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The Floating Outfit #30
The Gentle Giant
Tiny Crumble was nothing like his name. He was big--real big--and strong as an ox. Yet, in spite of his great size and powerful muscles, Tiny was of a trusting and gentle nature--at least, that's how he seemed to the boys of the Floating Outfit.
Then a robbery took place--one that could only have been committed by a man of exceptional strength. As Dusty Fog, Mark Counter and the Ysabel Kid looked down at the shattered skull of the victim, they began to wonder if the "Gentle Giant" was really as gentle as he seemed...
Then a robbery took place--one that could only have been committed by a man of exceptional strength. As Dusty Fog, Mark Counter and the Ysabel Kid looked down at the shattered skull of the victim, they began to wonder if the "Gentle Giant" was really as gentle as he seemed...
- GenresWesterns
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 21, 2022
Re-reading this book 20+ years later.
It's not very good, mildly entertaining. Too much discription and little action
It's not very good, mildly entertaining. Too much discription and little action
June 20, 2024
A another good Western tale from the master, J T Edson. Not as much gun-play as in others, but a good light-heartes read all the same.
December 24, 2013
This is the last book of the Mulrooney mini-series, though other books and short stories also take place there. Dusty and the Floating Outfit have just completed both their law enforcement service and helping to build a railroad spur line. The new marshal in town has some adversaries who try to sabotage the 4th of July Parade. Mark Counter uses his incredible strength and with the help of a fellow 'giant' thwarts the attempt and saves the parade. Some undesirables see the act and decide to draft one of the giants to help with a robbery. Learning who Mark is they focus on 'Tiny' Crumble, a sweet-natured and naive fur trapper who is on his first trip to the 'big city'. While they are able to trick Tiny into helping them, they underestimate his new friends Mark, Waco and the Kid who take exception to their treatment of him.
May 28, 2012
good story. characters stay true to identity in other stories.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews