Another great Hunter tale. Almost feels like dramatized non-fiction
Another good thriller from Hunter. I've been a fan of Hunter's Swagger novels--both Earl and Bob Lee--since reading PALE HORSE COMING over a decade ago. Since then, I have read all of the Swagger novels as well as some of Hunter's stand-alone's. I thought G-MAN was on a par with most of the others. This one is mostly about Bob Lee's grandfather, Charles, an enigma in the Swagger family with little known about his history. When a strong box containing a .45, a 1000-dollar-bill, and a possible treasure map is unearthed on the Swagger property in Arkansas, Bob Lee decides to try to find out the history of Charles. The book alternates between Bob Lee's quest in the present day and Charles' story in 1934 when he was recruited by the Government to work in what is now the FBI to bring the public enemies to justice. Charles was involved in the shootout with Bonnie and Clyde and the G-Men feel he could also help bring Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson to justice. Baby Face was apparently the most vicious of the bunch who showed no fear in gun battle -- a possible match for Charles? But Charles is also hiding a secret and wants his role to be kept out of the public eye. Meanwhile, in the present day, someone seems to be stalking Bob Lee and his pursuit of finding out the history of his grandfather. But who and why?
The book was full of historical information about both the G-Men and the gangsters and made me want to learn more about them. I thought the movie "Public Enemies" with Johnny Depp might be a good account of the 30s gangsters but in the acknowledgements to the book, Hunter really pans this movie with its inaccuracies (Hunter is also a movie critic), so I'll probably look elsewhere. Overall, I really liked G-MAN and would recommend it along with Hunter's other Swagger novels.
The book was full of historical information about both the G-Men and the gangsters and made me want to learn more about them. I thought the movie "Public Enemies" with Johnny Depp might be a good account of the 30s gangsters but in the acknowledgements to the book, Hunter really pans this movie with its inaccuracies (Hunter is also a movie critic), so I'll probably look elsewhere. Overall, I really liked G-MAN and would recommend it along with Hunter's other Swagger novels.
It's Bob Lee, if you've read the other books in this series, you know what you're in for. Enjoyed it immensely, good historical based fiction that keeps you engaged!
Guess I will start off by being the stickler for detail critic that I am. Early in the book Bob Swagger meets an armorer at at gun range. After talking, the retiree tells Bob Swagger that he spent time in Vietnam, did twenty years in the Army and got out with eight stripes. I'm sure what the author was trying to convey was that the retiree retire as an E-8 as Bob calls him "Top" the Army shorthand for Top Sergeant or First Sergeant, But the rank is NOT depicted with eight stripes, the First Sergeant rank is three chevrons on top and three chevrons on the bottom with a diamond in the middle.
In the same conversation Bob Swagger says he only managed six before they kicked him out. This statement follows immediately after the Army 1SG says he had eight stripes which leads one to think that Bob S is saying he had six stripes. Bob Swagger is a former Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant which is E-7 rank and is depicted with three chevons on top and two on the bottom, total of five stripes.The author could avoid the mistake by omitting the word stripe from the conversation, i.e. the 1SG could say he got out after getting his eight. The eight then would refer to hi rank and not stripes. Same for the Gunny, he should say he got out out after getting seven.
Ok, enough of that. The story jumps between the present and 1934 as Bob Swagger tries to put together his grandfather's past and involvement with the FBIs attempts to take down Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger and company. I found the present day narrative to be sluggish and not well developed but on the other hand the 1934's angle was very interesting and in my opinion should have been a stand alone book. All in all another good read from Stephen Hunter.
In the same conversation Bob Swagger says he only managed six before they kicked him out. This statement follows immediately after the Army 1SG says he had eight stripes which leads one to think that Bob S is saying he had six stripes. Bob Swagger is a former Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant which is E-7 rank and is depicted with three chevons on top and two on the bottom, total of five stripes.The author could avoid the mistake by omitting the word stripe from the conversation, i.e. the 1SG could say he got out after getting his eight. The eight then would refer to hi rank and not stripes. Same for the Gunny, he should say he got out out after getting seven.
Ok, enough of that. The story jumps between the present and 1934 as Bob Swagger tries to put together his grandfather's past and involvement with the FBIs attempts to take down Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger and company. I found the present day narrative to be sluggish and not well developed but on the other hand the 1934's angle was very interesting and in my opinion should have been a stand alone book. All in all another good read from Stephen Hunter.
