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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.52
EAN num: 9780803280489
ISBN number: 0803280483
Label: Bison Books
Manufacturer: Bison Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 606
Printing Date: July 01, 2006
Publishing house: Bison Books
Sale Popularity Level: 431294
Studio: Bison Books
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Product Description:
Master of driving pace, exotic setting, and complex plotting, Harold Lamb was one of Robert E. Howard’s favorite writers. Here at last is every pulse-pounding, action-packed story of Lamb’s greatest hero, the wolf of the steppes, Khlit the Cossack. Journey now with the unsung grandfather of sword and sorcery in search of ancient tombs, gleaming treasure, and thrilling landscapes. Match wits with deadly swordsmen, scheming priests, and evil cults. Rescue lovely damsels, ride with bold comrades, and hazard everything on your brains and skill and a little luck.
Wolf of the Steppes is the very first of a four-volume set that collects, for the very first time, the complete Cossack stories of Harold Lamb and presents them in order: every adventure of Khlit the Cossack and those of his friends, allies, and fellow Cossacks, many of which have never before appeared between book covers. Compiled and edited by the Harold Lamb scholar Howard Andrew Jones, each volume features never-before reprinted essays Lamb wrote about his stories, informative introductions by popular authors, and a wealth of rare, exciting, swashbuckling fiction.
In this very first volume, Khlit infiltrates a hidden fortress of assassins, tracks down the tomb of Genghis Khan, flees the vengeance of a dead emperor, leads the Mongol horde against impossible odds, accompanies the stunning Mogul queen safely through the land of her enemies, and much more. This is the stuff of grand adventure, from the pen of an American Dumas.
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Rated by buyers -
Among the ranks of forgotten pulp authors, Harold Lamb's obscurity is one of the strangest enigmas. Imagine if you only knew Robert E. Howard or H. P. Lovecraft from a few hints of having been significant once, or inspiring later authors, and their works were unavailable in print. This is pretty much the situation with Lamb, and it is hopeful that this book and its four companions will remedy it.
Because, in fact, Lamb is a master of the genre, easily the equal of REH, HPL and other pioneers of fantastic fiction. The main character, Khlit, a veteran Cossack on the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, is just as iconic as Conan the Barbarian, Ffahrd and the Grey Mouser or Cugel the Clever. His gruffness, practicality, and sharp wit despite being completely illiterate, makes him an appealing protagonist. In turn, his foes, Tatar Khans, schemers of the Chinese court and masters of secret cults and societies, are classic pulp villain material without indulging in base stereotypes. The pacing, including the trademark twist at the end (where I usually cried out "Of course!"), is exemplary. Finally, the locations where the stories take place are well chosen: exotic to modern readers, and presented fantastically, yet with a sharp eye to historical detail and accuracy as well. Lamb's deep knowledge of Asian cultures and customs is remarkable, and he can weave it into his plots without looking intrusive or forced.
It is hopeful that these four volumes will pave the way before more collections and reprints, and that they will introduce many more people to Lamb's excellent works. As someone who had known subsequent to nothing about them even a few months ago, and only discovered the author when he was mentioned alongside Talbot Mundy on a message board, I definitely recommend them to anyone with an interest in great adventure stories. The editor, Howard Andrew Jones, is to be commended for his efforts in making this happen - and the cover illustrator as well for providing four elegant, moody illustrations to adorn them.
Rated by buyers -
If, like me, you've hunted for Harold Lamb's stories dispersed in old and rare magazines and books long out of print and despaired that you would ever have them all - you will be grateful to Howard Jones for collecting and editing them. I am, even more so because I got to know Howard towards the end of this enterprise and got a glimpse of how huge and intricate his job was.
If you've ever dreamed of adventures in a world younger than ours, where bravery and cunning count for something and danger or treasure could wait around the subsequent bend of the road - these stories are for you.
If you've ever wished for tales that would let you breathe the sharp air of the Hindukush range, feel the burning sun of the deserts, taste the dust of the steppes, see the Cossacks or nomads quarrel, fight and revel - these stories are certainly for you.
Get all four volumes and ride with Khlit, a cunning old Cossack retired from the Sietch, who keeps looking for adventures, alone or with a few companions, in lands where if your hosts regret your parting you never know whether they found your company good or whether they regret they did not have enough time to rob you.
Read these stories, enjoy them and tell your friends!
Rated by buyers -
For those interested in historical adventure there is probably no better choice than to pick up this volume and read the epic story of a lone, wily cossack, who leaves his clan and sets about adventuring across Asia. Not only is the volume a bargain - you would be lucky to find a sole story in the original magazine version at the price of the whole volume - it is entertainment pur sang,from the very first page to the last. While Lamb gives us great descriptions of battle- and actionscenes, in the end his heroes win by their wits and not by their swords. This gives every storyending the unique "Lamb-twist" In addition the backgrounds and details of the stories are all historically accurate - which does not detract at all from the enjoyment! If you like to have your imagination stimulated by adventures in far lands and other days, this is the book for you!
Rated by buyers -
For honest disclosure, the editor, Howard Andrew Jones, is a friend and colleague.
But that won't stop me from saying "wow". The very first tale of Khlit starts off the character at the very audacious age of 50-ish. And Khlit ages as the series goes on. To have this wiley old man have to think his way through the traps and conflicts that beset him and not just rely on sword and brawn, is just so damn cool.
Others have noted how modern Harold Lamb writes. I concur. His prose is evocative without being overly flowery. He sketches a world that is deep and dangerous, but never gets in the way of the story.
And Lamb's exploration of cultures and religions of this region, well, I think that Khlit and Lamb expose us to some very thought provoking situations that pertain to our world, NOW. After all, this is the world of Turkey to China. I think there are some events happening in that area these days that are of import. I'm not saying that this is a history lesson in these pages....but history and culture are nonetheless taught as we follow the wandering Cossack.
Rated by buyers -
I bought this book (and the companion volume) after reading some of Lamb's work in the 'Flashing Swords' ezine and anthology from Pitch-Black Press (Sages and Swords). I'd never heard of Lamb before--and now I've read his work, I'm stumped if I know why that is. Everything that's good about adventure fiction is in this book: strong and cunning protagonists, treacherous villains, and exotic locales, and all written in a clean and fast-paced prose style I wish I could emulate.
I read the whole thing in a week, then read the other volume straight after. When I finished, I went back and read them again.
My only caveat about the books has nothing to do with the stories, but the covers. The stock used for the covers is a little thin, and it warps badly if it gets damp. If you do buy a copy (and you should), then keep the cover away from water, otherwise it will curl and start to come apart.
If you're at all interested in adventure fiction, you should buy this book and any others by Lamb you can. Really, they're very, very good.
[This is the same review I wrote for the other of the two books currently available--but I read them both at the same time, and I have the same comments about both, so ...)
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