Shooting an Albatross [Paperback]

Steven R. Lundin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2009

In the fast-paced, based-on-truth novel Shooting an Albatross, author Steven R. Lundin carries us into wartime Hollywood, 1943, and the highly improbable, yet true, story of the only year in the history of professional golf that an entire season was cancelled. The 170th Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army took over a golf course in Los Angeles that same year, setting the stage for a story that rivals anything found in fiction. It’s Army General versus Navy Admiral on the links. Private Evan Wilkins of McCall, Idaho is chosen to partner with the general, laying the groundwork for a story of film moguls and raging passion, distrust and competition, and a commanding officer besieged by jealousy. The story builds to a climax of friendly-fire murder. This page-turner of a story is for anyone who covets an exciting read, whether it be suspense, romance, military, or a great round of golf.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steven R. Lundin is the Marketing Director, Vice President, and co-owner of a foundation engineering company. He earned his MBA and holds actuarial enrollment with the departments of Labor and Treasury. His first short story was awarded top prize in a 2007 Authorlink® short story contest. A resident of Hillsboro, Oregon, the author recently completed his sequel to Shooting an Albatross.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing; 1st edition (June 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439228000
• ISBN-13: 978-1439228005
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,698,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lundin & Coleridge on Shooting an Albatross, June 12, 2009

By 

Love to Read (Bend, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shooting an Albatross (Paperback)

Intrigued by the word play, "shooting an albatross," I decided to quickly scan the book for potential gems. However, a few beautifully crafted paragraphs drew me into the setting, the characters and the action so that I was compelled to read every word.

This is a novel to appeal to many reading styles:
-a fast paced adventure, romance, mystery story line;
-historical and vividly descriptive narrative;
-symbolic themes and images.

********************
For me, as a fan of Coleridge, I loved the shooting an albatross symbolism and recalled lines from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" that describe the characters that tell the story:

Floyd's guest--"...He cannot chose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man..."

Floyd---"...Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung..."
"...And till my ghastly tale is told,
This heart within me burns..."

Floyd's guest--"...He went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn;
A sadder and a wiser man,
He rose the morrow morn."

********************
This is a good story, but even better if you take the time to appreciate the descriptive narrative and let your mind wander through comparable literature.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An awesome read, June 15, 2009

By 

A surprised Reader "A surprised reader" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shooting an Albatross (Paperback)

Ok, so I'm not a fiction reader, but someone recommended this book to me as a great read. I took their advice and found I couldn't put it down! The characters seem to come to life with the author's incredible way of writing. I especially like the fact (according to the author's website) that many of the details of the novel really happened -- like the US army occupying a golf course in Hollywood, CA in 1943!

You will love this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, June 11, 2009

By 

Sweet Willy (Issaquah, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shooting an Albatross (Paperback)

As one who spends most of his "reading budget" on non-fiction, I am always a little leery about throwing myself into a novel. I can't count how many books I've abandoned along the way because they simply didn't hold my interest.

Every now and then, however, the investment of time pays off. I'm not sure what element of Shooting an Albatross drew me in (I'm a golfer ... but not a golf nut, I'm enjoy military stories ... but only to a point, and I'm certainly not much of a sucker for a love-story), but somewhere along the way I got lost in the story.

For anyone looking for a smart read with some interesting twists and compelling characters, I highly recommend giving this one a try.