Customer Reviews

Men Beyond the Law

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I am constantly amazed by the breadth and scope of Max Brand's (Frederick Faust's) incredible talent. And it is a fortunate thing that a 21st century audience has the pleasure of reading and re-discovering the brilliant work of this man. Leisure Books (and Five Star Western hardbacks) have been bringing us Brand's timeless western tales -- as he wrote them with all re-writes and deletions undone -- for almost 20 years. Closing in on 100 titles in the Brand reprint library, there is a wealth of fine reading for anyone who craves the printed page. And with almost that many titles, they still have not even scratched the surface of Brand's tremendous output.

MEN BEYOND THE LAW is a fine example of what Brand could do with the western form. The books is comprised of 3 stand alone short novels centered around the theme of the individual's search for courage. Before you can even begin to trot out the cliches, don't. Because you won't find them in Brand's work. There is a reason he's called the Shakespeare of the west and these 3 tales are amongst his best. I'll take them out of order, saving the best for last.

The middle tale: "THE FINDING OF JEREMY" is a psychological drama related how a New York tailor, found not manly enough by his girl who dreams of western cowpunchers, and humiliated by his boss at a party for wearing store stock, flees to the west to escape his shame. While as a hobo heading west, he is rousted by a railroad employee because he's been robbed and doesn't have the bribe money necessary to ride the rails. Thrown from the train into the desert, he stumbles upon an abandoned shack and beds down in the loft. But 2 bandits show up to divide the loot they've stolen from the bank. Quaking with fear, Jeremy cowers in the loft as an argument breaks out and the 2 thieves kill each other in the heat of battle. As Jeremy creeps down and is lost amongst his dreams of wealth, the posse shows up and finds him, gun in hand, standing over the two corpses. The posse and soon the town believe him to have killed the 2 cutthroats single-handed and he's now a hero. What follows is a riveting tale of guilt and its consequences as the world showers praise on Jeremy who wilts under laurels he did not earn and lives in terror that a test will come that will reveal his cowardice. Or will he find his true self in time? This is the kind of story that no one does better than Brand.

"THE TRAIL UP OLD ARROWHEAD" is the last of the Bull Hunter stories and features another of Brand's strengths: the female protagonist. In this tale, Mary has fallen in love with Bull Hunter but her domineering father wants to give her to the local land baron in exchange for prestige and power. Mary, a sheltered, headstrong girl until now, must flee her familiar surroundings and escape into the desert in the hope of finding Bull Hunter. From this melodrama comes another character study as Mary must find stores of courage in herself as she faces the wilderness. Once re-united with Bull Hunter their troubles are just beginning.

"WEREWOLF" is not a horror story despite the title. It is a spiritual journey that simply cannot be put down. Written with deft skill and beauty of language it tells the story of Royal who, after killing a man in self-defense and terrified of the repercussions of the act, runs away into the woods -- fleeing not only danger but the cowardice that possesses him. Sure he is being pursued by the ghosts of his past, he is driven deeper into the wilderness of reality and the spirit. Here he encounters and old Indian who himself is fleeing his destiny and so begins a journey of the soul. A journey which, by the time Royal's past catches up to him, has transformed him into a truer version of himself. "WEREWOLF" is the strongest of these 3 fine tales and that's saying a lot.

MEN BEYOND THE LAW is not only a treat for western fans, but also for anyone who loves to read well-told tales. The stories will captivate you, the poetic prose will enthrall. Max Brand was a true original. His work transcends genre and entertains on many levels. I recommend this and any of the other Leisure paperbacks since these incredible tales are presented here as Brand wrote them with restored material. Although these stories have bounced about for up to 80 years, only in these reprints are they presented unedited for the first time.

Take a chance on this incredible writer. You won't regret it.