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Hell's Hoofprints: The Complete Western Trails Tales of Lester Dent

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Black Dog Books presents "HELL'S HOOFPRINTS: THE COMPLETE WESTERN TRAILS TALES OF LESTER DENT" (Paperback) ~ by Lester Dent (Author), Gene Christie (Editor), Walter M. Baumhofer (Illustrator), Will Murray (Foreword)

Dent was the originator of the Doc Savage series of books, a master of pulp fiction and real-life adventurer. His writing advice is specifically tailored to the pulp-era markets, but is surprisingly effective even today.

If you don't have any Lester Dent books in your library, here is a good start with 'Complete Western Trails Tales of Lester Dent', you'll be glued to every page, the characters seem to jump out from the page ... Nobody can put sentences together like Lester Dent, as he pulls you into every chapter ... This Lester Dent Library Vol.3 - is a GOLD MINE in reading!

As Will Murray states in his foreword - "Most pulp Western writers of the Depression consisted of what some derisively called HUDSON RIVER COWBOYS - Eastern pulpsters who cribbed their knowledge of the west from movies and pulp magazines. Lester Dent was the real article, however. He could ride like an Indian and bagged his first antelope with a .22 rifle when he was just eight. And he knew the territory. As his wife Norma once put it, He was a WESTERNER."

One of the articles that caught my attention is RIDIN' SIGN, the character Skookum Charlie reads sign, it was a highly developed art in the days before telephones and automobiles came to the West. A sign rider was the Sherlock Holmes of the cow and mine country. A sign rider drew down good money for his work, Cowmen hired him to track rustlers. The U.S. government hired him to track Indians and outlaws.

Entire book gives the reader the sign of the times, Dent rarely depicted a matinée idol hero, but true 'Sons of the West' in all their raw, sunburned glory. sometimes the characters are unpleasant, repulsive - like Will Murray in his words, you decide if it was 'repulsive' or 'realistic'.

Very reasonable and a good value for the price --- For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Chapter, Title and Page Numbers)

Introduction by Will Murray --- 7
Dusty Trant-Road Agent --- 11
Gunslick Roundup --- 25
The Sudden-Disaster Gent --- 38
The Gun Quest --- 50
Hell's Hoofprints --- 73
Fear Ranch --- 86
Trigger Trap --- 101
The Devil's Ear --- 114
Haunted Saddle --- 134
Trickery Trail --- 148
Frozen Phantom --- 161
Snow Ghost (bonus story) --- 177

Appendix A--
A Bonus Silver Corporal story
Death Cache --- 197

Appendix B Articles--
Hogleg Facts --- 213
Ridin' Sign --- 216
Bronc Twisting --- 218
Cold Facts --- 224

Appendix C--Letters to Western Trails
April 1932 --- 229
June 1932 --- 230
June 1933 --- 231

Appendix D--
From Lester Dent's notebook-Story submission records --- 335

Another great cover art by Walter Baumhofer, he was best known as the 'King of the Pulps', captured a pretty girl in a handsome man's arms as easily as he could grab readers with a pulp monster threatening the world ... and because of his talent, he was soon churning out crime, western, and thriller paintings. Some 550 pulp covers grace his resume ... Baumhofer captures the mood of the authors words.

In closing, Black Dog Books have for over ten years, been publishing collections of rare and obscure fiction from the golden age of the pulp magazines (roughly 1920-1945). -- Great job from publisher Tom Roberts and his staff at in bringing forgotten series of characters and hard-to-find works from rare magazines -- great reading from those days gone by!

When the gunsmoke clears, the dust from the trails settle ... you'll find Lester Dent & Western Trails Tales ... Highly recommend!

If you enjoyed this book, check out ... Unmasked: The Forgotten Origins of Hollywood Most Famous Western HeroesUnmasked: The Forgotten Origins of Hollywood Most Famous Western Heroes... also ... Trail of the SnakeTrail of the Snake

Total Page: 238 Pages ~ Black Dog Books #ISBN-13: 978-1928619581 ~ (March 31, 2009)