The Best Western Stories of John Jakes

by John Jakes, Bill Pronzini (Editor), Martin H. Greenberg (Editor)

Collects both traditional stories from the author's pulp days and nontraditional tales written more recently, including "Shootout at White Pass," "The Naked Gun," and "Dutchman"

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction

275 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

About the author

John William Jakes, the author of more than a dozen novels, is regarded as one of today’s most distinguished writers of historical fiction. His work includes the highly acclaimed Kent Family Chronicles series and the North and South Trilogy. Jakes’s commitment to historical accuracy and evocative storytelling earned him the title of “the godfather of historical novelists” from the Los Angeles Times and led to a streak of sixteen consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Jakes has received several awards for his work and is a member of the Authors Guild and the PEN American Center. He and his wife, Rachel, live on the west coast of Florida.

Also writes under pseudonyms Jay Scotland, Alan Payne, Rachel Ann Payne, Robert Hart Davis, Darius John Granger, John Lee Gray. Has ghost written as William Ard.

Reviews

[Kathleenalford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally enjoy reading short stories; I love the character and plot depth of a novel; however, these vignettes were fun. It's amazing how John Jakes can develop characters even within a short amount of time. I enjoyed traveling vicariously to all the new frontiers he captured in this book: California, the Carolinas, Texas, etc. Each novel allowed you to view the story through someone else's eyes: a prostitute, a gunslinger, a German immigrant, etc. This is an enjoyable, eye-opening read!

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of short stories about the Old West, one of my favorite reading genres.
One surprise was the last one, "Dutchman", about a German-born American citizen in 1917 California, struggling against racial prejudice and hatred against him, brought on by the onset of World War I. Thought provoking.

[Tiffany Striepling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea that I would enjoy westerns! A def new genre for me. I liked the short stories, it went well with being busy in May.

[Garnet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though not a fan of short story collections I read all of these except the last one that took place in the 1700's. Overall it was good for what it is, i probably wouldn't re-read the book.