"The Shadow of the Vulture"

[Werner]

So far, nobody's started a thread in the Historical Stories folder for this yarn, which I read earlier this year, but it's definitely deserving of one! So far, I haven't read any of REH's other purely historical fiction (my loss, I know!), so can't compare it to the rest of his historical corpus; but it stands as an excellent story in its own right. It's also of interest to Howard fans as his only work in which Red Sonya appears --and she's obviously a vastly different character than the Hyborian-Age namesake most fans envision when they hear the name, though still a strong, kick-butt woman who was a trail-blazing figure in the male-dominated action writing of that day.

This story has everything Howard fans like: strong tough heroes/heroines clashing with evil villains, excitement and suspense, violent action, perfect plotting, and the full panoply of Howard's excellent prose skills. Focusing on the 1529 Turkish siege of Vienna, it also appears to be, as good historical fiction should be, pretty accurate in its historical backdrop; when I checked in nonfiction sources, I could verify a surprising number of secondary characters as real people, and confirm several details, such as the role of sappers, the Turk's loss of their heavy artillery before they reached Vienna, the final climactic assault, etc. Being a history major, I actually found it historically educational (and it really brings to life the stark grimness and carnage of early modern warfare!). Highly recommended for all Howard fans!

[Jim]

This is a great story. I first read it in The Sowers of the Thunder. It's the last story, I believe. That's a great collection.

It's also available for free on Gutenberg.au to read online or download.
http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty-a-m...
Go there, scroll down to Howard, Robert E. & you'll find a LOT of his stories. This one is in the Other section & titled "Red Sonya - The Shadow of the Vulture"

It's also on WikiSource here:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Sha...

[Werner]

Jim, thanks for the links! I'm indebted to you for the Wikisource link that you posted earlier in another group, which is how I was able to get a copy of the story in the first place. (I wanted to share that one when I posted this morning, but was a bit too pushed for time!)

[Mohammed]

You should not be surprised about the historical details being accurate, Howard read,knew alot more about his history than people think. He used history books to learn about the world to improve his historical fiction.

[Werner]

Point taken, Mohammed! I wasn't actually surprised that he knew so much real history, but that he was able to work so much of it so seamlessly into the fictional storyline.

[Brian]

That sounds good! I had no idea it was out there! Thanks!

[Jim]

I thought the ending of this was perfect. The pen drawings in my edition really helped, too.

[Werner]

Jim, I loved the ending, too! (But no spoilers from me. :-) )