tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.comments2024-03-18T08:43:52.816-06:00GravetappingBen Bouldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16024782701164448300noreply@blogger.comBlogger1098125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-23956374669518133102024-03-18T08:43:52.816-06:002024-03-18T08:43:52.816-06:00It's cool that you're reposting posts from...It's cool that you're reposting posts from Ed Gorman's blog. He was amazing.Robert Deis (aka "SubtropicBob")https://www.blogger.com/profile/02915050878004964273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-54632559984884829352024-02-03T10:40:40.514-07:002024-02-03T10:40:40.514-07:00I just finished reading Seven Pillars to Hell. I a...I just finished reading Seven Pillars to Hell. I also have a UK hardcover copy of Sheba, so after reading your blog I decided to compare the two texts to see exactly how Higgins/Patterson revised the original to arrive at Sheba.<br /><br />The copyright page of Sheba states "Certain elements in this book are inspired by an earlier work, Seven Pillars to Hell, published in 1963." That's quite a disingenuous statement. The "certain elements" are simply two chapters stuck on the beginning of the original to give it its WW II setting and establish the Nazi plot that drives the plot.<br /><br />Otherwise, Sheba's text is an exact copy of Seven Pillars of Hell with some minor changes to accommodate the Nazi villain angle.<br /><br />Seven Pillars to Hell is actually set in the early 1960s. Gavin Kane is a veteran of the Korean War veteran, not WW II. The villain is a Russian agent causing trouble in the Mideast by supplying rebel groups with arms, rather than a Nazi trying to blow up the Suez Canal. <br /><br />A trio of Spanish SS volunteers are added to the plot as the crew of an airplane, that in PIllars carries the arms, but in Sheba will bomb the Canal. Their end is exactly the same in both books.<br /><br />I think Seven Pillars to Hell works much better. You can read about 98% of it by skipping the first two chapters of Sheba.Terry Zobeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00853039073607532351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-58650800435189453112024-01-30T15:43:05.997-07:002024-01-30T15:43:05.997-07:00Hey, Steve! I hadn't read any of Haycox's ...Hey, Steve! I hadn't read any of Haycox's work until maybe a month ago and now I've read a short a novel and dozen or so of his stories. And I agree. He is peerless. Stylistically, he was well ahead of his time with his lean, powerful prose, and his stuff is smart, too. I'm planning to read more of his work. Ben Bouldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16024782701164448300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-23745497938639892852024-01-29T11:52:15.925-07:002024-01-29T11:52:15.925-07:00Hi Ben I think I read this post back soon after it...Hi Ben I think I read this post back soon after it was written, but I was in a Jack Higgins recovery phase at the time and I wasn't sure if I had read the book and forgotten it or if I wanted to be such a completist. Finally tracked down an old British library copy and glad I have now read it. It was surprisingly mature. There were some rough edges, but the early seventies Jack Higgins/James Graham style seems to be mostly in place already. I know he revisited some of his books later, but if this was untouched then it was a remarkable preview of his potential and the possibilities of being an even better and more interesting writer Ian Harkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12170777504705800162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-12134850266869240432024-01-25T15:46:08.687-07:002024-01-25T15:46:08.687-07:00Haven't read this one. Thanks for the heads up...Haven't read this one. Thanks for the heads up! Haycox is a peerless western writer. One of my top favorites. Stephen Mertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08531248810283345577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-21601940271155802452023-12-26T03:25:04.270-07:002023-12-26T03:25:04.270-07:00Thanks foor a great readThanks foor a great readjanskuhttps://janinanna.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-81878918001900320082023-12-04T10:35:22.285-07:002023-12-04T10:35:22.285-07:00Thanks (and you're welcome), Robert! I love th...Thanks (and you're welcome), Robert! I love the "Introducing the Author" feature in those old Imagination magazines. Ben Bouldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16024782701164448300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-82022077010817228302023-12-04T09:06:37.962-07:002023-12-04T09:06:37.962-07:00Cool find! Thanks for posting that.Cool find! Thanks for posting that.Robert Deis (aka "SubtropicBob")https://www.blogger.com/profile/02915050878004964273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-5773476891697346232023-11-20T15:26:58.893-07:002023-11-20T15:26:58.893-07:00Thanks to "Anonymous" as well. I really ...Thanks to "Anonymous" as well. I really appreciate your comment! I've worked on this story on and off for years and am happy to have it finally available for other people to read. Kara Bouldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14653757071462524281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-65237913585655252932023-11-20T15:25:25.777-07:002023-11-20T15:25:25.777-07:00Thank you so much for your help Ben! I really enjo...Thank you so much for your help Ben! I really enjoyed reading this post. You are the best! Kara Bouldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14653757071462524281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-11671282354063093982023-11-20T15:24:51.207-07:002023-11-20T15:24:51.207-07:00Very cool! Congrats!Very cool! Congrats!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-21343137152045366872023-11-16T10:38:02.520-07:002023-11-16T10:38:02.520-07:00Such an amazing, unappreciated author. It drives m...Such an amazing, unappreciated author. It drives me nuts that Faust is relatively obscure, and hacks like Dan Brown are rich in their lifetime. Just my opinion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-7549347010678792012023-10-11T15:53:12.656-06:002023-10-11T15:53:12.656-06:00This comment has been hidden from the blog.Stephen Mertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08531248810283345577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-90676060961209381722023-09-01T08:43:37.856-06:002023-09-01T08:43:37.856-06:00Greeat blog I enjoyed readingGreeat blog I enjoyed readingDark Dynasty Softwarehttps://darkdynastysoftware.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-52434472379510091122023-06-26T08:21:30.253-06:002023-06-26T08:21:30.253-06:00My brother gave me "Mission MIA" as Chri...My brother gave me "Mission MIA" as Christmas present way back in the 80's. I was hooked. A few years later, while stationed in Central America, I tried to contact him regarding the - at the time - elusive "Dennecker Code." When the deployment ended, I returned to Ft. Benning. I had not been stateside two days, and in the barracks when the CQ runner advised me that I had a phone call. I wondered who would be calling me, as I had not told anyone I was back home. It turned out toe be J.C. Pollock. I remember having a nice conversation with him. Vary gracious. Still a fan! livelydwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03431428178835034891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-79817463860677257782022-06-21T21:06:13.612-06:002022-06-21T21:06:13.612-06:00I would love to read it again.I had a book at one ...I would love to read it again.I had a book at one time. It had that story in it. I never forgot it. I was only 12 yrs old. Where can I get the book or story?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-6294167504580985132022-05-26T10:42:07.969-06:002022-05-26T10:42:07.969-06:00Hi, JN. Thanks for posting a comment. It looks lik...Hi, JN. Thanks for posting a comment. It looks like your email went into my spam box. I'll respond to it shortly. Ben Bouldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16024782701164448300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-15006889245905572322022-05-20T21:27:11.419-06:002022-05-20T21:27:11.419-06:00Ben, I emailed you some thoughts about getting mor...Ben, I emailed you some thoughts about getting more info. on Faust, please let me know what you think. Best, JN www.johnnardizzi.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10982797615200230740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-59388198167124705332022-03-04T08:58:48.128-07:002022-03-04T08:58:48.128-07:00Hi Jeff and Kevin,
My plans are to leave Gravetap...Hi Jeff and Kevin,<br /><br />My plans are to leave Gravetapping as is. I may cannibalize a post every so often, but I'll leave the original post at GT.<br /><br />BenBen Bouldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16024782701164448300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-28802794225833479112022-03-04T08:29:03.343-07:002022-03-04T08:29:03.343-07:00I agree with Mr. Pierce. I agree with Mr. Pierce. Kevin R. Tipplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04170714419133752724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-48311729123187604342022-03-02T15:31:14.658-07:002022-03-02T15:31:14.658-07:00Hey, Ben: I just hope you'll leave Gravetappin...Hey, Ben: I just hope you'll leave Gravetapping in place, for those of us who've linked to your older posts here. -- Cheers, JeffJ. Kingston Piercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17073921191624535912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-1451971502815494732022-02-18T11:52:18.948-07:002022-02-18T11:52:18.948-07:00Sorry, I just saw your comment. My favorite would ...Sorry, I just saw your comment. My favorite would be When She Was Bad.Ben Bouldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16024782701164448300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-84873866749869883062022-02-08T05:02:27.411-07:002022-02-08T05:02:27.411-07:00I'm curious are you referring to the novels f...I'm curious are you referring to the novels from the trilogy or the movies? I've never seen the movies but did read the books.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12611562894452675389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-4563705927150698632022-01-30T00:04:05.321-07:002022-01-30T00:04:05.321-07:00If you were to recommend just one of his books - w...If you were to recommend just one of his books - which one?col2910https://www.blogger.com/profile/06422138069939709043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28085999.post-10636907014835910722021-12-30T19:21:11.794-07:002021-12-30T19:21:11.794-07:00love this book old fashioned thrillerlove this book old fashioned thrillerkillerchefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14778114346755696817noreply@blogger.com