Book Review: Pale Horse Coming

"Behold, a pale horse. And the man that sat upon him was Earl Swagger, and the editorial advisory board of Shooting Times followed with him."

                                                                                                                         ~ Stephen Hunter 6:8

Plot Synopsis: Bob The Nailer's daddy recruits a bunch of gun writers to liberate Auschwitz. And they kick serious ass.

If you're a Bob Lee Swagger fan, as I am, it's pretty cool to read about Bob's daddy (a hardass in his own right), rounding up your favorite gun writers from childhood and leading them on a commando mission to raid a despotic prison camp in pre-civil rights era Mississippi.

Sure, the plot is trite and predictable, and it shamelessly rips off everyone from Aeschylus to Kurosawa, with a little Uncommon Valor thrown in for good measure. But still, where else can you read about a thinly disguised Charles Askins, Bill Jordan, Elmer Keith, Ed McGivern, Jack O'Connor, and Audie Murphy going all wrath-of-God on a bunch of murderous redneck prison guards?

Elmer Keith throwing Molotov cocktails?

Jack O'Connor taking long range headshots with his trusty .270?

Ed McGivern going all Wild West on a bunch of corrupt cops with his twin Smith & Wesson Model 10's?

Audie Murphy being, well… Audie friggin' Murphy?

Yeah, gimme some more of that.

Good book. Now I gotta download some more of the Earl Swagger novels onto my Kindle…