Mike Blakely has gathered over 50 wild and funny short tales about early Texas. If you like campfire ditties you'll love this book. If you hunt you'll laugh at the antics in this book. As is true with all retold real-live-happenings Blakely's stories have "been improved" but that is character of such things--after all, Rip Van Winkle slept for 20 years (ahem). And if you're living in Texas (or anywhere, for that matter) More Wild Camp Tales is the perfect book at your bedside - unless you like to sleep that is! It's funny, it's serious, it's a good read...Bob Wiseman 9/96

The reason I liked this book is because I'm very interested in western folklore. The book has great examples of western life. For example, it showed how the cowboys found cattle rustlers and put them in jail for theft.I think that this would be great for kids who enjoy western folklore.

If you've ever wanted land -- a lot of land -- you'll love SPANISH BLOOD. Blakely takes you to a vivid scene in New Mexico with a wise and witty character, who stumbles into a loving relationship with a Spanish family that ultimately gains him interest in a large land grant. It's a wonderful and fun loving story that keeps you turning pages. I tip my hat to Mike Blakely.

Caleb's adventures take him through the Civil War, buffalo hunts, Indian Wars, and barroom shoot outs. During these times he meets a Comanche slave woman who kidnaps him, and a renegade Arapaho who likes scalping people, and finally meets Marisol a Mexican beauty who gives him his children and wins his love. Some times the story slows down quite a bit and other times you won't want to put it down.

I'm going to add my five stars to the list, because Mike Blakely deserves it. This book delves into the life of young Caleb Holcomb, and we get to watch him grow up. It, like Kirby Jonas books I'm always touting, is not your standard western, but it is a good homespun tale all the same. Caleb is heroic without being super human, and you will fall in love with his affable, musical character who is always finding almost too much trouble for him to handle. Read Mike Blakely and anything by Kirby Jonas, and you won't need to turn anywhere else. If these two authors ever got together they would have a lot in common and a lot to talk about. You can bet they would be friends!

This book is EXCELLENT !!! Anyone who has any intrest in the old west should read this book !!!! It is absolutely amazing !!!!! The writer has such style and grace !!! He is an amazing writer and I think he is great!

Summer of Pearls is different from other Blakely book I have read. I was disappointed at first but the more I read the more I really enjoyed it. It is really about three 14 year old boys and their experience the summer of the pearls. Ben Crowell and his two friends have many things happen to them that summer, the finding of pearls, the catching of fish, the feeding of hogs, carring water and just growing up. Billy Treat is the one that teaches them much, especially Ben. Trevor Brigginshaw is good as the pearl buyer who has come to town. Judd Kelso is the villian. It is but together to make a very good story. It will hold your attention. The ending is great. The whole book I kept thinking of "The Waltons".

The more I read Mr. Blakely's novels, the more I'm intrigued by his creative vision. SUMMER OF PEARLS, as far as I can tell, is a departure from his epic American Indian epic, COMANCHE DAWN, and his finely crafted westerns, like SHORTGRASS SONG and TOO LONG AT THE DANCE. What the author demonstrates in his most recent novel is his God-given ability to tell a compelling story--in this case the quiet saga of a dying east Texas town that explodes after the discovery of pearls in Lake Caddo. In my opinion, Blakely has yet to receive the acclaim he deserves. Read this book despite its horrendous cover and see if you don't agree that he's one of the best living writers mining the American historical vein.

Mike Blakely is a gifted writer. Make no mistake about it. Some of his books are epic in scope, theme and characterization. Some, like this one, are set in one little place and involve only a few people. And Mike does each with great grace and skill.

SUMMER OF PEARLS is a wonderful book: a story set in a small town, told by an old man as he looks back on the most enjoyable and meaningful summmer of his life. In scope and feel, the book reminds me very much of that classic movie, DAYS OF HEAVEN (Richard Gere's first movie, I believe). It is contained, the style is spare and crisp, the characters are rich and full, and you leave the novel with that sense of poignancy that we all have when we look back on those bitter sweet times in our lives.

SUMMER OF PEARLS is a beautiful book, in many ways. If you want to find out just how good a writer Mike is, read this, then read COMANCHE DAWN. You will wonder how the same guy could write each. Both very fine novels, but so different from one another.

WHAT A REMARKABLE WAY TO BEGIN A BOOK. MIKE BLAKELY HAS A UNBELIEVEABLE SENSE OF THE HISTORY OF THE COMANCHE PEOPLE. I REALLY ENJOY THE DETAIL HE PUTS INTO HIS DESCRIPTIONS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY PASSIONATE MAN THAT PUTS EVERYTHING HE HAS INTO HIS WORK. I ADMIRE THE ENERGY PUT INTO THIS WORK. I CAN PICTURE MYSELF IN AMONGST THESE PEOPLE, RIDING WITH THEM, AND WATCHING THIS "BIG DOG" RUN THROUGH CAMP. HIS ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS PHENOMENAL. WELL DONE. THIS BOOK IS REALLY SWEET AS HONEY.

Howdy folks, I'm James Drury. I used to play the Virginian on NBC television, and most recently I've taken to reading books on audio. I had to chuckle with surprise when I read the review below by Dan Huff, who compares Blakely's writing to Kirby Jonas'. I know both of these men, and both are great writers, although their work is highly varied from each other. In this book, Comanche Dawn, Blakely does write differently than some of his books I've seen in the past. It's more of a literary novel, and a good one in its own realm. Blakely plays a mean guitar and has one of the best singing voices in America, in my opinion, so his talent should take him far. Read this book to see what it was like for the Comanches and their best friend, the horse. It is a deeper book than Blakely's earlier stuff, but just as enjoyable. And if you want to compare him to Kirby Jonas yourself I would suggest you try out Jonas' Legend of the Tumbleweed, also available on Amazon.

If you love Horses, you've got to read "Comanche Dawn"! MIke Blakely has done a tremendous job researching and developing and "causing to come to life" Comanche History. I normaly don't care for western novels. However, as a horselover, Blakely had me totally mesmarized. First, because he has accurately portrayed the appearance of the Spanish Horse in America. Second, because he masterfully developed and integrated history and characters so well that I just couldn't put the book down. Finally, as a natural horseman he has me wanting to ride like the Comanche, with war bridle, Comanche loops, et al. I can hardly wait for his sequel to see how the Comanche and the Spanish Horse continue to write early American History!

Okay, right off the bat I'm gonna say something that may lead you to believe I'm biased, but I swear I don't make recommendations unless I like a book. If a friend writes up a yarn and I hate it, I just won't say anything. Folks, I'm Kirby Jonas, the guy James Drury was talking about in the review he did down below. Being a Western novelist myself, I am very critical of the writing of others. I want the history to be correct down to the proper dialogue (to a certain extent), the right guns and clothing and horses. I also want a fast moving book and good characters, and I want a book that's going to make me laugh and cry and give me goosebumps (I stole that from a review James Drury did on one of my books! :) ) Too Long at the Dance was all of these things, folks. It wasn't a fast read for one afternoon like Shane or a Louis L'Amour book. It was deep and insightful and lyrical and plain good. You need to read Shortgrass Song first to do it justice, but I'm telling you, if you want to learn history without thinking you're having a history lesson, PLEASE pick up this book. You will not for one moment regret it. Mike Blakely did a knock-down superb job here, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. AND--for me this is a bonus--you don't have a bunch of sex and graphic violence and swearing to wade through, so you can even let your younkers and granny latch onto this'n. Give Mike a try. You'll get hooked.

As a member of a sixth-generation Texas family, I cut my teeth on traditonal western novels. In my fifty-eight years of life on this planet, I have managed to get a master's degree, work in numerous foreign countries, as well as many states of the US. During that time I drifted away from the written works of my youth, but Mike Blakely's novels have brought me back into the fold. Although, I would not consider Blakely a traditional western writer, in the style of Louis L'Amour,et al., I would deem his works as fresh and envigorating as the breeze that sweeps across my hilltop just above the Guadalupe River. Upon returning to Texas to live, I taught history, among other subjects, in an adult education program. "Too Long at the Dance" and other Blakely novels ("Comanche Dawn" being my favorite) have been an inspiration to continue learning more about the West. This novel and other Blakely works have been not only a source of enjoyment, but a wonderful learning experience as well. Keep up the good work, Mike.

Howdy, folks, I'm James Drury. I used to play the Virginian on TV, for those of you who might not know me. I just saw that last review on Mike Blakely's book, Too Long At The Dance, and I couldn't let it stand without an argument. I have read several of Mike's books, and a lot of other western novels, including narrating Kirby Jonas' books onto Audio Tape for Books in Motion. I hope that qualifies me as one who can judge a good or a bad Western novel.

This novel by Mike is superb. It is packed with high quality research and excitement and very believable characters, and it brings a very satisfying ending to the story begun with Shortgrass Song. I hope you folks who read these reviews will take my review to heart. I have no idea what the last reviewer was doing when he was supposed to be reading this book, but he obviously knows nothing about the West and perhaps has never read a Western book before in his life. This was a very good novel and well worth anyone's time, if you like authenticity in your reading.

I have read several books by Mike Blakely and think I like this one least of all. I usually really like his books. Ross Caldwell has missed the massacre of his troop by Indians. He ends up in Virginia City and becomes its Sheriff. Also in Virginia City is ex Sergeant Parkhill and his buddies who had planned to kill Ross before the Indian attack. Because of time and his growing a beard and long hair they do not know it is Ross, if you believe that. Ross is trying to find his wife who he had to leave behind and she is trying to find him. He sets out to destroy Parkhill and his bunch. Can he do so without getting caught and will he and his wife ever get together? The book just never did click for me. I would pass and read something else.