READING AND ENJOYING IT

The picture above is of author Richard S. Wheeler. He is one of my favorite authors. He writes good books. Let me back up a bit...

You all know that I am a "reader." I like a good novel and I like non-fiction. I like biographies, autobiographies, histories, historical fiction, Maybe it would be easier to say what I don't like: I don't like poetry because I don't understand it, and I don't read romance novels. On occasion I'll find something that falls into a Science fiction or a fantasy genre that I can tolerate, and some westerns, as long as they are written by Richard S. Wheeler. He is considered a "western writer" but since my introduction to his books was with his book on the San Francisco earthquake, I've found it hard to pin the label of his books as being "Western." Anyway, probably most of you are not familiar with his works, so I've taken the liberty of posting reviews (and their sources) on the blog today so you can think seriously about reading his works. I'm a sucker for a good story, and this man really tells a good one! These are easily read, easily understood and easily obtainable. Go ahead, make your day by reading some of his good works:

MASTERSON
Again depicting characters with frailties as well as heroic qualities, the prolific Wheeler's 25th novel (after Aftershocks) is a sprightly romp of revisionist western history. In 1919, legendary gunfighter Bat Masterson is a 64-year-old New York City sportswriter who suddenly becomes worried about the inglorious and mostly false reputation he has endured for decades…. Accompanied by his common-law wife, Emma, Bat decides to return to Dodge City, Tombstone and Denver to clear his name and to establish that he killed only one man, who richly deserved it, and that he is really a nice fellow if folks would just get to know him. This journey is a hoot as the old lawman finds that the public wants the legend, not the truth. When Bat visits his old friend Wyatt Earp in L.A., he meets actor William S. Hart and learns about why western films are so popular in Hollywood. Bat reminisces with Emma and a few old saddle pals, but finally gives up his quest when he realizes that folks want mythic, infamous heroes, and "you may as well sit back and enjoy the ride because there's no way to get off the train." This is classic Wheeler, a solid story about real people told with wit, compassion and a bit of whimsy. (Review by Publisher’s Weekly)


AFTERSHOCKS
Wheeler jumps ahead a few years to the San Francisco earthquake. The cataclysm that leveled the city on April 18, 1906, was one of the greatest disasters of modern times, and Wheeler portrays its impact upon the high, the mighty, the desperate, and the scoundrels: people like Ginger Severance, the missionary with a heart of stone; Carl Lubbich, the corrupt city engineer who learns too late the price of his own venality; Harrison White, an ambitious architect who sees the making of his career in the ruins of a city; and the bohemian Katharine Steinmetz, whose idle photographs become keys to the city's rebirth. Real-life figures such as Caruso and Jack London also make their appearance, although the true star of this history is the city itself, as it struggles to survive the wrath of Nature and God. Formulaic in the extreme, but the local color and historical detail move the story briskly on its way. Wheeler writes to entertain, and he succeeds admirably in his task. (Review by Publisher’s Weekly)

ECLIPSE
Picking up at the end of their journey, the Lewis and Clark Expedition arrives at the city of St. Louis tired and filthy from their multi-year trek. While deftly alternating chapters between the first-person voice of Meriwether Lewis and the perspective of William Clark, the personalities of both men are beautifully drawn. The well-educated, wife-seeking Lewis wrestles with his guilt over having succumbed to his lust with a Shoshone woman while basking in the glory of his new fame. His night of passion has caused him to contract syphilis and his slow physical and mental degeneration results in an addiction to laudanum. William Clark is also shown with all his flaws. As he courts his young bride and begins a family, he must contend with the increased independence of York, his slave, who was treated as an equal member of the exploration party and now chafes at the return of his role of servant and property. The author based this novel on the new interpretations of research into Meriwether Lewis and the strange behavior witnessed prior to his mysterious death. Excellent author notes at the end of the book detail the research process behind these findings. (Reviewed by Courtney Lewis – KLIATT)

In case you want to read more about him, he's where he can be found: http://www.richardswheeler.com/