Billy Gashade: An American Epic (Mass Market Paperback)

by Loren D. Estleman (Author)
Key Phrases: dun mare, New York, Fort Smith, Frank James (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Young Billy Gashade is just 16 years old when the New York draft riots break out in 1863. In the course of saving a wounded policeman from one of Boss Tweed's boys, Billy ends up on the wrong side of the Boss and is forced to flee the city. As he wanders across the continent, he encounters Quantrill's Confederate guerrillas in Kansas, Frank and Jesse James, Wild Bill Hicock, Billy the Kid and General George Armstrong Custer, to name just a few. What makes Loren D. Estleman's Billy Gashade such a pleasure to read is not the historical luminaries that grace his pages but rather his hero's low-key reactions to them. Estleman combines history and fiction with a lively prose style to fashion a book that readers will be eager to recommend--if not lend--to their friends. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
YA?In this picaresque novel, a well-to-do Eastern boy of 16 is wrenched from his comfortable New York City home during the Civil War draft riots. Caught up in a mob, he is seen injuring, perhaps killing, a crony of the powerful Boss Tweed. With the approval of his judge father, the teen is provided with an assumed name, Billy Gashade, and propelled into the dubious safety of the 1860s American West. A fairly accomplished pianist, Billy is hired to play in a series of saloons. His adventures offer him a series of encounters with such legendary figures as "Wild Bill" Hickok, Jim Bridger, Billy the Kid, Calamity Jane, Crazy Horse, and a meeting with Oscar Wilde. A fast-paced, lively read.?Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (May 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812549155
• ISBN-13: 978-0812549157
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #578,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get to know the work of Loren Estleman, March 19, 1999

By	Craig Brass (Plymouth, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Back in college I took a course called Pop Culture in Society (Hey, it was spring term). Addressing the phenomenon of what he termed 'top 40 mentality' the professor offered the following, "You don't know what you like, you like what you know." Since that day I've always wondered how much is out there that I'm missing. Billy Gashade is something out there that you're missing. As fine a blending of fact and fiction as there is in literature today, Estleman continues to deliver quality work that unfortunately doesn't draw the attention of the masses. Though set primarily in the West, the stroy is far from the classic Western. If you are looking for thoughtful, and engaging story telling, breakout of the top 40 mind set and spend some time with Loren Estleman, someone you don't know, but should.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Journey of America, September 22, 2001

By	J. Jordan "Editor of Crimespree Magazine" (milwaukee, wi United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book because I love Estleman's mysteries. I thought I would try one of his non-mystery books.
I was amazed. The book takes us from one coast to the other during the time of the cival war. We see it through the eyes of a young musician on the run. Along the way we see Billy meet some famous folk of the old west, including the James Brothers, Custer, and Billy The Kid. It reads so real, that you want to check for the name Billy Gashade in history books. Estleman did his homework and it shows.A history lesson that entertains every step of the way.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Welcome Find in any Genre!, November 1, 2001

By	kregg P.J. Jorgenson (Burien, Washington United States) - See all my reviews

The western genre can usually be found on the bottom rack of the book display in most supermarkets. It seldoms rates more than a thin display at bookstores as well because, well, let's face it! it's snubbed by those who look down on 'cowboy' stories. However Loren Estleman's books and particularly Billy Gashade deserve a more prominent place in book displays and certainly more attention.
This is taleneted writing, skilled craftsmanship, and shucks buckaroos, just fine storytelling! History comes alive in this adventurous run and more than once you're going to catch yourself thumbing to the end of the book and swearing because you're running out of pages!
If you're not hooked yet then give Estleman's books a read. You will be.