Raiders!

  

Raiders! by Alan Eisenstock

Published by Thomas Dunne Books in November 2012

   

Raiders! truly is the story of the greatest fan film ever made. Years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos' Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation and I was blown away by it. While the quality of the video wasn't the greatest, what impressed me most was how this group of kids managed to pull off a (relatively) shot for shot remake of my favorite film of all time. What they lacked in props, locations and special effects, they made up for with passion and excitement that resulted in pure magic.

  

Raiders! is the behind the scenes story of how they managed to pull it off (which only took seven years). The ingenuity that went into the movie is astounding. The basement became their studio which held sets for the Well of Souls, complete with overhead entrance created by removing an old furnace and even The Raven Bar in Nepal were Indy goes to find Marion. And, yes, they even set fire to the place, just like in the movie. Unable to find a monkey, they trained their pet dog to take on the role. After a few attempts, they even managed to get a six foot boulder for the South American temple and they even filmed the entire truck chase. The only scene missing from The Adaptation is the flying wing sequence because they couldn't find anyone to let them blow up an airplane.

 

It wasn't all pleasant for everyone involved though. As the years went by, friendships were strained and tested as the kids grew up and apart from each other. The book follows the entire story from the idea's conception, through filming, editing and on up through the present day. After years of having the complete film sitting on their shelves, Steven Spielberg was finally given a copy and wrote letters to the filmmakers congratulating them on their achievement. It's all here for you to read, and aside from the opening chapters about repairing a home in post-Katrina Louisiana (this part is a real chore to get through), it's a great read. But be warned, after reading this book, you will want to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation, but it's not commercially available anywhere.

  

Bond On Bond

  

Bond On Bond by Roger Moore

Published by Lyons Press in 2012

 

When this book was announced, I was somewhat interested as I have Roger Moore’s previous book sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. The following description was released, “The Bond movies remain the longest continually running film series in movie history, and 2012 marks its fiftieth anniversary. To celebrate these films and their cultural heritage, Roger Moore has written a book that features all the Bond movies, along with a wonderfully witty account of his own involvement in them. From the girls to the villains, the cocktails to the cars, and gadgets to the locations and everything else, this beautiful book is illustrated with hundreds of iconic images from all the films plus many previously unseen photos from Moore’s personal collection. This is the ultimate James Bond book, written by the ultimate insider, with all the affection and good humor we’ve come to expect from Roger Moore” and I knew that I needed to read this book.  It sounded like a good time with Sir Roger Moore giving his opinions on all things Bond. Sounds fun, right?

  

And I imagine it would be, but this book does not deliver in this regard. The book is broken down with chapters devoted to the villains, the girls, the gadgets, the cars, the locations, etc. The first seven chapters are merely Roger Moore telling us the same things that have been told in many books and documentaries over the years.  We learn about how Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli first created Bond, we learn about Sean Connery being cast and we read about the villains, girls, gadgets, cars, etc. that appeared in each film; but not Moore’s opinions on these things. He throws in some one-liners (some are cringe inducing) and anecdotes along the way, but most of these are merely re-hashes of things we've heard before. 

  

The next three chapters entitled “Bond On Bonds”, “Bond Behind the Scenes” and “Bond On Screen” are the best three chapters in the entire book because here the book delivers. We get Roger Moore’s opinions on each of the actors who have played 007 and some interesting behind the scenes stories on the making of the films. It’s also nice to read a little about the rival Bond film Never Say Never Again and its release the same year as Moore’s Octopussy – I just wish it was more in depth. The final chapter, while featuring some nice poster artwork, feels like it was just added on for filler as it’s merely a listing of the filmmakers, budgets and box office receipts for each film.  The book is nicely put together and features many photos, some of which I hadn’t seen before.

  

But I have to call out Sir Roger on one thing. He goes on to describe the first time a wet bike is used on screen and delivers some behind the scenes details very nicely, but it’s in The Spy Who Love Me and not For Your Eyes Only.  You were in both those movies, so surely you shouldn’t have made that mistake.  Don’t get me wrong, the book is well written and it’s a quick and enjoyable read, but there’s not much new here for the avid Bond fan. Ultimately, this book by the ultimate insider is not the ultimate James Bond book.
  

I Am Dracula

    

I Am Dracula by C. Dean Andersson

Published by Zebra Books in October 1993

  

I have enjoyed the character of Dracula ever since I was a wee lad and saw Bela Lugosi appear as the undead count one Halloween season. I was also a big fan of the In Search Of series hosted by Leonard Nimoy and remember being fascinated by the Dracula episode and learning of Vlad Tepes for the first time. Needless to say I've read a few books and watched many more documentaries on the historical figure over the ensuing decades. Having an interest in both the fictional character and the historical figure, I'm rather demanding when it comes to mixing the two together; even in fiction.  If I'm reading a historical fiction book about Vlad the Impaler, I don't take kindly to the idea of him turning into a vampire. On the other hand, if the story is about Bram Stoker's creation and it mixes in the historical figure, then this can be quite entertaining, such as in C. Dean Andersson's I Am Dracula.

    

Reminiscent of Bram Stoker’s novel, I Am Dracula is written as if you were reading a book that was penned by Dracula himself. The story opens with four year old Vlad learning a deadly secret: he is told by his servant that she is actually his mother. His father, who has forbidden this secret to be revealed, finds out and has her executed for practicing witchcraft. Vlad is made to watch and holds his mother’s gaze as she is burned alive. Time goes on and young Vlad Dracula has a vision of a young gypsy girl whose name is Tzigane and she proclaims that one day they will marry.  This dream stays with Vlad as the story follows the historical Vlad Tepes as he and his brother, Radu, are given to the Turkish Sultan Mehmet II as hostages for their father’s betrayal. It is here, as it was for the historical figure, that Vlad is shaped into becoming the man of legend.

 

When history has sufficiently unfolded, Mehmet sends Vlad back to Wallachia to be his puppet on the throne; history has taught us the consequences of that decision. It is here in the novel that the fictional character’s story takes over. Shorty after his return to Targoviste, Vlad has the remains of his father and older brother, who were killed by their fellow nobles, found and interred in the family crypt. They prove to be vampires and are about to feed on Vlad when Tzigane appears and wards them off. She convinces him to meet her the following night at her cabin in the woods – she would enchant Vlad’s horse and it would take him to her if he came alone.

 

Vlad and Tzigane meet and the gypsy witch explains that he is to be Satan’s king on Earth and her his queen. Some time is spent in convincing him that Satan is not the evil one and that the false God of light is not all that he appears to be. They fall deeply in love and Tzigane begins to train Vlad in the ways of the occult in preparation for his role as king. Before that can come about, certain prophecies must be met. With Tzigane’s superior powers, she is able to help Vlad fulfill these prophecies – although he still struggles with the idea of Satan not being evil.

 

Vlad Dracula loses his throne, as did the historical figure, but here Vlad and Tzigane go to a secret coven of the undead where she becomes a vampire to help further Vlad’s occult powers and knowledge. He is at first repulsed by the very idea of the undead, but their love carries them through that obstacle and guides him to accept his destiny and become Satan’s Earthly king.

  

After years of training, the time has come for Vlad to once again return to the world of the living and finish fulfilling the prophecies by becoming a hero in his land and reclaiming his throne. The story then tells some more of the exploits of the historical figure until all the prophecies are fulfilled and Vlad has decided to join Tzigane in undeath as a vampire himself.

 

This he does, meets with Satan and learns many more occult secrets, including the ability to freely walk in the daylight; something that Tzigane has missed so very much. With Satan’s permission, he shares this knowledge with her and they spend the next day in the sunlight. On their return to the castle, Satan betrays them and gives Tzigane to the false God of light where she is to suffer an eternity of torture. Enraged, Dracula vows to destroy Satan and rescue his beloved. It’s not that easy though, as Satan used his powers and erased the memory of Tzigane from everyone’s mind, including Dracula’s. It takes him a year to remember her and in that time the legend that we know as Dracula is born.

  

Needless to say, Satan is outraged and so imprisons Dracula, who eventually manages to escape. It is here that he meets another witch, this one is not a follower of Satan or God, but Mother Earth. She helps Dracula regain his powers and remember his past lives which explains Satan's jealousy of Dracula and Tzigane's love. There's an interesting passage where it is said that they both have lived many different lives throughout the ages and have loved each other in all of them. It is also implied that one of Dracula's past lives was that of Jesus Christ! With the help of Mother Earth, they take the battle to Satan and the false God and are able to rescue Tzigane. Dracula nurses her back to life and they live together through the centuries...

   

The book turned out to be more of a love story than what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed I Am Dracula. It's an easy read and quite the page turner. I've read online that some people don't take kindly to this book and it's pagan/religious beliefs. I don't anything about that really, and just went along for the ride. And what a ride! The book kept my interest all the way through and I really wanted Dracula to rescue Tzigane before the end.  It's a little light on the historical Vlad the Impaler, but still a good read nonetheless.

  

  

The Spy in Bangkok

The Spy in Bangkok by Bill S. Ballinger

Published by Signet in December 1965 (1st Printing)

  

I began this book without having read any of the other books in the series and was immediately drawn into the story of CIA Agent Joaquin Hawks. The story starts out with Hawks in a prison cell on an island somewhere in Southeast Asia. He was captured when he was washed off his ship during a storm and is awaiting to be executed for spying. I was immediately hooked with this opening chapter, but I am curious if the events preceding his capture were told in the previous book.

  

Hawks is rescued by his contact, Dak, at the last moment and they make their escape. They head on over to Bangkok and the main plot begins. Hawks has been investigating an American by the name of Turlock and his yacht, the Santanya, is currently anchored in the harbor. Turlock is our main villain and he's a weapons dealer who made his fortune buying up war surplus at the end of World War II. Somehow, he's managed to get a hold of some nuclear warheads and it's Hawks mission to not let them fall into enemy hands.

   

Disguising himself as a Mexican guitar player, Hawks gets a job at the local nightclub where Turlock has been frequenting. He also gets mixed up with the beautiful dancer who works at the club. Hawks ingratiates himself with Theda Ray (punny isn't it?), Turlock's main squeeze, and is hired to perform on the Santanya for a dinner party. While on board, he discovers an antique cannon mould which was recently stolen from a local museum.

   

Reaching shore, after being caught by one of Turlock's goons, Hawks heads back to the dancer's pad to pick up his gear, but gets into a spot of trouble when her ex-lover shows up with the local police who don't act too kindly towards him. After some fisticuffs, Hawks manages to elude the police, but has lost precious time. The Santanya has already left port which means Dak and his men have followed orders and are tailing the ship, leaving Hawks stranded in Bangkok.

   

A few days later, Hawks reaches Sawan and meets up with Dak and Turlock. A Chinese Junk has been seen quite a bit in the area and has unloaded a series of crates that were delivered to the local mine, which just so happens to be owned by Turlock. Sneaking around the island, Hawks busts into the abandoned mine shaft were the delivery was sent to find the nuclear missiles and several large blocks of solid gold.

   

They tail the Santanya again and watch as they dive overboard and do some underwater work in a remote area down the coast in the Gulf of Siam. When Turlock leaves for the day, Hawks takes a look where they were diving to discover an old shipwreck and Turlock's plan is made clear. He plans to melt the gold down and make cannons out of it with the mould. He'll then paint them up, add some concretions and "salvage" them from the wreck. What better way to smuggle gold back into the United States?

   

A new plan is formed with a corrupt local official who doesn't quite follow Hawks' plan and the whole thing almost goes sour. But they manage to attack the Santanya while the salvage operation is under way, but before Agent Hawks arrives, Turlock, his goons and the corrupt local are killed. He manages to save Theda from the pirates and they head back to port where, during the night, he plants three bombs on the Chinese Junk while the warheads are being loaded. They follow at a safe distance and sink the ship somewhere in the South China Sea. Mission Accomplished.

    

Bill S. Ballinger wrote a total of five Joaquin Hawks adventures, The Spy in Bangkok being the third in the series. I don't regret reading this one, but there were a few things that I didn't care for. The most damning of them being not having a compelling villain. Let's face it, this book, like most of these spy adventures, are trying to cash in on the Bond craze of the sixties; and having such a weak villain just doesn't work for me. I mean he's hardly in the story at all and does not come off as much of a threat. Turlock is forgettable and he's even killed off-page by a minor character. While not bad, but I don't know if I'll be seeking out any of the other books in the series.

     

Edge: Ten Grand

Edge #2: Ten Grand by George G. Gilman

Published by Pinnacle Books in July 1975 (7th printing)

Our story opens, I assume, after the events of the first book in the series. Edge has been hired as the sheriff of Peaceville after the previous one was killed. While the town is sleeping, El Matador and his band of cutthroat Mexican banditos ride into town and rob the bank. Before Edge can fully awaken, the bandits burst into his office and hold him at gunpoint. After finding and taking his hidden stash of money, they take him as a hostage in order to escape the town.

It's not long before the situation deteriorates and he is left for dead in the middle of the desert. He soon would be dead too, if his quick actions didn't save him from the strike of a deadly rattlesnake. After making his way back to the town, he is warned by Gail, his horizontal refreshment in Peaceville, that two territorial marshals are waiting to arrest him for the $100 bounty on his head. She takes him aside, binds his wound, gives him his gear and her horse before he quickly throws her away.

Edge sets off on the road to Mexico to track down El Matador and get his money back. Along the way, he runs into a band of three of bounty hunters. They try to capture him and he quickly kills the two men, but spares the woman; at least for a while. Although her looks leave much to be desired he does enjoy beating her up every now and again. She also proves useful when the two marshals catch up to him - he pushes her off a cliff to lure them out to their deaths.

We catch back up with El Matador who enters another town where he and his men proceed to rape the pretty women and kill everyone else. Everyone except an old man who remained hidden in the hay loft of a barn who watched the whole scene unfold. The bandits leave and while the old man is sleeping among the bodies, Edge comes across El Matador's trail.

Edge forces the old man to take him to the bandits hiding spot, which he does. Unfortunately, the Mexican Army is already there waiting to capture El Matador and his gang.  Beleiveing that Edge and the old man are bandits, they are taken prisoner.  It is here that we learn that the old man knows the way to a hidden stash of ten thousand American dollars. El Matador now decides to show up and unwittingly rescues them. Using the ten thousand dollars, the old man is able to buy his life, at least for a while.   In a plot point taken out of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Edge tells the bandit leader that the old man knows the town the money is hidden in, but only he knows the location.

They all set off in search of the gold. The bandits get restless and decide to torture the old man to get the name of the town from him. He remains resolute and secretly gives the information to Edge which doesn't sit well with them. He finds himself in a knife fight; a knife fight in which he appears to be unarmed. Luckily he has a hidden straight razor which he uses to finish El Matador and make his escape. The bandits are too busy fighting over the money from the bank robbery to put up any kind of pursuit.

Edge heads straight to the town to find the ten thousand dollars but picks up two more partners along the way; one of them is also the only other living person who knows about the hidden stash. Using the old man's ring, which tells the way to the money, they enter the El Serpiente brothel. Events unfold and Edge gets too carried away with finding the money and is caught unawares. A shootout ensues, his "partners" are gunned down, a fire breaks out and the only thing left is a single five dollar bill as a group of rats has used the rest of the money in the building of their nest.

Edge: Ten Grand is the second book in "a violent new series" written by George G. Gilman and the first one that I've read. It was very hard to like the main character, especially with the way he treated the ladies in this story; but, by the end, I was rooting for him. The book has a certain spaghetti western flavor about it, which I really enjoyed.  Edge is a half-breed Mexican/American and I kept picturing Tomas Milian in the role.  The book was being advertised as a "violent new series" and the first page contains this warning "this story is not for the faint-hearted reader." While some of the violence and rapes are sometimes graphic, it's nothing shocking for today's reader. There is even a touch of James Bond added to the mix as Edge is constantly delivering pithy one-liners, which did get rather tiresome after a while. The Edge series proved to be rather popular and ran for a total of 61 books. I will certainly be picking up more when I come across them.

   

Quantum Leap: Independence

Quantum Leap: Independence by John Peel

Published by Boulevard Books in August 1996

Dr. Samuel Beckett finds himself leaping into Samuel Beckett, and into trouble, on the eve of the Revolutionary War. The plot revolves around Sam and Al trying to figure out what they need to put right without changing the outcome of the revolution. This normally wouldn't be so hard, but the Sam Beckett from 1776 isn't cooperating for fear of a British trap, and to top it off, access to him has also been restricted for fear of contaminating the timeline.

 

Sam finds himself being forced to join the Committee of Safety, which is basically a group of overzealous patriots who bully Tories that they have a personal grudge against. From the minute Sam begins his mission, he is in trouble as several members of the Committee are out to frame him as a traitor; which is made easy when he saves the life of a man the Committee has decided to run out of town, quits the Committee with his friend Isaiah, and is seen meeting with a known British spy - it just happens that he's actually a double agent for the patriot cause.

With a little trial and error, it is determined that Sam is here to save Isaiah's live during the Battle of Brooklyn. The task would normally be challenging, but it's made even harder when he's captured and beaten by the Committee while his wife, Hannah, is shot trying to help him. Some derring-do, and a little help from Al, sees Sam escape, get Samuel Beckett's wife and son to safety and rescue Isaiah. To confound matters a little more, Sam is strongly attracted to Hannah and he has the moral obligation to not act on it.  It later turns out that she is the spitting image of his own wife, who he can't remember with his swiss-cheesed mind.

While this is the first Quantum Leap book that I've read, I'm no stranger to the series; and I think that a knowledge of the show is a requirement for the enjoyment of the book. Some story points and characters are not explained very well and relies on the assumption that if you're reading this book then you already know all about the story points from the television show. While I quite enjoy the show and the time period, it goes without saying that I enjoyed this book. I found the feeling of the show is captured quite well within the pages of the book. Quantum Leap: Independence delivers a fun adventure story with a few added touches from the series that enhances the human drama - the loneliness of being "trapped in the past, leaping from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home."
     

Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear

Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear by Gabriel Hunt

Published by Leisure Books in 2009

This is the second of six books in the adventures of Gabriel Hunt series. Each book was written by a different author using the name of the main character of the series. From the cover image alone, you know you're in for a pulp hero type of adventure along the lines of Indiana Jones; and that's just what I was looking for. Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear was written by Charles Ardai, the same man who came up with the idea for the Hard Case Crime series.

Gabriel Hunt is the oldest son of two famous authors who mysteriously vanished in the Mediterranean. Using the Hunt's substantial fortune, Michael, the younger son, runs the Hunt Foundation which bankrolls archaeological expeditions for legendary artifacts.

 

Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear begins with Gabriel Hunt rescuing a lovely damsel in distress named Sheba from the clutches of our villain Lajos DeGroet, a very wealthy Hungarian antiquities collector and Olympic fencing medalist. He brings her back to New York, but before they can determine why DeGroet is interested in her, she is kidnapped once again. After a car chase through the streets of New York, Gabriel manages to sneak on board the villain's plane by hiding in a crate. The plane lands in Egypt and they are taken to the Sphinx where DeGroet opens a hidden chamber in the Sphinx's left paw. Since Sheba is an authority on ancient linguistics, she has been brought in to decipher the inscriptions hidden within the chamber.

  

Dressing in the traditional Arab desert gear, Gabriel manages to disguise himself as one of the diggers and follows them into the Sphinx. After witnessing a deadly booby trap, which is quite reminiscent of the Breath of God from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Gabriel is chosen to try to go in next, and is found out. With Sheba's help he is able to work out the way through the trap and makes it into the inner sanctum where he discovers an ancient coin and a map showing the way to Greece.

After a brief fight, Gabriel Hunt and Sheba escape DeGroet and his thugs and it's off to Greece where our heroes get into (and out of) several fights and meet an old bard who is a direct descendant of Homer. More importantly, the bard tells them of the Greek influence on the Egyptian Sphinx, the ancient legends of the Sphinxs and he shows them an ancient temple which holds another coin and a second map pointing the way to the Cradle of Fear in Sri Lanka. It turns out one of these legends tells of some terrible weapon that freezes it's victims with fear.

Next, it's off to Sri Lanka, by way of Istanbul where Hunt meets up with his long, lost sister who just so happens to be an ace computer hacker. She rigs up some kind of tracking device that homes in on DeGroet's cell phone and the race is on to the Cradle of Fear. Hunt and Sheba arrive in Sri Lanka shorty before DeGroet and are captured once again. Another secret chamber and a few booby traps later, Gabriel Hunt has thwarted DeGroet's plans and came face to face with the last living sphinx whose riddle he must solve to save mankind from annihilation.

All in all, this series seems to be shaping up nicely; it's a shame there didn't seem to be enough interest to keep the series going (although I've only read the first two books - so far). While not quite as good as some of the better Indiana Jones novels, Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear is a solid, action-packed pulp adventure - some fun summer reading.

  

Vietnam: Ground Zero

Vietnam: Ground Zero by Eric Helm

Published by Gold Eagle in August 1986

Vietnam: Ground Zero is the first book in a twenty plus book series written by Eric Helm, which is the pen name of two Vietnam veterans. This book takes some ideas directly from Apocalypse Now and expands upon it. In the movie, Willard is being briefed by Harrison Ford and a general we are told "Now he's crossed into Cambodia with his Montagnard army of his... Colonel Kurtz was about to be arrested for murder... Kurtz had ordered the execution of some Vietnamese intelligence agents. Men he believed to be double agents. So he took matters into his own hands." Willard would later read that "they were going to nail his ass to the floorboards for that one. But after the press got a hold of it, they promoted him to full colonel instead." Later when Willard is reading Kurtz's dossier, we learn that in "late summer, autumn 1968. Kurtz's patrol in the highlands is coming under frequent ambush... November. Kurtz orders assassination of three Vietnamese men and one woman... Enemy activity in his old sector dropped off to nothing. Guess he must have hit the right four people."

Vietnam: Ground Zero begins with an ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam - South Vietnamese) unit being ambushed and decimated while on patrol near US Camp A-555. Our men get assigned the task of finding out what happened to them. A patrol leaves the camp and discovers that they have all been killed, but they decide to track the ambushers. It's decided that they are heading towards the Cambodian border and is probably only traveling at night through the jungle, avoiding the rice paddies. Our troops head directly to the border and setup an ambush. They manage to catch the enemy by surprise, but are unable to stop them all from going into Cambodia and escaping. One of the enemy soldiers is wearing the uniform of the Red Chinese; and it's not the first time that he has been spotted.

Back at the firebase, the men brief their CO and they get the idea of taking out the Chinese officer. He heads to MACV headquarters, and talks to his CIA contact who basically gives him the green light to take a squad into Cambodia to assassinate the Chinese officer, just as long as they don't get caught. It's while he's away from the base that he meets up with a female reporter who was given the proper authorization and cooperation to go to Camp A-555 from General Crinshaw, who just so happens has a grudge against the men at the base.

The squad is assembled and it sneaks into Cambodia and eliminates the Chinese officer with extreme prejudice. When they return, General Crinshaw has somehow learned of the mission and is there to arrest the man who led the mission and the man who actually took the shot. Now our guys have to figure out how the general found out and, more importantly, how to get the two men out of jail. Needless to say, the CIA have no knowledge of the mission and will not be of any help. We do find out how the general learned of the mission and it turns out the man is a double agent for the Viet Cong - who takes his own life after he testifies against our troops at the trial.

  

It's decided that the only way to clear our men is to head back into Cambodia and, with the help of the reporter, take photos of the Chinese involvement with the North Vietnamese. A second patrol sets out to get those photographs, but they run into an enemy patrol near the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Luckily for them, one of the men is a Chinese officer and they are able to capture him. With the threat of going public with the story, General Crinshaw agrees to drop the charges and make the whole thing go away as if it never happened.

 

Carpathian Castle

Another purchase from last years' Book Fair that I finally just got around to reading. For those that are interested, the 2012 Printer's Row Book Fair will be held on June 9th and 10th. James Bond author Raymond Benson will be attending as well.

Carpathian Castle by Jules Verne

Published by Ace Books in 1963

A traveling merchant stops by a small village in the Carpathian Mountains and sells a telescope to a shepherd, in fact, it's the first telescope that anyone in town has ever seen. The village is situated close to an old castle that once belonged to Baron Rodolphe de Gortz, who hasn't been seen for the past twenty years. Enjoying the new telescope, Frik, the shepherd, begins to study the mysterious castle when he notices smoke coming from the castle's keep. Believing that evil spirits are living in the castle, Frik heads back to the village to confer with the towns people on what he has seen. They meet in the village inn where it is decided that Nic Deck, the forester, and Dr. Patak will hike to the castle and find out what is going on. It is then that a mysterious voice warns them not to enter the castle. A search is made of the entire building, but no one is found.

Nic Deck and Dr. Patak, reluctantly I may add, leave early in the morning for the Carpathian castle. The way is treacherous and they don't reach the castle until after nightfall. The drawbridge is up so they are forced to camp outside. Time passes and the castle lights up with an unholy light and the bell in the chapel tower rings frantically until it suddenly stops and it is dark and silent once more.

When morning comes, Nic is determined to enter the castle and searches for a way inside. Seeing none, they go down into the moat and Nic begins to climb the drawbridge chain. Dr. Patak wants to run away, but he is stuck in place as if he is caught in some kind of trap. Nic grabs begins to climb when he is suddenly shocked, looses his grip on the chain and falls to the bottom of the moat, unconscious.  Another day passes and a group of men from the village set out to find Nic and Dr. Patak. They don't make it far when they find the pair making their way back.

While Nic is recovering, a two strangers come to town, Count Franz de Télek and his servant. The count takes a passing interest in the goings on at the castle and tries to convince the townsfolk that it is more likely that a band of brigands has taken up residence in the castle and is using local superstition to keep them all away. That is, until he finds out the castle belongs to Baron de Gortz. For Count de Télek knows that de Gortz is alive and holds him partially responsible for the death of his beloved La Stilla.

The Count stays at the village a few days and then sets out for the castle, unbeknownst to the villagers. Upon his arrival, he sends his servant on to the next town to await his arrival or to fetch the police and come to his rescue. de Télek sees La Stilla on the battlements and believes that she has been kept prisoner by de Gortz for the past five years. He must rescue her at all costs. Finding the drawbridge down, the Count enters the castle. He is so enthralled with his mission, he takes no notice that the gate is shut after his entrance. After being locked in the crypt, Count de Télek escapes and finds his way to de Gortz's private chamber where he hears La Stilla singing. He is prepared to strike de Gortz down and rescue his beloved until he sees her, he drops his weapon and is entranced by her - but it's not her. It's only an illusion created with mirrors which the Baron smashes causing the Count to faint.

de Gortz grabs a mysterious box and runs out of his chamber just as the police arrive. A stray shot destroys the mysterious box, de Gortz blows up the castle and himself with it. It is then that the story sheds its inspiration from Stoker and Leroux and becomes purely Verne as all the supernatural elements are explained away as scientific inventions.

 

Sharpe's Enemy

Sharpe's Enemy is chronologically, the fifteenth book in the Sharpe's series by Bernard Cornwell. It was first published in 1984, making this the fifth book that Cornwell wrote in the series. It has to be said that Bernard Cornwell is one of my favorite authors and he doesn't disappoint here.

  

For those that aren't familiar with the character, Richard Sharpe is a soldier in the Peninsular War and is promoted from the ranks after he saves Lord Wellington's life on the battlefield. The stories follow Sharpe, his friends and his enemies through the war.

   

Sharpe's Enemy by Bernard Cornwell

Published by Harper Collins in 1994

   

Sharpe's Enemy begins in December of 1812 when a ragtag army of deserters from the British, French, Spanish and Portuguese take over a small Spanish town, raping and pillaging it during a holy day. Two women who were visiting the old convent are captured and spared the indignities of Pot-au-Feu's men - which includes the most odious Obediah Hakeswill.  Lady Farthingdale and Madame Dubreton are taken prisoner and will be held for ransom. To make matters worse, the survivors of the massacre are saying that the British are responsible, making the shaky alliance with Spain all more shakier.

The task falls to the newly promoted Major Sharpe to deliver the ransom money and retrieve Lady Farthingdale, the wife of Sir Augustus Farthingdale. Sharpe and his good friend Patrick Harper travel to the town where they meet French Colonel Dubreton who has come to pay the ransom on his wife. They gold is taken, but they are not allowed to have the women. Further ransom is demanded and the heroes leave, heading back to their own lines.

Major Sharpe is then given command of a small force to rescue the hostages on Christmas Eve; which he does, capturing Pot-au-Feu in the process, but the slippery Hakeswill escapes. Lady Farthingdale isn't all she appears to be as she is really Josefina, someone who Sharpe is intimately familiar with.  Lord Farthingdale arrives in the morning with the main force to clean up the rest of the deserters from the adjoining castle. Hakeswill is eventually caught, stripped and thrown into the castle's dungeon with the remainder of the deserters.

The French arrive after the battle has been won and pleasantries are exchanged. The French are adamant that the British leave in the morning. They have been sent to destroy the castle and they intend to do it, even if the British are there. Seeing himself up against an insurmountable force, Sir Augustus agrees to the French demands; which doesn't sit well with Sharpe. Sharpe's wife, Teresa, who is fighting with the Spanish partisans arrives to wish her husband a merry Christmas. He sends her to get reinforcements as he intends to hold the castle as something doesn't seem right the story the French have told them.

After effectively blackmailing Sir Augustus with the knowledge of who is "wife" really is, Lord Farthingdale agrees to head back to the British lines, leaving Sharpe in command. The French are amassing troops to occupy the castle and invade Portugal in an effort to drive the British forces out of Spain. Under the expert command of Major Richard Sharpe, the British are able to hold the castle until reinforcements arrive and thwart the French plan. During the battle, Hakeswill is able to escape yet again, this time killing Sharpe's wife in the process and then surrendering to the French.

Colonel Dubreton witnessed the death and returns Hakeswill to Sharpe. Lord Wellington praises Sharpe for his actions and offers his condolences on the loss of his wife. Colonel Hogan, Harper and a few of Sharpe's friends get him drunk to help get him on the road to recovery. Obediah Hakeswill is executed by firing squad for desertion and the final bullet is fired by Sharpe himself, thus ends the life of Sharpe's Enemy.

 

The Man From O.R.G.Y.

While perusing the wares of the various vendors at the Printer's Row Book Fair last year, I stumbled across the Man From O.R.G.Y. books written by Ted Mark. Judging by the cover, which used the poster artwork for the Eurospy flick Dick Smart 2.007, I assumed these would be a more risque James Bond spoof, so I purchased the first two books in the series. Well, I finally got around to reading the first one, The Man From O.R.G.Y., and it's not what I expected at all.

From some cursory internet research, it appears that during the heyday of the Bond Phenomenon in 1965, Lancer Books began publishing this series starring Steve Victor who isn't really a secret agent. There were a total of fifteen books in the series which ran up until 1981. The Man From O.R.G.Y. also paved the way for a whole slew of other Bond spoof series.

The Man From O.R.G.Y. by Ted Mark

Published by Lancer Books in April 1968 (Fourteenth Printing)

The story begins with Steve Victor explaining that he is an expert in sex and has a Ph.D to prove it. He set up O.R.G.Y., the Organization for the Rational Guidance of Youth, as a way to receive grants to support his lifestyle. He is walking around the red light district in Damascus and hears a woman scream. He comes to the rescue of a beautiful woman who has run away from a Shiekh Taj-ed el Atassi's  harem. Unfortunately for Steve, the three men intent on raping the young woman are too much to for him to handle. Luckily, the police arrive, the thugs run off and Steve and Teska are brought to the police station.

And here is where our story really gets under way. The local police question Steve and hand him over to the American embassy where he is recruited by the mysterious Charles Putnam to find Anna Kirkov, the daughter of a Russian nuclear scientist. To do so, it will appear that he is a defector working with the Russians. Anna was last seen at the Shiekh's harem. 

I'm sure you can see where this is going. Steve agrees, beds Teska (multiple times) and she agrees to get him into the harem and befriend the Shiekh. Steve finds himself traveling to the seedy areas of Baghdad, Kabul, Calcutta, Vietnam and Tokyo.  Along the way he finds himself enjoying some horizontal refreshment from two or three more women, watching a lesbian sex show, refusing oral stimulation from a Chinese boy, being captured by and escaping from the CIA, being captured by and escaping from British Intelligence, being captured by and conning the Russians, avoiding the Red Chinese, being captured by and conning Shiekh Taj-ed el Atassi and finally being captured by the man who kidnapped Anna Kirkov, Moustafa Ben Narouz.

The ending was not really what I expected. Needless to say, Steve Victor killed the bad guy and saved the girl. Miss Kirkov, who was kidnapped by Ben Narouz so the Red Chinese could get Russia's nuclear secrets, is handed back over to the Russians. The Russians believe that she is a defector and she can't expect any help from her father, the well respected party member, because he has defected to the Red Chinese. It's a rather good cold war twist. But Mr. Victor's conquests are not complete because he doesn't get to bed the sexy British Intelligence agent who caught him earlier, so what does he do? Why go to a brothel, of course.

  

The book contains quite a few sexual situations including one particularly nasty rape scene when Ben Narouz has Anna Kirkov gang raped by four Chinese thugs and a dog in his attempt to convince a woman to give herself to him freely. I found that scene quite distasteful, to say the least. Some of Steve's sordid encounters are written in a way to appear somewhat sophisticated by making reference to the Kama Sutra and the sexual practices of other cultures.  There was one clever bit where the villain reveals that the Gulf of Tonkin crisis is his doing in order for their ship to make port in South Vietnam without being detected by the Americans.

I haven't decided if I liked this book or not.  I wasn't offended and it was a somewhat enjoyable read, for the most part. I'll eventually read the second book, but it's not a high priority.

 

Spaghetti Westerns

Spaghetti Westerns was published by Kamera Books back in 2010 and was written by Howard Hughes; no, not that Howard Hughes. The book contains an overview of the genre, a reference section for further reading, and a listing of what films movies and soundtracks have been released; but the bulk of the book is a collection of reviews of what Mr. Hughes call the best thirty-four spaghetti westerns.

The book starts out very well with a twenty-five page overview of the spaghetti western genre. This section is very informative and quite a good read. The next few sections are devoted to the movies themselves. I really like how this section was laid out. A short synopsis of the film is given followed by a page or two of background information about the film. Mr. Hughes goes into some behind the scenes information on each of the films covered and it's in this section that I found the most enjoyment. Finally, the author gives his opinion on the movie being covered. The final section of the book is the reference section which gives a listing of spaghetti western books for further reading, which movies have been released on DVD (as of the printing date of 2010), a brief listing on soundtracks and links to websites about spaghetti westerns.

For the most part, I found the film synopses to be accurate, except in a few instances where I wondered if we had watched the same movie. I also tend to agree with a lot of the author's opinions on the movies themselves, except for his harshness towards Duck You Sucker and his enjoyment for the comedy westerns sub-genre. A few of these films are covered in the book and my sentiments are quite the polar opposite of the author's, but that's to be expected in any collection of reviews. On occasion, when referring to other films in the book, the author will sometimes use an alternate title rather than the one most commonly used.

Would I recommend this book? Perhaps. If you're already a fan of the genre and have read any lengthy volumes on the subject, I would probably skip this one. However, if you're brand new to spaghetti westerns and wondering which films may be worth tracking down, then this might be for you. The only other negative aspect of this book is the steep price. The MSRP is £12.99, which is about $21 - rather pricey for a short 160 page book. If anyone is interested in picking this up for your own library, the Amazon Marketplace has used copies for as low as $1.72 plus shipping (as of this writing).

If anyone was wondering, here is a listing of what Howard Hughes calls the 34 Best Spaghetti Westerns:  

A Fistful of Dollars

One Silver Dollar

Seven Guns for the MacGregors

A Pistol For Ringo

For A Few Dollars More

The Return of Ringo

Django

The Hills Run Red

Navajo Joe

A Stranger in Town

A Bullet for the General

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Hellbenders

The Big Gundown

Django Kill: If You Live, Shoot!

Death Rides A Horse

Face To Face

The Big Silence

Day of Anger

Cemetery Without Crosses

Once Upon A Time in the West

Today It's Me... Tomorrow You

A Professional Gun

The Price of Power

Sabata

Adios Sabata

Companeros

A Man Called Sledge

They Call Me Trinity

Blindman

Duck You Sucker

Trinity Is Still My Name

My Name Is Nobody

Keoma