Old Nathan

By David Drake

Book Overview

Interesting mid-20th Century story with an intriguing twist near the end This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671720848
• ISBN13: 9780671720841
• Release Date: September 1991
• Publisher: Baen
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Super Reader

Nathan is an elderly backwoods 'Cunning Man'. In an article on his website David Drake talks about the characters - and does say that yes, this is a Wellman influence/homage. However, unlike Manly's mendicant minstrel, Old Nathan is a much more stay at home kind of bloke, dealing with local ghosts. He also has the Doctor Dolittle thing going on, in that he can talk to animals, which includes his own cat and mule. For some of the supernatural trouble he doesn't need to look any further than his next door neighbours, who have some nasty genes. If it has 'Bull' in the title, it is one of the best stories. A standard quality type collection to be found here. Old Nathan : THE BULL - David Drake Old Nathan : THE GOLD - David Drake Old Nathan : THE BULLHEAD - David Drake Old Nathan : THE FOOL - David Drake Old Nathan : THE BOX - David Drake Aurochs real estate ghost. 4 out of 5 Ghost pay. 3 out of 5 A trouser look. 3.5 out of 5 Got to be careful with that spell bulldust. 3 out of 5 Bad old neighbour memories. 3.5 out of 5 3.5 out of 5

Completely different from anything else Drake has written

This collection of related short stories is completely different in tone, topic, and style from anything else that David Drake has written. Nathan was not yet 20 years old when he fought in the Battle at Green Mountain during the American Revolutionary war and something happened to him that changed the path of his entire life, though we don't find out what until the final story in the book. These stories take place more than 50 years later, when Nathan is coming to the end of his life. In each story he uses his magic to help a different person, often not in the manner they expected or even desired. The hill-billy vernacular, and his conversations with the animals around him, especially his bull, are fascinating in the way in which they fit in with the plot, the animals innate nature, and the fact that the humans around Nathan only understand Nathan's half of the converstions. Once you pick up this book, you won't be able to put it down