The TNT Punch (Waterfront Law; The Waterfront Wallop)

By Robert E. Howard

On the Cape Town waterfront, a code of loyalty among American sailors becomes an opening for deception. Steve Costigan, prizefighter, seaman and blunt first-person narrator, is drawn into a scheme that exploits the expectation that countrymen should stand together abroad. Yet generosity and patriotism sit uneasily beside suspicion and personal hostility, leaving Costigan to decide how far honour can guide him when others are prepared to turn it to their advantage. Costigan's rough comic voice drives this compact work of boxing fiction, carrying the reader through sailor quarrels, dubious wagers and the practical consequences of misplaced trust. His bulldog, Mike, remains close at hand as the waterfront world tests the difference between helping a fellow sailor and being made a fool of. The humour never removes the sting from the conflict: loyalty can be manipulated, cheating can shape the odds, and an old grudge can prove stronger than any appeal to fellowship. Inside the ring, the story narrows to intense close-range action as Costigan faces former shipmate Bucko Brent in a grudge bout. The contest brings the tale's competing pressures into direct collision-professional pride, personal resentment and the sailor's stubborn sense of duty-while the first-person narration keeps every exchange immediate and sharply comic. Maritime adventure and prize fighting meet in a short story where fists may settle one dispute, but honour remains harder to measure. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9377781485
• ISBN13: 9789377781484
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 22 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"