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Bob Lee Swagger #10
G-Man
“A roaring good read.”—FORBES.com
Master sniper Bob Lee Swagger returns in this riveting novel by bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter.
Ryan Philippe currently stars as Bob Lee Swagger on the hit USA Network series Shooter.
The Great Depression was marked by an epidemic of bank robberies and Tommy-gun-toting outlaws who became household names. Hunting them down was the new U.S. Division of Investigation—soon to become the FBI—which was determined to nab the most dangerous gangster this country has ever Baby Face Nelson. To stop him, the Bureau recruited talented gunman Charles Swagger, World War I hero and sheriff of Polk County, Arkansas.
Eighty years later, Charles’s grandson Bob Lee Swagger uncovers a strongbox containing an array of memorabilia dating back to 1934—a federal lawman’s badge, a .45 automatic preserved in cosmoline, a mysterious gun part, and a cryptic diagram—all belonging to Charles Swagger. Bob becomes determined to find out what happened to his grandfather— and why his own father never spoke of Charles. But as he investigates, Bob learns that someone is following him—and shares his obsession.
Told in alternating timeframes, G-Man is a thrilling addition to Stephen Hunter’s bestselling Bob Lee Swagger series.
Master sniper Bob Lee Swagger returns in this riveting novel by bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter.
Ryan Philippe currently stars as Bob Lee Swagger on the hit USA Network series Shooter.
The Great Depression was marked by an epidemic of bank robberies and Tommy-gun-toting outlaws who became household names. Hunting them down was the new U.S. Division of Investigation—soon to become the FBI—which was determined to nab the most dangerous gangster this country has ever Baby Face Nelson. To stop him, the Bureau recruited talented gunman Charles Swagger, World War I hero and sheriff of Polk County, Arkansas.
Eighty years later, Charles’s grandson Bob Lee Swagger uncovers a strongbox containing an array of memorabilia dating back to 1934—a federal lawman’s badge, a .45 automatic preserved in cosmoline, a mysterious gun part, and a cryptic diagram—all belonging to Charles Swagger. Bob becomes determined to find out what happened to his grandfather— and why his own father never spoke of Charles. But as he investigates, Bob learns that someone is following him—and shares his obsession.
Told in alternating timeframes, G-Man is a thrilling addition to Stephen Hunter’s bestselling Bob Lee Swagger series.
656 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2017
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About the author
Stephen Hunter
76 books1,984 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
August 20, 2017
This one’s premise sounded more intriguing than it actually turned out for me. A man in current times explores his grandfather’s likely involvement with the early FBI’s efforts to fight organized crime. The plot device used involves his investigation alternated with vignettes from the mindset of his ancestor and that of famous gangsters, notably Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, and Pretty Boy Floyd. The fictional details Hunter puts in to tell the story of these gangsters and the FBI leaders Melvin Purvis and Sam Cowley comprise a form of theory for the whys and wherefores of their actions in the fateful year of 1934. It was a crazy time, when the populace struggling with the economic despair of the depression frequently read in the paper about bank robberies and wild shootouts with the police in Chicago and various cities in the Midwest and often rooted for them.
Bob Lee Swagger, in his retirement from farming and services to law enforcement based on his expertise as a military sniper, gets nudged to explore mysteries in the life of his grandfather, Charles, who was Sheriff of Polk County, Arkansas, starting in the 1930s. A hidden cache is found buried at an abandoned hunting cabin he used to own. In it is a Colt 45, an FBI badge, an unusual mint-condition $1,000 bill, and a crude map showing the location of something buried relative to an unknown dwelling. Bob pulls strings to learn that the FBI has no official record of Charles working with the FBI, but learns about their campaign in 1934 to bring in certain civilian law enforcement officers skilled in gunfighting to help train and build up the FBI capacity to deal with the escalating violence. As Bob accumulates more and more circumstantial evidence that his grandfather might indeed have played a critical role in this campaign, we watch Charles working to gain credibility with the FBI and put himself Zelig-like in the middle of famous shootouts and successive takedowns of Floyd, then Dillinger, and finally Nelson.
I’ve long enjoyed Hunter’s skills in portraying the cat-and-mouse buildup between of heroic good guys on the trail and devious bad guys and the rich details of their gunfights. Usually the special thrill of his stories come from the good guy being an underdog. Here the law enforcement team achieves their victories with overwhelming force. You almost feel sorry for the bad guys. Hunter’s consciousness of this perspective is signaled in the beginning by having Charles involved in police killing of Bonnie and Clyde through an ambush with the massive firepower played up in the iconic movie version. Another factor that diminished my personal pleasure was that the interleaving of current and historical episodes undermined my immersion in Charlie’s story and that of his prey.
Hunter tried especially hard to bring Les (Baby Face) Nelson to life as a personality, as well as his beloved wife Helen, who was so devoted she rode along on his road trips. But he didn’t give himself enough room in the narrative to do the job to my satisfaction. These samples show how Hunter paints him as one who mysteriously glories in the shootouts while showing a clichéd appreciation of the perks of the gangster life:
That’s why he liked the gangsters so much: they took shit from no man and gave shit when and where it pleased them, never looking back, always having the best dames, cars, clothes, and pals. …
His enthusiasm for firearms filled him with energy, and the prospect of using one against human targets always made him happy—that is, if he weren’t boiling with rage, which was his other mode of being. He was a contradiction, and no one could explain him, a handsome dapper fellow, a family man, the proud father of Ronald and Darlene, a loyal husband to one wife …and, to see him, you’d think he was one of life’s little mechanics, solid, a churchgoer. But he did like to shoot thinks up, he liked adventure, he had an abnormal absence of fear, and killing wasn’t a thing that lingered in his mind for long.
The big mystery of the story is how it is that Charles played such an important role in the FBI victories that year but all evidence of that has been erased from the official record. For Bob, that must have something to do with why he spent the rest of his life as an embittered alcoholic loner. Bob eventually learns that some criminal types have been secretly monitoring his progress with the hope that the map left behind might be for a hidden treasure of bank robbery loot. There is some decent suspense over this mystery, but it is not in leagues with Hunter’s legendary apocalyptic showdowns in most of his books.
This book was provided by the publisher for review through the Netgalley program.
Bob Lee Swagger, in his retirement from farming and services to law enforcement based on his expertise as a military sniper, gets nudged to explore mysteries in the life of his grandfather, Charles, who was Sheriff of Polk County, Arkansas, starting in the 1930s. A hidden cache is found buried at an abandoned hunting cabin he used to own. In it is a Colt 45, an FBI badge, an unusual mint-condition $1,000 bill, and a crude map showing the location of something buried relative to an unknown dwelling. Bob pulls strings to learn that the FBI has no official record of Charles working with the FBI, but learns about their campaign in 1934 to bring in certain civilian law enforcement officers skilled in gunfighting to help train and build up the FBI capacity to deal with the escalating violence. As Bob accumulates more and more circumstantial evidence that his grandfather might indeed have played a critical role in this campaign, we watch Charles working to gain credibility with the FBI and put himself Zelig-like in the middle of famous shootouts and successive takedowns of Floyd, then Dillinger, and finally Nelson.
I’ve long enjoyed Hunter’s skills in portraying the cat-and-mouse buildup between of heroic good guys on the trail and devious bad guys and the rich details of their gunfights. Usually the special thrill of his stories come from the good guy being an underdog. Here the law enforcement team achieves their victories with overwhelming force. You almost feel sorry for the bad guys. Hunter’s consciousness of this perspective is signaled in the beginning by having Charles involved in police killing of Bonnie and Clyde through an ambush with the massive firepower played up in the iconic movie version. Another factor that diminished my personal pleasure was that the interleaving of current and historical episodes undermined my immersion in Charlie’s story and that of his prey.
Hunter tried especially hard to bring Les (Baby Face) Nelson to life as a personality, as well as his beloved wife Helen, who was so devoted she rode along on his road trips. But he didn’t give himself enough room in the narrative to do the job to my satisfaction. These samples show how Hunter paints him as one who mysteriously glories in the shootouts while showing a clichéd appreciation of the perks of the gangster life:
That’s why he liked the gangsters so much: they took shit from no man and gave shit when and where it pleased them, never looking back, always having the best dames, cars, clothes, and pals. …
His enthusiasm for firearms filled him with energy, and the prospect of using one against human targets always made him happy—that is, if he weren’t boiling with rage, which was his other mode of being. He was a contradiction, and no one could explain him, a handsome dapper fellow, a family man, the proud father of Ronald and Darlene, a loyal husband to one wife …and, to see him, you’d think he was one of life’s little mechanics, solid, a churchgoer. But he did like to shoot thinks up, he liked adventure, he had an abnormal absence of fear, and killing wasn’t a thing that lingered in his mind for long.
The big mystery of the story is how it is that Charles played such an important role in the FBI victories that year but all evidence of that has been erased from the official record. For Bob, that must have something to do with why he spent the rest of his life as an embittered alcoholic loner. Bob eventually learns that some criminal types have been secretly monitoring his progress with the hope that the map left behind might be for a hidden treasure of bank robbery loot. There is some decent suspense over this mystery, but it is not in leagues with Hunter’s legendary apocalyptic showdowns in most of his books.
This book was provided by the publisher for review through the Netgalley program.
Want to read
January 11, 2018Who could resist this cover ?
This copy is signed by the author Stephen Hunter.
This copy is signed by the author Stephen Hunter.
August 29, 2017
I liked it, but I would like it better as a condensed book. I don't even know where to start unpacking this one...
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you so much to everyone who makes these giveaways available.
This is the first Stephen Hunter book I've read and despite being #10 in a series, it's the first one I've really wanted to read.
Dual timeline, many different perspectives:
In 1934, Charles Swagger is kicking ass and not leaving his name. Along with battling Public Enemies #1 as a G-Man, he's also struggling with some demons of his own.
In the approximate present, Bob Lee Swagger is 71 years old, retired, and trying to understand the history of his grandfather, Charles. This is considerably harder due to his grandfather not wanting any glory. Glory is one thing, but Bob is having trouble finding any record at all. Oh, and someone is following Bob in the present and seems to have an interest in Charles Swagger's past as well.
Sometimes, this book was great. Depression-era gangsters vs. a good old-fashioned western gunslinger mashes up two elements of history that I find fascinating and never tire of reading about.
Sometimes, I wanted to throw this book across the room because in-depth details about elements I'm not interested in make it so much less fun! This is something that will be less of a hindrance to true gun aficionados, but I find the details about what calibre of weapon is preferable, and the number of disassembled parts with modifications, and the chicken at the banquet was good but the green beans were not so good and he missed dessert and omg even if this is relevant somehow I don't even care anymore because I'm so freaking bored let's get back to the action!
The action was pretty great. Other than the mind-numbing details, my hangup with the writing is in the details of where fiction meets non-fictional characters. Historical fiction, Pretty much by definition, is based on creative liberties - otherwise, it wouldn't be fiction. I enjoy historical fiction but there's a level where I can't suspend my disbelief any longer and start to wonder how well the book was researched. The point of view from the Dillinger gang, especially Baby Face Nelson, reached this point with me where I started to question how much of the character is based on research and how much is the author's imagination. I'm inspired to seek out nonfiction sources for a little more perspective.
Overall, it was a decent book that could have been a really great book. I expect that anyone with a deep interest in firearms will be hung up on fewer details than I was, but it still could benefit from paring down the word count.
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you so much to everyone who makes these giveaways available.
This is the first Stephen Hunter book I've read and despite being #10 in a series, it's the first one I've really wanted to read.
Dual timeline, many different perspectives:
In 1934, Charles Swagger is kicking ass and not leaving his name. Along with battling Public Enemies #1 as a G-Man, he's also struggling with some demons of his own.
In the approximate present, Bob Lee Swagger is 71 years old, retired, and trying to understand the history of his grandfather, Charles. This is considerably harder due to his grandfather not wanting any glory. Glory is one thing, but Bob is having trouble finding any record at all. Oh, and someone is following Bob in the present and seems to have an interest in Charles Swagger's past as well.
Sometimes, this book was great. Depression-era gangsters vs. a good old-fashioned western gunslinger mashes up two elements of history that I find fascinating and never tire of reading about.
Sometimes, I wanted to throw this book across the room because in-depth details about elements I'm not interested in make it so much less fun! This is something that will be less of a hindrance to true gun aficionados, but I find the details about what calibre of weapon is preferable, and the number of disassembled parts with modifications, and the chicken at the banquet was good but the green beans were not so good and he missed dessert and omg even if this is relevant somehow I don't even care anymore because I'm so freaking bored let's get back to the action!
The action was pretty great. Other than the mind-numbing details, my hangup with the writing is in the details of where fiction meets non-fictional characters. Historical fiction, Pretty much by definition, is based on creative liberties - otherwise, it wouldn't be fiction. I enjoy historical fiction but there's a level where I can't suspend my disbelief any longer and start to wonder how well the book was researched. The point of view from the Dillinger gang, especially Baby Face Nelson, reached this point with me where I started to question how much of the character is based on research and how much is the author's imagination. I'm inspired to seek out nonfiction sources for a little more perspective.
Overall, it was a decent book that could have been a really great book. I expect that anyone with a deep interest in firearms will be hung up on fewer details than I was, but it still could benefit from paring down the word count.
May 28, 2017
Clearly, Hunter has run out of creative ideas. He now writes from historical events with uninspired modifications. Previously, it was Jack the Ripper, this time it's Baby Face Nelson. Just read some history and don't waste your time on this drivel. 0 of 10 stars
February 22, 2017
G-MAN by Stephen Hunter
I loved this story and Bobby Swagger's enthusiasm for learning all about his Grandfather's past. This was a very interesting part of history. My own father lived through the Great Depression. We have all heard of Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd. The investigative arm of the law was The United States Division of Investigation. The new name of this law enforcement is the FBI. The FBI considered Pretty Boy Floyd to be dangerous and they thought Charles Swagger to be a top notch gunman.
Baby Face Nelson was thought to be extremely dangerous. Considering that Charles Swagger was thought to be very talented using a gun he was recruited. When Charles Swagger's family home was sold a treasure trove of memorabilia was discovered. Found were items such as a badge, a preserved pistol. Bobby Swagger begins his search for everything he can learn about his Grandfather's past.
This was engaging reading and I absolutely loved it. Highly Recommended for everybody that enjoys history and is nostalgic about learning about their own family roots.
Thank you to Net Galley, Stephen Hunter and the Publisher for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I loved this story and Bobby Swagger's enthusiasm for learning all about his Grandfather's past. This was a very interesting part of history. My own father lived through the Great Depression. We have all heard of Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd. The investigative arm of the law was The United States Division of Investigation. The new name of this law enforcement is the FBI. The FBI considered Pretty Boy Floyd to be dangerous and they thought Charles Swagger to be a top notch gunman.
Baby Face Nelson was thought to be extremely dangerous. Considering that Charles Swagger was thought to be very talented using a gun he was recruited. When Charles Swagger's family home was sold a treasure trove of memorabilia was discovered. Found were items such as a badge, a preserved pistol. Bobby Swagger begins his search for everything he can learn about his Grandfather's past.
This was engaging reading and I absolutely loved it. Highly Recommended for everybody that enjoys history and is nostalgic about learning about their own family roots.
Thank you to Net Galley, Stephen Hunter and the Publisher for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 2, 2022
Very enjoyable, Hunter writes so well when a gunfight is involved. I was going to include a passage or two but that would spoil your reading in this one. So find a copy and read a fine story. 4 Stars
March 28, 2020
After the 47th Samurai, my expectations for this book were so low that I couldn't possibly have been disappointed. But amazingly this turned out to be one of the best of the later novels in the Bob Lee Swagger series!
For many years, Swagger fans of wanted the "origins story" of the Swagger family. Before Bob the Nailer, who was a Marine sniper hero in Vietnam, there was Earl Swagger, a Marine sergeant who won the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima. But before Earl there was Charles Swagger, an Arkansas sheriff with a troubled past, rumored to be corrupt, in bed with organized crime, and gay.
Were the rumors true? Why did Charles Swagger fall from grace? Why was his name erased from FBI records after he participated in the killing of legendary outlaws like John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson?
This is the first Stephen Hunter book I've read in many years that actually reminded me of his best work, novels like Havana, Hot Springs, and Dirty White Boys. The emphasis is on the gun battles, the silly Grumley villains are kept to a minimum, and there's plenty of chase scenes and fights. I would have liked to see more fist fights, actually. And more of the friction between Charles Swagger and the Chicago mob, not to mention the Chicago Police Department. But still this book was powerful and effective within the limits of what the author wanted to achieve.
Some things I wanted:
More of Pretty Boy Floyd.
More about the Depression.
More about racism in Chicago vs. racism in the Deep South
More about Charles' World War One combat experience
Still and all, this was the best Stephen Hunter book I've read in years. I recommend it to all fans both old and new!
For many years, Swagger fans of wanted the "origins story" of the Swagger family. Before Bob the Nailer, who was a Marine sniper hero in Vietnam, there was Earl Swagger, a Marine sergeant who won the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima. But before Earl there was Charles Swagger, an Arkansas sheriff with a troubled past, rumored to be corrupt, in bed with organized crime, and gay.
Were the rumors true? Why did Charles Swagger fall from grace? Why was his name erased from FBI records after he participated in the killing of legendary outlaws like John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson?
This is the first Stephen Hunter book I've read in many years that actually reminded me of his best work, novels like Havana, Hot Springs, and Dirty White Boys. The emphasis is on the gun battles, the silly Grumley villains are kept to a minimum, and there's plenty of chase scenes and fights. I would have liked to see more fist fights, actually. And more of the friction between Charles Swagger and the Chicago mob, not to mention the Chicago Police Department. But still this book was powerful and effective within the limits of what the author wanted to achieve.
Some things I wanted:
More of Pretty Boy Floyd.
More about the Depression.
More about racism in Chicago vs. racism in the Deep South
More about Charles' World War One combat experience
Still and all, this was the best Stephen Hunter book I've read in years. I recommend it to all fans both old and new!
August 15, 2017
Hunter's Jumped The Shark! Years ago, I was a huge fan of the author's "Bob Lee Swagger" series of books. I can remember my father-in-law and I devouring them, and having spirited discussions about them. Then, along about the time Hunter began the "Earl Swagger" series, the author's plot lines devolved, and his verbiage became unbearable. So many obscure descriptions and dialogue that, rather than adding to the story, instead overwhelmed them. So I took a break from the author. Enter his latest novel, "G-Man". I wanted to like it. I really tried. I made it halfway through the book, before becoming so exasperated that I had to quit. It had the thinnest of plot, based around crazy, imaginary encounters of an entire whos-who of 1930's era gangsters, and the shoehorning in of the main character. And, where I thought Hunter had gone overboard in his verbiage in the past, he takes it to an entirely different level here. So much unnecessary language! What possible reason is there to spend a page detailing a minor character's choice of soft drinks? Or the color of a woman's dress? It just went on and on. At the end, I thought that perhaps it was just me, that my tastes had changed. So I read a bit to my wife. She looked at me like I was insane. "Why would you and my father read such drivel?" she asked. "It sounds like someone trying to pad a school paper with words to meet the teacher's minimum standard". At that point, I had to realize. Hunter has jumped the shark. He has taken a wonderful character in Bob Lee Swagger, and ruined it. That's it for me. No more Stephen Hunter!
April 9, 2019
I now know what “gun porn” -- a term I read in Dana Stabenow’s review -- is. And it ain’t pretty. Entire paragraphs -- nay, entire pages -- are given over to descriptions of every part of every gun in the story. Take this description, please:
“Before him, in fifty-two separate parts, sat his Colt Government Model, 1928 Commercial Variation, 157345C. Each of the fifty-two had been inspected for wear, oiled lightly, and dried off. Now he worked with a fine-grain needle file,doing the little things that could be done to turn the pistol into smooth an operator as possible. He took just a few grains of steel off the ninety-degree angle at the cusp of the frame, where the cartridge rode from magazine to chamber under the propulsion of the slide’s forward motion. He wanted to break the sharpness of degree a tiny bit so that no burr from a cartridge -- they had already been inspected, of course, twenty-one government-issue .45 hardballs from the Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts, already fit into three likewise inspected magazines -- could catch during the firing transaction.
There’s more, except I’m getting tired of transcribing.
I wondered what was going on with this author’s gun-porn writing. I looked on the internet and found this:
"Hunter is a firearms enthusiast, well known in the gun community for firearm detail in many of his works of fiction. He himself shoots as a hobby, saying "many people don't understand, shooting a firearm is a sensual pleasure that's rewarding in and of itself."
Nonetheless, I read the entire book and enjoyed the story of the 1934 gangster’s heyday. Hunter mixed an interesting fictional story with the historical setting, which made for exciting reading, once I got to the point I could ignore the voluminous gun descriptions.
“Before him, in fifty-two separate parts, sat his Colt Government Model, 1928 Commercial Variation, 157345C. Each of the fifty-two had been inspected for wear, oiled lightly, and dried off. Now he worked with a fine-grain needle file,doing the little things that could be done to turn the pistol into smooth an operator as possible. He took just a few grains of steel off the ninety-degree angle at the cusp of the frame, where the cartridge rode from magazine to chamber under the propulsion of the slide’s forward motion. He wanted to break the sharpness of degree a tiny bit so that no burr from a cartridge -- they had already been inspected, of course, twenty-one government-issue .45 hardballs from the Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts, already fit into three likewise inspected magazines -- could catch during the firing transaction.
There’s more, except I’m getting tired of transcribing.
I wondered what was going on with this author’s gun-porn writing. I looked on the internet and found this:
"Hunter is a firearms enthusiast, well known in the gun community for firearm detail in many of his works of fiction. He himself shoots as a hobby, saying "many people don't understand, shooting a firearm is a sensual pleasure that's rewarding in and of itself."
Nonetheless, I read the entire book and enjoyed the story of the 1934 gangster’s heyday. Hunter mixed an interesting fictional story with the historical setting, which made for exciting reading, once I got to the point I could ignore the voluminous gun descriptions.
May 26, 2017
Somewhere within this concrete block of a novel, under the preposterously-macho dialogue, away from the run-on sentences filled with description upon description upon description, not to mention chapters worth of the intricacies involved with breaking down firearms, there lays a cool, fast story of historical fiction playing out a hard-as-balls Agent and his hunt of a wilily, rascal of a bank-robber. To find that story, brother, break out the chisels and jackhammers, as it’s a deep dig.
G-Man places the fictional character of Charles Swagger right into the state of play between the burgeoning FBI and a series of public enemies on the prowl in the early 1930s, such as the likes of John Dillinger and Baby-Face Nelson. Author Stephen Hunter adds to this narrative a present-day tale of Swagger’s grandson, Bob, and his quest to uncover the mystery of his grandfather. Both tales, alone and inter-twined, make for great pulp, crime fiction. Hunter unfortunately burdens that plot, something that should be hip, and light, and full of that post-1920s swing, with the procedurals of an old man telling a young whippersnapper the right way a task should be done.
Maybe this is simply Hunter’s style that I, as the reader and reviewer, have not previously been privy to. However, as a reader and reviewer, I found his unyielding verbiage to be unnecessarily weighty, making for a dull read. And a release from an author named Hunter, featuring a character named Swagger, and with the cover boasting a fedora-clad agent bearing down with a Tommy gun, should be anything but dull.
A hail of bullets in thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
G-Man places the fictional character of Charles Swagger right into the state of play between the burgeoning FBI and a series of public enemies on the prowl in the early 1930s, such as the likes of John Dillinger and Baby-Face Nelson. Author Stephen Hunter adds to this narrative a present-day tale of Swagger’s grandson, Bob, and his quest to uncover the mystery of his grandfather. Both tales, alone and inter-twined, make for great pulp, crime fiction. Hunter unfortunately burdens that plot, something that should be hip, and light, and full of that post-1920s swing, with the procedurals of an old man telling a young whippersnapper the right way a task should be done.
Maybe this is simply Hunter’s style that I, as the reader and reviewer, have not previously been privy to. However, as a reader and reviewer, I found his unyielding verbiage to be unnecessarily weighty, making for a dull read. And a release from an author named Hunter, featuring a character named Swagger, and with the cover boasting a fedora-clad agent bearing down with a Tommy gun, should be anything but dull.
A hail of bullets in thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
April 12, 2017
A very interesting story whereby the author has invented a character that was secretly used by the Justice Department (FBI) who actually was the one that killed all the infamous bank robbers of the day. Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, etc.
The old homestead of this man is being demolished and during that process a tin box is found. Inside the box is a government issue weapon, an FBI badge and another item no one is exactly sure what it is. The grandson of this man has never heard of his grandfather being in the FBI and he wonders what these items are all about. This is the premise of the book.
I thought it was a very interesting take and enjoyed reading the book very much. I would like to thank Penguin Group, Blue Rider Press and Net Galley for allowing me the privilege to read and review this interesting and entertaining story.
The old homestead of this man is being demolished and during that process a tin box is found. Inside the box is a government issue weapon, an FBI badge and another item no one is exactly sure what it is. The grandson of this man has never heard of his grandfather being in the FBI and he wonders what these items are all about. This is the premise of the book.
I thought it was a very interesting take and enjoyed reading the book very much. I would like to thank Penguin Group, Blue Rider Press and Net Galley for allowing me the privilege to read and review this interesting and entertaining story.
October 20, 2020
Stephen Hunter delivers. Bob Lee Swagger always delivers. I have been a huge Swagger fan as well as avid Hunter follower for years. It has always been a series I return to, have never been disappointed, and reinvigorates my hope for justice for all, our military and the American spirit. Strong writing, resolute determination through Bob Lee Swagger and once again, Hunter delivers a knockout book that makes me proud. Thank you, Stephen Hunter, work well done,! ...again. I look forward to Game of Snipers, Thank you for the snippet at the end of GMan. What an exciting, intriguing hunt, ...well, beginning of your next bestseller!
November 22, 2019
Bob Lee Swagger is getting old. The story gets a little confusing with four threads of last and present and good guys and bad guys. Time lines are clear, but it still takes a moment to sort. Still recommended.
May 23, 2017
Stephen Hunter is among my favorite action authors, and Bobby Lee Swagger, his now-aging ex-Marine sniper Medal of Honor-winning character, is one of my favorite heroes. To hear Bobby Lee as he thinks his way out of bad situations, or as he contemplates the ballistics of exotic weapons, is a true treat.
A few of Hunters Swagger books delve into Bobby Lee’s father, Earl Swagger—also a Medal of honor winner, though at Iwo Jima rather than Vietnam. Earl became a sheriff in Arkansas and was murdered by a bad guy in 1955 when in his forties, an event that helped shape Bobby Lee. In G-Man (2017) the story goes back one more generation to Charles Swagger, Bobby Lee’s grandfather.
It is 2017 and the Swagger family has sold the Arkansas property that has been in the family since 1795; naturally the buyer is a developer. When the house is torn down, an unexpected treasure is discovered in the foundation—a metal box with several of Charles Swagger’s possessions. Among them are a well-oiled eighty year old Colt .45 automatic made in 1934, an uncirculated $1000 bill, also 1934 vintage, a large metal device of unknown use that is probably associated with a weapon, a badge designating the wearer as an agent for the “Department of Investigation” (the name used by the FBI during 1934), and a rough hand-drawn map with a spot marked “X.”.
Any family history hound would be thrilled at such a discovery, and Bobby Lee is no different. He knows nothing about his grandfather except that he was a hero in WWI, a man who loved guns and used them vigorously (as do all Swagger men), and after 1934 he became a confirmed alcoholic. Bobby Lee starts to investigate the provenance of the items and as he does we are treated to a rotation of chapters between Charles’ experiences in 1934 and Bobby Lee’s investigation in 2017.
In 1934 the depression was in full force, the dust bowl was destroying the fertile western agricultural areas, poverty prevailed among farmers and city-dwellers alike, and bank robberies were the only form of social security. Bad folks like Bonnie and Clyde, and Ma Barker and her boys, were household words. The Justice Department's Department of Investigation (forerunner of the FBI) was formed under J. Edgar Hoover to track down and eliminate the bank robbers.
Charles Swagger, a sheriff of Blue Eye, Arkansas known for his ability to halt criminal activity both with and without a gun, was pressed into service in 1934 as a Special Agent of the soon-to-be FBI to assist the Agency in stopping a gang of bank robbers composed of Les Gilpin (Baby Face Nelson), Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, John Dillinger and several less notables. Charles was given the badge and the gun, and he set out to do his duty. After the job was done there was a five-month gap before Charles returned to Blue Eye to become sheriff again.
Bobby Lee is interested in several mysteries about Charles: what happened during his time as a Special Agent? Why was there a five-month gap between the time he returned to Blue Eye as sheriff? Why did Charles turn to drink after 1934? Where did the treasures in the box come from? While hot lead flies and bad guys drop in 1934, we learn just how these treasures came into Charles’s life. And as if there weren’t enough bad boys in Charles’s day, Bobby Lee is hounded by Grumley.
What is Grumley, you ask? It’s a very large southern family of criminals, all so in love with their work and attuned to each other that they are referred to as a collective—not “the Grumleys” or “the Grumley family,” but simply "Grumley." We first encountered Grumley in Night of Thunder, an earlier Hunter novel. Grumley has got word of the map with an “X” on it, and it wants whatever is under the X. So Bobby Lee has to keep account of Grumley while Grumley is keeping tabs on him.
This is not your typical Bobby Lee Swagger novel. It is more a nostalgic look at Bobby Lee’s family history that tells us that Swagger men were decent folk who killed for a living. That doesn’t mean it is without the usual action of a Swagger novel, or without the usual detail about guns that one finds in a Swagger novel. Bullets fly, blood flows, and we learn about the Thompson machine gun, the Colt. 45 semiautomatic, the Colt .45 Peacemaker revolver, and—of most interest—the Colt Monitor, a variation on the .30-caliber BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) with pistol grips and a huge “compensator” on the muzzle. (Hint: the large metal device in the treasure box is a compensator.)
Four and 1/2 Stars!
A few of Hunters Swagger books delve into Bobby Lee’s father, Earl Swagger—also a Medal of honor winner, though at Iwo Jima rather than Vietnam. Earl became a sheriff in Arkansas and was murdered by a bad guy in 1955 when in his forties, an event that helped shape Bobby Lee. In G-Man (2017) the story goes back one more generation to Charles Swagger, Bobby Lee’s grandfather.
It is 2017 and the Swagger family has sold the Arkansas property that has been in the family since 1795; naturally the buyer is a developer. When the house is torn down, an unexpected treasure is discovered in the foundation—a metal box with several of Charles Swagger’s possessions. Among them are a well-oiled eighty year old Colt .45 automatic made in 1934, an uncirculated $1000 bill, also 1934 vintage, a large metal device of unknown use that is probably associated with a weapon, a badge designating the wearer as an agent for the “Department of Investigation” (the name used by the FBI during 1934), and a rough hand-drawn map with a spot marked “X.”.
Any family history hound would be thrilled at such a discovery, and Bobby Lee is no different. He knows nothing about his grandfather except that he was a hero in WWI, a man who loved guns and used them vigorously (as do all Swagger men), and after 1934 he became a confirmed alcoholic. Bobby Lee starts to investigate the provenance of the items and as he does we are treated to a rotation of chapters between Charles’ experiences in 1934 and Bobby Lee’s investigation in 2017.
In 1934 the depression was in full force, the dust bowl was destroying the fertile western agricultural areas, poverty prevailed among farmers and city-dwellers alike, and bank robberies were the only form of social security. Bad folks like Bonnie and Clyde, and Ma Barker and her boys, were household words. The Justice Department's Department of Investigation (forerunner of the FBI) was formed under J. Edgar Hoover to track down and eliminate the bank robbers.
Charles Swagger, a sheriff of Blue Eye, Arkansas known for his ability to halt criminal activity both with and without a gun, was pressed into service in 1934 as a Special Agent of the soon-to-be FBI to assist the Agency in stopping a gang of bank robbers composed of Les Gilpin (Baby Face Nelson), Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, John Dillinger and several less notables. Charles was given the badge and the gun, and he set out to do his duty. After the job was done there was a five-month gap before Charles returned to Blue Eye to become sheriff again.
Bobby Lee is interested in several mysteries about Charles: what happened during his time as a Special Agent? Why was there a five-month gap between the time he returned to Blue Eye as sheriff? Why did Charles turn to drink after 1934? Where did the treasures in the box come from? While hot lead flies and bad guys drop in 1934, we learn just how these treasures came into Charles’s life. And as if there weren’t enough bad boys in Charles’s day, Bobby Lee is hounded by Grumley.
What is Grumley, you ask? It’s a very large southern family of criminals, all so in love with their work and attuned to each other that they are referred to as a collective—not “the Grumleys” or “the Grumley family,” but simply "Grumley." We first encountered Grumley in Night of Thunder, an earlier Hunter novel. Grumley has got word of the map with an “X” on it, and it wants whatever is under the X. So Bobby Lee has to keep account of Grumley while Grumley is keeping tabs on him.
This is not your typical Bobby Lee Swagger novel. It is more a nostalgic look at Bobby Lee’s family history that tells us that Swagger men were decent folk who killed for a living. That doesn’t mean it is without the usual action of a Swagger novel, or without the usual detail about guns that one finds in a Swagger novel. Bullets fly, blood flows, and we learn about the Thompson machine gun, the Colt. 45 semiautomatic, the Colt .45 Peacemaker revolver, and—of most interest—the Colt Monitor, a variation on the .30-caliber BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) with pistol grips and a huge “compensator” on the muzzle. (Hint: the large metal device in the treasure box is a compensator.)
Four and 1/2 Stars!
March 10, 2017
Stephen Hunter's latest in the Bob Lee Swagger series, G-Man (Penguin Random House 2017) unexpectedly starts in the 1930's with the death of Bonnie and Clyde at the hands of Bob Lee's grandfather, Charlie Swagger. Charlie is a small-town sheriff with a big reputation for heroism, bravery, and doing the impossible. Quickly, Hunter moves readers to the present day as the Bob Lee we know is settling into retirement and all the boredom and aches that includes:
"Nothing [to do] meant a three-hour ride on land that was all his, another hour of horse care, then three or four hours in his shop working on this or that rifle project (this year: .375 Chey Tac at over thirty-five hundred yards, and, damn, if he didn’t own over thirty-five hundred yards’ worth of Idaho on which to find out what it could do). Then on to the email thing, for conversations with old friends the world over, including reporters and retired sergeants, Russian gangsters, Japanese Self-Defense Force NCOs, FBI..."
When a Colt 45 and a thousand dollar bill are found under the foundation of the old family house (which is being bulldozed), Bob Lee in his boredom decides to try to unravel the mystery of why they were hidden there. The search takes him back to the '30s when Dillinger and Baby Face and that entire crew were robbing banks with impunity. In an effort to stop them, the FBI hired gunslingers--like Charlie Swagger--to engage the bandits in gunfights at their skill level.
As with all Bob Lee Swagger novels, this one is imbued with a deep love of firearms:
"His fingers knew it immediately. As a design, the thing was one of many masterpieces that had tumbled from the brain of John M. Browning before World War I, so perfect in conception and execution, such a chord of power and grace and genius of operation that even now, more than a century after its year of adaptation in 1911, it was standard sidearm of many of the world’s elite units."
One thing I always like about Bob Swagger novels is Bob's sage wisdom. He's able to break life and lessons down to their essentials so anyone can get it. Here's his take on handsome men:
"As an analyst of human strength and weakness, he knew that the handsome ones could be tricky. It’s something an infantry officer and a cop pick up on fast. They get used to being the center of attention. They expect things to go their way. They don’t like to take orders, especially from the many less attractive than they are. They move at their own pace. Sometimes they seem not to hear what is said to them. They are very stubborn, not out of commitment to a certain line of logic but to the idea that their beauty confers on them certain divine rights. The moving pictures and the fancy magazines have only exacerbated these problems, for on-screen the handsomest man is always the best, the champion of the show, the lure of all the gals, the hero of all the guys, and your real-life pretty fellow too often comes to assume the same of himself, except he has yet to do a thing to earn that reputation. So problems—little, knotty difficulties, little spats, grudges, pissing contests, garbled communications, slights too slight to mention but annoying to suffer, a sense of self-importance—all make every transaction with the handsome man more bother than it should be."
Then there are some of the words he uses. Not a lot but I'm pretty well read and it stopped me when people were 'palavering' (chatting).
Overall a good read though a bit more wandering than his usual--which explains the 4/5 stars. I was expecting his traditional action-packed story and got one that is more contemplative, personal, and less intense than what I expected.
"Nothing [to do] meant a three-hour ride on land that was all his, another hour of horse care, then three or four hours in his shop working on this or that rifle project (this year: .375 Chey Tac at over thirty-five hundred yards, and, damn, if he didn’t own over thirty-five hundred yards’ worth of Idaho on which to find out what it could do). Then on to the email thing, for conversations with old friends the world over, including reporters and retired sergeants, Russian gangsters, Japanese Self-Defense Force NCOs, FBI..."
When a Colt 45 and a thousand dollar bill are found under the foundation of the old family house (which is being bulldozed), Bob Lee in his boredom decides to try to unravel the mystery of why they were hidden there. The search takes him back to the '30s when Dillinger and Baby Face and that entire crew were robbing banks with impunity. In an effort to stop them, the FBI hired gunslingers--like Charlie Swagger--to engage the bandits in gunfights at their skill level.
As with all Bob Lee Swagger novels, this one is imbued with a deep love of firearms:
"His fingers knew it immediately. As a design, the thing was one of many masterpieces that had tumbled from the brain of John M. Browning before World War I, so perfect in conception and execution, such a chord of power and grace and genius of operation that even now, more than a century after its year of adaptation in 1911, it was standard sidearm of many of the world’s elite units."
One thing I always like about Bob Swagger novels is Bob's sage wisdom. He's able to break life and lessons down to their essentials so anyone can get it. Here's his take on handsome men:
"As an analyst of human strength and weakness, he knew that the handsome ones could be tricky. It’s something an infantry officer and a cop pick up on fast. They get used to being the center of attention. They expect things to go their way. They don’t like to take orders, especially from the many less attractive than they are. They move at their own pace. Sometimes they seem not to hear what is said to them. They are very stubborn, not out of commitment to a certain line of logic but to the idea that their beauty confers on them certain divine rights. The moving pictures and the fancy magazines have only exacerbated these problems, for on-screen the handsomest man is always the best, the champion of the show, the lure of all the gals, the hero of all the guys, and your real-life pretty fellow too often comes to assume the same of himself, except he has yet to do a thing to earn that reputation. So problems—little, knotty difficulties, little spats, grudges, pissing contests, garbled communications, slights too slight to mention but annoying to suffer, a sense of self-importance—all make every transaction with the handsome man more bother than it should be."
Then there are some of the words he uses. Not a lot but I'm pretty well read and it stopped me when people were 'palavering' (chatting).
Overall a good read though a bit more wandering than his usual--which explains the 4/5 stars. I was expecting his traditional action-packed story and got one that is more contemplative, personal, and less intense than what I expected.
May 30, 2017
Just when it seemed that Stephen Hunter might’ve run out of puff with his Swagger family series, a change in direction has revitalised his writing. G-Man is the latest ‘retrospective’ Swagger story and it’s a stonking great read.
Bob Lee Swagger is the central character in the present day. The former Marine sharpshooter carries more than his fair share of battle scars, but he’s still a sharp-eyed, savvy 70-something. When oddball items of old armaments and what might be a treasure map come to light in his grandfather’s home, Bob starts tugging on threads which are tangled back in the days of Prohibition. Little is known about lawman Charles Swagger and it seems there might be some uncomfortable home truths to be discovered…
The action switches seamlessly between a carefully crafted version of the 1930s mobster scene, where John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd wreak havoc with Tommie guns, and Bob Lee’s unsettling discoveries about this very special agent who was disowned by the fledgling FBI. In the Swagger family, loyalty, honour and duty are paramount. Could it be true that Sheriff Charles betrayed his comrades, abandoned his family, and crept away from a gunfight… a coward?
As well as a rip-snorting story, G-Man also delivers detailed historical segments where the bad guys are as well developed as their agency opponents. Author Stephen Hunter spins a ripping yarn in the 21st century which sees Bob himself at odds with criminals who’d like to lay their paws on whatever treasure is buried in the back of beyond. Although the outcome is never in any real doubt, there are some genuine surprises along the way.
However! If you don’t enjoy the mechanismo of motor vehicles and armaments, you may find the detailed descriptions somewhat overwhelming. Me, I adore them. Hunter’s wit and technical expertise are what elevates the Swagger series beyond merely ‘interesting’ and into ‘excellent.’
Layered with intricate detail about the weaponry and the real-life men who wielded it, G-Man brings a sniper’s intense scrutiny to bear on a gripping period of lawlessness and disorder. Sit back and enjoy: you’re in the safe hands of a master storyteller who has rediscovered his mojo.
9/10
There's more reviews of crime-thriller books and films over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
Bob Lee Swagger is the central character in the present day. The former Marine sharpshooter carries more than his fair share of battle scars, but he’s still a sharp-eyed, savvy 70-something. When oddball items of old armaments and what might be a treasure map come to light in his grandfather’s home, Bob starts tugging on threads which are tangled back in the days of Prohibition. Little is known about lawman Charles Swagger and it seems there might be some uncomfortable home truths to be discovered…
The action switches seamlessly between a carefully crafted version of the 1930s mobster scene, where John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd wreak havoc with Tommie guns, and Bob Lee’s unsettling discoveries about this very special agent who was disowned by the fledgling FBI. In the Swagger family, loyalty, honour and duty are paramount. Could it be true that Sheriff Charles betrayed his comrades, abandoned his family, and crept away from a gunfight… a coward?
As well as a rip-snorting story, G-Man also delivers detailed historical segments where the bad guys are as well developed as their agency opponents. Author Stephen Hunter spins a ripping yarn in the 21st century which sees Bob himself at odds with criminals who’d like to lay their paws on whatever treasure is buried in the back of beyond. Although the outcome is never in any real doubt, there are some genuine surprises along the way.
However! If you don’t enjoy the mechanismo of motor vehicles and armaments, you may find the detailed descriptions somewhat overwhelming. Me, I adore them. Hunter’s wit and technical expertise are what elevates the Swagger series beyond merely ‘interesting’ and into ‘excellent.’
Layered with intricate detail about the weaponry and the real-life men who wielded it, G-Man brings a sniper’s intense scrutiny to bear on a gripping period of lawlessness and disorder. Sit back and enjoy: you’re in the safe hands of a master storyteller who has rediscovered his mojo.
9/10
There's more reviews of crime-thriller books and films over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
September 26, 2017
Another good thriller from Hunter. I've been a fan of Hunter's Swagger novels--both Earl and Bob Lee--since reading PALE HORSE COMING over a decade ago. Since then, I have read all of the Swagger novels as well as some of Hunter's stand-alone's. I thought G-MAN was on a par with most of the others. This one is mostly about Bob Lee's grandfather, Charles, an enigma in the Swagger family with little known about his history. When a strong box containing a .45, a 1000-dollar-bill, and a possible treasure map is unearthed on the Swagger property in Arkansas, Bob Lee decides to try to find out the history of Charles. The book alternates between Bob Lee's quest in the present day and Charles' story in 1934 when he was recruited by the Government to work in what is now the FBI to bring the public enemies to justice. Charles was involved in the shootout with Bonnie and Clyde and the G-Men feel he could also help bring Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson to justice. Baby Face was apparently the most vicious of the bunch who showed no fear in gun battle -- a possible match for Charles? But Charles is also hiding a secret and wants his role to be kept out of the public eye. Meanwhile, in the present day, someone seems to be stalking Bob Lee and his pursuit of finding out the history of his grandfather. But who and why?
The book was full of historical information about both the G-Men and the gangsters and made me want to learn more about them. I thought the movie "Public Enemies" with Johnny Depp might be a good account of the 30s gangsters but in the acknowledgements to the book, Hunter really pans this movie with its inaccuracies (Hunter is also a movie critic), so I'll probably look elsewhere. Overall, I really liked G-MAN and would recommend it along with Hunter's other Swagger novels.
The book was full of historical information about both the G-Men and the gangsters and made me want to learn more about them. I thought the movie "Public Enemies" with Johnny Depp might be a good account of the 30s gangsters but in the acknowledgements to the book, Hunter really pans this movie with its inaccuracies (Hunter is also a movie critic), so I'll probably look elsewhere. Overall, I really liked G-MAN and would recommend it along with Hunter's other Swagger novels.
May 16, 2017
"Hillbilly justice"
I can remember picking up Stephen Hunter's first book in the Bob Lee Swagger at the library by chance not long after it was first published in 1993. I don't know why I picked it up that day. It wasn't any of the genres of books I normally read. And I didn't read it right away. I kept putting it off. So one afternoon I opened to the first page of POINT OF IMPACT and started reading and I was enthralled. I couldn't tear myself away from the story that Hunter so masterfully told. And that book still holds a place in the top 10 Books I've ever read.
After that I really enjoyed the next few books in the Bob Lee and Earl Swagger series. But then the books started to lose focus and lose my interest. I did enjoy SNIPER'S HONOR and I enjoyed this offering, I think because Bob Lee had a bigger part in this story.
Bob Lee is 71 years young in this story. He's sold off some family property in Arkansas and as the house on the property is being torn down, a metal box is discovered and the contents send Bob Lee and his friend, Nick Memphis, on a fact finding mission trying to learn more about Bob Lee's grandfather, Charles Swagger.
The story alternates between 1934, Charles, and a number of well-known gangsters of that time, and current day with Bob Lee and Nick.
I enjoyed the story especially the gangster history. I probably liked his last story more - SNIPER'S HONOR - but this one was still well worth reading.
I received this book from Blue Rider Press through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
I can remember picking up Stephen Hunter's first book in the Bob Lee Swagger at the library by chance not long after it was first published in 1993. I don't know why I picked it up that day. It wasn't any of the genres of books I normally read. And I didn't read it right away. I kept putting it off. So one afternoon I opened to the first page of POINT OF IMPACT and started reading and I was enthralled. I couldn't tear myself away from the story that Hunter so masterfully told. And that book still holds a place in the top 10 Books I've ever read.
After that I really enjoyed the next few books in the Bob Lee and Earl Swagger series. But then the books started to lose focus and lose my interest. I did enjoy SNIPER'S HONOR and I enjoyed this offering, I think because Bob Lee had a bigger part in this story.
Bob Lee is 71 years young in this story. He's sold off some family property in Arkansas and as the house on the property is being torn down, a metal box is discovered and the contents send Bob Lee and his friend, Nick Memphis, on a fact finding mission trying to learn more about Bob Lee's grandfather, Charles Swagger.
The story alternates between 1934, Charles, and a number of well-known gangsters of that time, and current day with Bob Lee and Nick.
I enjoyed the story especially the gangster history. I probably liked his last story more - SNIPER'S HONOR - but this one was still well worth reading.
I received this book from Blue Rider Press through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
January 7, 2023
If you haven't read any of Hunter's adventure novels about three generations of the Swagger family, this is a good place to start.
The family is full of heroes with , sometimes hidden , flaws of character as well as great skills with firearms and powers of deduction.
This novel ties up many loose ends from the 1934 events involving Bob Lee Swagger's grandfather Charles Swagger. A WWI hero, small county sheriff, legend with secrets and subject of a great story told by Hunter.
Hunter writes in a style that has a pace and cadence that fit the subject being related at any point in the story. Some of the clues are right out front and some are only briefly mentioned .. you'll enjoy picking up the clues as you read.
So how is Charles a factor in the FBI's chase of the mid-30's bank robbers including Baby Face Nelson and Dillinger ? This story shows how it might have been and how the story is told from alternating 1934 and current viewpoints will make you believe it could be true.
Read it , stay with the technical details and enjoy his very well developed style.
Enjoy the book.
The family is full of heroes with , sometimes hidden , flaws of character as well as great skills with firearms and powers of deduction.
This novel ties up many loose ends from the 1934 events involving Bob Lee Swagger's grandfather Charles Swagger. A WWI hero, small county sheriff, legend with secrets and subject of a great story told by Hunter.
Hunter writes in a style that has a pace and cadence that fit the subject being related at any point in the story. Some of the clues are right out front and some are only briefly mentioned .. you'll enjoy picking up the clues as you read.
So how is Charles a factor in the FBI's chase of the mid-30's bank robbers including Baby Face Nelson and Dillinger ? This story shows how it might have been and how the story is told from alternating 1934 and current viewpoints will make you believe it could be true.
Read it , stay with the technical details and enjoy his very well developed style.
Enjoy the book.
May 13, 2018
Hunter has lost his touch. While I admire and appreciate his firearm knowledge, the characters are losing grips with reality. Nor real sure I understand the whole "I want to lay with men" part about Charles Swagger. Seems quite non-sequitur.
The adventure of the story is good and I really appreciate the timeline. Lester Gillis should have likely been the #1 focus of the previous films and the battles. The battle of little bohemia could (should) have been amplified. Would have added a great amount of drama and interaction to the story. Bob's part of the story is simple and the magic of stories like point of impact are in the far distance. He's written much better.
The adventure of the story is good and I really appreciate the timeline. Lester Gillis should have likely been the #1 focus of the previous films and the battles. The battle of little bohemia could (should) have been amplified. Would have added a great amount of drama and interaction to the story. Bob's part of the story is simple and the magic of stories like point of impact are in the far distance. He's written much better.
August 22, 2017
G-Man
Mysterious Book Report No. 299
by John Dwaine McKenna
The Great Depression of the 1930s was a time of unrelenting misery, hardship and economic deprivation. It was an era that left indelible scars upon all who lived through it, for who could forget the massive unemployment, the endless bread lines, or the dislocation and migration of tens of thousands of impoverished farmers who’d been forced off their land by the drought that spawned the dust bowl, and the aggressive foreclosures by banks throughout the south, midwest and Texas. The bottom of the Depression—as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average—occurred in the summer of 1932, and it was during the depths of that Depression that gangs of outlaws with submachine guns began roaming the countryside, robbing banks and killing lawmen all over the midwest. The violence and anarchy reached a crescendo in 1934, when the U.S. Division of Investigation, later called the F.B.I., hunted down and killed or captured the most notorious and violent outlaws: those designated as ‘Public Enemies,’ or ‘most-wanted: gangsters like John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bonnie Parker and her cohort, Clyde Barrow, and the utterly unpredictable, savage, and the most cold-blooded killer of them all . . . a psychopath named Lester Gillis . . . known to all the world as Baby Face Nelson. Those are the true historical facts. They took place during the Great Depression in the United States.
Now, in his newest novel, G-Man, (Blue Rider Press/ Penguin Random House, $27.00, 443 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-57460-3) best-selling author Stephen Hunter melds all those facts into a modern-day mystery for Bob Lee Swagger to solve. Swagger, a Vietnam-era U.S. Marine sniper and firearms expert, has finally sold his family’s old homestead in Arkansas. When clearing out the property, he discovers a metal strongbox containing a Division of Investigation badge, a modified government issue 1911-A Colt .45 caliber automatic pistol, a crudely drawn treasure map, a mint-condition 1934 series $1000 bill and a curious looking precision machined part for an unknown device of some kind. Swagger knows that the box must have been hidden by his grandfather Charles, the Sheriff in Polk County Arkansas and a hero in World War I. Charles, a gunfighter in his own right, is a mystery to Bob Lee, whose own father refused to talk about the older lawman, who had a hint of scandal about him. It’s unclear if he was ever a federal law officer and Bob Lee, sets off to find the truth about his grandfather. But, as his investigation digs deeper, it becomes apparent he’s being shadowed by someone who wants the past left alone. Thereafter, the novel alternates between the present day search for the truth, and the momentous events of 1934, as Charles Swagger’s story is reveled . . . leading to the amazing climax and unexpected conclusion of this action-packed adventure yarn. History comes alive as Mr. Hunter skillfully weaves past and present together into a thriller that’s chock-full of heroes and villains in one of this summers most enjoyable reads!
Mysterious Book Report No. 299
by John Dwaine McKenna
The Great Depression of the 1930s was a time of unrelenting misery, hardship and economic deprivation. It was an era that left indelible scars upon all who lived through it, for who could forget the massive unemployment, the endless bread lines, or the dislocation and migration of tens of thousands of impoverished farmers who’d been forced off their land by the drought that spawned the dust bowl, and the aggressive foreclosures by banks throughout the south, midwest and Texas. The bottom of the Depression—as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average—occurred in the summer of 1932, and it was during the depths of that Depression that gangs of outlaws with submachine guns began roaming the countryside, robbing banks and killing lawmen all over the midwest. The violence and anarchy reached a crescendo in 1934, when the U.S. Division of Investigation, later called the F.B.I., hunted down and killed or captured the most notorious and violent outlaws: those designated as ‘Public Enemies,’ or ‘most-wanted: gangsters like John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bonnie Parker and her cohort, Clyde Barrow, and the utterly unpredictable, savage, and the most cold-blooded killer of them all . . . a psychopath named Lester Gillis . . . known to all the world as Baby Face Nelson. Those are the true historical facts. They took place during the Great Depression in the United States.
Now, in his newest novel, G-Man, (Blue Rider Press/ Penguin Random House, $27.00, 443 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-57460-3) best-selling author Stephen Hunter melds all those facts into a modern-day mystery for Bob Lee Swagger to solve. Swagger, a Vietnam-era U.S. Marine sniper and firearms expert, has finally sold his family’s old homestead in Arkansas. When clearing out the property, he discovers a metal strongbox containing a Division of Investigation badge, a modified government issue 1911-A Colt .45 caliber automatic pistol, a crudely drawn treasure map, a mint-condition 1934 series $1000 bill and a curious looking precision machined part for an unknown device of some kind. Swagger knows that the box must have been hidden by his grandfather Charles, the Sheriff in Polk County Arkansas and a hero in World War I. Charles, a gunfighter in his own right, is a mystery to Bob Lee, whose own father refused to talk about the older lawman, who had a hint of scandal about him. It’s unclear if he was ever a federal law officer and Bob Lee, sets off to find the truth about his grandfather. But, as his investigation digs deeper, it becomes apparent he’s being shadowed by someone who wants the past left alone. Thereafter, the novel alternates between the present day search for the truth, and the momentous events of 1934, as Charles Swagger’s story is reveled . . . leading to the amazing climax and unexpected conclusion of this action-packed adventure yarn. History comes alive as Mr. Hunter skillfully weaves past and present together into a thriller that’s chock-full of heroes and villains in one of this summers most enjoyable reads!
April 19, 2017
We have read of Stephen Hunter's military sniper hero Bob Lee Swagger. Then in HOT SPRINGS we met Bob's father Earl. Now, in G-MAN, the patriarch, Charles Swagger, Bob's grandfather, appears, and his story is a corker. More taciturn and conflicted than the other Swagger men, Charles is just as deadly with a gun. It is hard to tell when Hunter is telling us a story or discussing historical events; it's seamless that way, as is the case with James Ellroy. Apparently, the FBI did hire ex-lawmen and gunmen to assist the early Bureau, then called The Division, in hunting down gangsters. Charles, it seems, was there to gun down Bonnie and Clyde, he shot Dillinger, and eventually met up with Pretty Boy Floyd. He was a one-man vengeance squad. As is generally the case with Hunter, there is a lot of talk about the hardware, the guns used in the crime. Here, most of us will be introduced to the Colt Monitor, complete with resonator. It is almost a character in the novel. Hunter's novels are always a bit like mythology, slightly unbelievable but thoroughly enchanting. He grounds his stories in realistic depictions and historical verities but it is still a tall tale. Hunter does not give himself much room for a sequel, at least not as exciting a sequel, but there is much more to Charles Swagger than we are given here.
March 15, 2018
The book weaves back and forth from the present to the 1930's. Now-- and then the time of Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson. The story of what was to become the FBI, but in an infant stage. And the story of a man back then, Charles F. Swagger, AKA the Sheriff, and his grandson now, Bobby Lee Swagger.
The Author is a great writer. His numerous novels and awards attest to that, but this book was the first one of his that I had read. I found his 'gangster' type characters fascinating, and the way they were hunted down, and killed quite different from the modern era. The bad guys didn't 'git away'. When they ran, they 'got dead'. Now the police aren't supposed to shoot the bad guys, and the bad guys get away, sometimes without the police even going after them. After all, the police might injure someone else [not even necessarily an innocent person] in the chase after the 'subject' [ no more bad guys, just 'subjects'].
So it was a refreshing read from the old days' perspective. I know my father would have loved it!
This book was given to me by a relative who had just finished reading it and thought I might like it. I did.
The Author is a great writer. His numerous novels and awards attest to that, but this book was the first one of his that I had read. I found his 'gangster' type characters fascinating, and the way they were hunted down, and killed quite different from the modern era. The bad guys didn't 'git away'. When they ran, they 'got dead'. Now the police aren't supposed to shoot the bad guys, and the bad guys get away, sometimes without the police even going after them. After all, the police might injure someone else [not even necessarily an innocent person] in the chase after the 'subject' [ no more bad guys, just 'subjects'].
So it was a refreshing read from the old days' perspective. I know my father would have loved it!
This book was given to me by a relative who had just finished reading it and thought I might like it. I did.
May 20, 2017
Stephen Hunter has given us a look inside the minds of Depression era gangsters with G-Man.
Bob Lee Swagger is now 71 and has finally sold the old family property in Arkansas. During demolition a strongbox is found with a badge, a Government.45, an old bank bill and what looks like a map. Bob never knew much about his grandfather, Charles Swagger, and begins to unravel his story and his involvement with the Division of Investigation. But Bob feels his sniper sense telling him he's being followed. Who would be following him?
Hunter goes back and forth from Bob's search to 1934 and the gangsters - Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, JP Chase and Pretty Boy Floyd. Hunter has given us a wild page turner. And you will never guess the secret that Charles Swagger carries. Tough for me at the beginning to keep all of the gangsters straight.
Bob Lee Swagger is now 71 and has finally sold the old family property in Arkansas. During demolition a strongbox is found with a badge, a Government.45, an old bank bill and what looks like a map. Bob never knew much about his grandfather, Charles Swagger, and begins to unravel his story and his involvement with the Division of Investigation. But Bob feels his sniper sense telling him he's being followed. Who would be following him?
Hunter goes back and forth from Bob's search to 1934 and the gangsters - Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, JP Chase and Pretty Boy Floyd. Hunter has given us a wild page turner. And you will never guess the secret that Charles Swagger carries. Tough for me at the beginning to keep all of the gangsters straight.
August 18, 2019
G-Man took me totally by surprise, though part of that may be due to the fact that I did not know it existed. I love Stephen Hunter's thrillers but somehow this one passed me by unremarked. I spent the last day and a half playing catch up. Hunter is well loved (at least by me) for his ability to surprise-he is a magician who always pulls a rabbit out of his hat you don't see coming. This can work with variable efficacy. In G-Man we are really dealing with two stories set decades apart and inevitably one story ends up being overshadowed by the other. However this novel was still vastly entertaining. This definitely does not need to be your introduction to Bob Lee Swagger-find a copy of Point of Impact and start there. Swagger is an ex-Marine sniper and a fascinating character to read about.
August 1, 2017
It's been a long time since I've read a Stephen Hunter novel. This one has Bob Lee Swagger investigating his grandfather's life and work for the previous incarnation of the FBI in 1934 to get Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd. An interesting premise and I enjoyed the back and forth between story lines and time periods. Way too much about guns and how they work for me, but I can see the appeal. Fast paced, interesting series characters and historical figures, compelling story line with danger then and now, lots of gun-related jargon and violence, gritty tone. Possibly not a bad place for someone to enter the series, since so much of the story is historical.
June 6, 2017
Horrible! One of the most boring books I have read in some time; it was about 300 pages too long.
I have read all the Swagger books, and, for the most part, have rated them high. This story was pathetic. The author's re-writing of history was laughable. This book was as horrible as the one he wrote featuring Sherlock Holmes!
That said...this is the last book from this author I will read.
I have read all the Swagger books, and, for the most part, have rated them high. This story was pathetic. The author's re-writing of history was laughable. This book was as horrible as the one he wrote featuring Sherlock Holmes!
That said...this is the last book from this author I will read.
November 23, 2021
4.5. This time Hunter inserts the Great Bob Lee Swagger into a gangster epic as his grandfather takes on Dillinger and his gang. I really enjoyed this revisionist history tale. Hunter continues his streak of telling multiple stories set in various times, but this one seemed more fresh than the last one.
May 29, 2017
The world of the 1930s gangsters, of Elliot Ness and the Untouchables, of the automatic weapons that both sides used (and which were not outlawed until later in the decade), of the federal investigators and G-men that hunted the Dillingers and Bonnie and Clydes, et al, has a considerable aura of romance and adventure to it. The outlaw and the lawman hunting him has become a familiar film trope going all the way back to Edward G Robinson and James Cagney. This very enjoyable novel is a great piece of historical fiction, and plays on that never-ending interest. The character of Charles Swagger is the mysterious and hidden hero, the upright Sheriff whose forthrightness and stolid righteousness for the cause of Justice makes him larger-than-life at the same time that his place in history has been mysteriously erased. If you're at all an aficionado or lover of that shoot-em-up era, or if you like a good story about a good man trying to catch the bad guys, Stephen Hunter has added a great addition to this genre, and you will greatly enjoy this book. Hunter has managed to give us a great hero, a rollicking story, a suspenseful long chase, and some great realistic and true-to-history crime scenes as well. And if you like guns at all, this is the book for you.
The story starts out in the present, when land developers find a strongbox on Bob Swagger's land that holds a thousand-dollar bill and a Government issue handgun, as well as an unidentified piece of hardware. The mystery of why Bob's grandfather, Sheriff Charles Swagger, would have these items, and why he might have hidden them to begin with, as well as the mystery of what appears to be an "X marks the spot" map in an unknown location, starts Bob on a search to uncover his grandfather's past and possible relationship with what later became known as the FBI, but at the time was known as "The Division," the bureau responsible for hunting down the gangsters known as "public enemies" such as John Dillinger and "Baby Face Nelson," aka Lester Gillis.
In an effort to stop these thugs, the Division apparently enrolled the help of Bob's grandfather, at the time a small-town sheriff who had seen his share of action and heroism in WWI. Charles becomes a great asset to the Division because of his expertise at shooting, his level-headedness, and his deep desire for justice.
The story alternates between the past and the present, the latter of which also has its share of suspense and drama, as Bob's search for the truth and to uncover the past attracts some unwanted notice from the underworld, who have a stake in what Bob may uncover. The pacing is superb here, with the parallel hunts gaining momentum simultaneously in their different time periods: as the historical story unfolds more quickly towards the end, so does Bob's story come to a head.
This is a long book, but I think wonderfully structured. Like Charles himself, the stories start out slow and deliberate, then slowly gain traction and momentum and finally come to a head We're given some background, some exposition, and a lot of information about guns. Boy, if you're an old gun buff, this is the book for you. There is a lot of detail of old guns, how they were cared for, why they were made, the materials used to store them -- I mean, everything. I suppose that a huge part of the mythos of this time period centered on them, especially the automatic rat-a-tat weapons of story and film, and Hunter really gives these guns their due.
This was my first "G-Man" book, and I was very pleasantly surprised that I lost nothing on coming in cold. So many other book series presume foreknowledge on the reader's part, and I'm happy to say, this is a stand-alone book.
Quiet and conflicted, Charles Swagger is a great hero. He still has nightmares from the Great War, but doesn't complain about them. He knows right from wrong, and does his best to act accordingly. He's smart as a pistol and uses those smarts to outwit and outshoot the gangsters. His demons could persuade anyone to quit, but he takes them in stride, quietly, like a hero should, and doesn't let them beat him down. He knows how to handle a gun, and when to use it. In short, Charles is the great hero of his time. Why his name has been stricken from the history books is the great mystery of the story, and keeps the reader interested.
The chapters that tell the story from the gangsters' points of view are equally enthralling. The true story of these public enemies is not their daring plans of mayhem and destruction, but in how they saw the world, their arrogance and narcissism, their view of themselves as the righteous ones and everyone else as the enemies, and also, the women in their lives and why they were so willing to give themselves away to these monsters.
I found the description and dialogue of the '30s accurate -- at least, it rang true. The author has clearly done his homework on historically accurate details of places, clothing, cars, culture. etc.
All in all this is a fast-paced read and great historical fiction.
Thank you to the author and publisher for a review copy.
The story starts out in the present, when land developers find a strongbox on Bob Swagger's land that holds a thousand-dollar bill and a Government issue handgun, as well as an unidentified piece of hardware. The mystery of why Bob's grandfather, Sheriff Charles Swagger, would have these items, and why he might have hidden them to begin with, as well as the mystery of what appears to be an "X marks the spot" map in an unknown location, starts Bob on a search to uncover his grandfather's past and possible relationship with what later became known as the FBI, but at the time was known as "The Division," the bureau responsible for hunting down the gangsters known as "public enemies" such as John Dillinger and "Baby Face Nelson," aka Lester Gillis.
In an effort to stop these thugs, the Division apparently enrolled the help of Bob's grandfather, at the time a small-town sheriff who had seen his share of action and heroism in WWI. Charles becomes a great asset to the Division because of his expertise at shooting, his level-headedness, and his deep desire for justice.
The story alternates between the past and the present, the latter of which also has its share of suspense and drama, as Bob's search for the truth and to uncover the past attracts some unwanted notice from the underworld, who have a stake in what Bob may uncover. The pacing is superb here, with the parallel hunts gaining momentum simultaneously in their different time periods: as the historical story unfolds more quickly towards the end, so does Bob's story come to a head.
This is a long book, but I think wonderfully structured. Like Charles himself, the stories start out slow and deliberate, then slowly gain traction and momentum and finally come to a head We're given some background, some exposition, and a lot of information about guns. Boy, if you're an old gun buff, this is the book for you. There is a lot of detail of old guns, how they were cared for, why they were made, the materials used to store them -- I mean, everything. I suppose that a huge part of the mythos of this time period centered on them, especially the automatic rat-a-tat weapons of story and film, and Hunter really gives these guns their due.
This was my first "G-Man" book, and I was very pleasantly surprised that I lost nothing on coming in cold. So many other book series presume foreknowledge on the reader's part, and I'm happy to say, this is a stand-alone book.
Quiet and conflicted, Charles Swagger is a great hero. He still has nightmares from the Great War, but doesn't complain about them. He knows right from wrong, and does his best to act accordingly. He's smart as a pistol and uses those smarts to outwit and outshoot the gangsters. His demons could persuade anyone to quit, but he takes them in stride, quietly, like a hero should, and doesn't let them beat him down. He knows how to handle a gun, and when to use it. In short, Charles is the great hero of his time. Why his name has been stricken from the history books is the great mystery of the story, and keeps the reader interested.
The chapters that tell the story from the gangsters' points of view are equally enthralling. The true story of these public enemies is not their daring plans of mayhem and destruction, but in how they saw the world, their arrogance and narcissism, their view of themselves as the righteous ones and everyone else as the enemies, and also, the women in their lives and why they were so willing to give themselves away to these monsters.
I found the description and dialogue of the '30s accurate -- at least, it rang true. The author has clearly done his homework on historically accurate details of places, clothing, cars, culture. etc.
All in all this is a fast-paced read and great historical fiction.
Thank you to the author and publisher for a review copy.
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