Pursuit (Thorndike Western II) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Verne Athanas (Author), Jon Tuska (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2000 | Series: Thorndike Western II

Verne Athanas was an outstanding author of Western fiction whose stories appeared frequently in such leading magazines as The Saturday Evening Post and Collier's. With concern for the complexities of the human condition and care for the accuracy of his historical detail, Athanas wrote about the truly timeless themes: the passions and fears of men and women as they faced life on the American frontier. The seven stories collected here -- for the first time in book form -- demonstrate with humor and compassion Athanas' firm belief in the potential for nobility in every human character.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 255 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0783891342
• ISBN-13: 978-0783891347
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,566,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-Done Western Tales!, January 31, 2008

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pursuit: Western Stories (Leisure Western) (Mass Market Paperback)

Verne Athanas' literary star shone brightly albeit briefly in the 1950s. Before his writing career was prematurely cut short by a heart attack at age 45, Athanas wrote a number of fine western short stories and three novels. Leisure Books has brought together a sampling of Athanas' stories, the first such collection of a talented writer's work.

PURSUIT consists of seven stories. Six of the tales, all set in the Old West, were previously published in the 1950s. The seventh story - 'Killer at Large' - is the book's lengthiest story. Set in contemporary times, it was previously unpublished.

Make no mistake about it, there are some crackerjack stories in PURSUIT. 'Ointment for Mangas,' for example, is a gripping tale of a trapped Cavalry unit told by its lead scout, who decides on desperate and pitiless action to save his comrades. 'Day of Saint Andrew,' set in a Rocky Mountain town, is a classic and somewhat lighthearted love story of a man forced to fight to win the love of his life. 'The Pioneers' is a grim tale of a man, left for death after an Indian attack, who singleminded sets out to rescue his wife and child from his attackers.

Having never read Athanas before, I really enjoyed this book. The characters in the stories are interesting, flesh-and-blood people; the action, well-done. I was somewhat disappointed by 'Killer at Large.' It was competently done but not, in my opinion, as engaging as the other stories.

On balance though, because of the overall quality of the collection, I gave PURSUIT five stars.