycled post from 2010.
Bill's comment was, "I can hardly wait to get my own copy!"
Bill's comment was, "I can hardly wait to get my own copy!"
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Pulp Gallery: MARVEL SCIENCE STORIES 1-4 (1938-39)
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"Captain Science and the Insidious Doctor Khartoum" by Orlando & Wood (1951
This E.C. calibre artwork, penciled by Joe Orlando and inked by Wally Wood, was uploaded to comicbookplus by movielover, for which the world owes homage. It's from the June 1951 issue of Captain Science.
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Comic Gallery: PRIZE WESTERN (1949)
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The Sweat Mag Art of Stanley Borack
Adventures for Men May '59
Cavalcade April '60
Male August '58
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More Pages to Explore .....
