The Man from Brazos [Paperback]

Ermal Walden Williamson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2001

When Matt Jorgensen learns that the man who helped him hone is deadly skills with a pistol is gunned down, he vows to bring the killer to justice. On the train to Abilene, Matt relives his early days in the Kansas territory when he found himself embroiled in the rising turmoil of a nation at odds over slavery. Free soilers and slavers fought against each other at the expense of the innocent farmers of the territory. Together, Matt and his gunslinging mentor, Rod Best, were able to bring law and order to the Kansas territory. However, all of Matt's skill and daring wouldn't help him with the biggest challenge of his life; learning to live without the woman he loved. Read by Rusty Nelson. 8 CD's 8.6 Hrs.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Many westerns are fun to read, but they don't stick in your memory long. This book will stay with you. -- Cowboy Chronicle, November 2002

About the Author

Ermal Williamson is a screen and stage performer. He has been impersonating John Wayne for several years and is an expert on the life and movies of "The Duke." --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 394 pages
• Publisher: Seven Locks Press (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931643024
• ISBN-13: 978-1931643023
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,754,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Actor, author and the John Wayne look-alike and impersonator Ermal Walden Williamson has dedicated his career to keeping the image of John Wayne alive, having appeared in computerized commercials with the Duke; and has performed as John Wayne aboard Duke's yacht, the "Wild Goose" for over fourteen years, and now resides in Branson, Missouri.
He began his one-man show in 1986 as An Evening with John Wayne and Gary Cooper,recently having his wife Paula, a singer and composer, appear with him in Branson.
Ermal has performed part way around the world as host and/or emcee, motivational speaker and entertainer in corporate events, trade shows, churches, schools, parties, commercials, infomercials, movies and just about anything one could think of as John Wayne. He has made two documentaries on the lives of John Wayne and John Ford, and has ridden in the Pasadena Pageant of Roses Parade four years as John Wayne.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining and vivid read, October 15, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man from Brazos (Paperback)

When abolitionists and slavers clash for control of the Kansas territory just before it was to achieve statehood, Matt Jorgenson found himself caught up in their bloody, brutal conflict. Matt was fast and fatal when handling a pistol, but being an accomplished gunhand with a widening reputation is no defense against falling in love with another man's woman or being able to stop the murder of his best friend in a time when pre-Civil War politics was setting neighbor against neighbor. Highly recommended for all western buffs, The Man From The Brazos is an entertaining and vivid read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Western, November 22, 2010

By 

Garda Parker (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man from the Brazos (Paperback)

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Ermal Williamson's historical Western novels. These days good Westerns are difficult to find. I'm speaking of story only in this review (others have mentioned things with punctuation and syntax). This is a wonderful series written by an author who lives the West and has cowboy blood racing through his veins. If you don't know Ermal -- check out his website, and see one of his John Wayne shows in Branson. You'll be hooked! Western novel lovers -- get this book!

4.0 out of 5 stars The Man from the Brazos, February 20, 2002

By 

Conan B. Tigard (www.readingreview.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Man from Brazos (Paperback)

In the year 1858, Matt is assumed dead in a bank robbery attempt in Montana where his brother and another man thought to be him were killed (see the movie The Cowboys). Matt heads south with no other purpose, beside getting to Texas, when he makes an acquaintance: Toothless, a mangy old farm hand who follows Matt because he is a quick draw. Arriving in Mud Creek, Kansas, Matt is shot in the shoulder and has his money stolen. He soon recovers his health and finds work at a nearby farm. After getting his money back, well, at least part of it, he takes a job for the US government as a spy for the US Marshals. His job is to infiltrate Montgomery's camp and join the fight to keep Kansas a free state (no slavery). Montgomery's nemesis is a man called Hamilton. Both are using the slave trade for their own means: money and power. Matt finds himself hired on as a gun for Montgomery and soon figures out that he doesn't really want to be a spy anymore, as he has started to really like Montgomery and his men. The only question is, how can he get out of it with his skin intact?

This is a western story taking place in and outside of Mud Creek (soon to be known as "Abilene"), Kansas in the year 1878. It is a sequel based on the William Dale Jennings' book and screenplay The Cowboys and is also a prequel to the book Across the Brazos. This is the second published book for Ermal Walden Williamson, a John Wayne impersonator.

Having been very pleased with Mr. Williamson's first novel, I found myself eager to start reading this book. Before I started, I figured this book would pick up right where Across the Brazos left off. Boy, was I wrong. Imaging my surprise when I found myself reading about how Matt was making his way down to Texas, twenty years before the previous book, but directly after the movie ended. At first I was a little disappointed, but I quickly changed my opinion. I found I really liked reading about the younger version of Matt Jorgenson and how he became known as a quick draw. It is obvious that Mr. Williamson is more comfortable with the pen in this story as it flows along quite well and the story always keeps the reader interested in what is going to happen next. The characterization is wonderful and the evolution of Matt into a quick draw is a pleasure to absorb. A lot of westerns don't really delve into much historical relevance, but The Man from the Brazos is rich with historical importance. I don't know much about Kansas and how they dealt with the slave trade. And I don't know if the characters used in this story (like Montgomery and Hamilton) are based on actual persons. But from all the references that are listed in the front of the book, I presume that the author has inserted his main character in the middle of something that actually occurred in American History. I became very interested in how Kansas avoided becoming a slave state and the battle to preserve her freedom. Overall, I thought that this was a great story and very well written. Like the previous book, and I presume this is not the author's fault, there are quite a few minor punctuation issues and a couple of repeated paragraphs. But don't let that sway you away from a wonderfully told story of the old west. You won't regret picking up this book and letting it take you back Kansas almost 150 years ago.

I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.