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The Floating Outfit #4
Goodnights Dream
A big country needs a big dream, and Charles Goodnight had one. He planned to drive cattle all the way to Kansas, where they would bring enough money to help rebuild war-torn Texas.
A gang of yellow-bellied yankees had a different dream. They planned to stop him! So Goodnight asked for the help of a quiet ex-Reb with twin Colts and a lean kid with a "yellowboy" repeater.
He didn't really have to ask. If Goodnight's dream was good for Texas, the fighting men of the Floating Outfit were in on the deal.
A gang of yellow-bellied yankees had a different dream. They planned to stop him! So Goodnight asked for the help of a quiet ex-Reb with twin Colts and a lean kid with a "yellowboy" repeater.
He didn't really have to ask. If Goodnight's dream was good for Texas, the fighting men of the Floating Outfit were in on the deal.
- GenresWesterns
184 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
44 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Edson
183 books79 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 31, 2016
JT often groups his stories into little 'mini-series' even when they are part of a larger series and this book sets up the background for the trail drive described in From Hide and Horn. Colonel Charles Goodnight, who happens to be one of Dusty's MANY uncles, and his partner drive a small herd of cattle to Fort Sumner to prove it can be done and win an Army beef contract. Sadly Goodnight's partner is killed along the way but Goodnight is able to win the contract in spite of the best efforts of some Eastern businessmen who want the contract for themselves. While Goodnight wants to share his new found source of wealth with his fellow ranchers and restore the economy of the state he loves, the businessmen want to exploit Texas.
Unscrupulous fellow rancher 'Honest' John Chrism--who's anything but--can also see the potential for profit and does what he can to stir-up trouble despite the fact that Goodnight is one of the few to call him a friend. His attempt to mix a group of stolen cattle into Goodnight's herd is thwarted by the arrival of the floating outfit and one of the owners Dawn Sutherland, who will later play an important role in the legacy of the Counter family. After rescuing Dawn's cattle Goodnight convinces her to send them along with him and she in turn helps to persuade the other ranchers to throw in as well.
Unscrupulous fellow rancher 'Honest' John Chrism--who's anything but--can also see the potential for profit and does what he can to stir-up trouble despite the fact that Goodnight is one of the few to call him a friend. His attempt to mix a group of stolen cattle into Goodnight's herd is thwarted by the arrival of the floating outfit and one of the owners Dawn Sutherland, who will later play an important role in the legacy of the Counter family. After rescuing Dawn's cattle Goodnight convinces her to send them along with him and she in turn helps to persuade the other ranchers to throw in as well.
April 30, 2020
Some of the names mentioned in these novels are real people.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
March 17, 2022
Another great Western shoot-em-up escapism yarn from J T Edson, who I first started following back in the 1970s. This time round, I'm reading the Floating Outfit series in chronolgical order and finding it much more enjoyable in the way they flow on from one story to the next.
April 17, 2018
Excellent!
A good talent a fine writer! For the most part the book is well written and edited. It is exciting and interesting just as I have come to expect from this author.
A good talent a fine writer! For the most part the book is well written and edited. It is exciting and interesting just as I have come to expect from this author.
July 9, 2018
Great book I really enjoy a good western. Wonderfully written.
June 9, 2019
Enjoyable, looking forward to reading From Hide to Horn next.
January 12, 2021
As much fun to read as it was 35 years ago. I loved it!
August 23, 2024
Good Read
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I sincerely hope that the rest of you out there enjoy it as much as I did
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I sincerely hope that the rest of you out there enjoy it as much as I did
May 2, 2014
Warning: Contains Many Spoilers
A fairly good book about a man named Charles Goodnight. He had a dream to drive 3000 head of cattle to Kansas to feed beef to the beef hungry easterners & potentially save the Texas economy*. The title I read was The Floating Outfit, which is the name of this book now. He gets cattle, at first, from a man that picks up "stray**" cattle. He finds this out when a lady from D4S named Dawn Sutherland comes and points out that he's got some of her cattle in his herd. Then, the ranchers missing their cattle show up. A green hand (they assume) fires a shot that starts a stampede. They then, lose cattle to thick underbrush. These cattle are drawn out by the blood call***. They find the camp where they find the ranchers, who are now their bitter enemies. Dusty, an agile cowhand, takes them out, then goes to the sheriff's office, and explains it to him. This is a good book to take on a vacation like a bus tour where you stop at many hotels. You would just leave it at the hotel you finish it at. these books are $.90 a piece. This is an interesting book, all things considered.
*Crude oil wouldn't become part of the Texas economy until years later.
**At the time, it was safer to identify cattle by brand instead of property.
***This is a behavior exhibited by longhorn steers when they find where the blood scent was coming from. It involves a low note from the steer and the steer closest hooking their horns into the dead animal and flinging the meat.
A fairly good book about a man named Charles Goodnight. He had a dream to drive 3000 head of cattle to Kansas to feed beef to the beef hungry easterners & potentially save the Texas economy*. The title I read was The Floating Outfit, which is the name of this book now. He gets cattle, at first, from a man that picks up "stray**" cattle. He finds this out when a lady from D4S named Dawn Sutherland comes and points out that he's got some of her cattle in his herd. Then, the ranchers missing their cattle show up. A green hand (they assume) fires a shot that starts a stampede. They then, lose cattle to thick underbrush. These cattle are drawn out by the blood call***. They find the camp where they find the ranchers, who are now their bitter enemies. Dusty, an agile cowhand, takes them out, then goes to the sheriff's office, and explains it to him. This is a good book to take on a vacation like a bus tour where you stop at many hotels. You would just leave it at the hotel you finish it at. these books are $.90 a piece. This is an interesting book, all things considered.
*Crude oil wouldn't become part of the Texas economy until years later.
**At the time, it was safer to identify cattle by brand instead of property.
***This is a behavior exhibited by longhorn steers when they find where the blood scent was coming from. It involves a low note from the steer and the steer closest hooking their horns into the dead animal and flinging the meat.
December 30, 2024
Trail herding
Goodnight had a dream to help Texas out of depression. To realise the dream he needs to prove the concept. Those who benefit from the current situation try to stop him. Dusty fog and the O D Connected crew stop them.
Goodnight had a dream to help Texas out of depression. To realise the dream he needs to prove the concept. Those who benefit from the current situation try to stop him. Dusty fog and the O D Connected crew stop them.
February 9, 2016
Enjoyable Dusty Fogg western
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews