Elkhorn Tavern [Hardcover]

Douglas C. Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1980

When Martin Hasford marched off to fight in the War Between the States, he left his wife and children behind to care for their small Arkansas farm. Awaiting her husband's return, Ora and her children faced deprivation, theft, and two invading armies that brought war to their doorstep.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Elkhorn Tavern is undoubtedly Douglas Jones's finest novel. The characters are unforgettable, the atmosphere wonderfully detailed, the action and suspense skillfully maintained."
-Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

"Elkhorn Tavern has the beauty of Shane and the elegiac dignity of Red River without the false glamour or sentimentality of those classic Western films... Mr. Jones is at home among the ridges and hardwoods of a frontier valley... He holds us still and compels us to notice what we live in."
-The New York Times Book Review

"Douglas C. Jones writes what might be called historical novels, but they are much more than that. They are stirring word pictures of the way things really were in this country not so long ago... Elkhorn Tavern is even better than the books that preceded it."
-Associated Press

"Jones is a meticulous craftsman whose dialects, dialogues, settings and sayings seem so right and natural that one has the satisfying feeling of having read a novel without one false note."
-San Francisco Sunday Examiner

"A fine, uncompromising, unusually angled piece of Civil War fiction-from a master of gritty historical[s]."
-Kirkus Reviews --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Douglas C. Jones was a three-time winner of the Western Writers of America's Golden Spur Award, as well as the recipient of their Owen Wister Award of Lifetime Achievement. A native of Arkansas, Jones died in 1998. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 311 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co; 1st edition (September 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0030509262
• ISBN-13: 978-0030509261
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,473,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong characters and a stark view of war, November 27, 2001

By 

K. Sterling "freelance writer" (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elkhorn Tavern (Paperback)

This is not a romantic piece about the Civil War. Nor is it, as one reviewer wrote, similar to "Cold Mountain" in any way other than superficially. This is the War Between the States from the viewpoint of a mother, son, and daughter trying to survive as Yankees overrun their land, bushwhackers and jayhawkers ride in at night to take whatever they want (including the family's 17-year-old daughter), Indians from the nearby Indian Territory knock on their door unexpectedly, and a wounded Yankee comes under their care -- and all the while, their husband/father is off in the Confederate army, and the lack of any word from him adds to the family's tension. Littered throughout are closeup vignettes of actual participants in the battle of Pea Ridge -- Union and Confederate commanders are portrayed with such clarity, you will never forget them. But in the end they play only a minor role, taking a far back seat to Ora, Roman, and Calpurnia Hasford. The characters here are better drawn than those in "Cold Mountain" and the historical details both of farm life and of the War are far more accurate -- and nowhere in fiction will you find stronger, more capable women than Ora Hasford and her daughter Calpurnia. The writing is solid from the outset and never falters, and you find yourself caring about these people -- who have fears and joys, vanities and faults -- as much as anyone you might actually know. My heart was pounding at the book's climax -- well done, Mr. Jones! Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and a character-driven story. The saga of this family is continued in other books by Jones - "Winding Stair," "Roman," "Come Winter," and "Remember Santiago."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book that has somehow gone unnoticed, February 23, 2011

By 

AcornMan (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Elkhorn Tavern (Paperback)

I'm amazed that there are so few reviews of this book (only 5 at the time I'm writing this). Elkhorn Tavern is a beautifully written story and was a absolute joy to read simply for its prose alone. The story itself is a compelling one too. The author is obviously so familiar with his subject that it was easy for me to visualize everything he described in such vivid detail. The ending is perhaps a bit anticlimactic, making me wish I could give it 9 out of 10 stars, but overall this is simply a terrific book. And as for the inevitable comparison to Cold Mountain, I think Elkhorn Tavern wins that battle handily.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good read, January 3, 2006

By 

K. E. Fuhrmann (SO CAL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elkhorn Tavern (Hardcover)

The first book I read by this author was "Come Winter," which turns out to be the final book in the three book series about Roman Hasford--"Elkhorn Tavern" being the first, and "Roman" the second. I loved "Come Winter" so much that I wanted to read everything by Douglas Jones.

The books take place during and after the Civil War, so as a bonus you learn a lot about this time period, almost as if you are transported there. I liked the characters very much, and there are a good variety of them - former slaves, a Jewish man, army guys and very interesting strong women. The series follows Roman from about age 14 when he lives with his mother and sister in a farm in Arkansas during the Civil War (Elkhorn Tavern) to his move to Kansas to make his fortune (Roman) until he returns to Arkansas a rich man (Come Winter). You get to experience his whole life, including his death. It was wonderful. As one publisher put it: a marvelous read.