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Doc Savage (Bantam) #80
The King Maker
In the Kingdom of Calbia, the most far-flung plot of the century is already under way. The Man of Bronze and his daring companions join the revolutionary forces of Conte Cozonac but soon find themselves the intended victims of the most fearsome weapons the world has ever seen!
170 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1934
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134 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Robeson
908 books133 followersKenneth Robeson was the house name used by Street and Smith Publications as the author of their popular character Doc Savage and later The Avenger. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 30, 2019
Sometimes, I think I was born in the wrong era. I’ve always had an affinity for the films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, as well as the pulp magazines that eventually segued into comic books. Some folks think Superman was inspired by Doc Savage, but that’s a stretch for me. I simply enjoy the pulp adventures of the so-called Man of Bronze whenever and wherever I find them—old pulp, paperback reprint, or eBook. The Kingmaker involves Doc Savage in sorting out a massive conspiracy in the fictional kingdom of Calbia. It has the advantage of having Doc and his trusty team of improbable and diverse-looking geniuses (the “Amazing Five”) in some of the most “hopeless” spots I’ve ever “seen” them. I think that the old Doc Savage: Man of Bronze film with Ron Ely would have had a better chance to succeed if it had been built off the plot from The Kingmaker.
So, who is The Kingmaker? Would Republic-loving Doc Savage be The Kingmaker? Or, would tyrant-hating Doc Savage be fighting The Kingmaker? On the other hand, might not Doc Savage be helping one kingmaker to help depose a wicked monarch? But who, then, would be a candidate to fill the vacuum if the latter is the assumption? To tell you in this review would be a nasty spoiler because the reader doesn’t know who The Kingmaker actually is until halfway through the novel.
One of my favorite parts of the Doc Savage mythos (whether in book or graphic novel form) has always been the “team.” As with The Spider, another pulp character who made it into novel form,as well as the Blue Beetle of early comic book history, Doc uses a cab driver on his team, the large, muscular Rennie, but unlike the drivers in the other two references, this “driver” is also a top-notch engineer. The team also includes ex-military officer and Harvard Law graduate “Ham” with his ubiquitous cane sword, “Monk,” the stocky chemist who simply doesn’t quite measure up to Doc Savage’s expertise in the same field, and “Long Tom,” the inventor and innovator of electronic devices, as well as pilot, and Johnny, eminent archaeologist and explorer, as the master of sesquipedalian speech. Together, they make up what was often called “The Fabulous Five” in the books, but the “Amazing Five” in the film version. In The Kingmaker, Doc effectively divides the total of six heroes into three teams of two with the intent of operating separately, much like a Communist or guerrilla cell operates for internal and redundant security.
Written in the ‘30s, The Kingmaker touches on the issue of deterrence whenever one nation has control of a weapon of massive destruction which another doesn’t have. It seems highly unlikely that “Kenneth Robeson” knew of the atomic arms race to soon go underway since this is circa five (5) years before Fermi’s self-sustaining atomic reaction. Yet, the mystery weapon could well-serve as a parable for the Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) doctrine that was to come into vogue in the late ‘50s through the ‘60s. The plot’s twists and turns are worthy of the genre with more than one serial movie surprise (though unlike most serials, these turns are clearly foreshadowed). In addition, many of the chapters end with cliffhangers worthy of one of those serials of old.
Certainly, readers with no affinity for the pulp adventure genre will find a plot hole or two (particularly with some of Doc Savage’s solutions to the technological problem) that would make them dislike the book, but those of us who enjoy the genre with all of its quirks can certainly give it top marks. Everything I look for in a pulp adventure is there—including “sexual tension,” though the latter is quite mild compared to some efforts in the era and incredibly tame compared to some in noir novels of the era. It was well worth nabbing this one from the collectible paperback shelf where I found it.
So, who is The Kingmaker? Would Republic-loving Doc Savage be The Kingmaker? Or, would tyrant-hating Doc Savage be fighting The Kingmaker? On the other hand, might not Doc Savage be helping one kingmaker to help depose a wicked monarch? But who, then, would be a candidate to fill the vacuum if the latter is the assumption? To tell you in this review would be a nasty spoiler because the reader doesn’t know who The Kingmaker actually is until halfway through the novel.
One of my favorite parts of the Doc Savage mythos (whether in book or graphic novel form) has always been the “team.” As with The Spider, another pulp character who made it into novel form,as well as the Blue Beetle of early comic book history, Doc uses a cab driver on his team, the large, muscular Rennie, but unlike the drivers in the other two references, this “driver” is also a top-notch engineer. The team also includes ex-military officer and Harvard Law graduate “Ham” with his ubiquitous cane sword, “Monk,” the stocky chemist who simply doesn’t quite measure up to Doc Savage’s expertise in the same field, and “Long Tom,” the inventor and innovator of electronic devices, as well as pilot, and Johnny, eminent archaeologist and explorer, as the master of sesquipedalian speech. Together, they make up what was often called “The Fabulous Five” in the books, but the “Amazing Five” in the film version. In The Kingmaker, Doc effectively divides the total of six heroes into three teams of two with the intent of operating separately, much like a Communist or guerrilla cell operates for internal and redundant security.
Written in the ‘30s, The Kingmaker touches on the issue of deterrence whenever one nation has control of a weapon of massive destruction which another doesn’t have. It seems highly unlikely that “Kenneth Robeson” knew of the atomic arms race to soon go underway since this is circa five (5) years before Fermi’s self-sustaining atomic reaction. Yet, the mystery weapon could well-serve as a parable for the Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) doctrine that was to come into vogue in the late ‘50s through the ‘60s. The plot’s twists and turns are worthy of the genre with more than one serial movie surprise (though unlike most serials, these turns are clearly foreshadowed). In addition, many of the chapters end with cliffhangers worthy of one of those serials of old.
Certainly, readers with no affinity for the pulp adventure genre will find a plot hole or two (particularly with some of Doc Savage’s solutions to the technological problem) that would make them dislike the book, but those of us who enjoy the genre with all of its quirks can certainly give it top marks. Everything I look for in a pulp adventure is there—including “sexual tension,” though the latter is quite mild compared to some efforts in the era and incredibly tame compared to some in noir novels of the era. It was well worth nabbing this one from the collectible paperback shelf where I found it.
November 2, 2024
Political intrigue with elements of cloak and dagger operations in conjunction with the usual abundance of gunplay and fisticuff action makes this Doc Savage adventure an interesting read. The King Maker was written in 1934, two years after Hitler grabbed power in Germany, and so political intrigue was front page news in Europe and America.
The fictitious Balkan nation of Calbia is the setting for The King Maker, however, this area is no stranger to political upheaval as twenty years earlier, the Balkans area of Europe was the powder keg that started the Great War.
This story kept me captivated and definitely ranks five stars. *****
The fictitious Balkan nation of Calbia is the setting for The King Maker, however, this area is no stranger to political upheaval as twenty years earlier, the Balkans area of Europe was the powder keg that started the Great War.
This story kept me captivated and definitely ranks five stars. *****
November 15, 2018
read some time in 1979
March 22, 2025
Y'know, as I slowly make my way through the original Doc Savage yarns—with this one done, I'm at 8.8% through them—it's very obvious there's a formula. There's certain things that need to be mentioned in each book, or at least most of them.
Doc's physique and intelligence.
The real and nicknames and fields of his five accomplices.
Johnnie has to say "I'll be superamalgamated!"
Monk and Ham must squabble.
Doc must do his two-hour work out.
Doc must make his trilling noise.
Doc's building and offices have to be talked about.
It must be shown that most of the major industries (medical, journalism, law, political) will help Doc out unquestioningly, or get out of his way to let him do his thing.
An enemy who is physically abnormal must launch his nefarious plan.
Things need to appear to go south before we discover Doc has it all under control
Doc needs to set certain things in motion that will only play out later, showing his uncanny forethought and planning.
Fights and guns and travel (by air or sea or train or trudging through some jungle).
Often, there's a shockingly beautiful woman that Monk and Ham attempt to seduce (Monk seems to win a lot), but she'll also fall hard for Doc and be upset or angry that he doesn't reciprocate.
I'm probably missing a few, but that's not a bad list. It's all so predictable, and yet...
I really do enjoy the hell out of these 90 year old stories. They're stupid, they're misogynist, they're often racist, but, if you understand that that was the times, do your best to ignore the worst of it, this is like some epic comic book adventure every time. No, they're not politically correct anymore, but when I read them, I'm that 13 year old kid again, reading them for the first time and digging the heck out of them.
This one was no different. Some are better paced and written than others, and this was one of the better ones.
Only 165 more to go!
Doc's physique and intelligence.
The real and nicknames and fields of his five accomplices.
Johnnie has to say "I'll be superamalgamated!"
Monk and Ham must squabble.
Doc must do his two-hour work out.
Doc must make his trilling noise.
Doc's building and offices have to be talked about.
It must be shown that most of the major industries (medical, journalism, law, political) will help Doc out unquestioningly, or get out of his way to let him do his thing.
An enemy who is physically abnormal must launch his nefarious plan.
Things need to appear to go south before we discover Doc has it all under control
Doc needs to set certain things in motion that will only play out later, showing his uncanny forethought and planning.
Fights and guns and travel (by air or sea or train or trudging through some jungle).
Often, there's a shockingly beautiful woman that Monk and Ham attempt to seduce (Monk seems to win a lot), but she'll also fall hard for Doc and be upset or angry that he doesn't reciprocate.
I'm probably missing a few, but that's not a bad list. It's all so predictable, and yet...
I really do enjoy the hell out of these 90 year old stories. They're stupid, they're misogynist, they're often racist, but, if you understand that that was the times, do your best to ignore the worst of it, this is like some epic comic book adventure every time. No, they're not politically correct anymore, but when I read them, I'm that 13 year old kid again, reading them for the first time and digging the heck out of them.
This one was no different. Some are better paced and written than others, and this was one of the better ones.
Only 165 more to go!
December 27, 2024
The King Maker is a "Doc Savage" novel by Kenneth Robeson. Kenneth Robeson was the house name Street and Smith Publications used as the author of their popular Doc Savage novels. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including: William G. Bogart, Evelyn Coulson, Harold A. Davis, Lawrence Donovan, Alan Hathway, and W. Ryerson Johnson.
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago. I have been trying to find them again in the Bantam editions I read in my youth. I have found several of them in used bookstores and have bought several from online aftermarket bookstores.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old-fashioned adventure and gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago. I have been trying to find them again in the Bantam editions I read in my youth. I have found several of them in used bookstores and have bought several from online aftermarket bookstores.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old-fashioned adventure and gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.
April 29, 2023
An excellent example of the pulp genre, with twists, turns, peril, and schemes. Come for the international intrigue and mystery super-weapons, stay for the inspiration for superheroes down through the ages doing heroic stuff unironically.
October 4, 2017
Another good Doc adventure.
September 9, 2018
5 for nostalgia! All 5 of his partners are here for another adventure.
February 5, 2020
A classic Doc Savage adventure. A quick, fun read.
Much better than some of the "newer" ones, this fits into the classic mold.
Much better than some of the "newer" ones, this fits into the classic mold.
January 13, 2022
A pulp novel featuring Doc Savage. Doc and his team are drawn into a power struggle in the kingdom of Calabria. Much chaos ensues.
August 17, 2022
I can't really say much about this book, other than I love the Doc Savage books. I always have and I always will.
February 29, 2024
Imaginative.
July 4, 2021
Reading a Doc Savage book is always fun / a joy. This, not the greatest instalment, but still great fun and a good way to switch my brain down a gear or three.
October 15, 2016
The first Doc Savage story appeared in 1933 and the series ran in pulp and later digest format into 1949. Bantam reprinted the entire series in paperback with wonderful, iconic covers starting in the 1960's. Doc was arguably the first great modern superhero with a rich background, continuity, and mythos. The characterizations were far richer than was common for the pulps; his five associates and their sometimes-auxiliary, Doc's cousin Pat, and the pets Chemistry and Habeas Corpus, all had very distinctive characteristics and their byplay was frequently more entertaining that the current adventure-of-the-month. The settings were also fascinating: Doc's Fortress of Solitude, the Hidalgo Trading Company (which served as a front for his armada of vehicles), and especially the mysterious 86th floor headquarters all became familiar haunts to the reader, and the far-flung adventures took the intrepid band to exotic and richly-described locations all over the world. The adventures were always fast-paced and exciting, from the early apocalyptic world-saving extravaganzas of the early days to the latter scientific-detective style shorter works of the post-World War Two years. There were always a few points that it was difficult to believe along the way, but there were always more ups than downs, and there was never, ever a dull moment. The Doc Savage books have always been my favorite entertainments... I was always, as Johnny would say, superamalgamated!
August 25, 2016
June, 1934 brought the longest Doc Savage novel so far and it is a real honey! I know I've never read this one before. I really enjoyed it because Doc is in the middle of a political situation and is being asked to take sides in a Balkan revolution in the country of Calbia. There is no obvious villain until very close to the end of the book. Both sides feel they are in the "right" and so Doc has to choose who to support. His solution is interesting, though I don't see Dent being able to use the same excuse again. By the way, starting in the last book, Mystery on the Snow, Johnny Littlejohn suddenly started using his big words. He definitely didn't in any previous novel.
March 1, 2016
Of all the pulp era heroes few stand out above the crowd, Doc Savage is one of these. With his 5 aides and cousin he adventures across the world. Fighting weird menaces, master criminals and evil scientists Doc and the Fab 5 never let you down for a great read. These stories have all you need; fast paced action, weird mystery, and some humor as the aides spat with each other. My highest recommendation.
August 31, 2009
One of the weaker Doc Savage adventures.
Not a bad idea, but feels a bit flat and by the numbers. Has all the good formula parts of a typical Doc story, but seems to be missing energy and humor, so the formula is plainly obvious and it loses al ot of the fun.
Not a bad idea, but feels a bit flat and by the numbers. Has all the good formula parts of a typical Doc story, but seems to be missing energy and humor, so the formula is plainly obvious and it loses al ot of the fun.
August 11, 2013
Doc gets embroiled in Balkan politics when he's recruited to lead a revolution against the last absolute monarch in Europe. But which side should he be on? Livelier than Mystery on the Snow but the terrifying super-weapon is now quite mundane.
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May 5, 2009The King Maker by Kenneth Robeson
February 1, 2013
#80 in the 1930's serial Doc Savage, "The Man of Bronze," adventure. Savage and his 5 member group become involved in intrigue and revolution in a small Balkan kingdom.
January 23, 2016
read SOMETIME in 2011
December 16, 2013
Good entry in the series, great Doc Savage adventure.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews