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Pale Horse Coming (Earl Swagger #2)
Mississippi, 1951: The last place any sane man wants to visit is Thebes State Penal Farm. Of the few who make the journey there, even fewer return.
But when an old friend disappears inside Thebes, ex-Marine and Arkansas State Police Sgt. Earl Swagger takes a personal interest in the case. As he infiltrates the prison, what he experiences defies his wildest nightmares -- a s...more
But when an old friend disappears inside Thebes, ex-Marine and Arkansas State Police Sgt. Earl Swagger takes a personal interest in the case. As he infiltrates the prison, what he experiences defies his wildest nightmares -- a s...more
Paperback, 704 pages
Published
August 26th 2008
by Pocket Star
(first published 2001)
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Feb 11, 2013
Checkman
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Gun enthusiasts, Hunter fans.
As the Swagger novels have gone on the quality has declined. Which is a fairly common thing with all long running series. Be it novels, television, movies etc. "Pale Horse Coming" isn't one of Hunter's better novels, but there are aspects that I liked. As others have pointed out this is "Cool Hand Luke" meets the "Magnificent Seven" with a little bit of William Faulkner thrown in for good measure.
The book is written in the style of the tough crime fiction of the 1950's. If you doubt it find your...more
The book is written in the style of the tough crime fiction of the 1950's. If you doubt it find your...more
Good but not for everyone.
Stephen Hunter mixes part southern gothic plus western plus Hunter's own macho/gun loving story lines to craft a pretty good action yarn.
Hunter keeps the story moving by going between Earl Swagger's POV and that and Swagger's friend/mentor Sam, a local lawyer. The book culminates (big surprise for a Hunter novel) in a shoot out with an especially violent battle (consider yourself warned-- multiple axes are involved--yes not for the squeamish).
Per usual, Hunter's writ...more
Stephen Hunter mixes part southern gothic plus western plus Hunter's own macho/gun loving story lines to craft a pretty good action yarn.
Hunter keeps the story moving by going between Earl Swagger's POV and that and Swagger's friend/mentor Sam, a local lawyer. The book culminates (big surprise for a Hunter novel) in a shoot out with an especially violent battle (consider yourself warned-- multiple axes are involved--yes not for the squeamish).
Per usual, Hunter's writ...more
"Pale Horse Coming" is Stephen Hunter's finest hour. While he is an excellent author who never fails to entertain, most of his other work pales in comparison to this masterpiece which is essentially a retelling of "The Magnificent Seven" filtered through Hunter's mega-macho and gun-centric writing techniques. In a Stephen Hunter novel, justice almost always comes from the barrel of the gun; in this case, it comes from the barrels of multiple guns as Earl Swagger rounds up a bunch of fellow bulle...more
May 27, 2013
Peter Fortune
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction-thriller
For background to Stephen Hunter's books, see my review of "Point of Impact."
Hunter’s hero Bob Lee Swagger had a heroic father, Earl Swagger--Marine First Sergeant, Medal of Honor Winner, survivor of five Pacific island invasions in WWII, and Arkansas State trooper murdered in 1955. Several of Bob Lee Swagger series involve Dad, and Hunter has written a three-volume Earl Swagger series: Hot Springs, Pale Horse Coming, and Havana.
In this, the second in the series, Earl's mentor, lawyer Sam Vince...more
Hunter’s hero Bob Lee Swagger had a heroic father, Earl Swagger--Marine First Sergeant, Medal of Honor Winner, survivor of five Pacific island invasions in WWII, and Arkansas State trooper murdered in 1955. Several of Bob Lee Swagger series involve Dad, and Hunter has written a three-volume Earl Swagger series: Hot Springs, Pale Horse Coming, and Havana.
In this, the second in the series, Earl's mentor, lawyer Sam Vince...more
Am I allowed to rate a book if I didn't finish it? I'm a hundred or so pages in and I feel like I'm being talked to like a child. Everything is so extreme. The characters are not believable to me. At the beginning of the book, the author tries to hint that this super mega loyal most unbiased man in the world has some (view spoiler). I don't care (view spoiler)...more
I'm not a gun enthusiast. I didn't know the history of the guns or the gunslingers. I suspected it was similar to some movies I'd seen on TV years ago, but so what, all stories borrow from somewhere.
I like it in a story when men are hard and hard hitting and that they like seeing strength in the women around them as well. I like it when injustice is rooted out and the underdogs are vanguished. I like it when there's lots of violence that's done in the work of justice. I like it when that's all w...more
I like it in a story when men are hard and hard hitting and that they like seeing strength in the women around them as well. I like it when injustice is rooted out and the underdogs are vanguished. I like it when there's lots of violence that's done in the work of justice. I like it when that's all w...more
I would describe this book as the movies Missing in Action, The Pelican Brief and the Magnificent Seven all rolled into one fantastic story. I picked this book up at a thrift store because it looked interesting. I was greatly surprised. This is a terrific book, with well developed characters. I really liked the fact that Hunter used biographies of real life, well-known gunmen of the 20th century. He changed the last names Elmer Kieth aka: Elmer McKay, Jack O'Conner aka: Jack O'Brien and Audie Mu...more
I, like many, was introduced to Stephen Hunter by reading his novel Point of Impact after watching the movie Shooter. I noticed that his heroes were tough but real and the the gun was just as much a character as the man.
Pale Horse Coming was my second foray into Mr Hunter's world, and it was considerably less exciting.
To be clear though, the plot is a fantastic concept. What we have is a retelling of the Magnificent Seven legend, which itself has been told in countless forms throughout history....more
Pale Horse Coming was my second foray into Mr Hunter's world, and it was considerably less exciting.
To be clear though, the plot is a fantastic concept. What we have is a retelling of the Magnificent Seven legend, which itself has been told in countless forms throughout history....more
This is a very violent book. Part of the violence is to right an injustice where, in the Mississippi of 1951, there is a horrible prison for black men called Thebes State Penal Farm, located in the swamps, almost impossible to reach, except by water. A lawyer friend of Earl Swagger goes there to get some information for a client, and Earl bails him out of trouble, but then can't forget the awful conditions, and rounds up six more gunfighters to go back to Thebes, set the prisoners free, and tear...more
Stephen Hunter has created what feels like a 'fairy tale for men.' The archetypes are there: armed men doing battle, a pretty girl or two, several villains worth loathing... all jammed into a true page turner. Good men on a violent mission to right decades of wrong.
Earl Swagger is the kind of man we all wish were were...or at least wish we KNEW! A story of courage, conviction, morality and loyalty.
AND, Hunter manages to throw in some mystery as well as a damned good social message.
As for me, I'm...more
Earl Swagger is the kind of man we all wish were were...or at least wish we KNEW! A story of courage, conviction, morality and loyalty.
AND, Hunter manages to throw in some mystery as well as a damned good social message.
As for me, I'm...more
This has got to be one of my favorite Stephen Hunter books as well as one of my favorite reads. I am a sucker for the old "Magnificent Seven" set-up - which Stephen Hunter uses in this novel with amazing ease. Definitely will raise your testosterone level after a single reading. You will begin to smell funny and thump on your chest at unexpected moments. I recommend this for anyone who wants to read a good old-fashioned no-nonsense shoot-em-up. There is enough in here to please a fan of action,...more
Aug 01, 2011
Liralen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Carl Rigney
Mythic and elegant and poetical in language, though deadly earnest in its violence and means of dealing with violence, this book just touched me on all kinds of levels more than just the "thriller". It seamlessly blends the myths of the Deep Dark South with that of the cowboy and fast shooters of the West, and I loved how, underlying it all was the root-stock of Oedipus' third play -- Seven Against Thebes, the same stock that upheld "The Magnificent Seven" and "Seven Samurai".
It's odd to read th...more
It's odd to read th...more
Feb 07, 2013
cathepsut
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2003,
mystery
The first book I read by Stephen Hunter was extremely good, a lot of suspense, I could not put it down. So I had equally high expectations for this one. It is an almost classic tale of vengeance. Our hero Earl Swagger goes down south to a penal farm, to find a friend that has disappeared while investigating the whereabouts of a client. He barely gets away with his life and sanity intact and swears to come back to give them hell. He gathers some tough and trigger happy gunmen around him and they...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will read more of Stephen Hunter.
The story takes place in 1951, largely in Mississippi (i.e., a different time and different place). The lead character, Earl Swagger, has a friend who disappears at a Mississippi State Penal Farm. The book follows Swagger as he tries to unravel the mystery of his friend's disappearance. Near the end of the book, Hunter includes some real-life 'heros' with thinly disguised names to help bring things to a conclusion.
The story takes place in 1951, largely in Mississippi (i.e., a different time and different place). The lead character, Earl Swagger, has a friend who disappears at a Mississippi State Penal Farm. The book follows Swagger as he tries to unravel the mystery of his friend's disappearance. Near the end of the book, Hunter includes some real-life 'heros' with thinly disguised names to help bring things to a conclusion.
I don't know what it is about the "Lone-wolf" hero, but these stories have a tremendous appeal to me...Travis McGhee, Jack Reacher and Doc Ford among others...this is the 2nd of the Earl Swagger stories...I've read #'s 1 & 3 and much like Max Allen Collin's Nate Heller series, Hunter works in the era's famous into the storyline...This one deals with a Mississippi prison camp also involved in biological research imposed on the black inmates...great action and revenge
If you are familiar with the movie "The Shooter" starring Mark Walberg you will have a bit of an idea of this book.
this book is about the movie characters father.
it was a good read, a little tough through the middle but stick with it. It picks up again
and has a good ending.
Hunter brings his characters to life, i had no troube envisioning Mr. Swagger in my mind.
if you are in to good vs evil and snipers go for this one, you will not be disappointed
this book is about the movie characters father.
it was a good read, a little tough through the middle but stick with it. It picks up again
and has a good ending.
Hunter brings his characters to life, i had no troube envisioning Mr. Swagger in my mind.
if you are in to good vs evil and snipers go for this one, you will not be disappointed
This is the April Madison Mystery, Ink bookclub choice. Overall, I got into the book. Since body count is one of the topics discussed in the bookclub, I will have to say that there is a pretty high body count in this book (at least compared with all the other books I've read so far for this bookclub). For me, I got lost in all of the gun descriptions - I'm not a gun expert by any means so I know that I didn't understand the pokes and jabs made by the different people concerning the different gun...more
It turns out I love revenge stories. And I really love them when the guy getting revenge is a serious ass-kicker. This one is good but not great. Sort of a modern take on the Seven Samurai. Stephen Hunter's books sometimes come off a little too much like NRA puff pieces, but any time one of the Swagger men decides that enough is enough, you know that some action will be on the way.
It's been so long since I read this, that I couldn't remember the title until I came across it today on GoodReads.
This is probably my favorite Stephen Hunter novel. As others have commented, it is very graphic and in your face with the themes of justice / retribution and the violence meted out to acquire them. Earl Swagger is indeed an absolute badass. I must read it again.
This is probably my favorite Stephen Hunter novel. As others have commented, it is very graphic and in your face with the themes of justice / retribution and the violence meted out to acquire them. Earl Swagger is indeed an absolute badass. I must read it again.
This book was one of those books that kept you hanging for more. It was incredible. Earl Swagger's character keeps you on the edge of your seat, as if you're right there with him fighting his fight. I like the concept of Pale Horse Coming and what it means in the book. This was one of those books I would love to see as a movie. AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME!
While this epic novel was a very enjoyable read, I didn't like it as much as "Hot Springs" or "Havana", Hunter's other Earl Swagger books. I felt that around the halfway point, it changes gears and not for the better in some ways. Some of the secondary characters' motivations were kind of muddy and hard to figure. Still, this is Stephen Hunter, so the book is very, very entertaining and action packed. 3.5 stars.
Earl Swagger takes on a corrupt prison in Thebes with the aid of six other gunfighters (yes, it's 7 against Thebes) in this thriller with Faulknerian pretensions. It doesn't quite pull off its ambitions, but you have to give Hunter points for aiming high, and it's an invigorating, manly read—lots of good old-fashioned shoot-em-up.
Awesome book. Earl Swagger, USMC, winner of the CMO, is the toughest dude between Arkansas and Mississippi.
Story borrows from Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," but not obtrusively. I've read several of Stephen Hunter's Swagger series, father & son and, IMO, this is the best. Great research and attention to detail.
Story borrows from Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," but not obtrusively. I've read several of Stephen Hunter's Swagger series, father & son and, IMO, this is the best. Great research and attention to detail.
This book is my favorite. I've read it 4 times over the years. Set in the 50's Mississippi, the story is well written and the characters are topnotch. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about justice and retribution. The book has some harsh and violent episodes but they are part of the story's reality.
There's some Cool Hand Luke in here and some old west Justice. The book was fantastic. Earl Swagger is a great character. Set in Mississippi in 1951 it deals a lot with racial issues.
I am pretty sure not much has changed in ole Miss in 60 years. Be that as it may it was pretty much a riveting read.
I am pretty sure not much has changed in ole Miss in 60 years. Be that as it may it was pretty much a riveting read.
Believable? Maybe.
I found myself changing my mind about duty to country without question. You would like to think you could support anything your country does (as in the best interest of the country), but this makes you rethink that.
The "mission" of the government meant that everything else was being overlooked. This book showed just what evil can come out when men are being protected from their acts.
I found myself changing my mind about duty to country without question. You would like to think you could support anything your country does (as in the best interest of the country), but this makes you rethink that.
The "mission" of the government meant that everything else was being overlooked. This book showed just what evil can come out when men are being protected from their acts.
Like the Bob Lee Swagger Series, this involving an earlier time period with his father is no let down. Earl is probably my favorite out the 2, believe it or not. This book is more than just another Hunter novel. It hits some parts pretty hard of the DEEP south and I found it outstanding.
Hunter goes back to Bob Lee's (the sniper)father, Earl. He is a Marine Medal of Honour winner and Bob Lee is a young child. Lots of ordinance and some recruitment of historical characters for the raid on the evil prison farm/medical research facility. His dialogue is not as irritating when I listen to it as a CD but they are still quite long winded.
Earl Swagger is temporarily stuck in an illegal prison deep in the south. He manages to escape with the aid of an old black man he thought was the prison snitch, presumed drowned in the swamp, and promises to return and free all.
He's the Pale Horse of the title.
He's the Pale Horse of the title.
This runs close to 600 pages of paperback.
All the elements are there, tough men, guns, a righteous mission.
It may not be the book to cut your Stephen Hunter teeth on.
It did not feel as tight as point of impact or black light.
The memory of those fast paced books kept me reading it and also I was interested in the back story of Sam and Earl, having read the books out of sequence.
It is by no means a bad book but somewhere I think perhaps 100 pages could have been removed without too much difficulty...more
All the elements are there, tough men, guns, a righteous mission.
It may not be the book to cut your Stephen Hunter teeth on.
It did not feel as tight as point of impact or black light.
The memory of those fast paced books kept me reading it and also I was interested in the back story of Sam and Earl, having read the books out of sequence.
It is by no means a bad book but somewhere I think perhaps 100 pages could have been removed without too much difficulty...more
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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.
More about Stephen Hunter...
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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