Joe Pepper (Tales of Texas) [Mass Market Paperback]

Elmer Kelton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2002 | Series: Tales of Texas

Joe Pepper is a Texas badman with quite a past. In fact, there isn't much that Joe hasn't done in his forty years of living on both sides of the Texas law-except face the hangman. Now, convicted of murder, Joe is about to get that privilege. But before he goes, Joe has a few things he wants to say-and a few stories that he wants to set straight.

With Joe Pepper, legendary Western writer Elmer Kelton tells a fine and moving tale of the history of his home state of Texas.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The hallmark of any Elmer Kelton novel is his thorough research and his feel for the time and place. . . . Kelton, like fine wine, just keeps getting better and better."-Tulsa World

"Recently voted 'the greatest Western writer of all time' by the Western Writers of America, Kelton creates characters more complex than L'Amour's." -Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was the award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men’s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards have been seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years, and served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (May 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812561570
• ISBN-13: 978-0812561579
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elmer Kelton of San Angelo, Texas is a native Texan and author of over 50 Western novels. He has won many awards for his work and has been recognized as the Greatest Western Writer of all time by the Western Writers of America, Inc. He is the author of Forge's Texas Ranger series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS BY KELTON!!, October 20, 2002

By 

Mac Blair "Mac Blair" (Huntingdon, TN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Joe Pepper (Tales of Texas) (Mass Market Paperback)

Joe Pepper, not his real name, tells his own story in this book, He has done a little of everything, some good and a lot bad. He has been on both sides of the law, serving as a deputy and also killing people. He says he never killed a man except in self defense of one that needed killing. He tells how he got the name Joe Pepper. His is now in jail for killing man and is to hang. He tells his story to a preacher. The book is only fair in my openion. Have read several Kelton books and most are better than this one. I got tired of it long before it was done. Did not grab me and make me want to continue reading. Would suggest other books by him if you want a good western.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wstrnnut, April 6, 2009

By 

George Banks "author of The Missouri Riders" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joe Pepper (Tales of Texas) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read (and loved) many books by Elmer Kelton, but this one is different from them all. Right out of the gate, you realize that this is one continuous story, told to a preacher by a presumably condemned man. It is sad, funny, realistic and believable ... all in the same book.

Mr. Kelton incorporates a lot of Texas (and Old West) history in this tale. It starts out by giving a little bit of Joe Peeler's (later, Joe Pepper's) background and the things that happened to him when he was young. A man that straddled both sides of the fence, he did what he had to to make a living. I suspect that's how it was in the real world of the Old West: not all good nor all bad, but a little mixture of both. If you like Westerns or Elmer Kelton, you won't go wrong with JOE PEPPER.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXTREMELY FUNNY BOOK LOVED IT !!!, March 23, 2004

By 

Edwin Ortiz (edgewater, nj USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Joe Pepper (Tales of Texas) (Mass Market Paperback)

HI I DONT KNOW ABOUT PREVIOUS REVIEW BUT THIS BOOK WAS GREAT. IT HAS A HILARIOUS TONE THROUGHOUT WITH THIS CONDEMNED MAN CONFESSING HIS PAST ACTS. IF YOU LOVED LONESOME DOVE YOU WILL FIND YOU CANT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN . I AM NOW A BIG ELMER KELTON FAN .