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The Floating Outfit #29
The Code of Dusty Fog
When Dusty Fog was ambushed and nearly killed by a band of hired killers, only the intervention of a friendly stranger saved his life. From then on, Dusty knew he had to obey the Texan code of honor and repay his debt to Raymond Sangster without hesitation.However, the small Texan did not envisage the cost of settling his debt of gratitude—for the price was the building of a railroad across the land of a good friend—and a threat to the unity of Ole Devil Hardin’s floating outfit.J.T. Edson was a former British Army dog-handler who wrote more than 130 Western novels, accounting for some 27 million sales in paperback. Edson’s works - produced on a word processor in an Edwardian semi at Melton Mowbray - contain clear, crisp action in the traditions of B-movies and Western television series. What they lack in psychological depth is made up for by at least twelve good fights per volume. Each portrays a vivid, idealized “West That Never Was”, at a pace that rarely slackens.
- GenresWesterns
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 22, 1988
36 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Edson
183 books78 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 25, 2019
Western series
Personally I prefer the authors Floating Outfit books to his other books. These are an easy read. Lots of gunfight and action they remind me of the 1950's cowboy film. El Dorado is a good example and Dusty For the lead character reminds me of Audie Murphy in how he is written. Good fun.
Personally I prefer the authors Floating Outfit books to his other books. These are an easy read. Lots of gunfight and action they remind me of the 1950's cowboy film. El Dorado is a good example and Dusty For the lead character reminds me of Audie Murphy in how he is written. Good fun.
November 15, 2023
Once again, the overuse of italics spoils what would be a good JT novel.
March 26, 2024
Another good, old fashioned, bang bang shoot-em-up Western tale from the ever reliable J T Edson. Great easy reading.
September 6, 2016
Having completed their task of keeping the peace in Mulrooney until a permanent marshal can arrive, Dusty and the floating outfit planned to head for home. Unfortunately the hired guns from Cards and Colts come VERY close to killing Dusty and he feels he owes his life to a man who shouted out a timely warning. The man wastes no time in collecting on the debt and drafts Dusty to act as Gang Boss to help build the railroad spur between Mulrooney and Canada. Despite having never had any previous connection with the railroad industry Dusty naturally (being practically perfect in every way) wins the respect of the men and improves upon their system so that lost time is quickly made up. With time hanging heavy on their hands Waco and the others start to ask questions about the beef supplied by the company's 'hunters' and discover that it bears a brand known all too well to Mark Counter. In fact, the course of the railroad is now verging well onto the holdings of Mark's Uncle Front de Boeuf. This has not gone unnoticed by the family and their hands and they are less than cordial in their reception...
April 30, 2020
Some of the names mentioned in these novels are real people.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews