4 replies to this topic

[Hawkbrother]

Has anyone here read any of his books? He was a prolific writer of historical novels in the teens and twenties aimed at younger readers especially.
There were several series, the Civil War, the French and Indian War, the frontier around the time of the Revolution, the Texas War of Independence, and World War I, as well as individual novels.
I got a copy of one of his Civil war novels as a birthday present when I was young. Years later I discovered the complete set in the local public library and read them all. Recently noticed they were no longer there-the library has a deplorable habit of purging older books to make space for new trendy ones.
Have read some of his other series by using Interlibrary Loan. One I especially recommend is The Lost Hunters. It appears to be part of a new series that was apparently ended by Althsheler's death.
Set in the northern frontier of Canada it is a lost world story that any Burroughs fan would love, strange animals and all. And also reminds me of the Kioga novels of William L Chester also set in a lost land in that area.
I am going to see if I can track down a copy somewhere.

[Fierro]

I've read a little in his Kentucky Frontier and French and Indian War series. Leonaur Press has beautiful editions. I believe Steve Tompkins has argued for Altsheler as an influence on REH, which certainly makes sense.

[Rusty Burke]

I believe Steve Tompkins has argued for Altsheler as an influence on REH, which certainly makes sense.

See also "The Influence of Joseph A. Altsheler's Young Trailers Series on Howard's Pictish Wilderness Fiction" by Robert McIlvaine, The Dark Man v3 n2 (#11), April 2007.

Rusty

[Cap'n Kidd]

thanks for the heads up. I am going to check him out. There are some free stories by him on Amazon Kindle

[bobmc]

For information on Altsheler, see "At the Twelfth Hour: Selected Short Stories of Joseph A. Altsheler" selected and with an introduction by Robert M. McIlvaine."
University Press of America 2007.
The introduction gives information about his novel series. Altsheler was an influence on many American writers, including, oddly enough, Saul Bellow.