Into the Far Mountains: A Western Story (Five Star Western Series) Review

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Anyone who has read Fred Grove's material knows first hand that he is both a terrific stylist and talented author; in addition an author of great research, knowledge, and authenticity.
This book deals with a young boy, Jimmy Lattimore, captured in a stagecoach attack by an Apache raiding party led by Juh, a ruthless and cruel war chief who even other Apaches shun, who has moved with the boy to the farthest reaches of the Burro mountain area of New Mexico. The task at hand for Jesse Wilder and the child's mother, Susan Lattimore, is to enlist the help of Miguel Garcia, a mejicano who suffered the same experience as Jimmy, to reach the Apaches and arrange a ransom back of the young child. The Apaches see the activity of ransom as weakness and according to Cochise in the novel have never done it. In the pages of this western novel both fictional and historical characters come alive so the reader can almost feel, touch and taste the desert, the mountains, and feel the dread of being in close proximity to the 'human tigers' of these rough, deadly terrains, the Apaches.
This novel of people in the post civil war west will both entertain and educate the reader as the story unfolds. If you enjoy westerns and human interest yarns, this one should not be missed.
Unfortunately the book is at this late date generally available only through 2nd hand book dealers. But if the interest is there a copy can certainly be obtained. And I'm betting the reader will want to also read the other 2 or 3 books in the Jesse Wilder saga, BITTER TRUMPET and MAN ON A RED HORSE.
Highly recommended by an ole "book"aroo such as myself.
Semper Fi.

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Shimmering Sword: Samurai, Western, and Star Wars Sword Fighting Review

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(More customer reviews)At first glance Shimmering Sword may seem like a book that simply analyzes swordplay and its relation to the Star Wars universe. Reading the book reveals so much more. The book teaches the reader a great deal about the history and nature of sword fighting, from its roots in the creation of hunting weapons, to its advancement through the middle ages as the primary weapon of the soldier and finally to its symbolic representation as a symbol still worn by soldiers today.
Shimmering Sword explains a great deal about the nature of the sword and the culture that surrounds it. Jamilla, who has studied fencing and kendo for some twenty years combines this passion and knowledge of swordsmanship with his abilities as a teacher to dive deep into an explanation of how swords have shaped our world and culture as well as that of a galaxy far, far away.
This book does not romanticize the violent history and nature of the sword. Complete in this text are gruesome explanations of why swords developed the way they have and how they are used in battle to maim and kill one's enemies effectively.
This book works excellently on two levels: For someone looking to learn of the history of the sword, it is an excellent starting point and wonderfully informative. For the fan of Star Wars, this book will help the reader to understand the history and nature of the Jedi. How Jamilla accomplishes this explanation of the Jedi is through his historical examples of various orders of knighthood, the samurai and the warrior monks of China and Japan. The Jedi order, as Jamilla shows us, is an intricate blend of these groups or historical warriors and swordsmen.
The book also delves into the Master/Apprentice relationship and development. As a student in Japan, Jamilla has an amazing history as an apprentice in kendo, learning from a master of the art. As a teacher of fencing himself, Jamilla can also lend an interesting perspective on that aspect of the relationship.
In closing, the book takes a critical examination of the lightsaber duels in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and finally The Phantom Menace. This is, perhaps, the most accurate and well thought out observation of the movies' sword battles. Anyone who calls oneself a fan of Star Wars should consider reading this book for this chapter alone.
To anyone who makes a habit of reading critical analysis of the Star Wars films, this is a must read. Often books on this subject tend to build strongly on the opinions and ideas of others. This book takes a truly unique approach to a very specific portion of the films and explores it fully. It is a truly original and thoughtful work, much like the movies that inspired it.

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