What do you think?
Rate this book
The First Mountain Man #1
The First Mountain Man
Only one man can mete out justice on the unforgiving frontier. First in the Preacher series from the New York Times bestselling western author.
He’s known from the Northwest to the deserts of the Southwest as Preacher, though he’s as far from being a man of the cloth as you can get. But when he was a young greenhorn, he was caught by a marauding tribe and set to be burned alive, until he just started preaching and never stopped. Figuring he was as crazy as a lizard, his captors turned him loose.
Now with years of survival under his belt, Preacher is the only man who can lead a wagon train through the last leg of the Oregon Trail. He knows they’re headed into renegade outlaws and bloodthirsty Indians, yet somehow he has to get these pilgrims through safely—if he doesn’t want to be buried along the trail with the rest of them . . .
Praise for the novels of William W. Johnstone
“[A] rousing, two-fisted saga of the growing American frontier.”— Publishers Weekly on Eyes of Eagles
“There’s plenty of gunplay and fast-paced action as this old-time hero proves again that a steady eye and quick reflexes are the keys to survival on the Western frontier.”— Curled Up with a Good Book on Dead Before Sundown
He’s known from the Northwest to the deserts of the Southwest as Preacher, though he’s as far from being a man of the cloth as you can get. But when he was a young greenhorn, he was caught by a marauding tribe and set to be burned alive, until he just started preaching and never stopped. Figuring he was as crazy as a lizard, his captors turned him loose.
Now with years of survival under his belt, Preacher is the only man who can lead a wagon train through the last leg of the Oregon Trail. He knows they’re headed into renegade outlaws and bloodthirsty Indians, yet somehow he has to get these pilgrims through safely—if he doesn’t want to be buried along the trail with the rest of them . . .
Praise for the novels of William W. Johnstone
“[A] rousing, two-fisted saga of the growing American frontier.”— Publishers Weekly on Eyes of Eagles
“There’s plenty of gunplay and fast-paced action as this old-time hero proves again that a steady eye and quick reflexes are the keys to survival on the Western frontier.”— Curled Up with a Good Book on Dead Before Sundown
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1991
930 people are currently reading
1161 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,049 books1,396 followersWilliam W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
May 16, 2021
A well written story chock full of hair raising action, western adventure and just the right amount of comedic relief. Preacher, a mountain man that values his solitude, is convinced to lead a wagon train of pilgrims across the last of the Oregon trail after they are left devastated by an attack from renegade outlaws. Bloodthirsty bandits, scalp collecting Indians and ferocious wildlife are the least of his worries as the self styled loner must deal with a wagon train full of city folk that have never experienced any more wilderness than their own front yard.
October 11, 2021
He Ain’t No Cormac McCarthy
My husband likes this author, along with Louis L’Amour and. I can understand his liking the latterauthor but not his one. He is too graphic in its violence, but hey, I think Cormac McCarthy is the best writer there is. Neither of us are like the people we read about in these books in that we are not violent. It is hard to understand why we read these books.
My idea of a western is A.B. Guthrie, who wrote on the same subjects as William W. Johnstone, or better yet, “The Lonesome Dove.” McCarthy’s three westerns did not cut it for me. Not lyrical enough. If you are going to kill someone, be poetic about it. It is McCarthy’s lyrical writing that I love, not the subject matter or the characters.
Still, I wanted to take a second try at Johnstone. I had read one of his other series about a man taking a wagon train out west, so I thought I would try his mountain man series since I liked A.B. Guthrie’s book about a mountain man. Well, here is what I thought of this book:
I did not like it. Preacher, not a real preacher, just a crass mountain man, rescues some white men and women that the Indians had taken captive when they attacked a wagon train. This was nice of him, but then he learns that they are Christians, and he finds he doesn’t like them because of their niceties. And he makes fun of them because of their stupidity. They know nothing about surviving in the wilderness. They don’t like Preacher because he is crass, and I agree with them, but I don’t like them because of their self-righteousness. Also, what is a book if you can’t stand any of the characters? The answer is, it is a Cormac McCarthy book, but at least it is poetic. Well, I did like a few characters in his books.
The book: (I gave it two and a half stars.) After Preacher saves the pilgrims who think they want to live in Oregon, a group of men who hate Preacher attack their camp. Mach man takes care of them. Sort of. They finally get to a fort, and the Blackfoot Indians attack the fort. They all have smallpox and plan to giving it to the white man who gave it to them in the first place. Now, listen to this: This book was written many years ago, way before Covid-19, but it is a lot like today. When Preacher learns that the Indians have smallpox, he tells the pilgrims, that are in their wagons outside of the fort, to come inside, to even get a smallpox scratch. (I looked up smallpox vaccine. It was created in 1798. For this information the book received one-half star.) Some of the pilgrims didn’t trust the vaccine so refused to take it. Some wanted to stay outside of the fort to protect their belongings. Buena suerte! Que Dios te acompane!
The next and last scene I wish to talk about is this: The pilgrims have left the fort in a wagon train, and the bad men that wish to kill Preacher are following behind. I expect more gory scenes. At least McCarthy never had gory scenes in his books. Like the Bible, if you want gory, you had to imagine it yourself.
There are 5 more hours of this book, and I am thinking that I have better things to do, like wash the dishes, feed the cats, or go to bed for another hour of sleep. I think I will also try a Raymond Feist book since my husband also likes him. Fantasy. But besides our love for Tolkien, I am not sure if we have any other books in common. (Update: I just asked my husband why he liked Johnstone, and he said that it really doesn't, that he is going to give his books to the library. He suggested I read "The Lonesome Gods" by L'Amour, so I will. He likes the things that he learns in L'Amour's books.)
My husband likes this author, along with Louis L’Amour and. I can understand his liking the latterauthor but not his one. He is too graphic in its violence, but hey, I think Cormac McCarthy is the best writer there is. Neither of us are like the people we read about in these books in that we are not violent. It is hard to understand why we read these books.
My idea of a western is A.B. Guthrie, who wrote on the same subjects as William W. Johnstone, or better yet, “The Lonesome Dove.” McCarthy’s three westerns did not cut it for me. Not lyrical enough. If you are going to kill someone, be poetic about it. It is McCarthy’s lyrical writing that I love, not the subject matter or the characters.
Still, I wanted to take a second try at Johnstone. I had read one of his other series about a man taking a wagon train out west, so I thought I would try his mountain man series since I liked A.B. Guthrie’s book about a mountain man. Well, here is what I thought of this book:
I did not like it. Preacher, not a real preacher, just a crass mountain man, rescues some white men and women that the Indians had taken captive when they attacked a wagon train. This was nice of him, but then he learns that they are Christians, and he finds he doesn’t like them because of their niceties. And he makes fun of them because of their stupidity. They know nothing about surviving in the wilderness. They don’t like Preacher because he is crass, and I agree with them, but I don’t like them because of their self-righteousness. Also, what is a book if you can’t stand any of the characters? The answer is, it is a Cormac McCarthy book, but at least it is poetic. Well, I did like a few characters in his books.
The book: (I gave it two and a half stars.) After Preacher saves the pilgrims who think they want to live in Oregon, a group of men who hate Preacher attack their camp. Mach man takes care of them. Sort of. They finally get to a fort, and the Blackfoot Indians attack the fort. They all have smallpox and plan to giving it to the white man who gave it to them in the first place. Now, listen to this: This book was written many years ago, way before Covid-19, but it is a lot like today. When Preacher learns that the Indians have smallpox, he tells the pilgrims, that are in their wagons outside of the fort, to come inside, to even get a smallpox scratch. (I looked up smallpox vaccine. It was created in 1798. For this information the book received one-half star.) Some of the pilgrims didn’t trust the vaccine so refused to take it. Some wanted to stay outside of the fort to protect their belongings. Buena suerte! Que Dios te acompane!
The next and last scene I wish to talk about is this: The pilgrims have left the fort in a wagon train, and the bad men that wish to kill Preacher are following behind. I expect more gory scenes. At least McCarthy never had gory scenes in his books. Like the Bible, if you want gory, you had to imagine it yourself.
There are 5 more hours of this book, and I am thinking that I have better things to do, like wash the dishes, feed the cats, or go to bed for another hour of sleep. I think I will also try a Raymond Feist book since my husband also likes him. Fantasy. But besides our love for Tolkien, I am not sure if we have any other books in common. (Update: I just asked my husband why he liked Johnstone, and he said that it really doesn't, that he is going to give his books to the library. He suggested I read "The Lonesome Gods" by L'Amour, so I will. He likes the things that he learns in L'Amour's books.)
December 30, 2018
The first entry in the Preacher series, this one tells the story of how the mountain man called Preacher, a self-sufficient loner, goes against his druthers and helps a wagon train of Eastern greenhorns across the untamed West while being pursued by a violent band of outlaws and getting involved with various skirmishes with Indians. Johnstone knows the time period and places exceedingly well giving the novel a sense of authenticity. Preacher is a fascinating character and I loved the banter between the mountain men and the pilgrims. Johnstone's take on this fairly standard plot is a very good one.
September 1, 2014
'The First Mountain Man' is a sprawling adventure as the main character leads a whole bunch of Easterners west to a new life. There are a few drawbacks which I will list later.
This is the first of William Johnstone's novels of a central character, Preacher, in his Mountain Man series with Smoke Jensen. As is the case with the first of any of the Johnstone Clan series, it starts off with a knock out of a book. This novel fully unravels Preacher's character. The book puts the character in certain trying circumstances to reveal his stance in life. Where he is going and where he's been. That characterization is the biggest strength in the book.
What happens through the book is a construction of who mountain men were and how they lived life. The book also travels the country in the early 1800s and rather accurately describes the trials and tribulations involved, though this is truncated more historically than i would have liked.
The weakest part of the book are the many, many other characters in the book that are given little background. There are many generalizations. Basically they are trimmed down to being "Easterners". The book is a bit long as it is, so maybe more told of the characters background would have cluttered the book. This doesn't steer the book far off the track in that the book is about Preacher and what he is about.
Some history does seemed skewed here. It's minor involving Washington Territory and Ohio. There are also some very difficult travel talked about, but when the action occurs, very little is written. Yes, Johnstone would have gone into a ridiculous amount of pages about all the wagons, people, animals etc involved with climbing mountains and fording bodies of water. It does stand out when there was so much build up of trouble ahead.
This gets to my biggest complaint. The severe lack of setting description. There are times when characters say, "It's beautiful." then there is little described to back the phrase. If a character doesn't interact with something, it is otherwise not mentioned. That's troublesome when so much land is being traversed. It's often very hard to understand a sense of place throughout the book.
A side note is a complaint about the cover. Some baby faced kid was used as a model of, what is presumed to be, Preacher. Preacher could not have such plump features and look so clean.
Overall it's a very good book that is very likely to draw a reader in to take the trip with Preacher.
Bottom line: I recommend the book.
This is the first of William Johnstone's novels of a central character, Preacher, in his Mountain Man series with Smoke Jensen. As is the case with the first of any of the Johnstone Clan series, it starts off with a knock out of a book. This novel fully unravels Preacher's character. The book puts the character in certain trying circumstances to reveal his stance in life. Where he is going and where he's been. That characterization is the biggest strength in the book.
What happens through the book is a construction of who mountain men were and how they lived life. The book also travels the country in the early 1800s and rather accurately describes the trials and tribulations involved, though this is truncated more historically than i would have liked.
The weakest part of the book are the many, many other characters in the book that are given little background. There are many generalizations. Basically they are trimmed down to being "Easterners". The book is a bit long as it is, so maybe more told of the characters background would have cluttered the book. This doesn't steer the book far off the track in that the book is about Preacher and what he is about.
Some history does seemed skewed here. It's minor involving Washington Territory and Ohio. There are also some very difficult travel talked about, but when the action occurs, very little is written. Yes, Johnstone would have gone into a ridiculous amount of pages about all the wagons, people, animals etc involved with climbing mountains and fording bodies of water. It does stand out when there was so much build up of trouble ahead.
This gets to my biggest complaint. The severe lack of setting description. There are times when characters say, "It's beautiful." then there is little described to back the phrase. If a character doesn't interact with something, it is otherwise not mentioned. That's troublesome when so much land is being traversed. It's often very hard to understand a sense of place throughout the book.
A side note is a complaint about the cover. Some baby faced kid was used as a model of, what is presumed to be, Preacher. Preacher could not have such plump features and look so clean.
Overall it's a very good book that is very likely to draw a reader in to take the trip with Preacher.
Bottom line: I recommend the book.
November 26, 2020
I generally love this author, he has several different characters, for several different series.
This particular tale focused on the early days of the Mountain Man, Preacher, as he agreed to escort a wagon train party of missionaries and Bible folk stranded on the Oregon Trail, to their final destination.
Preacher was crude and rude at times, downright harsh with them as he swore with no feeling, trying to keep them moving and safe from the elements, from the Indians, from other unsavory folk. He doesn’t much care if he hurts feelings, he’s got to get them to safety.
Although some brutal killing has taken place because they are moving targets, there seems overall less action, more talking, more complaining dialogue that the story lends itself to. Still...a gritty western of survival.
This particular tale focused on the early days of the Mountain Man, Preacher, as he agreed to escort a wagon train party of missionaries and Bible folk stranded on the Oregon Trail, to their final destination.
Preacher was crude and rude at times, downright harsh with them as he swore with no feeling, trying to keep them moving and safe from the elements, from the Indians, from other unsavory folk. He doesn’t much care if he hurts feelings, he’s got to get them to safety.
Although some brutal killing has taken place because they are moving targets, there seems overall less action, more talking, more complaining dialogue that the story lends itself to. Still...a gritty western of survival.
January 13, 2023
Bookish Books Reading Challenge & #LibraryLoveChallenge
January 17, 2019
Having devoured a handful of Johnstone's The Last Gunfighter books over the last week or two, I felt it was time to try another one of his series.
I was worried that The First Mountain Man would be too similar to the Gunfighter series, but the only similarity rests with the fact that they were written by the same person. The First Mountain Man has a lot more humor than The Last Gunfighter (I found myself genuinely laughing throughout), but it also has a tiny bit less action (mainly because when there is a lull in the Gunfighter series, Johnstone just has some random person recognize Frank and try to quick-draw on him for the reputation. It's a predictable formula, but one that insures there is always some action going on. It's a trick that obviously doesn't work in the middle of nowhere where this book takes place).
On the other hand, the action that it does have is a bit bigger in scope here. Instead of just two guys quick-drawing on each other, we get big battles between wagon trains, Indian war parties, and even an army in a fort.
Overall, this was a nice change of pace from the other Johnstone books that I have read, and I will definitely be reading more of these.
I was worried that The First Mountain Man would be too similar to the Gunfighter series, but the only similarity rests with the fact that they were written by the same person. The First Mountain Man has a lot more humor than The Last Gunfighter (I found myself genuinely laughing throughout), but it also has a tiny bit less action (mainly because when there is a lull in the Gunfighter series, Johnstone just has some random person recognize Frank and try to quick-draw on him for the reputation. It's a predictable formula, but one that insures there is always some action going on. It's a trick that obviously doesn't work in the middle of nowhere where this book takes place).
On the other hand, the action that it does have is a bit bigger in scope here. Instead of just two guys quick-drawing on each other, we get big battles between wagon trains, Indian war parties, and even an army in a fort.
Overall, this was a nice change of pace from the other Johnstone books that I have read, and I will definitely be reading more of these.
August 1, 2018
I've read almost every book Bill ever wrote. Loved every series.
August 29, 2020
Good story giving all characters some depth.
June 3, 2020
Just Ok
This was entertaining but a little too campy and contrived for my taste. I enjoyed it for some escape reading. Not sure if I will read any more in this series. I know this author is very popular so if you are interested in the genre you may want to see for yourself. I didn't dislike it but there stars is as far as I can go.
This was entertaining but a little too campy and contrived for my taste. I enjoyed it for some escape reading. Not sure if I will read any more in this series. I know this author is very popular so if you are interested in the genre you may want to see for yourself. I didn't dislike it but there stars is as far as I can go.
June 28, 2020
A very engaging read!
I started this book not knowing what I was getting myself into. As I read more and more it was difficult to stop. It is a very funny, very informative, and very engaging read. Preacher is one of a kind.
I started this book not knowing what I was getting myself into. As I read more and more it was difficult to stop. It is a very funny, very informative, and very engaging read. Preacher is one of a kind.
July 20, 2020
Just a plain great book. Exciting, humorous, a touch of history and everything a western and any good book should be. I can't wait to start the next one. Preacher is a great character, morally, historically and so interesting. If you enjoy a good yarn, this is it
April 26, 2012
simply cool, smoke is the other half of preacher, if you know preacher well, you gonna get smoke...
February 20, 2019
3.5 stars. First book in a twenty-five book series about a mountain man named "Preacher". He's a badass who gets roped into taking a wagon train west in 1837; the very beginning of the movement to go west. He doesn't put up with the inexperienced people of the wagon train who he calls "pilgrims", and his retorts are often witty although he does come across as corny sometimes. The book is never boring and I can't say if I'll read all twenty-five of them but I'm off to number two for now.
January 5, 2022
The characters in the book was very tough, but real. This is a time period I really like to read about. The beginning of the pioneering era. Preacher is a tough dude, not to be messed with, the same with his fellow mountain men.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely read more, starting with the next one in this series.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely read more, starting with the next one in this series.
November 8, 2023
I’m hooked gonna finish the series.
Perfect mix of fiction and history.
Perfect mix of fiction and history.
July 14, 2020
Good read - I learned a lot about mountain men and the Oregon Trail.
February 24, 2021
Guts, fists, and prairie justice - as exciting as the sequels that I’ve read so far. Narrated by the J. Rodney Turner, whose voice belongs to the mountain man.
September 9, 2018
Reserved this before I became disenchanted with the authors over the Matt Jensen Series. The American West was settled by adventurers who streaked West with the lure of free land, freedom from upper class exploitation, and boundless opportunity. That they were entering lands that were home to Indian Tribes, unknown natural perils, lacking in any law and order led to the practice of traveling in wagon trains led by wagon masters and a language all its own. The trails they followed wore tracks in the land that can still be seen in places to this day. Such phrases as circle the wagons, wagon burners, Conestoga wagon or covered wagon, and wagon train entered the lexicon.
Just as merchant ships gathered in convoys for the journey across the Atlantic to be shepherded by Naval Vessels settlers loaded their possessions, up to 8-tons in covered wagons pulled by oxen and assembled at gathering points to be led West by wagon masters. If you’ve followed a team of oxen then you’ll understand the pace was slow and marked by watering holes and rest stops, the greasing of wagon wheels and repairs. At fifteen to twenty miles a day you do the math on a trip of 3000 miles across rivers, mountains, and rough terrain.
Preacher, who figures in this tome, was such a trail boss. The ability to survive in the wilderness, hunt and live off the land, defend against marauding Indian War Parties, understand the lay of the land, and lead others led to legendary characters as portrayed in Westerns by the likes of John Wayne. The need to manage cattle on open range and trail them to rail heads so they could be marketed led to the parallel legend of the cowboy. All this before railroads, airplanes, fencing, helicopters, and ATV’s made it all the stuff of fable and dime novels such as this one.
The book uses what to some would be considered corny language and could use an editor to clean up the grammar and spelling but the adventure leads the reader along. Unfortunately in the twenty of so years since this book was published the disappearance of wild lands and wildlife extinction have proceeded apace. True wilderness no longer exists on our earth and remote places are some of the most polluted around. No longer is it possible to drink untreated surface water anywhere in North America.
Just as merchant ships gathered in convoys for the journey across the Atlantic to be shepherded by Naval Vessels settlers loaded their possessions, up to 8-tons in covered wagons pulled by oxen and assembled at gathering points to be led West by wagon masters. If you’ve followed a team of oxen then you’ll understand the pace was slow and marked by watering holes and rest stops, the greasing of wagon wheels and repairs. At fifteen to twenty miles a day you do the math on a trip of 3000 miles across rivers, mountains, and rough terrain.
Preacher, who figures in this tome, was such a trail boss. The ability to survive in the wilderness, hunt and live off the land, defend against marauding Indian War Parties, understand the lay of the land, and lead others led to legendary characters as portrayed in Westerns by the likes of John Wayne. The need to manage cattle on open range and trail them to rail heads so they could be marketed led to the parallel legend of the cowboy. All this before railroads, airplanes, fencing, helicopters, and ATV’s made it all the stuff of fable and dime novels such as this one.
The book uses what to some would be considered corny language and could use an editor to clean up the grammar and spelling but the adventure leads the reader along. Unfortunately in the twenty of so years since this book was published the disappearance of wild lands and wildlife extinction have proceeded apace. True wilderness no longer exists on our earth and remote places are some of the most polluted around. No longer is it possible to drink untreated surface water anywhere in North America.
February 2, 2017
Great read!
The First Mountain Man by William J. Johnstone is a really great read. The lead character 'Preacher' really pulled me in. This is a true story of good and evil, with Preacher being the good. The story takes place in about mid to late 1830s when Preacher comes upon 4 survivors of a wagon train that was heading out to Oregon, but was attacked by Indians. Preacher helps these people, who are missionaries, to reach a small fort that's in the direction that they were travelling where they will be able to join another wagon train traveling west. They soon find that evil is following them. A band of outlaws, that includes their original wagon guide, is pursuing them for the gold the two men carry and kidnap the women.
If you have any curiosity regarding this part of the country or mountain men this book is a must read. It's very well written and will satisfy most men and women too.
The First Mountain Man by William J. Johnstone is a really great read. The lead character 'Preacher' really pulled me in. This is a true story of good and evil, with Preacher being the good. The story takes place in about mid to late 1830s when Preacher comes upon 4 survivors of a wagon train that was heading out to Oregon, but was attacked by Indians. Preacher helps these people, who are missionaries, to reach a small fort that's in the direction that they were travelling where they will be able to join another wagon train traveling west. They soon find that evil is following them. A band of outlaws, that includes their original wagon guide, is pursuing them for the gold the two men carry and kidnap the women.
If you have any curiosity regarding this part of the country or mountain men this book is a must read. It's very well written and will satisfy most men and women too.
February 24, 2018
Entertaining but doesn’t come close to living up to its potential. Preacher is definitely likable but the pacing was inconsistent and the mood would occasionally get stuck in this uncomfortable state between grim and violent and goofy and humorous. The dialogue was also (probably) unintentionally silly and ridiculous. Still, I’m a sucker for a story about frontiersmen or just general badasses and Preacher is definitely both. Probably won’t be coming back to this author anytime soon and I’m left with two questions:
1: What is the dude that told me Johnstone kills L’Amour when it comes to western/frontier stories smoking?
2: Where can I get some of it?
1: What is the dude that told me Johnstone kills L’Amour when it comes to western/frontier stories smoking?
2: Where can I get some of it?
April 4, 2022
This was a great book. I hadn't read a western for a long time. I used to read them as a kid. I'll definitely keep reading this series.
March 3, 2025
This review is not just for this first novel in the series, but for the first four novels...and honestly, they're similar enough that a review for one works perfectly well as a review for all four.
William W. Johnstone was not a particularly craftsmanlike writer. He churned out formulaic novels, primarily Westerns and Horror, like a pulp writer from the '30s and '40s. He was certainly prolific, but his writing was strictly of the "B action movie" type. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that, just know what you're getting. Just as you ought not sit down to watch a 'Fast and Furious' movie expecting Oscar-worthy dialogue, don't pick up a Johnstone novel expecting Larry McMurtry.
It's actually kind of hard to give these books a "rating"...there's so much that's halfway decent mixed with so much dreck, it's difficult to do something like "assign stars". I'll try to break it down...
The Good-
Johnstone does a decent job describing the landscape, although there is a certain amount of "fast travel" involved, where characters cover TRULY vast distances with a bare minimum of description. (because "move the plot along", I suppose) He has a fair amount of pretty good humor in the novels, which is fun. Best of all for me personally, he gives a fair and even-handed portrayal of the American Indians that appear in the stories. They're actual characters, some kind, some hostile, some more "educated" in an "east of the Mississippi" sense, some less so. The overall portrayal is of groups of individuals who behave as any other group of individuals would, and his "mountain men" characters all exhibit both respect for and empathy toward the indigenous people...without ever forgetting that they can also be aggressive and extremely dangerous. Understanding what motivates the hostility of the tribes towards the white settlers doesn't mean that the "frontiersmen" are going to just allow themselves to be killed, which rings true and is nicely complex. The "mountain men" themselves, and the other supporting characters, are all distinct enough, even if many of them are given very little exposure. And the main character, Preacher, is actually given something of an "arc" across the first four novels...when first encountering the "settlers" of the late 1830s, he's impatient and confrontational towards them, displaying outright hostility, while by the fourth novel his attitude had changed to more one of begrudging sympathy and a sense of almost paternal protectiveness. (while still thinking they're pretty much all idiots with a fatal combination of ignorance and unfounded optimism)
The Bad-
Well, there's no way to sugar coat it...the main character, Preacher, is a total Gary Stu. Seriously, I'd say the guy has absurdly heavy plot armor, but it's beyond that. He's a ninja in buckskins, Rambo with a muzzle-loader, the "best of the best" with hand-to-hand, knife, rifle, pistol, tomahawk, bow, THROWING ROCKS...it goes beyond improbable action hero and enters power-trip wish fulfillment. This guy is ridiculous.
The action scenes themselves are also problematic. The violence is graphically described, which isn't a problem per se, this is a "Pulp Western", but the violence is somehow..."generic" is the word that comes to mind. There's nothing about it that is distinctive in any way...substitute the names of the firearms involved, say substitute "AK-47" for "Hawken rifle", and the scenes could be in any "action" novel at all. They're extremely "rote", and honestly, the unpardonable sin in a book of this kind, they get repetitive and boring.
There's also a LOT of page space devoted to "look at these dumb settlers from back east look how stupid they are they must be suicidal". Both Preacher thinking this to himself, and Preacher flat-out SAYING it to various groups of settlers. Once is okay. Twice is bearable.
So in summation...there are some nice bits here and there in these novels, that would deserve maybe a three and a half star rating. There's also some genuine crap, which would deserve one, maybe one and a half stars. In the spirit of generosity, I rate the first four novels of the series three.
William W. Johnstone was not a particularly craftsmanlike writer. He churned out formulaic novels, primarily Westerns and Horror, like a pulp writer from the '30s and '40s. He was certainly prolific, but his writing was strictly of the "B action movie" type. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that, just know what you're getting. Just as you ought not sit down to watch a 'Fast and Furious' movie expecting Oscar-worthy dialogue, don't pick up a Johnstone novel expecting Larry McMurtry.
It's actually kind of hard to give these books a "rating"...there's so much that's halfway decent mixed with so much dreck, it's difficult to do something like "assign stars". I'll try to break it down...
The Good-
Johnstone does a decent job describing the landscape, although there is a certain amount of "fast travel" involved, where characters cover TRULY vast distances with a bare minimum of description. (because "move the plot along", I suppose) He has a fair amount of pretty good humor in the novels, which is fun. Best of all for me personally, he gives a fair and even-handed portrayal of the American Indians that appear in the stories. They're actual characters, some kind, some hostile, some more "educated" in an "east of the Mississippi" sense, some less so. The overall portrayal is of groups of individuals who behave as any other group of individuals would, and his "mountain men" characters all exhibit both respect for and empathy toward the indigenous people...without ever forgetting that they can also be aggressive and extremely dangerous. Understanding what motivates the hostility of the tribes towards the white settlers doesn't mean that the "frontiersmen" are going to just allow themselves to be killed, which rings true and is nicely complex. The "mountain men" themselves, and the other supporting characters, are all distinct enough, even if many of them are given very little exposure. And the main character, Preacher, is actually given something of an "arc" across the first four novels...when first encountering the "settlers" of the late 1830s, he's impatient and confrontational towards them, displaying outright hostility, while by the fourth novel his attitude had changed to more one of begrudging sympathy and a sense of almost paternal protectiveness. (while still thinking they're pretty much all idiots with a fatal combination of ignorance and unfounded optimism)
The Bad-
Well, there's no way to sugar coat it...the main character, Preacher, is a total Gary Stu. Seriously, I'd say the guy has absurdly heavy plot armor, but it's beyond that. He's a ninja in buckskins, Rambo with a muzzle-loader, the "best of the best" with hand-to-hand, knife, rifle, pistol, tomahawk, bow, THROWING ROCKS...it goes beyond improbable action hero and enters power-trip wish fulfillment. This guy is ridiculous.
The action scenes themselves are also problematic. The violence is graphically described, which isn't a problem per se, this is a "Pulp Western", but the violence is somehow..."generic" is the word that comes to mind. There's nothing about it that is distinctive in any way...substitute the names of the firearms involved, say substitute "AK-47" for "Hawken rifle", and the scenes could be in any "action" novel at all. They're extremely "rote", and honestly, the unpardonable sin in a book of this kind, they get repetitive and boring.
There's also a LOT of page space devoted to "look at these dumb settlers from back east look how stupid they are they must be suicidal". Both Preacher thinking this to himself, and Preacher flat-out SAYING it to various groups of settlers. Once is okay. Twice is bearable.
So in summation...there are some nice bits here and there in these novels, that would deserve maybe a three and a half star rating. There's also some genuine crap, which would deserve one, maybe one and a half stars. In the spirit of generosity, I rate the first four novels of the series three.
September 27, 2021
I can’t believe how I never stumbled up on this gem any sooner.
Do you know that feeling when you discover a new series and you basically change into a fourteen year old girl giggling over the main character?
… Yeah.
So this book I picked up after reading The last mountain man with Smoke Jensen as the main character – but I just kept being drawn to Preacher. He’s rough, he’s rude, and he doesn’t care about people not liking him at all. Those traits may come off as bad features, but it suits him. Very well.
Aside from that, I just love the dynamics between Preacher and his fellow mountain men. Their friendship filled me with joy and warmth and I would’ve loved to have been there with them. I probably wouldn’t survive a day, or at least get yelled at by Preacher for not knowing the ways of the West, but hey… worth it.
Is that all? Oh no, I’m not done hyping over Preacher yet. He’s hilarious. And I mean tummy-aching-laughter-hilarious. And I never, ever, laugh aloud with books.
”Preacher threw his axe with deadly accuracy, the head burying deep in Beckman’s skull and bringing the outlaw down dead. He fell into the fire. Preacher worked his axe free and let the man burn. They needed a little more light to work by, anyway.”
Not just him, though; his friends do a pretty good job at making tears streak down my cheeks too.
“No Christian. I take all Bibles offered me.”
“She studies them? My word. We’ve got to return and live with this tribe.”
“Studies? No study. Can’t read. Pages thin. Make good ass wipe.”
The only thing that I wasn’t a fan of, was the meagre descriptions of the landscape. The desert is dry and dusty, and I would’ve loved to feel the sand on my lips and to smell the horrid scents of the unlucky buried next to the road. Yes, it may sound gross; but for me, that’s part of the experience when I’m reading westerns. Give me that stench of blood, gun powder and horse shit!
I can’t wait to read #2 in the series! Preacher, you better get ready.
Do you know that feeling when you discover a new series and you basically change into a fourteen year old girl giggling over the main character?
… Yeah.
So this book I picked up after reading The last mountain man with Smoke Jensen as the main character – but I just kept being drawn to Preacher. He’s rough, he’s rude, and he doesn’t care about people not liking him at all. Those traits may come off as bad features, but it suits him. Very well.
Aside from that, I just love the dynamics between Preacher and his fellow mountain men. Their friendship filled me with joy and warmth and I would’ve loved to have been there with them. I probably wouldn’t survive a day, or at least get yelled at by Preacher for not knowing the ways of the West, but hey… worth it.
Is that all? Oh no, I’m not done hyping over Preacher yet. He’s hilarious. And I mean tummy-aching-laughter-hilarious. And I never, ever, laugh aloud with books.
”Preacher threw his axe with deadly accuracy, the head burying deep in Beckman’s skull and bringing the outlaw down dead. He fell into the fire. Preacher worked his axe free and let the man burn. They needed a little more light to work by, anyway.”
Not just him, though; his friends do a pretty good job at making tears streak down my cheeks too.
“No Christian. I take all Bibles offered me.”
“She studies them? My word. We’ve got to return and live with this tribe.”
“Studies? No study. Can’t read. Pages thin. Make good ass wipe.”
The only thing that I wasn’t a fan of, was the meagre descriptions of the landscape. The desert is dry and dusty, and I would’ve loved to feel the sand on my lips and to smell the horrid scents of the unlucky buried next to the road. Yes, it may sound gross; but for me, that’s part of the experience when I’m reading westerns. Give me that stench of blood, gun powder and horse shit!
I can’t wait to read #2 in the series! Preacher, you better get ready.
January 15, 2022
I really hate when the author gives the bad guys superhuman abilities. I only got a fraction of the way through when I just couldn't suspend disbelief any further.
A pack of outlaws, chase down, lose the trail of their target, go meet a renegade Indian, then are sure that they can make up about a week's head start to catch the protagonist's party?
Oh, and half the outlaws had serious injuries (one leg shot, one with toes shot off, another ankle shot through, a couple of others with 2nd / 3rd-degree burns to the legs), but those didn't slow them at all (let alone go gangrenous and need amputation).
And this all in 1830s wilderness of the Grand Tetons (Which the protagonist knew like the back of his hand, but the outlaws had never gone into)?
Nope, I can't disbelieve that hard.
(I was also listening to the audiobook, and the narrator was gravelly-voiced soft talking the story, which I can't stand)
A pack of outlaws, chase down, lose the trail of their target, go meet a renegade Indian, then are sure that they can make up about a week's head start to catch the protagonist's party?
Oh, and half the outlaws had serious injuries (one leg shot, one with toes shot off, another ankle shot through, a couple of others with 2nd / 3rd-degree burns to the legs), but those didn't slow them at all (let alone go gangrenous and need amputation).
And this all in 1830s wilderness of the Grand Tetons (Which the protagonist knew like the back of his hand, but the outlaws had never gone into)?
Nope, I can't disbelieve that hard.
(I was also listening to the audiobook, and the narrator was gravelly-voiced soft talking the story, which I can't stand)
March 18, 2022
This is not typical of the books I usually read, but I decided to try it because: 1) the author is extremely prolific, so I thought it might be a good read; 2) it's about the Oregon Trial, a time/place in which I am very interested; and 3) it was on sale. It's a pretty basic plot with enjoyable enough characters and I was going to give this 3 stars based on that. But there were SOOOO many errors in the book that I just had to knock off a star. Not just typos, either - there were missing words too, and there was even one instance where an entire short paragraph was repeated on the same page! I don't know what the heck happened with the editing on this, but it seemed non-existent, and I just can't give 3 stars to an author who would let a book go out like that. Otherwise, I did enjoy the seemingly accurate depiction of life on the Oregon Trial (I seriously don't know how anyone actually survived that trip...).
February 14, 2021
I was on vacation and it decided to rain three days straight so I picked up a western paperback and was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't put it down and read the whole thing in a day. That was my introduction to William Johnstone and the Smoke Jensen books. So I read 4 of them and decided to read up on the Preacher.
This was the book I found, and it was a delight. Better than the Smoke books I thought because it was much more dialogue and a little less action, which gets tiresome when there is a shootout on every page.. Started to really like the Preacher and now I'm reading Preacher, which is his backstory. I'm kind of wondering though, does the Preacher never go back to this girl Melody that falls for him in this first novel? Seems like he missed out on a good thing. Maybe I'll keep reading the series just in case she shows up again, guy's got to have a woman.
This was the book I found, and it was a delight. Better than the Smoke books I thought because it was much more dialogue and a little less action, which gets tiresome when there is a shootout on every page.. Started to really like the Preacher and now I'm reading Preacher, which is his backstory. I'm kind of wondering though, does the Preacher never go back to this girl Melody that falls for him in this first novel? Seems like he missed out on a good thing. Maybe I'll keep reading the series just in case she shows up again, guy's got to have a woman.
May 22, 2022
Good starter book on authentic type mountain men doings!
It seems as though Preacher always knows the right things to do in response to insurmountable odds. Preacher certainly is elevated to the king of all mountain men! The banter and continuous insults with in the group of mountain men is humorous and unrelenting! A great tale but difficult to suspend disbelief with all of Preachers fearless and bold responses which never prove to be wrong. A reader soon begins to discard Preacher as a real person with fear, doubts, weaknesses, and faulty presumptions. However it is comforting to note that with Preacher evil rarely wins the day and the bad rotten "varmints" of the human race are extinguished!
It seems as though Preacher always knows the right things to do in response to insurmountable odds. Preacher certainly is elevated to the king of all mountain men! The banter and continuous insults with in the group of mountain men is humorous and unrelenting! A great tale but difficult to suspend disbelief with all of Preachers fearless and bold responses which never prove to be wrong. A reader soon begins to discard Preacher as a real person with fear, doubts, weaknesses, and faulty presumptions. However it is comforting to note that with Preacher evil rarely wins the day and the bad rotten "varmints" of the human race are extinguished!
June 30, 2017
This is the first book of William W. Johnstone that I have ever read, but it won't be the last. I really enjoyed this book and the mountain man, Preacher. He is a great character that Johnstone has created.
"Theirs was a solitary breed, and a breed that regrettably did not last long in American history. Progress pushed them aside. But on this late fall day in the year of 1837, the four mountain men lingered long over coffee that morning. No one had put it into words, but all knew that here was where the trail forked."
"Theirs was a solitary breed, and a breed that regrettably did not last long in American history. Progress pushed them aside. But on this late fall day in the year of 1837, the four mountain men lingered long over coffee that morning. No one had put it into words, but all knew that here was where the trail forked."
December 18, 2022
After reading many Johnstone books in this house, it was about time we read this book when we came across it. We enjoy Preacher and Smoke Jensen, so it is always a treat to read about one or both of them. This book is the beginning of the series. Preacher gets himself all tangled up with a wagon train that needs help, some missionaries that plan to head west and gangs of thieves who plan to rob them along the way. The life was tough, murderous and harsh but they kept to the trail that called them to Oregon. Thanks for great reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews