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Wild Adventures of Tarzan #1
Tarzan: Return to Pal-ul-don
With the African continent engulfed by World War II, John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, abandons his role as Lord of the Jungle in order to combat the spreading Nazi menace.
Flying a P-40 Tomahawk warplane, Clayton is sent on his first mission: to rescue the missing British Military Intelligence officer code-named Ilex. But the daring task plunges him into his savage past after he’s forced down in a lost land that seems hauntingly familiar.
When Tarzan of the Apes returns to the prehistoric realm called Pal-ul-don, he must revert to his most savage persona, that of Tarzan-jad-guru––Tarzan the Terrible!
Flying a P-40 Tomahawk warplane, Clayton is sent on his first mission: to rescue the missing British Military Intelligence officer code-named Ilex. But the daring task plunges him into his savage past after he’s forced down in a lost land that seems hauntingly familiar.
When Tarzan of the Apes returns to the prehistoric realm called Pal-ul-don, he must revert to his most savage persona, that of Tarzan-jad-guru––Tarzan the Terrible!
390 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2015
19 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Will Murray
687 books75 followersWill Murray is an American novelist, journalist, and short-story and comic-book writer. Much of his fiction has been published under pseudonyms. Will is the author of over 50 novels in popular series ranging from “The Destroyer” to “Mars Attacks”. Collaborating posthumously with the legendary Lester Dent, he has written to date nine Doc Savage novels, with “Desert Demons” and “Horror in Gold” now available. For National Public Radio, Murray adapted “The Thousand-Headed Man” for “The Adventures of Doc Savage” in 1985, and recently edited “Doc Savage: The Lost Radio Scripts of Lester Dent” for Moonstone Books. He is versed in all things pulp.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 24, 2015
Perhaps most people don't know the name of author Edgar Rice Burroughs, but the name "Tarzan" is known all over the world. Burroughs created an immortal character best known today from the films. But Chicago-born Burroughs wrote 24 books following the adventures of the little boy grown to manhood in the African rain forest.These were books I thoroughly enjoyed reading from the age of 11 to 13, especially on those warm lazy summer afternoons in my Chicago suburb of Oak Park.
Burroughs passed away 65 years ago, but Tarzan has lived on. And, now, I'm prepared to say, Will Murray has succeeded in reviving the Lord of the Jungle in book form with his "Tarzan:Return to Pal-ul-don." It looks like he will continue the series and I look forward to it.
What I like best about this book is that it relates back to the original series, and in particular, to two of my favorite books by ERB. In one book ( "Tarzan the Terrible"), Tarzan discovered a lost land of prehistoric beasts and unknown races of people. This was "Pal-ul-don" and Murray has Tarzan return there and discover a new part of the lost land. He also encounters hostile people who provide him with his greatest danger yet. This story also relates to "Tarzan and the Foreign Legion" which finds Tarzan serving in the RAF in the Pacific in WWII. Murray shows "the ape-man" at an earlier stage of the war being sent on a top-secret mission into equatorial Africa.
If all that isn't enough, in the hardcover edition, we have a short story by Gary Buckingham, "Tarzan and the Secret of Katanga," which finds Tarzan facing an elite German team on a mission in the Congo. Tarzan, of course, is the man who can foil their schemes...
What can I say but that Tarzan is back!
Burroughs passed away 65 years ago, but Tarzan has lived on. And, now, I'm prepared to say, Will Murray has succeeded in reviving the Lord of the Jungle in book form with his "Tarzan:Return to Pal-ul-don." It looks like he will continue the series and I look forward to it.
What I like best about this book is that it relates back to the original series, and in particular, to two of my favorite books by ERB. In one book ( "Tarzan the Terrible"), Tarzan discovered a lost land of prehistoric beasts and unknown races of people. This was "Pal-ul-don" and Murray has Tarzan return there and discover a new part of the lost land. He also encounters hostile people who provide him with his greatest danger yet. This story also relates to "Tarzan and the Foreign Legion" which finds Tarzan serving in the RAF in the Pacific in WWII. Murray shows "the ape-man" at an earlier stage of the war being sent on a top-secret mission into equatorial Africa.
If all that isn't enough, in the hardcover edition, we have a short story by Gary Buckingham, "Tarzan and the Secret of Katanga," which finds Tarzan facing an elite German team on a mission in the Congo. Tarzan, of course, is the man who can foil their schemes...
What can I say but that Tarzan is back!
August 28, 2018
About a month ago, I finished reading Tarzan the Terrible and have been looking forward to reading this one ever since. Will Murray, pulp chronicler extraordinaire and highly successful author in his own right, has produced an excellent Tarzan tale which takes us back to the “Land of Man” (or “Pal-ul-don” in the local language).
Tarzan, of course first visited this land of prehistoric creatures during the first World War in the 8th book of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan series, Tarzan the Terrible. It is now World War 2 and Tarzan has embraced his natal name and birthright as John Clayton, Lord Greystoke and is now a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. Due to his unique background and capabilities he is assigned to his first mission: rescuing a British military intelligence officer with the code name, Ilex. Flight Lieutenant Clayton’s mission takes him back to that eerie part of Africa as well as a return to his more comfortable persona of Tarzan of the Apes.
The adventure here is really fun to read but it is author Will Murray’s ability to channel Burroughs’s narrative voice that is truly remarkable. It really reads much like an ERB Tarzan story, even while he adapts it slightly to appeal to today’s audiences. There is humor, adventurous peril, imaginative escapes, and cool characters to get to know. My favorite is probably the elephant “Torn Ear” whose loyalty and camaraderie are unparalleled. In addition, the novel certainly serves to flesh out the secluded Pal-ul-don area as well.
Readers do not have to have read Tarzan the Terrible prior to diving into this one although I think the overall experience will be richer. Events from several other Tarzan books are also referenced and conveniently foot-noted.
A truly enjoyable read. Hats off to Will Murray.
Coincidentally, as I write this review, I’ve just now discovered that today is “International Tarzan Day”. I didn’t plan to finish up this book on such a day but nevertheless…there you are.
Tarzan, of course first visited this land of prehistoric creatures during the first World War in the 8th book of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan series, Tarzan the Terrible. It is now World War 2 and Tarzan has embraced his natal name and birthright as John Clayton, Lord Greystoke and is now a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. Due to his unique background and capabilities he is assigned to his first mission: rescuing a British military intelligence officer with the code name, Ilex. Flight Lieutenant Clayton’s mission takes him back to that eerie part of Africa as well as a return to his more comfortable persona of Tarzan of the Apes.
The adventure here is really fun to read but it is author Will Murray’s ability to channel Burroughs’s narrative voice that is truly remarkable. It really reads much like an ERB Tarzan story, even while he adapts it slightly to appeal to today’s audiences. There is humor, adventurous peril, imaginative escapes, and cool characters to get to know. My favorite is probably the elephant “Torn Ear” whose loyalty and camaraderie are unparalleled. In addition, the novel certainly serves to flesh out the secluded Pal-ul-don area as well.
Readers do not have to have read Tarzan the Terrible prior to diving into this one although I think the overall experience will be richer. Events from several other Tarzan books are also referenced and conveniently foot-noted.
A truly enjoyable read. Hats off to Will Murray.
Coincidentally, as I write this review, I’ve just now discovered that today is “International Tarzan Day”. I didn’t plan to finish up this book on such a day but nevertheless…there you are.
February 21, 2017
A great continuation of the Tarzan books.
During World War II, Tarzan, a flier, is given a mission to fly over Africa and find a British operative. He is taken down by a Pteranodon (shades of Carson Napier!) and crashes in Pal-Ul-Don, where he befriends an elephant and a cave man, and comes into conflict with spider people.
Very exciting, with a lot of high adventure and derring-do. A worthy addition to the Tarzan mythos.
During World War II, Tarzan, a flier, is given a mission to fly over Africa and find a British operative. He is taken down by a Pteranodon (shades of Carson Napier!) and crashes in Pal-Ul-Don, where he befriends an elephant and a cave man, and comes into conflict with spider people.
Very exciting, with a lot of high adventure and derring-do. A worthy addition to the Tarzan mythos.
July 9, 2015
When I heard this book was coming out, I immediately set to re-reading Tarzan the Terrible,, the Burroughs novel recounting Tarzan’s previous visit to Pal-ul-Don. Though I’m glad I did, as an ERB refresher, it wasn’t really necessary. Return to Pal-ul-Do is a stand-alone adventure, introducing readers to new wonders, new horrors and new races in this forgotten corner of Africa.
This makes Return to Pal-ul-Don accessible to everyone – from folks who know Tarzan only through comics or movies, right up to the die-hards who carry the whole canon around as part of their DNA.
Any way you look at it, this a book that would have made Burroughs proud. It’s a fine blend of action, mystery, suspense and jungle know-how. Tarzan himself is portrayed in the grand fashion—noble, fearless and somewhat conflicted, struggling to balance the savage and civilized elements of his character. As always, the Lord of the Jungle is fiercely loyal to his friends, and merciless to his enemies.
The story opens with our hero, as John Clayton, having just earned his wings in the R.A.F. That would seem to place it shortly before the events in the last Tarzan novel penned by Burroughs himself, Tarzan and the Foreign Legion. Flying Officer Clayton is primed to kick some Axis butts out of the air, but instead receives a mission more suited to his peculiar talents. A secret agent with information vital to the war effort has been lost in the African jungle, and Clayton is sent to retrieve both.
Finding himself back in Pal-ul-Don (The Land of Man), Tarzan makes new friends: a race of squatty guys wearing giant turtle shells, a hybrid warrior with a tail, and a trusty elephant he dubs Torn Ear. Chief among his enemies are a horde of spider-worshippers armed with blowguns and poisoned darts. Such cowardly weapons make Tarzan truly angry, and a truly angry Ape Man is a wondrous thing to see.
Mr. Murray spins the tale with confidence and style, and it’s to be hoped this is only the first of a long series of new “Wild Adventures” of Tarzan from Altus Press.
The book is offered in both a trade paper edition and a hardcover boasting a wraparound cover and a bonus story. Which do you get? Tough choice.
This makes Return to Pal-ul-Don accessible to everyone – from folks who know Tarzan only through comics or movies, right up to the die-hards who carry the whole canon around as part of their DNA.
Any way you look at it, this a book that would have made Burroughs proud. It’s a fine blend of action, mystery, suspense and jungle know-how. Tarzan himself is portrayed in the grand fashion—noble, fearless and somewhat conflicted, struggling to balance the savage and civilized elements of his character. As always, the Lord of the Jungle is fiercely loyal to his friends, and merciless to his enemies.
The story opens with our hero, as John Clayton, having just earned his wings in the R.A.F. That would seem to place it shortly before the events in the last Tarzan novel penned by Burroughs himself, Tarzan and the Foreign Legion. Flying Officer Clayton is primed to kick some Axis butts out of the air, but instead receives a mission more suited to his peculiar talents. A secret agent with information vital to the war effort has been lost in the African jungle, and Clayton is sent to retrieve both.
Finding himself back in Pal-ul-Don (The Land of Man), Tarzan makes new friends: a race of squatty guys wearing giant turtle shells, a hybrid warrior with a tail, and a trusty elephant he dubs Torn Ear. Chief among his enemies are a horde of spider-worshippers armed with blowguns and poisoned darts. Such cowardly weapons make Tarzan truly angry, and a truly angry Ape Man is a wondrous thing to see.
Mr. Murray spins the tale with confidence and style, and it’s to be hoped this is only the first of a long series of new “Wild Adventures” of Tarzan from Altus Press.
The book is offered in both a trade paper edition and a hardcover boasting a wraparound cover and a bonus story. Which do you get? Tough choice.
September 28, 2015
This was a lot of fun, but this is why I read these books. I loved how the author started off with "Flying Officer Clayton" when he was in the air and as he came back to the jungle he transformed back into Tarzan.
January 19, 2026
When I first became an ERB fan back in the very early ‘80s, Tarzan The Terrible quickly became my favorite oof the series. My young dinosaur-loving kind loved the concept of Pal-Ul-Don, and so I was thrilled to return to this mysterious lost land. While not a slavish imitator of ERB, Murray writes in a style that is reminiscent of his. The action never stood, and the odds against the Jungle Lord steadily mount until the exciting conclusion. There are also a few Tarzan Easter eggs (and some other more disgusting eggs) scattered throughout the book. All told, this was a fast-paced, exciting adventure, and one that is very loyal to the ERB mythos. I definitely want to read more of Murray’s Tarzan books now!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2024
This is pretty much a textbook example of how to write a pastiche. Murray incorporates some new elements into a familiar setting and brings back a character from a previous Burroughs novel. The book feels familiar but still new and without any jarring out-of-kilter elements (a challenge with Murray's later Tarzan Conqueror of Mars novel).
August 5, 2025
It is very obvious that the author is a fan of the original material with all the pretentious vocabulary and fantastical events crossing over into the ludicrous. If you love the original Tarzan, you'll love this book. My only warning is that if you suffer from the slightest case of arachnophobia, you won't be able to make it through this book.
September 26, 2017
Didn't enjoy this so much. The book is too long and doesn't quite capture the feel of the first few (and best) of the E.R. Burroughs Tarzan books. This was a good effort, but fell short.
July 1, 2020
A little slow to start but very good and faithful to ERB
June 24, 2022
I admire the author’s ability to revisit classic elements of the Tarzan story while simultaneously adding to the world-building.
February 12, 2024
That was a nice addition to the set. Looking forward to the next one
June 17, 2016
I've been a fan of the Tarzan books since I was a kid. When I saw this book I was really looking forward to it.......unfortunately I was horribly disappointed. Simply put, I didn't find anything to catch my interest. There were none of the cliffhanger chapter endings, none of the wide eyed amazement of discovery, and none grandeur of the true Lord of the Jungle. What we do get is repeated plot points and descriptions and no real "feel" for who Tarzan really is (other than the endlessly repeated phrases "Lord of the Jungle" or Lord of the Apes"). I was saddened and disappointed by the book.
July 22, 2015
A great Tarzan novel by the new Doc Savage writer. A fun and fast paced novel. A fantastic addition to Burroughs Tarzan series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews