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Storm Testament #6
Storm Testament VI: Rockwell
The true story of the timid farm boy from New York who became the greatest gunfighter in the history of the American West. He drank his whiskey straight, signed his name with an X, and rode the fastest horses, while defending the early Mormon prophets. This is the story of Porter Rockwell, the destroying angel of the old west.
443 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1988
15 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Lee Nelson
119 books29 followersLee Nelson's historical novels have sold hundreds of thousands of copies since his first novel was released in 1981. Nelson has also published a score of non-fiction works including the top-selling Beyond the Veil series.
Nelson is widely respected for his historical research which includes killing a buffalo from the vack of a galloping horse with a bow and arrow.
Nelson was born in Logan, Utah, but spent most of his childhood in California. After serving an LDS mission in Germany, he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a Masters Degree in Business, both from Brigham Young University. He was a speech writer in Philadelphia and a car dealer in Montana before beginning his career as an author.
Lee lives on a small farm in central Utah. His hobbies include team roping, big game hunting, and finding and exploring ancient Indian ruins.
Nelson is widely respected for his historical research which includes killing a buffalo from the vack of a galloping horse with a bow and arrow.
Nelson was born in Logan, Utah, but spent most of his childhood in California. After serving an LDS mission in Germany, he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a Masters Degree in Business, both from Brigham Young University. He was a speech writer in Philadelphia and a car dealer in Montana before beginning his career as an author.
Lee lives on a small farm in central Utah. His hobbies include team roping, big game hunting, and finding and exploring ancient Indian ruins.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 11, 2023
One of my favorite book series written is certainly the Storm Terstaments by Lee Nelson. His writing style is quick and easy to read and captures the feel of the 1800s West. Rockwell has several biographies. This one runs his entire life but focuses heavily on the LDS connection and friendship with Joseph Smith and Brigham Young during their lifetimes. Heavy amounts of Latter-Day history because Rockwell really was an LDS legend.
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November 11, 2007One of the most interesting parts of this book was the history of Porter Rockwell's early life. Winning a horse race to earn the right to court a pretty girl, hiding from the mob before he learned how to shoot, and serving an apprenticeship with an old has-been codger of a quick-draw artist were some of my favorite parts. I’m not sure where the facts end and the fiction takes up, but it’s a good read either way.
January 6, 2009
This book tried to cover so much information. Because I like history I found the information interesting. However, there was no real plotline and often characters were built up and then tey dissappeared and you were left wondering what ever happened to so and so. I still haven't found out.
October 6, 2019
As a boy Rockwell picked berries and chopped wood to help finance the first printing of the Book of Mormon. While he participated at times in the sacred ceremonies in the Endowment House, as Rockwell grew older it was increasingly common to see him soused and disorderly, in a society where abstinence from alcohol was becoming increasingly important, even mandatory to all except Rockwell.
Though Rockwell could not read or write, he was not a simple man. On a visit to Utah, one Eastern journalist declared Rockwell the territory's most interesting man, next to Brigham Young. Rockwell found himself a legend in his own time, the subject of dime novels and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles in America and Europe. Aspiring gunfighters traveled hundreds of miles hoping to gain fame and reputation by defeating the legendary Mormon. None ever succeeded.
Four women gave him their love. Two remained faithful. Two did not.
Rockwell was a successful businessman establishing a ferry operation in Missouri, a taxi service in California gold fields, a brewery in Salt Lake Valley, and a vast cattle-horse ranch in the desert mountains of western Utah. He was a scout for generals and explorers, a hired gun for Wells Fargo, a missionary and Indian agent for Brigham Young, and a contractor with the U.S. Postal Service.
While Rockwell had an army of enemies among his fellow humans, he was the friend of animals commanding both confidence and obedience. "Dogs loved him and horses trusted him," said one Rockwell student. "A man like that couldn't be half as bad as his critics say he was."
But to the Mormons with whom he lived, Rockwell was a folk hero, a valiant defender of the faith, the peacemaker who more than anyone else made Utah's frontier communities safe for commerce and everyday living.
Though Rockwell could not read or write, he was not a simple man. On a visit to Utah, one Eastern journalist declared Rockwell the territory's most interesting man, next to Brigham Young. Rockwell found himself a legend in his own time, the subject of dime novels and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles in America and Europe. Aspiring gunfighters traveled hundreds of miles hoping to gain fame and reputation by defeating the legendary Mormon. None ever succeeded.
Four women gave him their love. Two remained faithful. Two did not.
Rockwell was a successful businessman establishing a ferry operation in Missouri, a taxi service in California gold fields, a brewery in Salt Lake Valley, and a vast cattle-horse ranch in the desert mountains of western Utah. He was a scout for generals and explorers, a hired gun for Wells Fargo, a missionary and Indian agent for Brigham Young, and a contractor with the U.S. Postal Service.
While Rockwell had an army of enemies among his fellow humans, he was the friend of animals commanding both confidence and obedience. "Dogs loved him and horses trusted him," said one Rockwell student. "A man like that couldn't be half as bad as his critics say he was."
But to the Mormons with whom he lived, Rockwell was a folk hero, a valiant defender of the faith, the peacemaker who more than anyone else made Utah's frontier communities safe for commerce and everyday living.
August 28, 2024
This book really, really needed a strong editorial hand. Which it didn't get. Typos, repetitive elements and anecdotes, and numerous strained sentences. Written in a hurry, and it shows.
It's presumably a "fictionalized biography" but the historic elements are not cited or rigidly accurate and the fiction pieces are there to embellish the truth, much like one tells a fish story. It's confusing why the author picked a famous historical person and then didn't really try to closely follow the historical person's life events and, moreover, inserted completely fabricated elements. This results in a novel that wanders around without a plot (or point, really) much like real life; but also a novel that's full of fictional elements that confound a historical person's actual experiences. Plus, dare I say it, it's a bit boring.
The "Strom Testament VI" label also is a red herring, just to get the book included in the series that was popular and selling well. There's no real tie-in, except a brief introductory scene.
It's presumably a "fictionalized biography" but the historic elements are not cited or rigidly accurate and the fiction pieces are there to embellish the truth, much like one tells a fish story. It's confusing why the author picked a famous historical person and then didn't really try to closely follow the historical person's life events and, moreover, inserted completely fabricated elements. This results in a novel that wanders around without a plot (or point, really) much like real life; but also a novel that's full of fictional elements that confound a historical person's actual experiences. Plus, dare I say it, it's a bit boring.
The "Strom Testament VI" label also is a red herring, just to get the book included in the series that was popular and selling well. There's no real tie-in, except a brief introductory scene.
February 4, 2021
This was an interesting book about an interesting historical figure. I do wonder how much is true and how much was fictionalized. The first chapter is about Dan Storm to tie this to the rest of the Storm Testament series, but the book would have been better without that part. And it left it feeling unfinished when it didn't return to that plot.
Parts of the book were very entertaining, but other parts seemed to drag on with far too many details. I did enjoy getting to know the life of Porter Rockwell a bit better.
Parts of the book were very entertaining, but other parts seemed to drag on with far too many details. I did enjoy getting to know the life of Porter Rockwell a bit better.
June 26, 2018
I first started hearing about Rockwell during a tour at Nauvoo. This was the first book I have read about him. One of the stories told about him in Nauvoo differ from the book. So now I wonder how much is true and how much are legends.
December 27, 2024
3.5 stars. This was a book full of adventure & kept me turning pages, but just not my favorite.
March 20, 2015
How can Orrin Rockwell, also known as Port, save all of the Mormon population? In "Storm Testament 6: Rockwell" Port was the best Mormon gunfighter in history. An element that made this book good was the element of action. Why action is a good element in this book is because it makes this biography more interesting. Another element that made this book amazing was the element of early Utah history. Why it made this book good is because it tells people about how Utah formed, the troubles the Utahans faced forming it, and why people went to Utah, a dry dry desert. The 3rd element that is good about this book is the element of suspense. Why the element of suspense is good about this book is because when you think Port will be captured or killed the books author would just enough suspense to keep people reading. The people that would like this books are young adults, action and adventure fanatics, people who like action books with a little bit of romance in them, and historians.
December 6, 2009
This is the novelization of the life of Orrin Porter Rockwell, the Destroying Angel. He killed many men while protecting the Mormon religion, early Mormon church leaders, or his own morals. The author tried not to glamorize his life, but he was still presented in a positive light, as someone who was on the side of right most of the time.
It was an interesting story, and I learned a lot of about life for the early Mormons and pioneers. However, the story was dry at times and read like a history book. The first few chapters deal with Dan Storm (from the previous Storm Testament novels) and a woman named Polly who actually narrates the story of Rockwell's life. However, it was never explained Polly's connection to Rockwell or how she knew so much about his life.
It was an interesting story, and I learned a lot of about life for the early Mormons and pioneers. However, the story was dry at times and read like a history book. The first few chapters deal with Dan Storm (from the previous Storm Testament novels) and a woman named Polly who actually narrates the story of Rockwell's life. However, it was never explained Polly's connection to Rockwell or how she knew so much about his life.
October 23, 2014
I thought this book was awesome.This book was based on the mountain meadow masicer. The main character of this story is Dan Storm. Dan teams up with Porter Rockwell to look for a US troop that is wanting to remove Brigham Young from Governor. Before he left Dan overheard that Dick Boggs (his enemy) is traveling with the us troop heading towards his home. Dan heads out of town to try to warn his family but arrives two late. Boggs got their before him and he finds his family dead. Dan having nothing left finds his old friend Ike who is the Gosiute chief now while he was flowing Boggs. They end up In the mountain meadows where a many big massacres happen.
February 22, 2011
I was cleaning the closet and found a few of Kristy's Storm Testament books. I have seen them around the house for a few years and was not interested in reading them. I picked up the Rockwell volume and was surprised how good it was. I liked the historical references and church history.
August 11, 2008
I have read this book a few times and always love it! It gives a bunch of history about Rockwell and his involvement with the church. It gives some church history. All in all a good book.
August 27, 2008
I enjoyed this whole series...it was funny to find the Amish reading them out in Indiana too.
June 5, 2009
It's been a while but I do remember that I liked it.
June 13, 2009
I sure loved them back when I read them. I wonder if I would now.
July 10, 2009
Good western. Seemed a little choppy sometimes. Some of the things presented as the way things happened, go contrary to what I think, but, are possible. I liked the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2010
I have always been fascinated by Porter Rockwell. I will always admire his loyalty to his friends. I have read a lot of books about Porter. This was one of my favorites!
May 18, 2015
When I was a young man this book series got me started on my road of loving to read.
April 6, 2015
This is my favorite Book of lee nelsons and one of the only ones I have read more than Once.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews