Buffalo Gordon

Buffalo Gordon #1

by J.P. Sinclair Lewis

A fictional history of the west as seen through the eyes of runaway slave Nate Gordon. He has returned to Louisiana as Sergeant Major Nate Gordon of the Tenth United States Cavalry. His job, to recruit and form the second US colored cavalry, the Ninth Negro. Three years have passed since Nate left Louisiana and his life as a slave, to join the Union Army. The war is now over, and it is clear that the South has paid a heavy toll. Nate's former home is a tattered collection of dilapidated buildings and ruined plantations.



Where once opulence and order ruled, poverty corruption and crime now thrive. Resentful and disgruntled white Southerners want nothing to do with Nate and his stripes. Racist Union officers and noncoms only make his task more difficult. Nate struggles to quell dissent from the ranks and to keep outside forces at bay as the Ninth Cavalry moves from the docks of Louisiana to the wide open West.

Genres: Fiction

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[gaudeo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to give this book both more and fewer stars than two. More, because the story and the subject matter are fascinating, and after all, I did read it through to the end. But also fewer, because it is so horribly written that it is (trust me) laughable. I started to tally examples, but the whole book has problems. Chief among them are the intimately detailed sex and rape scenes. This book embodies well the utterly gratuitous nature of both. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-written novel. It is valuable for the period detail but otherwise not worth much.

[happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad look at the Frontier Army in general and the 9th/10th Cav Rgmts in particular.

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Civil War books. I usually inhale them. And I wanted to like this one - but I just can't get past the poor writing. Only made it to page 18.