What do you think?
Rate this book
The Complete Cossack Adventures #1
Wolf of the Steppes
Master of driving pace, exotic setting, and complex plotting, Harold Lamb was one of Robert E. Howard’s favorite writers. Here at last is every pulse-pounding, action-packed story of Lamb’s greatest hero, the wolf of the steppes, Khlit the Cossack. Journey now with the unsung grandfather of sword and sorcery in search of ancient tombs, gleaming treasure, and thrilling landscapes. Match wits with deadly swordsmen, scheming priests, and evil cults. Rescue lovely damsels, ride with bold comrades, and hazard everything on your brains and skill and a little luck. Wolf of the Steppes is the first of a four-volume set that collects, for the first time, the complete Cossack stories of Harold Lamb and presents them in every adventure of Khlit the Cossack and those of his friends, allies, and fellow Cossacks, many of which have never before appeared between book covers. Compiled and edited by the Harold Lamb scholar Howard Andrew Jones, each volume features never-before reprinted essays Lamb wrote about his stories, informative introductions by popular authors, and a wealth of rare, exciting, swashbuckling fiction. In this first volume, Khlit infiltrates a hidden fortress of assassins, tracks down the tomb of Genghis Khan, flees the vengeance of a dead emperor, leads the Mongol horde against impossible odds, accompanies the stunning Mogul queen safely through the land of her enemies, and much more. This is the stuff of grand adventure, from the pen of an American Dumas.
630 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2006
51 people are currently reading
913 people want to read
About the author
Harold Lamb
133 books162 followersHarold Albert Lamb was an American historian, screenwriter, short story writer, and novelist.
Born in Alpine, New Jersey, he attended Columbia University, where his interest in the peoples and history of Asia began. Lamb built a career with his writing from an early age. He got his start in the pulp magazines, quickly moving to the prestigious Adventure magazine, his primary fiction outlet for nineteen years. In 1927 he wrote a biography of Genghis Khan, and following on its success turned more and more to the writing of non-fiction, penning numerous biographies and popular history books until his death in 1962. The success of Lamb's two volume history of the Crusades led to his discovery by Cecil B. DeMille, who employed Lamb as a technical advisor on a related movie, The Crusades, and used him as a screenwriter on many other DeMille movies thereafter. Lamb spoke French, Latin, Persian, and Arabic, and, by his own account, a smattering of Manchu-Tartar.
From Wikipedia
Born in Alpine, New Jersey, he attended Columbia University, where his interest in the peoples and history of Asia began. Lamb built a career with his writing from an early age. He got his start in the pulp magazines, quickly moving to the prestigious Adventure magazine, his primary fiction outlet for nineteen years. In 1927 he wrote a biography of Genghis Khan, and following on its success turned more and more to the writing of non-fiction, penning numerous biographies and popular history books until his death in 1962. The success of Lamb's two volume history of the Crusades led to his discovery by Cecil B. DeMille, who employed Lamb as a technical advisor on a related movie, The Crusades, and used him as a screenwriter on many other DeMille movies thereafter. Lamb spoke French, Latin, Persian, and Arabic, and, by his own account, a smattering of Manchu-Tartar.
From Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 7, 2022
Rousing adventures in the exotic lands of the central Asian steppes told with exquisite historical detail. The unrelenting pace driven by Khlit the Cossack's unquenchable thirst for battle and the author's penchant for surprise reveals keeps the stories engaging. It's easy to see how Robert E. Howard took inspiration from Lamb's writing, and specifically how Khlit might be considered Conan's grandfather.
December 15, 2008
Thoughts from the halfway mark:
Harold Lamb really knows how to tell a good adventure yarn. Not only that, his stories are very well researched, a rarity among pulp stories. The stories in this volume range from twenty to eighty pages, good for an evening's read. The writing is detailed but not as weighty as that of Robert E. Howard. Lamb was one of Howard's influences, which was the reason I picked this up in the first place.
Khlit, the main character, is an aging Cossack who leaves his band and goes wandering. The stories are so far are fairly fast-paced. Khlit uses his wits to defeat his enemies more often than his curved saber. In the ones I've read so far, he's gone up against Tatar hordes to rescue his foster son's wife to be, infiltrated a fortress of assassins, found the lost tomb of Genghis Khan, joined the Tatars, and withstood the seige of Shiangking. Great stuff.
Later:
The later stories failed to disappoint. Prester John, bandits in the Gobi, a Mogul Queen, solid adventure stories one and all. I'm officially recommending this book to all pulp fans.
Harold Lamb really knows how to tell a good adventure yarn. Not only that, his stories are very well researched, a rarity among pulp stories. The stories in this volume range from twenty to eighty pages, good for an evening's read. The writing is detailed but not as weighty as that of Robert E. Howard. Lamb was one of Howard's influences, which was the reason I picked this up in the first place.
Khlit, the main character, is an aging Cossack who leaves his band and goes wandering. The stories are so far are fairly fast-paced. Khlit uses his wits to defeat his enemies more often than his curved saber. In the ones I've read so far, he's gone up against Tatar hordes to rescue his foster son's wife to be, infiltrated a fortress of assassins, found the lost tomb of Genghis Khan, joined the Tatars, and withstood the seige of Shiangking. Great stuff.
Later:
The later stories failed to disappoint. Prester John, bandits in the Gobi, a Mogul Queen, solid adventure stories one and all. I'm officially recommending this book to all pulp fans.
January 5, 2022
This is an adventure historical fiction, written in the early 20th century. I’ve never heard of it, before I stumbled on its mention by Cora Buhlert, and, finding out that it [a] was a source of inspiration behind Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Cimmerian works, which were one of the earliest fantasy I’ve read and [b] that it is about a Zaporozhian Cossack, so linked to my native Ukraine, I decided to try it.
The book contains 10 works, from short story to novella in length and in chronological order, but not closely related, so a reader can start from any one. They were published in 1918-1919 in Adventure magazine.
Khlit the story introduces Klit the Cossack, old wiry man, who constantly sharpens his saber. Here he is at the Zaporogian Siech (author’s spelling) and his foster son Menelitza should come to the Siech. Khit made a wager with another cossack that Menelitza will arrive and despite the other creates impediments to such an arrival, all ends well. Here I suppose that the author used as his sources not only historical data but fiction, namely Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol. There are anachronisms, like Khit thinks “Why, wondered Khlit, was there any hesitation, when their godfather, the czar himself, had appointed them watchdogs of the Ukraine and the Russian land?” when elsewhere it is said that the story is set in late sixteen century, i.e. before so called "re-unification of Ukraine with Russia" of 1654 and much closer to say 1605, when Cossacks attacked lands of Moscovy together with Poles and Tatars (see False Dmitry I).
Wolf's War young Cossacks left to attack Poland, including Menelitza, while Khit finds out from Jewish merchant that Menelitza’s bride together with others taken prisoner by Crimean Tatars. He doesn’t care for women (here again a parallel to Bulba), but cannot let his foster son down, so goes after raider and by deceit wins. Here for the first time we meet the recurring themes: bad men of religion (shamans, monks, lamas, etc) and that they can really predict the future, but like with ancient Greek oracles, the prediction can be both true and unexpected. The struggle against figures of organized religion closely follows similar confrontations of Conan, so a clear connection.
Tal Taulai Khan Cossacks think that Khit is too old and should go to a monastery where to end his days, an angry hero cries “So be it—the monastery,” he snarled. “But one fit for a warrior. Tell your leader that Khlit has gone—tell the Koshevoi Ataman that he of the Curved Saber has sought a place where no other Cossacks have been. Get back to your kennels, dogs!” and lefts toward Asia. There he meats a Crimean Tatar leader from the previous story, who visits a leader of more powerful horde of the Grand Khan of the Black Kallmarks (I guess the author meant Karakalpaks, mixed with Chorni Klobuky), who is out for a hunt.
Alamut Khit visits the restored fortress of assassins, which is as it was before Mongols destroyed it. In this story he travels with a partner, a common theme for future stories – all partners are more or less locals, and there is no ‘white man among savages’, on the contrary, Khit is illiterate and is often guided by his partners. There is also a damsel in distress, who appears quite able to save not only herself but Khlit as well.
The Mighty Manslayer Khlit discovers the burial place of Genghis Khan
The White Khan Khlit discovers that he is an ascendant of one of Khans and leads different tribes in their defensive war against Chinese.
Changa Nor a fortress of Prester John is there and will Khit choose his newly found Tatar kin, who are wary of him, or a member of his Christian faith?
Roof of the World Tibet lamas try to manipulate nomad tribes and are unhappy that Khit can unite them, so they intrigue against him, giving him a prediction (as all predictions a true one), where can he fight help for his tribe.
The Star of Evil Omen a Chinese emperor went to a hunt against advise of his astrologer, but his wife and chief eunuch are plotting against him and soon Khlit, together with other nomads is accused of murdering the emperor
The Rider of the Gray Horse Khlit moves to (Indian) Raj, and once again ought to help a damsel in distress against several religious orders.
Overall, interesting old style stories, a great find for everyone loving oldies, but of course not very politically correct by today’s standards.
The book contains 10 works, from short story to novella in length and in chronological order, but not closely related, so a reader can start from any one. They were published in 1918-1919 in Adventure magazine.
Khlit the story introduces Klit the Cossack, old wiry man, who constantly sharpens his saber. Here he is at the Zaporogian Siech (author’s spelling) and his foster son Menelitza should come to the Siech. Khit made a wager with another cossack that Menelitza will arrive and despite the other creates impediments to such an arrival, all ends well. Here I suppose that the author used as his sources not only historical data but fiction, namely Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol. There are anachronisms, like Khit thinks “Why, wondered Khlit, was there any hesitation, when their godfather, the czar himself, had appointed them watchdogs of the Ukraine and the Russian land?” when elsewhere it is said that the story is set in late sixteen century, i.e. before so called "re-unification of Ukraine with Russia" of 1654 and much closer to say 1605, when Cossacks attacked lands of Moscovy together with Poles and Tatars (see False Dmitry I).
Wolf's War young Cossacks left to attack Poland, including Menelitza, while Khit finds out from Jewish merchant that Menelitza’s bride together with others taken prisoner by Crimean Tatars. He doesn’t care for women (here again a parallel to Bulba), but cannot let his foster son down, so goes after raider and by deceit wins. Here for the first time we meet the recurring themes: bad men of religion (shamans, monks, lamas, etc) and that they can really predict the future, but like with ancient Greek oracles, the prediction can be both true and unexpected. The struggle against figures of organized religion closely follows similar confrontations of Conan, so a clear connection.
Tal Taulai Khan Cossacks think that Khit is too old and should go to a monastery where to end his days, an angry hero cries “So be it—the monastery,” he snarled. “But one fit for a warrior. Tell your leader that Khlit has gone—tell the Koshevoi Ataman that he of the Curved Saber has sought a place where no other Cossacks have been. Get back to your kennels, dogs!” and lefts toward Asia. There he meats a Crimean Tatar leader from the previous story, who visits a leader of more powerful horde of the Grand Khan of the Black Kallmarks (I guess the author meant Karakalpaks, mixed with Chorni Klobuky), who is out for a hunt.
Alamut Khit visits the restored fortress of assassins, which is as it was before Mongols destroyed it. In this story he travels with a partner, a common theme for future stories – all partners are more or less locals, and there is no ‘white man among savages’, on the contrary, Khit is illiterate and is often guided by his partners. There is also a damsel in distress, who appears quite able to save not only herself but Khlit as well.
The Mighty Manslayer Khlit discovers the burial place of Genghis Khan
The White Khan Khlit discovers that he is an ascendant of one of Khans and leads different tribes in their defensive war against Chinese.
Changa Nor a fortress of Prester John is there and will Khit choose his newly found Tatar kin, who are wary of him, or a member of his Christian faith?
Roof of the World Tibet lamas try to manipulate nomad tribes and are unhappy that Khit can unite them, so they intrigue against him, giving him a prediction (as all predictions a true one), where can he fight help for his tribe.
The Star of Evil Omen a Chinese emperor went to a hunt against advise of his astrologer, but his wife and chief eunuch are plotting against him and soon Khlit, together with other nomads is accused of murdering the emperor
The Rider of the Gray Horse Khlit moves to (Indian) Raj, and once again ought to help a damsel in distress against several religious orders.
Overall, interesting old style stories, a great find for everyone loving oldies, but of course not very politically correct by today’s standards.
April 9, 2022
It's very easy to see how Lamb was one of the main influences on Robert E. Howard's writing, but that's not all this collection has to offer. Starting with a couple of shorter, fable-like tales, you then get a series of novella-length adventures centered on an older hero who can certainly handle his sword, yet survives mainly by his magnificent cunning as he travels across early 1600's Asia after refusing to be retired by his fellow Cossacks.
Having taken my time reading these six hundred pages of story, I've no difficulty understanding why editor Howard Andrew Jones worked so hard to make sure Lamb and his Cossack tales didn't fade away, and I'm grateful for his efforts.
If you've ever enjoyed historical fiction, sword & sorcery, Michael Chabon's "Gentlemen of the Road", or even if none of that has ever crossed your to-be-read pile, you should consider reading this!
Having taken my time reading these six hundred pages of story, I've no difficulty understanding why editor Howard Andrew Jones worked so hard to make sure Lamb and his Cossack tales didn't fade away, and I'm grateful for his efforts.
If you've ever enjoyed historical fiction, sword & sorcery, Michael Chabon's "Gentlemen of the Road", or even if none of that has ever crossed your to-be-read pile, you should consider reading this!
January 22, 2014
Harold Lamb wrote fantastic adventure stories and I loved each and every tale in this first volume of a series. Honestly, I am floored by Lamb's talent. His stories have action, intrigue, surprises, and characters who moved me through their heroic acts. Then there's all of the history that Lamb weaves into his stories. In this collection alone, the hero, Khlit, falls in with Chinese and Tatar royalty; takes on a newly raised Alamut; explores the myth of Prester John; and even takes part in a political shift that occurs in the Mogul Empire. I've read about or watched films that touch upon many of these subjects, and it was fantastic meeting them within these pages.
Truly, this is fiction that people read in disposable magazines in the early 20th Century? After a hard day's work, someone could sit down and lose themselves on the Tatar steppe during the early 17th Century? Did readers realize the wealth that they held at their fingertips? I am not indulging a dramatic impulse: these stories are a brilliant synthesis of entertaining fiction and fascinating history. What reader of pulp fiction wouldn't be excited to read about a siege of a resurrected Alamut conducted from within its walls? What aficianado of swashbuckling won't feel their pulse quicken when two individuals hold a single tower against an entire invading army that leaves piles of corpses after each failed sortee? With each tale, I was astounded by Lamb's ability to keep the story moving while surprising me with every pivot of the plot. That's story-telling talent the likes of which I have rarely, if ever, encountered in prose.
Lamb's work is a massive find for me, and I cannot believe that there are seven other volumes in this series of collections put out by Bison Books. You can be certain that I will pick up every one of them before they disappear from print, and that I will read Lamb's stories for the rest of my life.
Truly, this is fiction that people read in disposable magazines in the early 20th Century? After a hard day's work, someone could sit down and lose themselves on the Tatar steppe during the early 17th Century? Did readers realize the wealth that they held at their fingertips? I am not indulging a dramatic impulse: these stories are a brilliant synthesis of entertaining fiction and fascinating history. What reader of pulp fiction wouldn't be excited to read about a siege of a resurrected Alamut conducted from within its walls? What aficianado of swashbuckling won't feel their pulse quicken when two individuals hold a single tower against an entire invading army that leaves piles of corpses after each failed sortee? With each tale, I was astounded by Lamb's ability to keep the story moving while surprising me with every pivot of the plot. That's story-telling talent the likes of which I have rarely, if ever, encountered in prose.
Lamb's work is a massive find for me, and I cannot believe that there are seven other volumes in this series of collections put out by Bison Books. You can be certain that I will pick up every one of them before they disappear from print, and that I will read Lamb's stories for the rest of my life.
January 22, 2025
A fine collection of stories from 1917 through 1919 originally published in Adventure Magazine. These stories follow Khlit the Cossack known by other names as The Wolf, Khlit of the Curved Saber, various Khan titles- truly a wonderful penned character. Khlit is an aging warrior and after a few adventures in the Ukraine area, he is forced by younger jealous Cossacks, even though he is a legend, to give up his position. This leads Khlit on a series of adventures over the Steppes, China, India, etc. He uses his intelligence more than his sword by this time, but his sword arm is lethal and is used often enough. I love this stuff. Endless adventure over the Asian continent in the early 1600s. It’s easy to see why Lamb was one of Robert E Howard’s favorite authors. Howard picked up some of Lamb’s style, especially dialogue between adversaries. Great stuff. Recommend!
July 7, 2020
Wow! Just -- wow!
I read Harold Lamb's famous "Durandal" (a YA story of the role Roland's sword played duringthe crusades in Jr HS and his histories of the Crusades, Genghis Khan and Hannibal a few years later, but I had no idea until years later that besides being a very-respected and readable popular historian of the mid-20th century, he had "cut his teeth" writing pulp-historical action in Adventure magazine, one of the oldest, and most prestigious of the "pulps", which actually survived to about 1970.
Robert E. Howard considered Lamb the finest writer living and an influence on his own work (ironic, since HL was only a few years older and would live 25 years longer), along with Jack London. Again, something I "knew", but didn't think about until I came across these gorgeous complilations of Lambs historical fiction. The cover blurb boasts --
"Journey with the unsung grandfather of sword and sorcery in search of ancient tombs, gleaming treasure, and thrilling landscapes. Match wits with deadly swordsmen, scheming priests, and evil cults. Rescue lovely damsels, ride with bold comrades, and hazard everything on your brains, skill, and a little luck."
I can't believe how true this is. I just finished Volume I (of four), which is two short stories and about half-a-dozen novellas, all written in 1919 - 1920. The first story is a short, whimsical tale about an aging Cossack and a little "trick" he arranges so that his adopted grandson can gain a place in the band. It's a fun, rather short, story that reads like a folk tale and which you'd never think about again. But that 60-ish Cossack is just getting started. Yes, our swashbuckling hero is a man well-past his prime, who know he's losing a step physically and counters that with incredible cunning and keen insight into human nature; a veritable Odysseos of the steppes.
In our second story, Khlit is called upon to match wits against the Cossack's ancient foes -- the Tatars, and this is a more traditional adventure tale, though still nothing "special".
And then this collection EXPLODES!
OMG are these good! In just one volume we:
1. Infiltrate to Alamut, the hidden fortress of the newly restored cult of Assassins;
2. Follow a caravan to the trade city of Samarkand, and from there seek the (booby-trapped) tomb of Ghengis Khan;
3. Ally with the Tatars against the Chinese and partake in a siege and counter-siege of the vast, Uighur fortress-city of Sianking;
4. Visit a mammoth graveyard in the Siberian tundra and learn how it is tied to the secret of the lost kingdom and treasure of Prester John;
5. Go on a hunting-expedition-turned-assassination-attempt with Wanli, one of the last (and worst) of the Ming Emperors;
6. Get suckered by the Dalai Lama;
7. Meet the incomparable, Mughal Helen of Troy -- Nur Jahan (about whom, Lamb wrote an entire novel), as she flees from the Emperor Akbhar's executioners.
And that is VOLUME ONE!
You could easily imagine Conan, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, or any number of characters by Keith Taylor, Glen Cook or even a Joe Ambercrombie there. And yet, not a lick of magic. What there IS is exotic locales written by someone who was actually a deeply researched student of medieval and early modern Asia, Asian history and Asian culture, who is an powerful writer and story-teller and a hero who is far from typical.
Early 20th c writers are often dinged for the biases and stereotypes of other races that prevailed in their period, ranging from naivete (Robert E. Howard) to blatant, xenophobic racism (Lovecraft). Lamb isn't like that. Yes, modern writers find the word "Oriental" problematic and would not refer to a character as being "slant-eyed", but these were not derrogatory terms in 1920, and dismissive terms, especially of appearance or "racial character" is always in the dialogue or thoughts of characters, NOT the authorial voice. More interestingly, Khlit, himself no fan of "the flatfaces", changes as he travels east and spends his time among the Kirghiz, Tatars, Uzbeks, Chinese and others. These are not Sax Rohmer's "Fu Manchu" Chinese; these are living, breathing people each with their own customs and cultures, and loves, hates, ambitions and failings of any person.
As a writer myself, the fact that Lamb banged out 600 pages of fiction like this, each story completelty different from the rest, in a year, while in his mid-20s, is both astounding and a little depressing (for me!). I can't wait to delve in to Volume II! Praise to Howard Andrew Jones -- himself an excellent novelist in Lamb's style (check out his Dabir and Asim stories, set in the height of the Caliphate) for bringing these tales to modern audiences, and Bison Books for presenting them in such beautiful editions.
I read Harold Lamb's famous "Durandal" (a YA story of the role Roland's sword played duringthe crusades in Jr HS and his histories of the Crusades, Genghis Khan and Hannibal a few years later, but I had no idea until years later that besides being a very-respected and readable popular historian of the mid-20th century, he had "cut his teeth" writing pulp-historical action in Adventure magazine, one of the oldest, and most prestigious of the "pulps", which actually survived to about 1970.
Robert E. Howard considered Lamb the finest writer living and an influence on his own work (ironic, since HL was only a few years older and would live 25 years longer), along with Jack London. Again, something I "knew", but didn't think about until I came across these gorgeous complilations of Lambs historical fiction. The cover blurb boasts --
"Journey with the unsung grandfather of sword and sorcery in search of ancient tombs, gleaming treasure, and thrilling landscapes. Match wits with deadly swordsmen, scheming priests, and evil cults. Rescue lovely damsels, ride with bold comrades, and hazard everything on your brains, skill, and a little luck."
I can't believe how true this is. I just finished Volume I (of four), which is two short stories and about half-a-dozen novellas, all written in 1919 - 1920. The first story is a short, whimsical tale about an aging Cossack and a little "trick" he arranges so that his adopted grandson can gain a place in the band. It's a fun, rather short, story that reads like a folk tale and which you'd never think about again. But that 60-ish Cossack is just getting started. Yes, our swashbuckling hero is a man well-past his prime, who know he's losing a step physically and counters that with incredible cunning and keen insight into human nature; a veritable Odysseos of the steppes.
In our second story, Khlit is called upon to match wits against the Cossack's ancient foes -- the Tatars, and this is a more traditional adventure tale, though still nothing "special".
And then this collection EXPLODES!
OMG are these good! In just one volume we:
1. Infiltrate to Alamut, the hidden fortress of the newly restored cult of Assassins;
2. Follow a caravan to the trade city of Samarkand, and from there seek the (booby-trapped) tomb of Ghengis Khan;
3. Ally with the Tatars against the Chinese and partake in a siege and counter-siege of the vast, Uighur fortress-city of Sianking;
4. Visit a mammoth graveyard in the Siberian tundra and learn how it is tied to the secret of the lost kingdom and treasure of Prester John;
5. Go on a hunting-expedition-turned-assassination-attempt with Wanli, one of the last (and worst) of the Ming Emperors;
6. Get suckered by the Dalai Lama;
7. Meet the incomparable, Mughal Helen of Troy -- Nur Jahan (about whom, Lamb wrote an entire novel), as she flees from the Emperor Akbhar's executioners.
And that is VOLUME ONE!
You could easily imagine Conan, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, or any number of characters by Keith Taylor, Glen Cook or even a Joe Ambercrombie there. And yet, not a lick of magic. What there IS is exotic locales written by someone who was actually a deeply researched student of medieval and early modern Asia, Asian history and Asian culture, who is an powerful writer and story-teller and a hero who is far from typical.
Early 20th c writers are often dinged for the biases and stereotypes of other races that prevailed in their period, ranging from naivete (Robert E. Howard) to blatant, xenophobic racism (Lovecraft). Lamb isn't like that. Yes, modern writers find the word "Oriental" problematic and would not refer to a character as being "slant-eyed", but these were not derrogatory terms in 1920, and dismissive terms, especially of appearance or "racial character" is always in the dialogue or thoughts of characters, NOT the authorial voice. More interestingly, Khlit, himself no fan of "the flatfaces", changes as he travels east and spends his time among the Kirghiz, Tatars, Uzbeks, Chinese and others. These are not Sax Rohmer's "Fu Manchu" Chinese; these are living, breathing people each with their own customs and cultures, and loves, hates, ambitions and failings of any person.
As a writer myself, the fact that Lamb banged out 600 pages of fiction like this, each story completelty different from the rest, in a year, while in his mid-20s, is both astounding and a little depressing (for me!). I can't wait to delve in to Volume II! Praise to Howard Andrew Jones -- himself an excellent novelist in Lamb's style (check out his Dabir and Asim stories, set in the height of the Caliphate) for bringing these tales to modern audiences, and Bison Books for presenting them in such beautiful editions.
Read
August 9, 2008When critics talk about writers who influenced Robert E. Howard, along with predictable favorites such as H.P. Lovecraft, Jack London, and Rudyard Kipling, one name always comes up: Harold Lamb.
“Lamb who?” is no doubt the reaction of many readers. Unlike J.K. Rowling or Terry Prachett, Harold Lamb’s name is not a household word. But he was once the darling of the Saturday Evening Post, contributing both fiction and analyses of Middle Eastern politics. Nowadays, he’s just about forgotten.
Fortunately, Howard Andrew Jones has set out to change that. He has teamed up with Bison Books (of the University of Nebraska) to produce a massive four-volume set of Lamb’s Cossack fiction.
http://fireandsword.blogspot.com/2007...
“Lamb who?” is no doubt the reaction of many readers. Unlike J.K. Rowling or Terry Prachett, Harold Lamb’s name is not a household word. But he was once the darling of the Saturday Evening Post, contributing both fiction and analyses of Middle Eastern politics. Nowadays, he’s just about forgotten.
Fortunately, Howard Andrew Jones has set out to change that. He has teamed up with Bison Books (of the University of Nebraska) to produce a massive four-volume set of Lamb’s Cossack fiction.
http://fireandsword.blogspot.com/2007...
April 11, 2024
I think this book was really good. Writing was well done, the history and settings felt very authentic, characters were mostly memorable especially for this being a pulp, and I was engaged from page one till the very end. I could do without the racist slur in the book so a minus right there even if it's pulp. Otherwise, really fun heavy book that is very heavy.
March 10, 2011
This is why I read the books section of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The Journal turned me on to these great reprints of the great-but-forgotten adventure writer, Harold Lamb. The University of Nebraska press has published eight Lamb collections to date, this being the first. They reflect a labor of love by Lamb scholar Howard Jones, and Lamb (one of Robert E. Howard's major influences) proves a worthy subject.
To call Lamb a "pulp writer" doesn't do him justice. I love pulps, and these stories were originally published in a pulp magazine, but Lamb has more in common with modern historical fiction writers like Bernard Cornwell--I would even say that Lamb is a better stylist. Lamb was very learned, a true historian, and his erudition is evident throughout these exciting stories. This collection begins the story of the 17th century cossack Khlit. There is no fantasy here...no sorcery (with apologies to R.E. Howard) but plenty of swordplay. Khlit's journeys take him from the edges of Poland to China, Tibet, India, and elsewhere. Someone once called central Asia "god's playground". Empires clashed there, and history's greatest conquerors--Alexander, Gengis Khan, Tamurlaine, et al.--left their marks in its vastness. Lamb brings its richness and diversity to life. If you enjoy historical fiction or adventure, or simply enjoy reading a great story told with style, you have to read Harold Lamb. I am looking forward to the second volume.
To call Lamb a "pulp writer" doesn't do him justice. I love pulps, and these stories were originally published in a pulp magazine, but Lamb has more in common with modern historical fiction writers like Bernard Cornwell--I would even say that Lamb is a better stylist. Lamb was very learned, a true historian, and his erudition is evident throughout these exciting stories. This collection begins the story of the 17th century cossack Khlit. There is no fantasy here...no sorcery (with apologies to R.E. Howard) but plenty of swordplay. Khlit's journeys take him from the edges of Poland to China, Tibet, India, and elsewhere. Someone once called central Asia "god's playground". Empires clashed there, and history's greatest conquerors--Alexander, Gengis Khan, Tamurlaine, et al.--left their marks in its vastness. Lamb brings its richness and diversity to life. If you enjoy historical fiction or adventure, or simply enjoy reading a great story told with style, you have to read Harold Lamb. I am looking forward to the second volume.
February 23, 2013
Harold Lamb has definitely become one of my favourite authors. His adventure stories are not only exciting and suspenseful, they open up new horizons. Although the individual adventures of Khlit the Cossack aren't necessarily connected, the fact that they take place within the larger historical landscape gives them a unity and direction that are often lacking in collections that are about a hero who merely survives from one adventure to the next without any long-term goal to give him or her focus. Lamb's prose is excellent and the adventures are gripping and ingenious. The historical setting as well as the psychology of characters from another time and culture are also very well portrayed. These collections from the University of Nebraska are well-bound on good paper, books that will last through repeated readings without shedding pages (and mine will certainly get repeated readings). The cover stock is a bit thin and won't take a lot of shoving into backpacks, but that's true of any trade paperback. I think it would be fair to call Lamb a twentieth-century American Scott.
March 29, 2020
Harold Lamb's aged, pipe smoking, wanderer of the curved sabre appeared in ADVENTURE magazine from 1917-1926. He is, quite literally, the granddady of all sword slashing pulp heroes who lived by the grit of their teeth and the seat of their pants.
Lamb does not have the noble romanticism of Burroughs or even the tightly plotted melodrama of Howard. Yet his work rings with the imagery of clashing steel, the cold bite of freezing winds. Khlit is a totally original character. An old warrior with his best years behind him he is an exile and an outlaw; surviving more often than not, by the keenness of his wits and the edge of his sabre. The longer novellas are sweeping and epic, showing Lamb's skills to best advantage.
Lamb does not have the noble romanticism of Burroughs or even the tightly plotted melodrama of Howard. Yet his work rings with the imagery of clashing steel, the cold bite of freezing winds. Khlit is a totally original character. An old warrior with his best years behind him he is an exile and an outlaw; surviving more often than not, by the keenness of his wits and the edge of his sabre. The longer novellas are sweeping and epic, showing Lamb's skills to best advantage.
October 31, 2010
Good, page turning adventures for the early 20's. They have aged well and are seldom marred by the overt racism that makes many similar stores unreadable today. One can see how they would have influenced Robert E. Howard when he wrote his Conan stories, and added his own layer of strangeness to a lush background.
April 14, 2019
This edition, first in a set of four collected and edited by Howard Andrew Jones, has set me on a path of adventure stories I've enjoyed beyond most I've ever read in a great many years of enthusiastic book exploration. I won't call it a classic, thanks to learning of the curious remark from Mark Twain that a classic is a book which people praise and don't read. These Cossack adventures must be read! I'd far rather recommend these adventure tales as effortlessly readable (and re-readable, as I intend to do). To give credit where it is due, Mr. Jones' articles at Black Gate Magazine is one of the reasons I dove into not only Mr. Lamb's fine work, but also that of Robert E. Howard.
"A noble mind is the highest form of virtue."
- Li Chan Ko "The White Khan"
Khlit the Cossack, the Wolf, of the Curved Sword, is a warrior who thinks, considers, and hardly ever acts impulsively without good instinct behind those actions. He's a brilliant tactician and out thinks his enemies and allies alike. He moves through the Middle Eastern world undeterred by the scheming of Khan or Emperor or Czar, and handles himself with confidence when confronted. I delighted in reading of his actions, especially those I am sure I've seen cribbed for use in Westerns, samurai films, television and other stories. Harold Lamb's influence as a writer has spread far and wide, without subsequent generations realizing he was the originator. Reading his original tales has only enriched my enjoyment of those other works.
"The wind is swift, but swifter is a Tatar horse. A fool will ask thee why, but the wise man knows that it is because a Tatar wears no spurs. His horse is one with himself."
- From the Kang Mu Chronicles, "The White Khan"
Every story in this collection compelled me to keep reading, as they just kept revealing more clever sides of Khlit's character. Some begin simply, quietly even, but they never stay simple, and as complications mount, you'll find yourself just as annoyed as Khlit appears to be, then as things get wild and more intriguing, you'll quickly find yourself rooting for him. Sure, you'll wish the path were easier and things would go as planned, but just as they go sideways for the old Wolf, you will find that tension enjoyable and follow the Cossack just as surely as his Steppe pony finds its footing in sand or snow. Khlit may not always make the wisest choice, or take the obvious path to victory, but the author shows us, always, his invincible spirit and fierce independence.
"A noble mind is the highest form of virtue."
- Li Chan Ko "The White Khan"
Khlit the Cossack, the Wolf, of the Curved Sword, is a warrior who thinks, considers, and hardly ever acts impulsively without good instinct behind those actions. He's a brilliant tactician and out thinks his enemies and allies alike. He moves through the Middle Eastern world undeterred by the scheming of Khan or Emperor or Czar, and handles himself with confidence when confronted. I delighted in reading of his actions, especially those I am sure I've seen cribbed for use in Westerns, samurai films, television and other stories. Harold Lamb's influence as a writer has spread far and wide, without subsequent generations realizing he was the originator. Reading his original tales has only enriched my enjoyment of those other works.
"The wind is swift, but swifter is a Tatar horse. A fool will ask thee why, but the wise man knows that it is because a Tatar wears no spurs. His horse is one with himself."
- From the Kang Mu Chronicles, "The White Khan"
Every story in this collection compelled me to keep reading, as they just kept revealing more clever sides of Khlit's character. Some begin simply, quietly even, but they never stay simple, and as complications mount, you'll find yourself just as annoyed as Khlit appears to be, then as things get wild and more intriguing, you'll quickly find yourself rooting for him. Sure, you'll wish the path were easier and things would go as planned, but just as they go sideways for the old Wolf, you will find that tension enjoyable and follow the Cossack just as surely as his Steppe pony finds its footing in sand or snow. Khlit may not always make the wisest choice, or take the obvious path to victory, but the author shows us, always, his invincible spirit and fierce independence.
August 11, 2020
Very enjoyable, great action/adventure stories. Though framed in plenty of Western chauvinism and "Orientalism", the characters are drawn well and remarkably diverse for the pulp era. Most importantly, the history and geography of the Steppe in Lamb's hands is far superior to most fantasy settings, a perfect backdrop for romance, intrigue and adventure. The stories are perfectly paced, well-written and Khilt is a stolid atypical protagonist. Robert Howard supposedly drew a great deal of inspiration from these stories, one wishes he had drawn a little more.
January 15, 2023
The stories here are dense with Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Manchu-Tartar terminologies which makes the verbiage a bit impenetrable. However, if the reader sticks with it past the first story they will be greatly rewarded.
The book features Khlit, a warrior who is ejected from his tribe for being too old. He bears the sword once used by Genghis Khan. With this at his side, he travels the lands getting into the thick of actual historical conflicts and meeting historical personages, while altering the course of history. Though sometimes mistaken for a fool, Khlit is extremely clever and he often throws himself into the midst of the enemy and figures out the impossible politics, and comes out a survivor if not a leader.
The book features Khlit, a warrior who is ejected from his tribe for being too old. He bears the sword once used by Genghis Khan. With this at his side, he travels the lands getting into the thick of actual historical conflicts and meeting historical personages, while altering the course of history. Though sometimes mistaken for a fool, Khlit is extremely clever and he often throws himself into the midst of the enemy and figures out the impossible politics, and comes out a survivor if not a leader.
March 8, 2024
Overall I loved this. I don't recommend reading it back to back to back. These stories weren't meant to be read that way. The first couple are only ok, but they pick up and after that are excellent. There's a lot of Khlit in Conan, especially his wandering ways. Down below is my 'livestream' if you will of my reading. I will definitely move on to the next volume, but not immediately. I have other things to catch up on.
Only a couple of stories in to this 600 page monster. I feel like I'll be working on this for awhile, and there are two? three? more after this. Harold Lamb wrote a lot. I'm working on another book of short stories and reading novels inbetween, so this is a years long undertaking.
Kliht the Cossack is an wily old asshole who lives by his wits as much as his sword and I love that. Enjoying them so far, and I hear they get better starting with this third story.
The fourth story, Alamut, is a banger. Wow. We are hitting our stride now. Longer, more complex, we move out of the Russian steppe, and those are all good decisions.
The next few stories move East into the steppe, and the momentum just continues to build. Very much enjoying the experience.
Near the end. Still enjoying these, but not sure I'm going to move right into volume two. I might need a recovery period.
Only a couple of stories in to this 600 page monster. I feel like I'll be working on this for awhile, and there are two? three? more after this. Harold Lamb wrote a lot. I'm working on another book of short stories and reading novels inbetween, so this is a years long undertaking.
Kliht the Cossack is an wily old asshole who lives by his wits as much as his sword and I love that. Enjoying them so far, and I hear they get better starting with this third story.
The fourth story, Alamut, is a banger. Wow. We are hitting our stride now. Longer, more complex, we move out of the Russian steppe, and those are all good decisions.
The next few stories move East into the steppe, and the momentum just continues to build. Very much enjoying the experience.
Near the end. Still enjoying these, but not sure I'm going to move right into volume two. I might need a recovery period.
December 10, 2011
Fantastic stories written by a master of adventure.
Lamb is that rare writer who employs faultless prose in the service of galloping plots. In his stories of the ageing Cossack Khlit, there's not an unnecessary word or kludgey phrase. This is pulp written by a master craftsman.
When it comes to history, Lamb knows his business. The world of Central Asia in the 16th century is exotic, perilous, and colourful, as the setting for pulp adventures should be. Lamb gives us fantastic stories of sieges, breakneck escapes, secret fortresses, assassins, and legends taking shape out of the mist. However, he never stretches credulity too far. This is genuine historical fiction, not fantasy.
And Lamb clearly loved the steppes in all their variety. Cossacks, Mongols, Arabs, Christians, Chinese - all are given a fair treatment at his hands. No European bigotry or condescension here. And no anachronistic attitudes. Khlit and his companions have the rough sensibilities of their world - a brutal warrior world.
Khlit himself is an engaging character - an hard-bitten Cossack deemed too old by his fellows, who sets off across the hostile steppes to make his way by his wits and still-deadly sword.
There's a certain ironic distance to Lamb's portrayal of his characters, which may be out of step with the expectations of modern readers. However, I appreciate that sort of detachment, especially in characters living in distant times and places. I don't need any intense emotional connection with the protagonist to thrill to his struggles. And I enjoy the wry, arch tone that runs through Lamb's writing, from the laconic speech of desperate but stoic warriors, to the understated treatment of calamity. It's the perfect accent to red-blooded adventure. I wouldn't be surprised to learn Lamb was a major influence on Jack Vance, another of my favourites who wrote in the same tone.
One small defect is the lack of maps. But that's quibbling. This is a series all fans of historical adventure and pulp fiction should have in their libraries.
Lamb is that rare writer who employs faultless prose in the service of galloping plots. In his stories of the ageing Cossack Khlit, there's not an unnecessary word or kludgey phrase. This is pulp written by a master craftsman.
When it comes to history, Lamb knows his business. The world of Central Asia in the 16th century is exotic, perilous, and colourful, as the setting for pulp adventures should be. Lamb gives us fantastic stories of sieges, breakneck escapes, secret fortresses, assassins, and legends taking shape out of the mist. However, he never stretches credulity too far. This is genuine historical fiction, not fantasy.
And Lamb clearly loved the steppes in all their variety. Cossacks, Mongols, Arabs, Christians, Chinese - all are given a fair treatment at his hands. No European bigotry or condescension here. And no anachronistic attitudes. Khlit and his companions have the rough sensibilities of their world - a brutal warrior world.
Khlit himself is an engaging character - an hard-bitten Cossack deemed too old by his fellows, who sets off across the hostile steppes to make his way by his wits and still-deadly sword.
There's a certain ironic distance to Lamb's portrayal of his characters, which may be out of step with the expectations of modern readers. However, I appreciate that sort of detachment, especially in characters living in distant times and places. I don't need any intense emotional connection with the protagonist to thrill to his struggles. And I enjoy the wry, arch tone that runs through Lamb's writing, from the laconic speech of desperate but stoic warriors, to the understated treatment of calamity. It's the perfect accent to red-blooded adventure. I wouldn't be surprised to learn Lamb was a major influence on Jack Vance, another of my favourites who wrote in the same tone.
One small defect is the lack of maps. But that's quibbling. This is a series all fans of historical adventure and pulp fiction should have in their libraries.
February 18, 2023
A surprisingly varied and historically rich 600 pages of adventure stories written starting from 1917 that range geographically from modern day Ukraine to China. They star the Cossack warrior Khlit, an old guy and who gets by on wit instead of by chopping up his opponents harder. As in the duel of wits between Wesley and The Sicilian in the The Princess Bride, Khlit tends to go meta and manipulate the broader context of conflict to his advantage, out maneuvering opponents who are trapped by the narrow, conventional rules for winning. Of the stories included, "The Mighty Manslayer" is one for the ages and seems familiar on first reading because it has inspired so much adventure pop culture.
May 3, 2023
Relatos trepidantes de acción y aventuras de un autor un tanto olvidado hoy en día, pero que tuvo una gran influencia sobre otros desde Robert E. Howard a Michael Chabon
October 6, 2018
Unusual, for its times (or now), in that it's about an old man kicking ass. Too bad no one gifted Sean Connery with a copy when he decided to retire because there were no good roles left for him to make an informed choice about.
February 24, 2011
Remarkably well-written and action-packed adventures in the mountains and steppes of Central Asia.
September 30, 2025
I’m 52 now, and I can tell you exactly what Harold Lamb’s Wolf of the Steppes did to me when I read it at thirteen. It wasn't just a book; it was a contagion. It bypassed my sensible, suburban, early-80s brain and infected my soul with a desperate, incurable wanderlust for the raw, untamed places of the world.
Before Khlit, history felt like a chore—dusty dates and droning names. Lamb completely shattered that. I remember the sheer physical sensation of reading it: the crispness of the old pulp pages, the low desk lamp late at night, and the feeling that the ceiling fan was stirring the desert dust of Persia, not the suburban air.
The stories, centered on Khlit the Cossack, didn't unfold—they exploded. They weren't about grand historical movements; they were about a grizzled, savvy old warrior desperately trying to stay alive and keep his word while riding across a map that was vast, terrifying, and utterly glorious. I learned more about the true, lethal feel of the Silk Road and the High Steppes from Lamb than from all my school textbooks combined.
What was revelatory to my 13-year-old self wasn't just the action (which is brilliant—the duels, the raids, the desperate escapes). It was the discovery of a hero who was a master of cunning and empathy. Khlit wasn't a barbarian; he was a polyglot philosopher who just happened to be deadly with a saber.
He had this quiet, innate respect for the various cultures he encountered—Mongol, Muslim, and Russian. At a time when adventure stories often painted the "foreign" as the enemy, Khlit forced me to see the world from a nomadic tent, from a desert citadel, and from under the heel of an indifferent Czar. He showed me that true survival was about understanding people, not just fighting them. That insight—that the sharpest weapon is often your wit—was a genuine jolt to my teenage mind.
Reading Wolf of the Steppes felt like being initiated into a secret society of adventurers and scholars. It left me with a hunger for the unknown that has never gone away. If you want to recapture the pure, unadulterated thrill of discovering a new, dangerous world through a book, this is where you start. It’s magnificent.
Before Khlit, history felt like a chore—dusty dates and droning names. Lamb completely shattered that. I remember the sheer physical sensation of reading it: the crispness of the old pulp pages, the low desk lamp late at night, and the feeling that the ceiling fan was stirring the desert dust of Persia, not the suburban air.
The stories, centered on Khlit the Cossack, didn't unfold—they exploded. They weren't about grand historical movements; they were about a grizzled, savvy old warrior desperately trying to stay alive and keep his word while riding across a map that was vast, terrifying, and utterly glorious. I learned more about the true, lethal feel of the Silk Road and the High Steppes from Lamb than from all my school textbooks combined.
What was revelatory to my 13-year-old self wasn't just the action (which is brilliant—the duels, the raids, the desperate escapes). It was the discovery of a hero who was a master of cunning and empathy. Khlit wasn't a barbarian; he was a polyglot philosopher who just happened to be deadly with a saber.
He had this quiet, innate respect for the various cultures he encountered—Mongol, Muslim, and Russian. At a time when adventure stories often painted the "foreign" as the enemy, Khlit forced me to see the world from a nomadic tent, from a desert citadel, and from under the heel of an indifferent Czar. He showed me that true survival was about understanding people, not just fighting them. That insight—that the sharpest weapon is often your wit—was a genuine jolt to my teenage mind.
Reading Wolf of the Steppes felt like being initiated into a secret society of adventurers and scholars. It left me with a hunger for the unknown that has never gone away. If you want to recapture the pure, unadulterated thrill of discovering a new, dangerous world through a book, this is where you start. It’s magnificent.
April 21, 2021
Harold Lamb’s enjoyable Cossack stories possess a direct simplicity and inexhaustible energy that is rather captivating – a quality shared by the hero of these adventures, Khlit, who stalks mightily through each escapade, employing keen wit and immovable will to attain his various objectives. Although I found the initial tale of this collection to be underwhelming, this first of four volumes features many fine stories full of muscular men, treachery, swordplay, deception and clever plots.
I can quite clearly see Lamb’s strong influence on the writing and characters of Robert E. Howard – particularly Conan and Francis X Gordon (aka El Borak) – who both share Khlit’s strength, cunning and shrewd intelligence, plus an economy of speech and emotion. As a fan of Howard’s many characters, I am equally impressed by the nature and actions that Lamb attributes to his creations.
Lamb captures an impressive sense of time and place in these adventures, creating endlessly entertaining storylines, settings and companions/enemies that reek of authenticity, fully immersing the reader in the lands and ways of the Cossacks – history and fantasy expertly woven together. His descriptive style is efficient yet highly evocative, an approach that mirrors the people and lands he writes about, where energy is rarely wasted and those possessing clarity of mind have a greater hope of survival.
Due to the quality presented within, I’ve already purchased the three other Khlit collections from Bison Books – I expect that they will also contain many exhilarating adventures, so look forward to reading those tales sometime soon.
I can quite clearly see Lamb’s strong influence on the writing and characters of Robert E. Howard – particularly Conan and Francis X Gordon (aka El Borak) – who both share Khlit’s strength, cunning and shrewd intelligence, plus an economy of speech and emotion. As a fan of Howard’s many characters, I am equally impressed by the nature and actions that Lamb attributes to his creations.
Lamb captures an impressive sense of time and place in these adventures, creating endlessly entertaining storylines, settings and companions/enemies that reek of authenticity, fully immersing the reader in the lands and ways of the Cossacks – history and fantasy expertly woven together. His descriptive style is efficient yet highly evocative, an approach that mirrors the people and lands he writes about, where energy is rarely wasted and those possessing clarity of mind have a greater hope of survival.
Due to the quality presented within, I’ve already purchased the three other Khlit collections from Bison Books – I expect that they will also contain many exhilarating adventures, so look forward to reading those tales sometime soon.
September 5, 2021
Ein Buch, nach dem ich mir von einer Truppe müder Krimtataren ein Steppenpony stehlen will, um mit ihm quer durch Zentralasien zu reiten, dabei Freunde finden und im Kampf verlieren werde, um jeden Reichtum, den ich dabei ansammle, herzugeben, weil ich nicht gebunden sein will. Am Ende stehle ich einer Armee von Manchu-Soldaten einen Edelstein, der einer persischen Prinzessin gehörte, und sterbe dann bei der wilden Verfolgung, als ich beim Versuch, über einen reißenden Fluss zu gelangen, vom Pferd stürze und mir das Genick breche. Die Tataren, Kosaken und Uiguren singen dann das Lied des großen Helden, der die Freiheit mehr liebte als das Leben.
Khlit der Kosake nimmt einen anderen Weg als ich, er ist klüger, reifer, und im Sattel erzogen worden. Er würde nicht so hirnrissige Dinge tun, und lebt darum länger und sieht mehr von der Welt. Dennoch gibt es kaum Erzähler, bei denen man sich lieber in die Rolle des Protagonisten versetzen würde, wie Harold Lamb. Wer Abenteuer liebt, und clevere Plots, knackige Kurzgeschichten in einer Welt, die real ist, aber trotzdem wie aus einem Fantasyfilm entsprungen zu sein scheint, muss das lesen. Eine Reise in eine andere, vergangene, fremde Welt, beschrieben von einem der absoluten Meister der historischen Erzählung.
Khlit der Kosake nimmt einen anderen Weg als ich, er ist klüger, reifer, und im Sattel erzogen worden. Er würde nicht so hirnrissige Dinge tun, und lebt darum länger und sieht mehr von der Welt. Dennoch gibt es kaum Erzähler, bei denen man sich lieber in die Rolle des Protagonisten versetzen würde, wie Harold Lamb. Wer Abenteuer liebt, und clevere Plots, knackige Kurzgeschichten in einer Welt, die real ist, aber trotzdem wie aus einem Fantasyfilm entsprungen zu sein scheint, muss das lesen. Eine Reise in eine andere, vergangene, fremde Welt, beschrieben von einem der absoluten Meister der historischen Erzählung.
October 23, 2020
These are well written adventure stories. They were originally published in Adventure magazine from 1917 to 1919 and typically run about 75 pages each. The Central Asian settings are exotic and memorable, and the characters and plot are good. The historical research is quite good, especially considering when they were written. There are some fun lines like, "Khlit returned her gaze indifferently. He had seen many women and all were fond of talking".
However, I guess adventure stories aren’t really my cup of tea. The stories aren’t formulaic, but I found that I needed to put the book aside temporarily after one or two. The writing isn’t pulp but the genre is. Judged in the context of the genre, this rates at least 4 stars. Judged against fiction more broadly, I can give it no more than 3.5 stars for the best stories and have to round down the book overall. It is just lightweight, escapist fiction. Fans of adventure stories should love this, but I found Peter Hopkirk’s non-fiction books on real-life adventurers in Central Asia more gripping and fascinating.
However, I guess adventure stories aren’t really my cup of tea. The stories aren’t formulaic, but I found that I needed to put the book aside temporarily after one or two. The writing isn’t pulp but the genre is. Judged in the context of the genre, this rates at least 4 stars. Judged against fiction more broadly, I can give it no more than 3.5 stars for the best stories and have to round down the book overall. It is just lightweight, escapist fiction. Fans of adventure stories should love this, but I found Peter Hopkirk’s non-fiction books on real-life adventurers in Central Asia more gripping and fascinating.
June 15, 2018
Excellent, solid storytelling -- just like stepping into a classic issue of ADVENTURE magazine, where these stories first appeared. Lamb had a wonderful touch as a teller of historical adventure tales. If you like Sabatini, C.S. Forester, et al, then pick up this book.
August 7, 2017
A fascinating collection of stories by the great Harold Lamb.
August 22, 2021
Oh, it's great fun in the adventure story department. The descriptions of different races and ethnicities is shall we say problematic with a modern eye.
October 24, 2022
Some fun stories about Khlit, and how he always finds himself in difficult situations and how he gets out of them. Simple format and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews