A friend of mine believes that it is important in one’s professional life to have a quick, intriguing “elevator pitch” to define yourself. He likes mine: “I’m a storyteller...” Gets people intrigued, wanting to know more, etc. You get the picture. Well, here’s one that simply can’t be beat: “I’m a conflict archaeologist.” Ain’t nobody gonna hear … [Read more...] about Conflict Archaeologist

It’s emblematic of my nature that, having decided that I should read novels for fun again, I have gone on a freakin’ bender. Right now, I’m poaching in Hillbilly Highways’ territory with Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin. Hope HP doesn’t get too riled. Damn, it’s good. There’s probably nothing I like better than a “literary” crime novel. … [Read more...] about ‘Bearskin’

One of the greats has gone up the trail. Brian Garfield died on December 29. A versatile writer of Western, crime and history, Garfield penned one of the books that shaped me. As a kid in junior high school, I read the covers off of his novel Wild Times, which was made into a TV miniseries starring Sam Elliott as Hugh Cardiff, sharpshooter and … [Read more...] about A Salute To Brian Garfield

If you’ve already ordered copies of Warriors of the Wildlands for your Yuletide gift giving or personal reading (*ahem* cough*), you might want to take a look at Eric Jay Dolin’s latest — Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates. Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue … [Read more...] about Beaver, Whales and Pirates — Setting Sail With Eric Jay Dolin

It’s dangerous walking into bookstores. Books jump of the shelves and force themselves upon me. There I was in Dudley’s in Bend, minding me own business, waiting for Marilyn to pick up her cooking oils at a little boutique shop she favors when BAM! I’m bitten in both hands by Wolves of Eden. I fought them off and escaped, but only … [Read more...] about ‘Wolves Of Eden’

By Captain Paul McNamee, Captain, Frontier Partisans New England Ranging Company On Monday, November 21, Haffner Press announced the coming of The Complete John The Balladeer. Frontier Partisans has touched on John the Balladeer and his silver stringed guitar before. John is a Korean War veteran who roams the backcountry mountains of … [Read more...] about ‘The Complete John The Balladeer’

Want to get an overview of the epic story of the trans-Appalachian frontier in the form of a thundering good read — and on the cheap? Dale Van Every’s four-volume history of the early frontier is available on Kindle for next to nothing. Forth to the Wilderness (1754-1774); A Company of Heroes (1775-1783); The Ark of Empire (1784-1803); and The … [Read more...] about Forth To The Wilderness!

Synchronicity is fascinating. I was casting about for an engaging, immersive — and most importantly fun — read for a business trip this week. The past 2-1/2 months or so have been pretty intense, with a move, a gratifying-but-demanding ramp up of activity at the newspaper, a demanding gig schedule and trips across the Misty Mountains tall to get … [Read more...] about High On The Hog