Bob Lee Swagger

[Stevie-Ray]

Not trying to be a jerk, but I read a couple Hunter novels and thought his stuff was weak,predictable,implausible and stupid.

A bit strong, but I can agree after reading Pale Horse Coming with the idiotic renaming of all the historical figures in gun lore. But, I like the first couple of the Bob Lee stories and a couple of the Earl books. The Master Sniper and The Second Salidin both sucked. Actually, one of his best is Dirty White Boys, and it was my wife's favorite as well.

 

[Catherine]

I like Bobby!

I just got another book from the library too. POINT of IMPACT. It finally came back in for a check out.

I liked the movie called "The Shooter" although the book will be better - I am sure.

I liked the end of it when he got the bad politicos and TRAITORS.

Kill them all and let God sort them out. The men in the cabin so full of themselves and SMUG.

Go Bobby!

Don't mess with Bobby - they LEFT HIM and his partner... mighty fine, eh? NOT!

Catherine

 

[Japle]

The tattoo parlor shootout in "Dirty White Boys" was one of Hunter’s best scenes.
Confusion, noise, pain and tons of unexpected, uncontrollable crap. Just like real life!!

 

[Ramone]

I actually just started Point of Impact, and managed to hack my way through the 'non-lethal special delrin bullet deer hunting' horsecrap, and have made it up to the point where the author reveals his complete ignorance of USMC Sniping training and Ballistics.

in taking SA Memphis's shot, he adds extra hold over because when shooting down hill, 'bullets impact lower'...
Sheesh.

but, yanno? I still kinda like it <g>.

Ramone

 

[Dean Speir]

.

.

Pale Horse Coming with the idiotic renaming of all the historical figures in gun lore.

Someone… no names, please… seems to be unfamiliar with the issue of intellectual property as it relates to individual identities.

Pale Horse Coming is a work of fiction, and while the six figures who join Earl Swagger in their mission against the Thebes penal colony (hint: research "Seven against Thebes") are all based on historical figures immediately recognizable to anyone over the age of 30 in what John Ross terms "the gun culture," though most of them had already passed on at the time it was first published, a writer of fiction simply cannot play fast and loose with real personages in a fictional setting… Ross himself had to revise some names of real people in second and subsequent printings of Unintended Consequences… even though those characters don't have anywhere near the sizeable roles in the narrative as Hunter's half-dozen do.

Also, Hunter so completely nails the miserable nature of the character of "Charlie Hatchison" that had he used the man's real name, the estate of the "unrepentant sinner" probably could have gone to court and collected as much in damages as the royalties of any three of Hunter's books!

More than any of the Bob Lee stories, I like the one's about Earl. Hunter has a great feel for the times and places in which they are set, and Pale Horse Coming is a very clever (and compelling) combining of the roman à clef literary convention and the updating of a classic Greek myth.

 

[Joe Gunns]

Master Sniper (1980) and Second Saladin are Hunter's first two novels. Next came The Spanish Gambit aka Tapestry of Spies , followed by The Day Before Midnight, and then Point of Impact in 1993. You can see his skill as a novelist improve from book to book.

Very prolific writers tend to hit a peak about five to ten years into their career, then their writing tends to become either more predictible or outlandish. Continued sales become more dependent on fan expectations than on strength of story. You can see it with Grey, Christie, Spillane, L'Amour, John D. MacDonald, Sanford, Deaver, Connelly, even Burke, who is probably the best mystery/action writer today at setting a mood with a minimum of words.

 

[Werewolf]

Very prolific writers tend to hit a peak about five to ten years into their career, then their writing tends to become either more predictible or outlandish.

Agreed and I'd add "more artsy fartsy" for the ones that have acquired the most fame.

It's the guys that start out writing really good stories that are entertaining, make a lot of money and then go all artsy fartsy that tick me off the most.

 

[mljdeckard]

Point of Impact is the only book in 20 years I have read more than once. I watched the movie, and while I was impressed by how much detail they crammed into the movie from the book, and Fuqua's directing, it was tainted by Mark Wahlberg. He's an anti-gun felon. When he met Charleton Heston in conjunction with re-making "Planet of the Apes", he told him, "It's very disturbing to meet you." I just kept thinking, he shouldn't be allowed to handle a gun, he doesn't represent RKBA in any way.

 

[Halffast]

I also think Dirty White Boys is one of Hunter's best. It has one of the best antagonist ever written, IMHO.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I also think Dirty White Boys is one of Hunter's best. It has one of the best antagonist ever written, IMHO.

Bigboy (the guard sergeant in Pale Horse) was my favorite.

 

[jmontgomery]

Point of Impact is the only book in 20 years I have read more than once. I watched the movie, and while I was impressed by how much detail they crammed into the movie from the book, and Fuqua's directing, it was tainted by Mark Wahlberg. He's an anti-gun felon. When he met Charleton Heston in conjunction with re-making "Planet of the Apes", he told him, "It's very disturbing to meet you." I just kept thinking, he shouldn't be allowed to handle a gun, he doesn't represent RKBA in any way.

That wasn't Mark Wahlberg, that was Tim Roth. Mark won an award for a film the year after Planet of the Apes came out, started his acceptence speach "God bless Charleton Heston".

 

[Joe Gunns]

BTW in regards to my earlier post about a writer peaking:

The Day Before Midnight came out in 1989. What most folks consider his two best followed four years later: Point of Impact in 1993, Dirty White Boys in '94. Then Time To Hunt in '98 followed by the Earl Swagger trio of Hot Springs, Pale Horse and Havana from 2001-2003.

Next book was the non-fiction American Gunfight (2007) about the attempted Truman assassination, which he cowrote (and which I found disappointing as it lacked the zip of his novels. But I can overlook that as doing non-fiction with zip is a tough row.) Also in 2007 was 47th Samari then this year's Nights of Thunder.

 

[lksseven]

Time to Hunt was my favorite. Such a big story, with some twists, and some unforgettable scenes and lines ("Daddy's home" ranks up there with the all time best - imo, of course).

Dirty White Boys was also a superb book. Brutal.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

My mom called me recently, and told me how pumped she was about the movie "Shooter," especially after watching the extras detailing how some Marine non-com sniper made the ghillie suits for all the different locations, and how Marky Mark did all sorts of preparation. Her interest was undoubtedly magnified by her nephew having been a Marine Scout/Sniper, and to a lesser degree by the other one being a Marine CWO.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Someone… no names, please… seems to be unfamiliar with the issue of intellectual property as it relates to individual identities.

Pale Horse Coming is a work of fiction, and while the six figures who join Earl Swagger in their mission against the Thebes penal colony (hint: research "Seven against Thebes") are all based on historical figures immediately recognizable to anyone over the age of 30 in what John Ross terms "the gun culture," though most of them had already passed on at the time it was first published, a writer of fiction simply cannot play fast and loose with real personages in a fictional setting…

Oh please......
Hunter was so blatant in his portrayals that the most casual observers with a modicum of gun knowledge, simply skimming the book in an airport, would know immediately who the characters were. They were, in fact, so obvious that any lawsuits or backlash that might otherwise have been in the offing, could probably still be. He could have easily come up with his own characters and the book wouldn't have been so "cheapened" to me. Simply not up to the standards of some of the others.