Brian Francis Wynne Garfield was a novelist and screenwriter. He wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen, and gained prominence with 1975 his book Hopscotch, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. He is best known for his 1972 novel Death Wish, which was adapted for the 1974 film of the same title, followed by four sequels, and a remake starring Bruce Willis.
His follow-up 1975 sequel to Death Wish, Death Sentence, was very loosely adapted into a film of the same name which was released to theaters in late 2007, though an entirely different storyline, but with the novel's same look on vigilantism. Garfield is also the author of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. Garfield's latest book, published in 2007, is Meinertzhagen, the biography of controversial British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen.
Brian Garfield was the author of more than 70 books that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and 19 of his works were made into films or TV shows. He also served as president of the Western Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America.
This is a true story about Teddy Roosevelt's time spent in Medora, North Dakota. I loved reading about the town I once worked & lived - how it was back in the late 1800's thru the early 1900's. I knew about the slaughter house/meat packing plant that once shortly operated there, but I never gave thought to the horrible smell that permanently permeated the entire town - especially in the hot summers.
The descriptions of the extreme weather in the Badlands of North Dakota also surprised me. I was born in ND... but have never experienced 125 degree summer days or winter nights that fell to 60 below. To think this was all during a time with no air conditioning & uninsulated cabins/buildings.
I was surprised to learn of the true grit that Teddy Roosevelt possessed - how the New Yorker kept up with and often surpassed the tenacity of other Bad Lands cowboys. I liked reading about his honesty & how he truly had a way with others.
Also, what I learned about the Marquis De Mores was fascinating. He was not the upstanding man I thought him to be. It was also fun learning how his wife, Medora, was admired by many men of the area.
The descriptions of what the people of the area were like - especially the cowboys - was also very interesting. The thought of people surviving in a place where red clay & dirt constantly blew and not the best best hygiene was used - made this period in North Dakota history much less "romantic" to me. The way the ranchers, cowboys & townsfolk all interacted with each other was also of interest. The realization that politics is never-ending. The same dishonesty, arguments & tactics that happen in today's world are not much different from the politics of old.
Although I thought the book was a bit hard to get into in the first few chapters, it was well-worth the read. The book read like it was written well before 1989 (the cadence of the sentences & words not much used in today's writings) - but after-all, it is a book about an earlier time-period. Once you get used to how it was written, it really is a fascinating story.
Wow. What a tale. I had heard about this novel long, long ago when I was a little girl but then had become almost needlessly wary of westerners after having heard some people beat the common tropes of the genre to smithereens.
However, I came about this work again at a very apropos time to the particular situation in the US, with all the death and other hatred you hear about in the news, since there's been a huge presidential hullabaloo going on a couple of hours south of where I live, and the party in power in the United States of America is about to switch next week from Republican to Democrat. So, looking through those eyeglasses, I thought very well of the story.
Roosevelt was succeeded by Truman, his vice president. FDR and Harry Truman are both Democrats. Franklin D. Roosevelt served as President from March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945, and Harry Truman was President from January 20, 1945 – April 12, 1945, seventy-six years ago.
This novel is just a story, based on actual people. It is larger than life in a "Wild West" type style. However, you don't have to go out to the "Wild West" yourself to bring some of that into your life. If you will, open this book up for yourself and see what happens to Manifest Destiny!
3 and a half stars. Tells the story of Teddy Roosevelt's years in the west, in the badlands of Dakota. It is based on the memoirs of Roosevelt and various letters and recollections of participants. Garfield admits that he took some liberties with the sequence and timing of events. it's an interesting book, very driven by the character of Roosevelt. There is not a lot of action but there are many interesting scenes. It's long and a little slow in places but I liked it overall.
The book tells an interesting story about a fascinating man. Apparently it’s much more truth than fiction. Yet, it didn’t grab me for some reason. I love westerns & I love historical fiction, so I expected to love this book. Sadly, I didn’t.