STORY SYNOPSIS: As a young man Monte Calhoun was as wild as they come, thinking the measure of a man was how hard he could drink and how straight he can shoot. But several years of schooling back East have changed him. Now, as steadfast and principled as a young Jimmy Stewart, Monte has become The No-Gun Man.
The East Coast has civilized him, and he’s bringing some of that civilization home to Superstition, Arizona . . . even if it means refusing to avenge the murder of his own father. Monte’s come back for one reason—to rescue his younger brother from this lawless land and take him back East.
But out here in a land of frauds and outlaws and ambushes, a man’s principles have a way of folding under pressure—especially in the face of gunfire. And Monte’s no different. It’s only a question of how far he’ll be pushed before he starts pushing back . . . with a vengeance.
Also includes the Western adventure, Man for Breakfast,in which the victim of a robbery will leave no stone unturned and no outlaw alive in his search for justice—even as he faces bullets, a hanging rope, and a startling revelation.
Hailing from the western states of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Montana, Hubbard grew up surrounded by grizzled frontiersmen and leather-tough cowboys, counting a Native American medicine man as one of his closest friends.
When he chose to write stories of the Old West, Hubbard didn’t have to go far to do his research, drawing on his own memories of a youth steeped in the life and legends of the American frontier.
When he chose to write stories of the Old West, Hubbard didn’t have to go far to do his research, drawing on his own memories of a youth steeped in the life and legends of the American frontier.
HISTORICAL FACT
THE DOUBLE EAGLE
In 1795, the highest denomination coin in the US was the gold Eagle with a face value of ten dollars.
In 1850, the face value of the Eagle was doubled and increased to twenty dollars and thus the “Eagle” became the “Double Eagle.”
Double Eagles were in circulation until 1933.
In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped the coinage of gold and made it illegal to own.
Thus no 1933 Double Eagles were ever legally released, although some were stolen and over the years several were recovered.
In the summer of 2002, a 1933 Double Eagle was found and auctioned off for $7,590,020, which shattered the old record of $4,140,000 paid at a public auction for an 1804 silver dollar.
My Review:
This is a great story. I loved that no matter how hard Monte tried he could not escape the wild west. He was destined to take revenge on his father's killer. There was a lot of history in the story, especially about the money of the time and the history of guns. It was also interesting to read about the kinds of alcohol that were common then, that you can still get today. The author definitely grew up on the frontier and I could tell that he knew what he was talking about. Towards the end when Monte started to get his revenge I could picture the bullets flying. The audio cd was a great addition to the story and I could close my eyes and visualize the gun fights and the nooses. I highly recommend this story in both formats. It was fun to read a chapter and then to hear it by different performers. The sound effects are worth listening alone. I am giving both formats of this story a 5/5. I was given copies to review, however all opinions are my own
