AUTHOR FAVOURITES: RETURN OF THE GUN HAWK by BRAD DENNISON

Highly-successful western author Brad Dennison (who shares my admiration for A.B. Guthrie’s THE BIG SKY) does have a personal favourite of his westerns. It’s RETURN OF THE GUNHAWK, the 3rd in his McCABE series. The story follows Johnny McCabe, the ‘gunhawk’ of the title - former Texas Ranger and gunfighter turned cattle rancher - to California and a reunion with a brother he hasn’t seen for 17 years.

For images I thought of westerns based around brothers, from TV shows like BONANZA, 

THE BIG VALLEY

 and LANCER

 to movies like THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER.

Johnny McCabe’s role as a Texas Ranger who became a cattle baron reminded me of the legendary CHARLES GOODNIGHT (1836-1929.)

CHARLES GOODNIGHT in 1860

Goodnight served as a ranger, helping rescue Cynthia Ann Parker from the Comanches in 1860. Later he blazed the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail between Texas and Colorado with his partner OLIVER LOVING, killed by Comanches in 1867. 

OLIVER LOVING 

Goodnight founded the first ranch in the Texas Panhandle, the JRA Ranch, in 1876, and is credited with inventing the chuck wagon.

 

Whilst THE LONG TRAIL (which I blogged about recently) has a mere 110 5 star reviews, the last time I looked, RETURN OF THE GUNHAWK has 156! Reviews:

‘This series can be compared to Lonesome Dove.’

‘Great story-telling… hard to put down.’

‘Wonderful.’

‘This series of books is so good I feel like I know the characters.’

‘I wanted to turn the pages, but didn't want the story to end! … I plan to read the series and hope all are like this story!’

‘Brad Dennison writes the best stories. This should be a T.V. series… Characters are so well developed.’

 ‘This whole series was fantastic! Brad, you are an amazing writer. You stand with the greats, Zane Gray, Louis L'Amour.’

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Gunhawk-McCabes-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00IHMH8EY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: THE LONG TRAIL by BRAD DENNISON

It’s becoming the norm when I ask authors which is the favourite of their books for them to pick 2! (It’s a tough call, I know, like asking which is your favourite pet, your cat or your dog.) Brad Dennison does have a personal favourite of his westerns, which I’ll post about shortly. However he tells me it’s really best to start with THE LONG TRAIL, the first of his McCABE series. Brad says: ‘The McCabes aren't really stand-alone novels. There are story arcs that weave their way through more than one novel.’

THE LONG TRAIL begins with Dusty, who grew up on the frontier never knowing who his parents were. Coming into young manhood he decides to find them. His quest takes him first to Nevada (where he encounters a woman in danger at a lonely stage station, resulting in a cracking shoot-out in Chapter 1.) Dusty discovers his father is still alive – former gun fighter Johnny McCabe, now a rancher in Montana. Arriving at his father’s ranch, Dusty has to adapt to his new family - not only his father, but his step-brother and sister. And while he’s about it raiders strike - men Dusty knows all too well from his childhood.

Here’s a real way-station in Nevada

and another at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

And here’s two prominent Montana cattle ranchers:

GRANVILLE STUART (1834-1918) a rancher (and also author) who started cattle ranching in Montana as early as 1857. 

And German-born CONRAD KOHRS (1835-1920) who started ranching in Montana in 1866 but suffered mixed fortunes: ‘I guess I’ve been broke oftener than any man in Montana.’

The theme of the prodigal son/ sons finding out his/their absent father is/was a big rancher naturally made me of 2 TV Western series: THE BIG VALLEY

 Lee Majors in 'THE BIG VALLEY'

and LANCER.

The Montana ranch location also reminded me of THESE THOUSAND HILLS, a film based on a novel by A. B. Guthrie Jr., a writer who both Brad and I admire.

Finally the woman in danger at the remote way-station brought to mind Karen Steele in the Randolph Scott western RIDE LONESOME (1959.)

The last time I looked THE LONG TRAIL has garnered 110 5 star reviews!

Reviews:

‘A classic western.’

‘The best western I’ve read in a long time.’

‘Found myself sitting up late at night not able to put it down.’

'In the vein of the late Louis L'Amour.'

'Great book, never goes stale.'

'Some good characters and some very fine writing.' 

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Trail-Wheeler-Large-Print-Western/dp/1410476987/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482362161&sr=1-2