John Henry Reese’s Followers (6)

John Henry Reese

Born

in Sweetwater, Nebraska, The United States

December 18, 1910

Died

August 15, 1981

Genre

Crime, Young Adult, Westerns

Influences

Joseph Conrad ...more

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Pseudonyms for this author include: Cody Kennedy Jr. and John Jo Carpenter. John Reese in 1981- "I have never cared what any critic said about my work and still do not. I was never an ‘author,’but I was a production professional.” His output was remarkable. He sold over 500 stories to the pulps, graduated to the slicks, and became the top freelance contributor to the Saturday Evening Post. Doubleday published his first novel in 1943 and by 1980 he had written more than 40 more. His list included many high original Westerns, especially the Jesus on Horseback trilogy, but he developed in other directions. Big Mutt , is a best selling dog story for children, in print more than 30 years-winner of New York Herald Tribune Award, Children’s Pseudonyms for this author include: Cody Kennedy Jr. and John Jo Carpenter. John Reese in 1981- "I have never cared what any critic said about my work and still do not. I was never an ‘author,’but I was a production professional.” His output was remarkable. He sold over 500 stories to the pulps, graduated to the slicks, and became the top freelance contributor to the Saturday Evening Post. Doubleday published his first novel in 1943 and by 1980 he had written more than 40 more. His list included many high original Westerns, especially the Jesus on Horseback trilogy, but he developed in other directions. Big Mutt , is a best selling dog story for children, in print more than 30 years-winner of New York Herald Tribune Award, Children’s Book, 1952. The Looters explores the world of organized crime and became a film by Universal Pictures [Charley Varrick, ©1973]. Ten novels spotlight private investigator Jefferson Hewitt. Another trilogy with This Wild Land chronicles the powerful and passionate Shepherd family on and made concessions to the then current appetite for sex and violence. His production record alone stamps him as a notable writer, but he had other claims to high rating. One would be originality. An agent once described him as “incredibly imaginative.” There is a strong element of disillusion in Reese’s humor. The antics of the human race left him “confused and depressed.” After his years in politics and the newspaper business, he suspected that crooks and phonies outnumber the honest men in our world. He thought that many of today’s college graduates “ought to be recalled as unsafe at any speed.” Observation told him that “the noble red man was a myth” and that “tribal life was hell.” At the same time he respected courage and honor and loyalty. The mixture of skepticism and faith adds a special tone to his work. The flavor is sharpened by a high degree of literacy. He was formidably self-educated and called himself “a nut about the English language.” He delighted in good prose and was a fine stylist himself. From all this his principals as a writer emerge: “I always tell ambitious writers-to-be that if they haven’t read, they can’t write.” His second dictum: “If they haven’t lived, they can’t write.” He himself drew on an incredible reservoir of experience. He headed James Roosevelt’s campaign for governor, spent years as a Los Angeles newsman, and was at home in Hollywood. Nothing like this happens to the young literati of today. Reese fans contend that he was one of the equal or better-known practitioners of his craft: that in his own territory he was as good as they come. Jack Smith quoted Reese when he wrote about him in the Los Angeles Times upon his death: “Many a time I have looked back over my career trying to find something in it worthwhile. About all I remember with any pride was running Richard Nixon out of the City Hall pressroom. I told him something like ‘Go on, get out. Nobody can square you with Van. He says you have no guts and no principle and will probably go far.’” Jack goes on to retell the story of how Reese received hundreds of calls at home for the Failure to Provide [Deadbeat Dad] Office of the District Attorney. Seems his number was near that of the office. He was a compassionate man and it shows in his work. He couldn’t bear to change his number stating “There’s something about the anonymity of a wrong number that seems to cloak it with the frankness of the confessional and all I can do is try to exhibit a little compassion myself when they want to talk to the wrong number god.” Reese asked Jack not to retell this and many other stories for fear it would hurt his reputation as a curmudgeon. What he lacked in formal education, he made up for in integrity, honesty, loyalty and principal and, of course, a very colorful imagination. Jack Smith further wrote: “Here’s to an old grouch, and a very good man.” ...more

Combine Editions
John Henry Reese’s books

Average rating: 3.96 · 169 ratings · 40 reviews · 58 distinct works

	Big Mutt 4.28 avg rating — 54 ratings — published 1952 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	They Don't Shoot Cowards 3.86 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1973 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Horses, Honor and Women 4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1970 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wild One 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1972 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Big Hitch 3.57 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1972 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Springfield .45-70 3.67 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1972 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Weapon Heavy 3.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1973	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jesus on Horseback 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1971	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Texas gold 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 1975 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Sharpshooter 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1974 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by John Henry Reese…

Series by John Henry Reese

Jefferson Hewitt Series (10 books)
by

John Henry Reese

3.63 avg rating — 27 ratings

Jesus on Horseback Trilogy - The Mooney County Saga (4 books)
by

John Henry Reese

4.29 avg rating — 14 ratings

Quotes by John Henry Reese (?)

“Don't ask questions that you don't want the answer to.”
― John Henry Reese

tags: questions, questions-and-answers, questions-in-life

3 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
You'll love this ...: Oct Challenge - Crossed off my List (REPORTING Thread)	68	79	Nov 18, 2016 11:09PM
Crazy Challenge C...: No Vowels!!	1111	572	Jan 23, 2017 06:22PM

John Henry Reese’s Followers (6)

John Henry Reese

Combine EditionsJohn Henry Reese’s books

Series by John Henry Reese

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
John Henry Reese’s books