Overview
Summoned by a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, law firm, aimless Dock Bass learns that he's inherited an ancient house from a deceased relative whom he never knew existed. Renovating the home, Dock stumbles upon a treasure trove of Civil War memorabilia squirreled away in an old root cellar, including pictures and possibly even a recording of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. As he's forced to defend his new find from the onslaught of collectors, history buffs, and media hounds, Dock discovers that, much like Honest Abe himself, he's the right man for the fight—independent, funny, loyal, and stubborn as a Missouri mule. When the scallywags and opportunists—including an easy-on-the-eyes television reporter with one hell of an attitude—start crawling out of the woodwork, he'll need all of that and a bit more.
Synopsis
Summoned by a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, law firm, aimless Dock Bass learns that he's inherited an ancient house from a deceased relative whom he never knew existed. Renovating the home, Dock stumbles upon a treasure trove of Civil War memorabilia squirreled away in an old root cellar, including pictures and possibly even a recording of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. As he's forced to defend his new find from the onslaught of collectors, history buffs, and media hounds, Dock discovers that, much like Honest Abe himself, he's the right man for the fight—independent, funny, loyal, and stubborn as a Missouri mule. When the scallywags and opportunists—including an easy-on-the-eyes television reporter with one hell of an attitude—start crawling out of the woodwork, he'll need all of that and a bit more.
The Washington Post - Donald E. Westlake
Well, now, what's a good review unless it gives away something it shouldn't? You may be wondering why Amy Morris, the important television personality who is supposed to be off in Aruba getting dirt on a congressman, is stuck week after week in Gettysburg, hanging out with this shlumpf Bass, and Amy wonders the same thing. She keeps arguing the issue with her boss, the millionaire American history buff and collector who just has to have every rare, obscure, expensive artifact he can find having to do with the first century of the United States. Oh, drat, I did it
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Done with wit and skill and grace."—Donald Westlake, The Washington Post Book World"With dialogue that crackles like musket fire, Brad Smith's novel is true to Gettysburg's heroic past and madcap present, and a deliciously entertaining tale of uncivil war of the legacy of America's greatest conflict."—Tony Horwitz, author of Confederates in the Attic
"Hugely enjoyable."—Michael Redhill, The Globe & Mail (Toronto)
"[A] witty new satire."—The Denver Post
"A tight, lively package, assembled with conviction and genuine suspense."—The Toronto Star
"[A] funny, quirky tale that plays pleasing what-if games with the past . . . Nicely done, and just the thing for the History Channel addict of the house."—Kirkus Reviews
Donald E. Westlake
Well, now, what's a good review unless it gives away something it shouldn't? You may be wondering why Amy Morris, the important television personality who is supposed to be off in Aruba getting dirt on a congressman, is stuck week after week in Gettysburg, hanging out with this shlumpf Bass, and Amy wonders the same thing. She keeps arguing the issue with her boss, the millionaire American history buff and collector who just has to have every rare, obscure, expensive artifact he can find having to do with the first century of the United States. Oh, drat, I did it— The Washington Post
Fleeing a soured marriage and the general turpitude of modern life, Dock Bass retreats to a newly inherited Gettysburg farm where he discovers a trove of priceless Civil War artifacts, including a possible recording of Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg address. He is soon besieged by media vultures, an opportunistic rival claimant to the treasure and a number of shady antiquarians trying to cash in on the find. Fortunately, Dock is just the man to defend Lincoln's legacy. Indifferent to fame and money, Dock stoically restores his farmhouse while denouncing or physically battering every avatar of contemporary crassness; at one point he even recites the Gettysburg Address by heart, punctuating it with crashing hammer blows. Finally, assisted by an eccentric history professor and a glitzy investigative reporter with a heart of gold, Dock squares off against an evil gay antiques dealer and his henchman. Smith (One-Eyed Jacks) concocts a frothily entertaining satire of the corrupt Civil War memorabilia industry, but the fun is somewhat dampened by the figure of Dock, a tower of laconic manliness whose censorious mission is to reclaim the project of historical commemoration from all traces of vulgarity and materialism. The incongruous result is what you might expect if Gary Cooper were to ride into town to clean up The Antiques Road Show. Agent, Ann Rittenberg. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
History is littered with examples of people doing bad things in order to land rare and exquisite prizes. And so is this funny, quirky tale that plays pleasing what-if games with the past. Dock Bass has a Jimmy Buffett soul: Canadian author Smith (All Hat, 2003) lets us know early on that Dock would rather fish, play cards, and drink beer than do anything else, including deal with his socially ambitious wife and make the fat living she now seems to require. When a mysterious letter comes from a lawyer down Gettysburg way, Dock is glad to get gone-and gladder still to find that he's inherited a little farm from a relative he scarcely knew he had. There's work to be done on the place, but enough little rewards turn up in odd corners to keep Dock at the task: glass-plate negatives that may contain images of Lincoln at Gettysburg to add to the single photograph known to exist, a first edition of Notes on the State of Virginia, manuscripts, old tools. And then he finds the big one. Enter lawyers, reporters, treasure hunters, fortune-sniffers, and assorted hangers-on, until Dock's back to his former karma-pecked self: "For a man who had, just a month earlier, driven off into the sunset with the sole purpose of uncomplicating his life, Dock Bass had somehow succeeded in accomplishing just the opposite." Some of the characters in Smith's roller-coaster narrative verge on caricature, but others-like young, beautiful Amy Morris, an ambitious TV reporter-become nicely complicated as the story unfolds and shaggy dogs shed their fleas. Smith takes his leisure in crafting smart exchanges: "Anyone with a brain would have taken that step," one of Dock's pursuers mutters. "I suspect this fellow is thedimmest of bulbs. Violent types usually are." But Dock is smarter than he seems: so we learn as Smith's story meanders amiably toward its satisfying payoff. Nicely done, and just the thing for the History Channel addict of the house.