Apache Devil by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The sequel to ERB’s 1927 western, "The War Chief", begins with our hero, Shaz-Dijiji (Black Bear) trying to pick up the pieces of his life amid the tragic circumstances surrounding his loved ones in that first book. He’s still a young man in his early 20’s when this book begins, still an Apache warrior chief but the end of the Apaches as a people is becoming more and more evident. 

The novel is a conjunction of two types of stories. It’s partly an accurate historical novel that chronicles the final years of Geronimo and his renegades before the final peace agreements and the eventual life on a reservation. It also includes a more typical western tale (told from the Apaches’ point of view) that centers on Shaz-Dijiji and his needing to come to grips with his own origins as a white man. A potential romance may be in the cards; dare we hope for a happy ending for him? 

I’ve thought before that ERB was ahead of his time when it comes to appreciating the plight of the Native Americans and this novel proves it. It’s hard to believe this was first published in 1928 given the sympathetic view the author has for Geronimo and his people.

ERB isn’t well known for his westerns, probably because there are only a handful of them and when compared to his prolific output and world-famous settings and characters like John Carter, Tarzan, David Innes, etc. it’s just hard to compete. But one gets the impression that the author’s own experiences in the West as an enlisted soldier with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in Fort Grant, Arizona Territory were forever imprinted on his psyche and came pouring out in these two novels. I wish there were more in this series.

The Collected Raffles Stories by E.W. Hornung

This volume collects all of the AJ Raffles short stories written by the original author, E.W. Hornung, combining the works previously published in Raffles: "The Amateur Cracksman" (1899), “The Black Mask” (1901), and "A Thief in the Night" (1905). The only thing missing is the 1909 novel, "Mr. Justice Raffles". So, a total of 26 short stories included as well as an in-depth introduction written by Clive Bloom.

For the uninitiated, Raffles is  "the classic gentleman thief". The character defines the archetype of the gentleman criminal who has a code of honor, steals only from the rich, and is drawn to burglary for the sport as much as for the money. By day he is a well-known amateur cricket player, a useful tool to distract from his other profession. He is accompanied in his thieving practices by  Harry "Bunny" Manders who “writes” the stories much like Watson “writes” the Sherlock Holmes stories. The comparisons don’t stop there considering that the author, E.W. Hornung was the brother-in-law to Arthur Conan Doyle. There are a number of similar plot devices and character quirks that are similar as well.

While I enjoyed the characters of both Raffles and Bunny, the stories are clearly from another time. They are heavy on Bunny’s observations and full of description. The action, particularly the thievery, Raffles' disguises, etc. is subdued compared to today’s style and thus can be difficult to stick with. I keep coming across references to the character of Raffles in other books so I’m glad I’ve read them. I would be interested to read some more recent stories or crossovers by other authors if I can find any.

The Immigrants by Howard Fast

This first novel in the 6-book “Lavette Family” series begins in 1889 with fisherman Joseph Lavette and his wife Anna completing their Atlantic sea voyage and arriving at Ellis Island. But most of the story features their son, Dan Lavette and takes place in California between 1906 and the early 1930s.

Dan begins as a fisherman like his father but loses both parents in the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Even though taken in by friends of the family, he grows up quickly and uses his talents to grow an empire, eventually including cargo ships during WWI and later ocean liners, hotels, department stores, land acquisition, and even the rapidly expanding early airline industry. Risk, it seems is its own reward. This is a story of building great riches, great power, and complex relationships. Huge gains and big losses against a backdrop of world war, prohibition, and stock market crashes. A cornucopia of characters contribute to the overall story with a number of sub plots and story arcs but ultimately this is Dan’s story as he learns what is truly important in life. 

The author, Howard Fast was, himself, the son of immigrants and much of his early life seems partly to parallel that of Dan Lavette’s early struggle to succeed. This series of books comes fairly late in his prolific career and it reflects his love of history as well as an accomplished professional style that is both informed and entirely readable. In some ways this reminds me of the novels of Jeffrey Archer or perhaps Harold Robbins' The Carpetbaggers. This one kept me turning the pages wanting to see what happened next and now I am most anxious to pursue the next books in the series.

The Bridge by Manfred Gregor

Near the end of WWII, a desperate Nazi party attempted to shore up the German army by forming the ‘Volkssturm’, a national militia of those not already serving in the military. Many 16-year-old boys, who were members of the Hitler Youth, were strategically placed at key locations to prevent the Allied advance. Seven such boys are the focus of this novel, all childhood friends, rounded up in a small village and ordered to defend a bridge at all costs from the oncoming Americans who are only twenty miles away. 

I haven’t read many WWII novels from the German point of view but this one makes it clear that people are people, no matter their nationality. While these boys want to follow orders, their fears are as real as anybody else’s. With the advantage of history we know these young men are likely doomed and indeed, the novel unfolds in much the same way as the Battle of the Alamo. The author includes flashbacks for each of the boys so we get to know them pretty well. They become individuals with personalities, flaws, and dreams. That makes it all the harder when they eventually fall one by one.  The battle action is intense and the boys put up a good fight, establishing machine gun nests, surprise traps, and even using bazookas to take out a couple of American tanks. When they are reinforced by another group of Volkssturm, this time a group of ten men all over 60 years old, those men take one look at the situation and promptly desert, knowing the war is in reality already over.

The author is Gregor Dorfmeister, writing under the pen name of Manfred Gregor. This novel, published by Avon in 1958, is largely autobiographical as the author was himself a 16-year-old member of the Volkssturm, assigned to defend a bridge against American tanks. He survived to tell the tale but the experience of seeing Americans as well as his own buddies killed in combat turned him into an anti-war pacifist. This is reflected in the novel which highlights the futility of the bridge defense effort. If you’re looking for a realistic portrayal of a last stand scenario in WW2, this is a good one.

Swamp Tease by Edward Kempton

I got this 1960 Avon paperback in one of those $5 grab bags filled with about 50 books. I took one look at the title and the cover art, read the verbiage on the back cover…and knew I absolutely had to read it.

It’s the story of four people who are living near Lake Okeechobee in Florida. 31-year old Mae is a never-married homely spinster who desires nothing so much as to get married and live happily ever after. Her sister, 18-year old Sue, is a pretty blonde with a penchant for teasing the boys. Their father has just passed away leaving a run-down truckers café with a heavy mortgage as their only means of making a living. Enter Strick, a handsome vagrant who the girls hire as a handyman and who takes advantage of the situation in more ways than one. Sue’s boyfriend Johnny rounds out the foursome and despite his initial dumb hick personality turns out to be the only one with a solid set of thinking skills. I won’t spoil it for you, but you can probably guess what will eventually happen here.

This is a crime novel. Many paperbacks published during this era used eye-catching titles and cover art to attract male buyers but inside they often turn out to be pretty good crime or mystery yarns. This one kept me turning the pages although the plot was largely predictable and there was a bit too much stupidity on the part of all the major characters for my taste. Still, the writing was decent, and the ending (taking place in the midst of a hurricane, no less) was a nicely paced edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. 

I could find nothing on the author, but I feel like it’s too well written to be the only one ever scribed by “Edward Kempton”. Much more likely to be a pseudonym so I’m hoping somebody out there can educate me in this regard. (No entry in Hawk's Authors' Pseudonyms II). Judging by all the other reviews I see out there…I’m the only person to have ever read this book. I’m granting it 4 out of 5 stars because it was quite a lot better than I expected.