Buckskin Brigades

Last updated
Buckskin Brigades
Buckskin Brigades.jpg
First book edition
Author L. Ron Hubbard
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Language English
Subject Piegan Blackfeet
Genre Western novel
PublisherMacaulay
Publication date
July 30, 1937
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Pages312 pp
ISBN 0-88404-280-4
OCLC 18163497

Buckskin Brigades is a Western novel written by L. Ron Hubbard, first published July 30, 1937. [1] The work was Hubbard's first hard-covered book, and his first published novel. [2] [3] [4] The next year he became a contributor to Astounding Science Fiction . [4] Winfred Blevins wrote the introduction to the book. [5] Some sources state that as a young man, Hubbard became a blood brother to the Piegan Blackfeet Native American tribe while living in Montana, [3] [6] though this claim is disputed. [7] Hubbard incorporates historical background from the Blackfeet tribe into the book. [3]

Contents

The book was re-released by Bridge Publications, Inc. in a 1987 edition. [8] The book was published in an audiobook format by Bridge Publications and read by actor Bruce Boxleitner, [9] who was hired by Church of Spiritual Technology subsidiary Author Services Inc. to read Hubbard's books on tape. [10]

Plot introduction

The book references a journal entry from Meriwether Lewis during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. [11] In a July 27, 1806 entry, Lewis describes how he had killed a Blackfeet Native American chief during the expedition, and in another entry in the journal he mentions a white man living with the Blackfeet tribe. [11] Part of Hubbard's story is based on this white man, referred to in the book by his Native American name, "Yellow Hair". [11]

After the death of the Native American chief, Yellow Hair attempts to protect his adopted people from fur traders. [11] Yellow Hair is sent to join the fur traders and learn how their future operations will affect his people. [5] The white fur traders are portrayed as evil savages. [5]

Sales controversy

The book was discussed along with other works by Hubbard in an investigation into "skewed sales", in a 1990 article in the Los Angeles Times . [8] Bookstore managers told reporters that after the 1987 re-release of Buckskin Brigades by Bridge Publications, the book "just sat there". [8] Sheldon McArthur, former manager of B. Dalton Booksellers on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times: "Then, in one week, it was gone... We started getting calls asking, 'You got Buckskin Brigades?' I said, 'Sure, we got them.' You got a hundred of them?'". [8]

McArthur stated "Whenever the sales seem to slacken and a (Hubbard) book goes off the bestsellers list, give it a week and we'll get these people coming in buying 50 to 100 to 200 copies at a crack - cash only." [8] Gary Hamel, a former manager of B. Dalton Booksellers at Santa Monica Place, said "Ten people would come in at a time and buy quantities of them, and they would pay cash." [8] Company officials from Bridge Publications, Inc. "refused to be interviewed about any facet of the firm's operations" for the Los Angeles Times article. [8]

Reception

In a 1987 review of a biography of Hubbard, L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman? , Francis Hamit of the Daily News of Los Angeles wrote: "Currently a recently discovered first novel, Buckskin Brigades, an account of the settlement of the Northwest Territories where the Indians are the good guys, is selling well and is further evidence of his considerable gift for writing compelling narrative." [12] Cecil D. Roy, Jr. reviewed the book for The Advocate (Baton Rouge), and wrote that "Hubbard's style at times approaches the stilted, artificial style of some novelists of the late 19th and early 20th century," and that Hubbard "never achieves the easy flow of descriptive prose" of writers Zane Grey and Stewart Edward White. [5] Roy Jr. characterized the book as "a good adventure novel of the West", but concluded with: "..don't look for the true Mountain Man in Buckskin Brigades." [5]

In a 1992 review of the audio book, Dick Richmond of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote: "Hubbard has created a memorable figure in Yellow Hair. Even though the story is not quite in the same class as Kenneth Roberts' Northwest Passage , it does contain strong characterizations, especially those involving the leaders of the fur traders." [11] In a 2003 interview with Publishers Weekly , William J. Widder – author of Master Storyteller: An Illustrated Tour of the Fiction of L. Ron Hubbard – called the book "One of the first novels to present a sympathetic and accurate view of Indians." [13]

In the book Bare Faced Messiah , author Russell Miller recounts that the Hudson's Bay Company sent Hubbard an honorary case of whiskey after publication and Macaulay had offered an advance of $2,500. Rather than pay off his considerable personal debts, Hubbard splurged on a brand new boat called the Magician. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L. Ron Hubbard</span> American writer and founder of Scientology (1911–1986)

Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was an American author and the founder of Scientology. A prolific writer of pulp science fiction and fantasy novels in his early career, in 1950 he authored Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health and established organizations to promote and practice Dianetics techniques. Hubbard created Scientology in 1952 after losing the rights to Dianetics in bankruptcy proceedings, and would manage the Church of Scientology until his death in 1986. Born in Tilden, Nebraska, in 1911, Hubbard spent much of his childhood in Helena, Montana. While his father was posted to the U.S. naval base on Guam in the late 1920s, Hubbard traveled to Asia and the South Pacific. In 1930, Hubbard enrolled at George Washington University to study civil engineering but dropped out in his second year. He began his career as a prolific writer of pulp fiction stories and married Margaret Grubb, who shared his interest in aviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xenu</span> Figure in Scientology space opera

Xenu, also called Xemu, is a figure in the Church of Scientology's secret "Advanced Technology", a sacred and esoteric teaching. According to the "Technology", Xenu was the extraterrestrial ruler of a "Galactic Confederacy" who brought billions of his people to Earth in DC-8-like spacecraft 75 million years ago, stacked them around volcanoes, and killed them with hydrogen bombs. Official Scientology scriptures hold that the thetans of these aliens adhere to humans, causing spiritual harm.

<i>Mission Earth</i> (novel series) 1985-87 SF novel series by L. Ron Hubbard

Mission Earth is a ten-volume science fiction novel series by L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard died three months after the publication of volume 1, and other volumes were published posthumously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thetan</span> Scientology concept of life-force

In Scientology, the concept of the thetan is similar to the concept of self, or the spirit or soul as found in several belief systems. The term is derived from the Greek letter Θ, theta, which in Scientology beliefs represents "the source of life, or life itself." In Scientology it is believed that it is the thetan, not the central nervous system, which commands the body.

Revolt in the Stars is a science fiction film screenplay written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1977. It tells the space opera story of how an evil galactic dictator, named Xenu, massacres many of his subjects by transporting them to Earth and killing them with atomic bombs. L. Ron Hubbard had already presented this story to his followers, as a true account of events that happened 75 million years ago, in a secret level of Scientology scripture called Operating Thetan, Level III. The screenplay was promoted around Hollywood circles in 1979, but attempts at fundraising and obtaining financing fell through, and the film was never made. Unofficial copies circulate on the Internet.

Russell Miller (born c. 1938) is a British journalist and author of fifteen books, including biographies of Hugh Hefner, J. Paul Getty and L. Ron Hubbard.

<i>Bare-faced Messiah</i> Posthumous biography of L. Ron Hubbard

Bare-faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard is a posthumous biography of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard by British journalist Russell Miller. First published in the United Kingdom on 26 October 1987, the book takes a critical perspective, challenging the Church of Scientology's account of Hubbard's life and work. It quotes extensively from official documents acquired using the Freedom of Information Act and from Hubbard's personal papers, which were obtained via a defector from Scientology. It was also published in Australia, Canada and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Hubbard</span> American scientologist

Geoffrey Quentin McCaully Hubbard, was the son of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and his third wife, Mary Sue Hubbard. He died at the age of 22 in an apparent suicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celebrity Centre</span> Scientology church branch for celebrities, politicians, artists & leaders

Church of Scientology Celebrity Centres are Churches of Scientology that are open to the general public but are intended for "artists, politicians, leaders of industry, and sports figures".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OT VIII</span> Highest auditing level in Scientology

OT VIII or OT 8 is the highest current auditing level in Scientology. OT VIII is known as "The Truth Revealed" and was first released to select high-ranking public Scientologists in 1988, two years after the death of Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. OT VIII is only delivered to members of the Church of Scientology in one place—aboard the organization's private cruise ship, the Freewinds, and is additionally available from independent Scientology groups. There are a few advanced auditors that are able to deliver the level to those who meet the prerequisites.

<i>Battlefield Earth</i> (novel) 1982 novel by L. Ron Hubbard

Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 is a 1982 science fiction novel written by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. He also composed a soundtrack to the book called Space Jazz.

<i>The Scandal of Scientology</i> Book by Paulette Cooper

The Scandal of Scientology is a critical exposé book about the Church of Scientology, written by Paulette Cooper and published by Tower Publications, in 1971.

<i>Final Blackout</i> 1948 SF novel by L. Ron Hubbard

Final Blackout is a dystopic science fiction novel by American writer L. Ron Hubbard. The novel is set in the future and follows a man known as "the Lieutenant" as he restores order to England after a world war. First published in serialized format in 1940 in the science fiction magazine Astounding Science Fiction, Final Blackout was published in book form in 1948 by The Hadley Publishing Co. Author Services Inc. published a hardcover edition of the book in 1988, and in 1989 the Church of Scientology-affiliated organization Bridge Publications said that a film director named Christopher Cain had signed a contract to write and direct a movie version based on the book.

<i>Typewriter in the Sky</i> 1940 science fantasy novel by L. Ron Hubbard

Typewriter in the Sky is a science fantasy novel by American writer L. Ron Hubbard. The protagonist Mike de Wolf finds himself inside the story of his friend Horace Hackett's book. He must survive conflict on the high seas in the Caribbean during the 17th century, before eventually returning to his native New York City. Each time a significant event occurs to the protagonist in the story he hears the sounds of a typewriter in the sky. At the story's conclusion, de Wolf wonders if he is still a character in someone else's story. The work was first published in a two-part serial format in 1940 in Unknown Fantasy Fiction. It was twice published as a combined book with Hubbard's work Fear. In 1995 Bridge Publications re-released the work along with an audio edition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early life of L. Ron Hubbard</span>

L. Ron Hubbard was the inventor of Dianetics and founder of Scientology. Born in Tilden, Nebraska in March 1911, Hubbard grew up with his family in Helena, Montana. He was unusually well-traveled for a young man of his time due to his father's frequent relocations in connection with his service in the United States Navy. He lived in a number of locations in the United States and traveled to Guam, the Philippines, China, and Japan. He enrolled at George Washington University in 1930 to study civil engineering, but dropped out in his second year. While at GWU, he organized an expedition to the Caribbean for fellow students which looms large in his official biography but was a flop according to contemporary accounts. He subsequently spent time in Puerto Rico panning for gold, before returning to the United States, marrying his pregnant girlfriend, and embarking on a career as a "penny-a-word" writer.

Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was an American pulp fiction author. He wrote in a wide variety of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, adventure fiction, aviation, travel, mystery, western, and romance. His United States publisher and distributor is Galaxy Press. He is perhaps best known for his self-help book, the #1 New York Times bestseller Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, and as the founder of the Church of Scientology.

Pat Broeker, a former high-ranking member of the Church of Scientology, was – along with his wife Annie Broeker – one of the few people in direct contact with L. Ron Hubbard in his final years. He and his wife, and driver Steve "Sarge" Pfauth, left with Hubbard from his home in Hemet, California in 1980 and travelled around California in a motorhome until buying and settling at a ranch in San Luis Obispo County in 1983. The Broekers and Pfauth stayed with Hubbard until his death in January 1986. Due to ongoing investigations by the FBI and IRS following the arrests of high-ranking Scientologists, including Hubbard's wife Mary Sue Hubbard over Operation Snow White, the location of the ranch was kept secret and visits from Church management were forbidden while Hubbard was alive.

L. Ron Hubbard spent the final decade of his life in hiding in various locations throughout the United States.

Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard made a number of false claims about his life and background. His estranged son Ronald DeWolf (Nibs) reported that "Ninety-nine percent of what my father ever wrote or said about himself" was false. An acquaintance who knew Hubbard in Pasadena recalled recognizing Hubbard's epic autobiographical tales as being adapted from the writings of others. In October 1984, an American judge issued a ruling, writing of Hubbard that "The evidence portrays a man who has been virtually a pathological liar when it comes to his history, background and achievements."

References

  1. ↑ Staff (July 30, 1937). "Books Published Today". The New York Times . p. 17.
  2. ↑ Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky . New York: Carol Publishing Group. pp.  66. ISBN   0-8184-0499-X.
  3. 1 2 3 Corydon, Bent; Brian Ambry (1992). L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman? . Barricade Books. p. 227. ISBN   0-942637-57-7.
  4. 1 2 Streissguth, Thomas (1995). Charismatic Cult Leaders. The Oliver Press, Inc. pp.  66. ISBN   1-881508-18-8.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Roy Jr., Cecil D. (October 11, 1987). "Books in Brief". The Advocate . p. 26-MAG.
  6. ↑ Frenschkowski, Marco (University of Mainz, Germany) (July 1999). "L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology: An annotated bibliographical survey of primary and selected secondary literature". Marburg Journal of Religion. 4 (1). Archived from the original on 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2008-04-06.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Welkos, Robert W.; Joel Sappell (June 24, 1990). "The Scientology Story: Staking a Claim to Blood Brotherhood". Los Angeles Times . p. A38. Archived from the original on 2007-10-19. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Robert W., Welkos; Joel Sappell (June 28, 1990). "The Scientology Story: Costly Strategy Continues to Turn Out Bestsellers". Los Angeles Times . p. A1. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  9. ↑ Seago, Kate (April 27, 1994). "Western Fans Hanker For Spoken Word". Daily News of Los Angeles . p. L1.
  10. ↑ Richardson, John H. (September 1993). "Catcha Rising Star". Premiere Magazine . Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Richmond, Dick (April 2, 1992). "Tales Of The Old West". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . p. 4E.
  12. ↑ Smit, Francis (November 15, 1987). "'Hubbard': A Story of Bitter Betrayal". Daily News of Los Angeles . p. L26.
  13. ↑ Indick, Ben P. (August 4, 2003). "A life in words and pictures. (PW Talks with William J. Widder)". Publishers Weekly .
  14. ↑ Bare Faced Messiah chapter 4
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.