Guns
Phil Bowie
This is the first in the John Hardin Series.
Sam Bass is one of the good guys. He loves old westerns, wears cowboy boots, and lives with the moral code of John Wayne.
Guns is a strange title as there are not so many guns in the book, but it is a great worthwhile read.
The story is more of a collection of shorter stories that tie together as you move along. Phil, the author, likes his descriptions and does tend to go over the top with them making them lengthy and a bit boring at times. Phil has a very good working knowledge of a lot of interesting stuff, but it does bog the story down sometimes. However, the story does move on, the plot is slow to get going but the interest is kept up if you are willing to work through the explanations and the details about planes, politics and island life, etc.
I enjoyed reading Guns as the protagonist was very flawed and was not an ex-army special forces macho man who can deal with everything thrown his way. He was more the sort of person you can relate to that is wandering through life and gets caught up in a series of events that put him into a bad situation. The way Phil describes it, it could have happened to anyone.
Sam is living on his historic island of Ocracoke in relative peace with his gorgeous native American girlfriend and her son. His life seems idyllic living on the island and flying tourists on sightseeing tours. However, Sam has a past that he is running from, and it all comes tumbling down when he does a good deed for his friends.
Once the story gets past the initial description of the perfect life then we get into the meat of the story. Sam ends up running for his life after almost being killed. Then we enter the second section of the story where he goes on a sort of mission to alter himself. He also has to change his name and such to continue living without the bad guys coming after him. Sam becomes John and we follow the story as it unfolds and becomes a revenge attack type story but with a twist, as Sam/John has to become the “eye of the tiger” (I hope you get my movie reference here) but he still has no real skills. He takes the challenge stoically and works in the mountains to get his skill levels up. This part of the book could have been explained further and the story dug into more as there was a lot to unpack. It held considerable interest for me with the different cultures colliding accidentally and the acceptance of the Cherokee people he was staying with.
Finally, he is sort of ready to get his revenge and comes up with a very basic and flawed plan. He tracks down the bad guys with his newfound skills and confidence and slowly makes the score even, but he does not have it easy. He is not wandering around snapping necks like Jack Reacher or putting bullets into targets a mile off. He fumbles around doing his best and makes a bit of a mess of it all but that is human and something I found kept me reading. John is very likable, and I found myself rooting for him even though I was not sure how he would manage against seasoned professionals.
I will leave you to find out how Sam/John does and what happens. Guns is a good book and well worth the read. The protagonist is human, likable, and real. I ended up enjoying the fumbling as much as the rest of the book as I felt if I was ever in such a circumstance, I would be sort of similar but a lot worse!
Guns keeps your attention and if you have strong opinions will give you something to think about.
If you would like to follow me on Instagram or Facebook, I post most days just click on the links to join the community.
For loads of useful information on African Safaris and Africa in general just click here
If you would like to get in contact with me then click here
Below are some more useful links about Safaris in Africa- Enjoy!
Mark Dawson | The Vault
James A. Ross | Hunting Teddy Roosevelt
Wayne Stinnett, John Cunnigham, Nick Sullivan, Nicholas Harvey| Graceless
Through the Leopard’s Gaze | Njambi McGarth
The Sahara Legacy | Ernest Dempsey
Stephen King | A Memoir of the Craft
Petter Rimmer- Echoes From the Past
Top Tips for an African Safari and Beach Holiday
African Safari Which is the Best Country to Choose and Why?
Top Tips for the Perfect African Safari Vehicle
The Naming of Kenya-How and Why!
Zanzibar Tanzania-A must for your Bucket List
A Trip to Monsoon Restaurant Mtwapa
Kerosene Harvesting Stories from Kenya
Mugged by a Trigger Fish Stories From Kenya
Mekatilili Wa Wenza Stories From Kenya
