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The Floating Outfit #34
To Arms! To Arms! In Dixie
Masked gunmen were spreading the message throughout the Southland--the hour was coming when Dixie would rise again!
General Stenhouse and the U.S. Secret Service knew that only one person could stop the plot--Belle Boyd, the legendary Rebel Spy.
Belle had been a loyal Southron in the War Between the States. But now the war was over, and two of her friends lay dead at the hands of the "Brotherhood for Southron Freedom." The Rebel Spy was out for revenge, and the lady had a way of getting what she wanted...
General Stenhouse and the U.S. Secret Service knew that only one person could stop the plot--Belle Boyd, the legendary Rebel Spy.
Belle had been a loyal Southron in the War Between the States. But now the war was over, and two of her friends lay dead at the hands of the "Brotherhood for Southron Freedom." The Rebel Spy was out for revenge, and the lady had a way of getting what she wanted...
- GenresWesterns
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
25 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Edson
183 books79 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 31, 2013
I've never really cared for Belle Boyd, or any of JT's other recurring female characters for that matter. Since none of the floating outfit appear in this book it was kind of a dud for me. Belle is sent by the secret service to try and infiltrate a group seeking to reignite the Civil War. During the course of her investigation several of her old friends from The Rebel Spy (one of JT's Civil War series) die horrible painful deaths at the hands of the Brotherhood for Southern Freedom. Belle vows revenge and despite her former allegiance to the Confederacy realizes that another war would destroy the region she loves. At the same time as this story, the floating outfit are cleaning out the town of Hell for the Governor of Texas as told in Hell in the Palo Duro and Go Back to Hell. This becomes important in the second part of Belle's investigation, told in The South Will Rise Again, when in over her head she will take advantage of a chance meeting with Dusty, Waco and the Kid to pull them (still in their outlaw personas) into the fray.
April 30, 2020
Some of the names mentioned in these novels are real people.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
December 19, 2017
This seemed so much like a tv show i remember from 50 years ago called THE WILD WILD WEST, I liked the show back then when i was young and stupid. NOT NOW but it it possible that a younger reader might enjoy this. so that is why i did not give it one star.
January 11, 2026
dull..over complicated
June 5, 2012
good book. good read. main character very strong.
September 10, 2014
Unscrupulous men are trying to restart the Civil War. Dusty, Mark and Lon must infiltrate their base and prevent this happening.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews