The Gamekeeper's Night Dog (Gamekeeper Series, Book 1) [Paperback]

Dave J. Putnam (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gamekeeper | Publication Date: October 20, 2002

The year is 1891 and the British Empire is balanced on a precipice. If the last English Bulldog dies, the empire will begin to crumble and the Boer War will be fought as a Vietnam type quagmire. But if imperial soldiers ride across the African plain with huge packs of fierce Bulldogs at their side, then British martial prowess will be magnified. Armed with this knowledge, David Banner unleashes a lethal combination of war dogs, machineguns, and chemical artillery shells into the killing fields of South Africa. Under this onslaught, history takes a dramatic and violent turn. Through force of arms, he will either extend the Pax Britannica for a thousand years or the world will sink into centuries of meaningless war and destruction.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Gamekeeper’s Night Dog takes the reader to the end of the 19th century and puts him in a Britain preparing to wage war against the two Boer Republics in what is now South Africa. In his novel, Dave Putnam parenthetically makes clear his view that the clumsy and inept military actions of Britain in the real Boer War marked the beginning of her fall from superpower status. In his alternate history narrative Britain does not stumble incrementally into a South African war; instead she executes a brutal and efficient preemptive strike. At one point in the novel characters debate the morality of a democracy acting the role of aggressor, echoing the current debate over President Bush’s post 9-11 military doctrine.

The novel was test marketed with readers that don’t own dogs and don’t read an inordinate amount of military fiction, the results were unanimous praise for the story line and the rapid pace of unfolding events. Readers that own dogs and read military fiction considered it one of the best novels they’d ever experienced. The Gamekeeper’s Night Dog falls squarely in the middle of mainstream science fiction

About the Author

Dave Putnam is a nationally recognized animal sculptor who wrote the definitive book on the American Bulldog, The Working American Bulldog. If you like dogs, you'll love this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 490 pages
• Publisher: Bulldog Press (CA) (October 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967271045
• ISBN-13: 978-0967271040
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,220,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great imagination, December 29, 2005

By 

William (Omaha) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gamekeeper's Night Dog (Gamekeeper Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

Many of the reviewers made a point which I will endorse. The author is not a polished author of many years experience so his product is rough. The imaginative bits however are great. Who could imagine using trained dogs to attack infantry and artillery regiments in WWI? He is weak in some areas and strong in others. At least it requires more imagination and creativity than a bard, halfling, thief etc off to save the world or princess by acquiring a magical object. Well done! A good first effort.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sheds light on Iraq war, January 24, 2005

By 

Mary Lou P (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gamekeeper's Night Dog (Gamekeeper Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

Does any of this sound familiar? Britain, the world's only superpower invades the Boer Republics in South Africa, not because they pose a threat to the global hegemon, but rather under the banner of democratic reform. Most of the world's other great powers castigate Britain and claim that she is only interested in South Africa's mineral wealth. Only a few trusted allies stick by her side. Britain wins a conventional war only to be caught flat-footed by an unexpected and bloody guerilla war that lasts for years. This is what happened in the pages of history. In Night Dog the Boer War is very different. I won't give away plot lines, but suffice it to say that the differences are relevant to America's current quagmire in Iraq. Night Dog is a real page turner. I see in some of the other reviews that a couple militant atheists are offended by references to God. Out of 490 pages there are about two that are overtly religious. If this sort of thing offends you, simply skim through these two pages. The book is worth it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't wait to read the next two books in the series., August 19, 2005

By 

Dr. Fred R. Eichelman "arous" (Salem,, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gamekeeper's Night Dog (Gamekeeper Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

This was a sleeper as I only picked up the book because of my love of history, love of England, and love of alternate history in fiction. I was also ignorant of the influence of war dogs in English history and equally so of the Boer Wars. This meant having to check facts on the net to be sure Dave Putnam wasn't putting me on. He was a bit, but it is still one of the best alternate histories I have read to date and I have been reading them for 55 years and using them in my classrooms as a teacher. I particularly like the spiritual aspects, the references to the Christian religion in a positive way, something too many authors of science fiction seem to avoid. The novel is informative and interesting and the characters, both real and fictional, are well done. Great characterizations of Victoria, Cecil Rhodes, Winston Churchill as a very young man, Sir Arthur Canon Doyle, and many others. If the next two are as good I will never be content with Harry Turtledove again, not that he hasn't already slipped in my estimation. Thank you Mr. Putnam for your vision and your ability to share it with your readers.