The Legend of the Pikesville Cave

by Thomas B. Barker

Follow a seventeen year old mercenary from Germany in this fiction/fantasy novel as he travels to America, fights in the Civil War by spying and blowing up ammunition trains. Then, through his experience with the newly patented dynamite builds railroads across America. Meet the woman he marries, who he saves from a renegade Indian attack on the western plains. As he settles in the town he established in the hills of Pennsylvania, he discovers a cave with a magic elixir, "Fountain of Youth" and builds a national tourist attraction. All this in a page turner that will keep you cheering for an American hero who is typical of those who built the United States of America in the 19th Century.

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2015

About the author

Thomas B. Barker is Professor Emeritus from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Before RIT, he was employed by Xerox as an engineer.

Tom has a number of interests and has managed to integrate many of them. Photography and imaging play a central role in his activities. He has produced, written, and directed Distance Learning courseware for the MS program in Applied Statistics at RIT. His experience with both still and video photography has made these efforts possible. For six years he conducted a movie camp for his two grandsons and their friends in Amherst, MA. The kids made over 10 movies in this camp and have progressed amazingly with this communication medium. He also conducted a movie camp for a troop of Girl Scouts in his home town.
His film "The Last Drop of Oil" was an official selection in the Greentopia Film Festival in 2012.
Tom has written 5 books on Experimental Design and its applications. He has also authored a two volume Repair manual for Gilbert American Flyer electric trains which is now in its 3rd Edition. His latest movie effort is with a documentary on the history of The A. C. Gilbert Company which depicts the invention of the Erector Set and the history of American Flyer Trains. He is considered an authority on Gilbert history.
Tom has garnered many awards including: Accolade (McQuaid HS), Who's Who in Colleges (RIT), Outstanding Teacher (RIT), Outstanding Quill Award (Pultneyville YC), AC Gilbert Award, Lifetime Achievement in Distance Learning (RIT).
His latest book, The Legend of the Pikesville Cave is his first work of fiction. It is inspired by his Gilbert American Flyer S Gauge train collection and the three layouts in his basement. He wrote this book surrounded by his trains where he did all the photography and illustrations.
Tom lives in Webster, New York and has traveled all over the world with his wife Anne. They have a perfect sized Chinook motor home in which they travel throughout the USA.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I enjoyed this book. It was an engaging fictionalized account of a German youth's adventures from leaving his home in Europe, participatng in the US civil war, building the future of the US railroad industry, dealing with the wild west and then developing into an entrepreneur in the tourist industry. An easy, quick read, it taught a good bit of American history in a pleasant way. I think the kids will like this one.

[Thomas Barker]

This is from a friend who just read my book:

"I just finished your delightful book. The tale was very interesting and moved right along. I learned a lot. I especially liked your idea for Gustave’s dreams. I so appreciated the humor, too. It was also helpful that you included comments about historical liberties in Author’s Notes. I recently read three of a best selling author's, (Steve Berry) crime fiction novels based on various historical incidents and he used that technique. I find it very helpful and useful. I’m glad that you included a bit of information about Gustave’s mother before your story ended. I kept worrying about her and I think that bit was a positive because it helped support Gustave’s personality and character.

On the lighter side, I feel sad for your great-grandfather, Benedict Berger. Had he not been willing to change his name, he may have starved to death before the government issued him a check in his rightful name and then there would be no Tom Barker. So in my book, he was pretty smart.

Thanks again for thinking of me with this wonderful book. "

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway.

This was a fun book and would be great for young readers. The Legend of Pikesville Cave is a fictionalized account of a young German man who travels to America to fight for the North in the US Civil War. It covers his adventures in the Old West, expanding the railroad system, and later settling in Pennsylvania and developing a town with a tourist attraction. It is sprinkled with real people and provides a bit of history. An easy, quick, enjoyable read.

[Kathleen Gardiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a good adventure novel for the younger crowd(adolescents). It has a ship, the Civil War, the Wild West, including Indians, and Buffalo Bill. It also has a cave, romance, and a fountain of youth (of sorts).
I enjoyed it. I would have liked it to be a bit longer in parts.