Tom Mix and Pancho Villa

by Clifford Irving | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0312808879 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingperryfranwing of Elk Grove, California USA on 6/13/2012
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingperryfranwing from Elk Grove, California USA on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Amazon.com review:

This is probably the finest relatively-unknown novel ever published in the USA. The reviews back in 1982 were stunning. (William Safire in the New York Times wrote: "Rip-snortin', rootin'-tootin' adventure"; the L.A.Herald-Examiner said, "A big, rawboned, wild-blooded adventure, a novel to make any writer proud and many readers grateful." (I copy these from the paperback book jacket.)
Young Tom Mix runs off to Mexico to join the revolution and becomes Pancho Villa's "gringo" aide. This is historical fact, although Irving -- for our benefit -- embroiders this for some 500 fabulous pages. Tom meets all kinds of people who were there, including George S. Patton, Emiliano Zapata, and Franz von Papen. It's a swashbuckling story, and who among us not wished he'd grown up as romantically as Mix does here?

The book gives the sights and sounds of a turn-of-the-century world real enough to touch. I note that another reviewer in the L.A. Times called it "a fantasy worthy of Mark Twain, a legendary tale." And the Houston Chronicle called it "a wonderful, big book."

Journal Entry 2 by wingperryfranwing at North Ogden, Utah USA on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Just finished this excellent historical novel about Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution. It was written from the perspective of Tom Mix, the silent movie actor, who may have actually fought with Villa during the revolution before going to Hollywood to become a film star. The novel was full of blood, sex, and action and provided many details of the Revolution that I was really unfamiliar with. For example, I wasn't sure what roles Villa and Zapata played - the novel explains that Villa led the Northern group of revolutionaries and Zapata, the Southern group. They never really fought together. The book delves into all the gruesomeness of war and describes many of the battles. It also details how and why the Americans were chasing Villa, including General Pershing and then-Lieutenant George Patton. This book took me a while to read - it was somewhat long - but it was well worth the effort. I would highly recommend this one to anyone interested in the history of the Mexican Revolution and its Generals or in Tom Mix.


1/17/17: Including this in the "I" authors bookring. Hope someone will enjoy it!

Journal Entry 3 by wingbooklady331wing at Cape Coral, Florida USA on Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Taking this out of the "I" authors bookring. Thanks for sharing something that looks interesting.

Journal Entry 4 by wingbooklady331wing at Cape Coral, Florida USA on Friday, October 28, 2022
This is a piece of history that I knew nothing about. I did not know who Tom Mix was. I thought the book was probably 100 pages too long. It is in a book that I really did not enjoy, but I did finish it.

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.