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Go by Go
(From the publisher)
Based on historical events, "Go By Go" tells how a rookie Pinkerton operative gets not only his first taste of what violence really means, but also finds that both the sins of the flesh and political moral turpitude must be paid for again and again through the next four decades, privately and publicly, culminating in the morass of the McCarthy-era communist witch-hunts.
Based on historical events, "Go By Go" tells how a rookie Pinkerton operative gets not only his first taste of what violence really means, but also finds that both the sins of the flesh and political moral turpitude must be paid for again and again through the next four decades, privately and publicly, culminating in the morass of the McCarthy-era communist witch-hunts.
350 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
10 people want to read
About the author
Jon A. Jackson
22 books18 followersJon A. Jackson grew up in northern Michigan and Detroit and currently lives in Missoula, Montana.
His middle initial A is for Anthony.
His middle initial A is for Anthony.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 28, 2015
This copy is signed by the author.
November 26, 2017
Historical fiction usually falls into one of two categories: fiction whose main purpose is instructive/ fiction as a pretext to enliven a history lesson, or (much rarer) a story that uses historical events as grist to somehow create something that feels alive and relevant in a way that transcends its specific milieu and makes you forget you're learning as you're following these characters through their adventures and tribulations. Jon A. Jackson's "Go by Go" occasionally comes close to working, but for the most part this tour through the past feels like a view onto a static diorama.
The book follows Goodwin Ritter, a Pinkerton detective who is sent to spy on a Wobbly (Industrial Workers of the World) agitator in a Butte, Montana mining community. Mr. Ritter experiences a bit of a moral crisis when he gets closer to the rabble-rouser in question, and also develops a thing for a striking miner's wife. It is sporadically compelling to see the young Pinkerton wrestle with his conscience, and the author's brave choice to skip ahead decades in time and to shift between first- and third-person shows an experimental ingenuity, but the work doesn't cohere and the techniques don't serve the story well. The inclusion of photos of principals in the story and of locations also undercuts the imaginative groundwork that the author lays out in the book, and seems to undermine his efforts. It is discouraging, as a reader, to get a picture of a man in your mind's eye, and then to turn the page and see an actual photo of the man in question staring you in the face. The subject of miners and Pinkerton detectives would either better be served by a totally fictional foray, sans photos, or a non-fiction book on the subject with as many photos included as you cared to put in. Jon A. Jackson obviously has the interest and passion in the subject to write a non-fiction book on the Wobbly-Pinkerton clashes, and he has the writing chops to pull off a totally fictionalized foray into this same territory, but this book was, at least for me, a hybrid that ended up being neither fish nor fowl. It goes without saying that others may feel differently, however, and find themselves equally educated and entertained by this morality play set against the backdrop of the mountains and mines.
The book follows Goodwin Ritter, a Pinkerton detective who is sent to spy on a Wobbly (Industrial Workers of the World) agitator in a Butte, Montana mining community. Mr. Ritter experiences a bit of a moral crisis when he gets closer to the rabble-rouser in question, and also develops a thing for a striking miner's wife. It is sporadically compelling to see the young Pinkerton wrestle with his conscience, and the author's brave choice to skip ahead decades in time and to shift between first- and third-person shows an experimental ingenuity, but the work doesn't cohere and the techniques don't serve the story well. The inclusion of photos of principals in the story and of locations also undercuts the imaginative groundwork that the author lays out in the book, and seems to undermine his efforts. It is discouraging, as a reader, to get a picture of a man in your mind's eye, and then to turn the page and see an actual photo of the man in question staring you in the face. The subject of miners and Pinkerton detectives would either better be served by a totally fictional foray, sans photos, or a non-fiction book on the subject with as many photos included as you cared to put in. Jon A. Jackson obviously has the interest and passion in the subject to write a non-fiction book on the Wobbly-Pinkerton clashes, and he has the writing chops to pull off a totally fictionalized foray into this same territory, but this book was, at least for me, a hybrid that ended up being neither fish nor fowl. It goes without saying that others may feel differently, however, and find themselves equally educated and entertained by this morality play set against the backdrop of the mountains and mines.
January 24, 2016
After a mine explosion in Butte, Montana results in the death of 162 miners in 1917, the miners walk out, demanding better safety conditions in the mines. Union organizer, Frank Little comes to Butte and begins encouraging the miners to join his union. The Pinkertons and other agencies are also there. They are hired by the mining corporation to make sure that Little doesn't succeed.
Young Pinkerton operative Geed Ryder is sent to the area to infultrate the strikers, find the trouble makers and determine what the miners are planning.
Geed is well described as a character with his youthful ambition and gullibility. In this respect, Geed may be a symbol of the country's view of unions and corporate profits at that time.
Geed seems sincere and is able to talk his way into the homes and hearts of the miners and union representatives.
The setting is mining town, Butte, Montana. The town is depicted precisely with accompanying photographic documentation. This adds realism and makes it seem that the reader is learning the details from the local newspaper.
Jon A. Jackson details the attempts by the union to provide a safer work environment for union members. The greedy corporation uses World War I as an excuse, claiming that anyone who wants to stop mining production must be a communist. The story continues to years later, testifying at the McCarthy-era Communist witch-hunts.
Young Pinkerton operative Geed Ryder is sent to the area to infultrate the strikers, find the trouble makers and determine what the miners are planning.
Geed is well described as a character with his youthful ambition and gullibility. In this respect, Geed may be a symbol of the country's view of unions and corporate profits at that time.
Geed seems sincere and is able to talk his way into the homes and hearts of the miners and union representatives.
The setting is mining town, Butte, Montana. The town is depicted precisely with accompanying photographic documentation. This adds realism and makes it seem that the reader is learning the details from the local newspaper.
Jon A. Jackson details the attempts by the union to provide a safer work environment for union members. The greedy corporation uses World War I as an excuse, claiming that anyone who wants to stop mining production must be a communist. The story continues to years later, testifying at the McCarthy-era Communist witch-hunts.
September 10, 2010
"Go by Go" is not a Detective Sergeant Mulheisen Mystery. It is the only book by Jon A. Jackson that I have read that is not a Mulheisen/Joe Service mystery. Jackson's books are mainly loccated near Butte and Detroit. This one begins in Butte in 1917 and is based on the lyniching of Frank Little and then moves ahead and becomes loosely based on the life of Dashiel Hammett.
If this were the first book I had ever read of Jackson's I might not be such a fan of his. It is not that the book is not interesting or the prose not graceful and understated but if it were the first I might not have felt the urge to read more of his books.
The first book I read of his was "The Diehard," which is the first of the Mulhesien books. I enjoyed it but was unaware that there were so many more and that the stories build upon one another but that each can be read as a stand alone novel.
On the other side of the law is Joe Service who appears in each of the books. In the later books Joe Service takes up as much room as Mulheisen. Jacson has a knack for describing a character by giving us his viewpoint on what he sees and notices.
I just happened to run across "Diehard" while I was idling my time at a used bookstore and glancing at the shelves. He is a good find for anyone who enjoys books with plots and a little violence and humor along the way.
If this were the first book I had ever read of Jackson's I might not be such a fan of his. It is not that the book is not interesting or the prose not graceful and understated but if it were the first I might not have felt the urge to read more of his books.
The first book I read of his was "The Diehard," which is the first of the Mulhesien books. I enjoyed it but was unaware that there were so many more and that the stories build upon one another but that each can be read as a stand alone novel.
On the other side of the law is Joe Service who appears in each of the books. In the later books Joe Service takes up as much room as Mulheisen. Jacson has a knack for describing a character by giving us his viewpoint on what he sees and notices.
I just happened to run across "Diehard" while I was idling my time at a used bookstore and glancing at the shelves. He is a good find for anyone who enjoys books with plots and a little violence and humor along the way.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews