Customer Reviews

Across the Brazos

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a boy growing up, John Wayne and the western movie was a way of life. This book, ACROSS THE BRAZOS, brought all those memories flooding back. This is not just a book; it is a western movie jumping off the pages. Words turn into scenes. All the characters become alive and you ride thru the pages with them. Once you start reading the book you can't put it down. Once finished you wish for more. A very great first effort by a man who knows the west.

I just finished reading "ACROSS THE BRAZOS".It is avery well written follow up to"THE COWBOYS"by William Dale Jennings,although you don`t need to read "The Cowboys" to get into "Across The Brazos".It is great all on its own.It tells of before and after "The Cowboys".It tells the story of Matt Anderson and what happend since he left his fathers ranch in termoil over 20 yrs ago.Now he has to decide on going back to take over his fathers ranch or stay where he has called home for many years.It has everything you would want in a western:Gunfights,cattle drives,fist fights,purty girls,and of course the villian.It is written great for a first book.It would be great for a fiftieth book.ACROSS THE BRAZOS is up there with all the great westerns.It could hold its own very well with Louis L`Amour or Zane Grey,or any of the great western writers of our time.

To anyone thinking of reading this book, I highly urge you to do so. You will not be sorry, nor will you consider it a waste of your time. From the first few pages, you will be gripped with the story, and right there on the range with the characters. I read "Across The Brazos" in short order. Ermal Walden Williamson is a man I am proud to call my friend. I think that there is not a finer man on the face of this earth to portray John Wayne than Ermal. His sincere approach to preserving the memory of an American Icon is outstanding.

I am the Director of The Birthplace of John Wayne in Winterset, Iowa. For the whole of my life, John Wayne was my hero, and "The Cowboys" was one of his finest films. When I heard that Ermal was about to publish this book, I couldn't wait to read it.

I find it an enthralling story. In my mind, I was actually there riding the range with the familiar characters, and the new ones I have come to cherish. William Dale Jennings, author of "The Cowboys" was able to read "Across The Brazos" before his death and highly endorsed it. No greater praise could an author have in my humble opinion.

For all of you fans of western novels and that great era of our heritage as Americans, this book is a must add to any library.

Twenty years after Matt is assumed dead in a bank robbery attempt in Montana where his brother and another man thought to be him was killed (see the movie The Cowboys), Matt works as a hired gun on the Brazos River Bar M Ranch in Texas for his old General when he served in the Confederate Army during the US Civil War. Three cowboys from the Double-O Ranch in Montana, arrive in Texas to inform Matt that his mother is dying and she wishes to see him before she passes. But the ranch Matt is working on is in a war with a neighboring ranch that wants all of their land and cattle, and Matt is the man the General depends upon to lead the cowboys on the Brazos River Bar M Ranch in a fight. Leisha, the General's daughter, is Matt's girl, even though he knows that he will never marry her. His best friend, and fellow Civil Wars soldier, Steve, is also in love with Liesha, but will not ever make a real move on her while she belongs to Matt. Matt knows that he can't leave, but would like to see his mother before she dies. He just doesn't know how he can leave Texas at this time...or ever. This is his home now.

This is a western story taking place in and outside of Waco, Texas in the year 1878. It is a sequel based on the William Dale Jennings' book and screenplay The Cowboys. This is the first published book for Ermal Walden Williamson, a John Wayne imitator.

I do love a good western, and never having seen the movie The Cowboys, I was a little trepidations about reading this story. But Mr. Williamson does a really fine job here with the storytelling. I was really impressed with the characters that were created and how real he made them. Actually, there are two different stories here: one taking place in Texas, which is most of the book, and the rest in Montana, which the reader looks forward to having closure from what happened 20 years ago. The book is deceptively long, which was okay with me, as I like long stories. The main character, Matt, is a man wrestling with his own inner demons. But he is a nice guy, and I really liked him. The only problem I had with the book was some of the editing. Some of the punctuation, like double periods really stand out. And once, and entire page was duplicated. Overall, this is a good story and a fun western to read. Now, I just need to see the movie that started it all.

I rated this book an 8 out of 10.

I highly recommend "Across the Brazos." Author, Ermal Williamson, has captured the intangible magic of the Western genre. From the stoic hero, Matt Andersen, to the stark beauty of the Western vistas, Ermal put into words the vivid imagery worthy of a John Ford picture. It's not hard to imagine that Duke Wayne, himself, breathed life into this story. So, cross the Brazos River, Pilgrim, and enjoy this stirring Cowboy adventure!

The author has a good topic in the Cowboys. He has a excellent plot turn and strong characters. With some copyediting and proofreading, this author could be the western John Grisham, but the copy I bought and had autographed by the author was so awful as a draft that it was impossible to enjoy.

Look under the cover before you buy. Maybe they aren't all like that.