Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute and Weekly Webzine Site Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webzines and Webpages In Archive 
Master of Imaginative Fantasy Adventure Creator of Tarzan® and "Grandfather of American Science Fiction" Volume 7528a |
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Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute and Weekly Webzine Site Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webzines and Webpages In Archive
Master of Imaginative Fantasy Adventure Creator of Tarzan® and "Grandfather of American Science Fiction" Volume 7528a |
Review by Frank Puncer
Gary Buckingham's novel/story collection Tarzan and the Lion of Judah is a major contribution to the ever-growing body of post-ERB Tarzan tales published as part of The Wild Adventures of Edgar Rice BurroughsTM series from ERB, Inc. The intriguing title, with its roots in historical fact as well as fiction, harkens back to ERB's references to emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia in some of his later Tarzan sagas. Gary's book traces the ape-man's travels from the Balkan peninsula to various landscapes spanning the Dark Continent.Gary's Tarzan tales are a delight from a historical, geographical and geopolitical point of view. Detailed physical descriptions of landscapes as well as national boundaries, historic dates, flora and fauna, will inspire curious readers to consult online articles, maps and photographs.
Everything checks out perfectly. The end result is that these tales are as educational as they are entertaining. The laconic ape-man's actions and dialogue ring true, as do those of other characters. Tarzan, Jane, Korak, Muviro, Mugambi & the Waziri, La, d'Arnot and Nkima are all present along with numerous new characters, both friendly and villainous.
The author's linguistic talents are also on display with numerous names, terms, titles, phrases, appearing in French, German, Arabic, various African dialects, and Mangani (ape-English). This is an aspect I always loved about ERB's writing and it is quite welcome here.
Gary's storytelling is lucid, vivid, imaginative and emotionally satisfying. A lot of natural talent on display here.
The physical book matches the stories themselves in terms of strength, beauty and durability. Deep blue cloth binding with red spine lettering evokes the first editions of ERB, Inc. published during Burroughs' lifetime. High quality paper, Smyth-sewn signatures, beautiful dustjacket and interior illustrations by Dan Parsons, Joe DeVito, et. al. make for a volume readers and collectors will admire and return to.
Typos are practically non-existent which is greatly appreciated. 462 pages give the book serious heft. The book reflects Gary's commitment to quality in every way.
The Tarzan we know and love moves like Usha the wind through this group of tales which, considered in toto, amount to adventure squared.
Frank Puncer ~ April 18, 2023
Review by ROB OLSEN
I give this book, Tarzan and the Lion of Judah, a five of five stars review. I am a recent friend of the author, Gary Buckingham. He did not ask me to write this review. Overall, I enjoyed the stories in this book quite a bit. What I most enjoyed was the combination of real African history with an accurate portrayal of the Tarzan character from when I first read the original stories as a teenager. In the details below I give a lengthy explanation of what I just stated in this summary.Details… spoiler alert, below, I give away general information but no specific plot details to the stories in Tarzan and the Lion of Judah.
I discovered the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) in my youth, in the mid 1970s and became an instant fan. Back then, within a span of about six years I had read almost every one of ERB’s stories. Now I am an avid reader of history and historical fiction, but have re-read some ERB stories throughout my life. I consider ERB to be my favorite author of all time. Burroughs wrote mostly contemporary tales to match the time frame he lived (1875-1950). In the past few years, I have become involved in Burroughs fandom activities and attended a few Burroughs conventions. I met author, Gary Buckingham in November of 2021 at an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan club convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My copy of Gary’s book Tarzan and the Lion of Judah was provided to me for attending the convention, which he was hosting.
The book has a number of stories and I’ve enjoyed them all. I read most of the stories in May and June of 2022. I read the final three stories in October and November of 2022. I mention those details because it was also throughout that time that I’ve encountered Gary at other ERB- related activities and we have become friends, talked about the book and our shared interest in ERB and other literature. I’m going to explain what I like most about Gary’s stories…the combination of accurate wartime history with a great Tarzan adventure.
Wartime History:
I found the way Gary includes historical events, weapons, plants, animals, geography, and politics in his stories to be satisfying. I am very interested in, but know very little about, real African history and almost nothing about World War II in Africa. As I read along, I would think about how Gary had extensively researched the historical backdrop. I paid close attention to the historical details, knowing they come from historical records. Additionally, while reading, I would often pause and search the internet for history of the countries, terms, and geography referenced in the stories. I even got out my own relevant history books and an historical atlas, set them beside me, and referred to them frequently. For example, one of the settings is on the island of Fernando Po. I had never heard of the place so I googled it during the story and discovered interesting details about the island that concurred with Gary’s Tarzan adventure.I remember, as I was reading, thinking to myself about how great it is that Gary puts Tarzan in more historical event settings than I recall Edgar Rice Burroughs did. But my memory of the original ERB stories has long ago faded. I wish I could remember them better (I am re-reading them at a slow pace). To my pleasant surprise, after I finished the last story in the book, I saw there was an Afterword. I read it and found it is a story-by-story summary of Gary’s historical research. Additionally, he surmises as to how Burroughs may have been thinking about and using contemporary events at the time he wrote some of the original stories. I recommend that after you finish reading each story in this book you read the corresponding Afterward section instead of waiting until you have finished all the stories like I did.
Gary also loads his stories up with era and location specific military history. He includes weapons such as U-boats, machine guns, bombers, fighter planes, and rifles. He also brings in famous wartime leaders. I love true military history in fictional stories and this book has it.
In addition to military history, I am fascinated by the history of exploration. One of Gary’s stories, that mentions Tarzan at the very end, touches on the 19th century’s European exploration of Africa. I found that especially interesting as I plan to someday read extensively about it. The true history elements help build credibility into the Tarzan stories. I find that to be fun and fulfilling.
Tarzan Adventure:
There are many elements in the original Tarzan stories I like. This book has many of them. Dinosaurs, hand to hand combat, brutality, war. I love it.
Burroughs’ most famous character, Tarzan, is also my favorite literary character. The original Tarzan is presented primarily in 24 books written by Burroughs. Why do I like them so much? Because most of the books are fantastically entertaining. Part of what makes the stories great to me is Tarzan’s character, he’s primarily a loner with savage instincts combined with above average intelligence. The other aspect I like is the fantastic settings Tarzan finds himself in. Some of the Tarzan movies are good entertainment, but none have portrayed Tarzan as I saw him in the original stories. It’s a common complaint from fans like me. So, when I see a new Tarzan pastiche like this one, I want to be taken back to the original character and get a sense of the fantastic settings. Gary successfully presents the original tough, smart, and deadly Tarzan along with a sprinkling of the fantastic story elements I love.I found these well researched stories to be thoroughly entertaining and educational. I highly recommend this book especially for fans of military history, WWII adventure and Tarzan.
Rob Olsen
November/December 2022Review by DAVID BRUESKE
Ever wonder what part Tarzan, his loyal Waziri, Korak and Paul d’Arnot played in Africa before, during and after World War II?Then you are in for a treat. The author has used his extensive research and knowledge of history to create the perfect backdrop for these heroes. From Tarzan and the Waziri battling man and beast, to the English lord addressing the House of Lords in a powerful, impactful speech, this is Tarzan at his best!
Korak and Paul d’Arnot are on their own missions, fighting to foil the Axis powers in Africa.
The author weaves these stories together in a masterful way that makes this book a must have for any serious Tarzan fan. This is Tarzan done right!
David Brueske
January 2023
Read About Edgar Rice Burroughs' Wartime Experiences in many ERBzine pages:
www.ERBzine.com/war
Back to the Main Lion of Judah page at ERBzine 7528
Contact Gary Buckingham
gbucking3@gmail.com
