WRITING THE WEST - Part 3

The 1960s saw changes emerging in the way movies depicted the west.
No way could you imagine the likes of John Wayne or James Stewart taking six gunfighters across the border to defend a small Mexican village. Lee Marvin could have but Yul Brynner got the role of the cold, businesslike Chris. 'The Magnificent Seven' became an instant classic - and much quoted in Western novels like John J McLaglen's 'Herne The Hunter' series.

Next on the scene was a scruffy, bristle faced, poncho wearing 'hero'. Took a bit of getting used to seeing how 'Rawhide's' Rowdy Yates had let himself go - but Clint Eastwood along with  Italian film director Sergio Leone took the western down new trails and in the process another classic was born with 'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly'. Leone's films were inspirational with his own 'Once Upon A Time In The West'. Franco Nero as 'Django' - and Lee Van Cleef was making a name for himself.

Nor were the British far behind with Robert Shaw riding into 'A Town Called Hell' and Raquel Welch looking for vengeance in 'Hannie Caulder'.

While new stars were rising the old breed were dying. Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott went to Ride The High Country for one last time. While The Wild Bunch were gunned down in a bloody gore fest that divided the fans.

If there were changes in the cinema so it was echoed in the books we read.
In 1972 New English Library introduced a new breed of hero in the shape of a man called 'Edge' created by George G. Gilman. Edge broke the mold and new heroes followed in his wake.

I must have been slow in catching up because I didn't start reading Edge until 1979. How do I know this? Because the first two books have an inscription - ' To Daddy - Christmas '78'. My two eldest daughters gave me one each and lit a fuse.

No one can quite be sure when it happened but I picked up a second hand typewriter and started writing a western. Just tapped away putting words on to yellow quarto sized paper and 'Poseidon Smith'  was born. So, too, was Pad MaGhee who followed in Poseidon's footsteps. I put the books into a folder and put them in a box - I had proved to myself that I could write a western - or two.

1980: My mother-in-law, who worked in the local newsagents, mentioned that there was a new Western magazine coming out and would I like a copy? Sounded like a good idea at the time and it was a good job that it was. Over the next four months I discovered that George G Gilman, J.T.Edson, Neil Hunter and most of the other western writers that I had been reading were British.
That Christmas my wife, Sandra, bought me some Avon aftershave in a bottle shaped like a Pepperpot pistol.

The Pepperpot pistol sat beside the typewriter as I re-wrote 'Poseidon Smith:Vengeance Is Mine'. The ms went to all the paperback publishers and came back with praiseworthy rejections. In the end I wrote to George G Gilman for advice - his reply was a suggestion that I send the book to Robert Hale.

After having to lose 5,000 words - Poseidon Smith (armed with a Pepperpot pistol) was published. Though not under my own name. The day that I completed the final draft my father in law died - the book had to be put to one side. Five days later tragedy struck again when my own father died. Later, when I returned the ms to Hale the author's name had changed to Jack Giles (named for two fathers who loved their westerns).

None of this would have happened has it not been for a well spent childhood. I guess it is just that childhood never ends - and that together with a love for a genre that is supposed to be on it's last legs we want to keep it alive.

When I write a western a gun sits alongside the keyboard - the kid won't have it otherwise.

The story of Poseidon Smith could not be written without the help of my family.

REBEL RUN by Jack Giles

I am pleased to say that this 1985 'western' novel is now available to download. A Kindle version is available via Amazon.


The reason that I use the term 'western' is that while set in the era it is, perhaps, an eastern.


The story of REBEL RUN is set against the backdrop of the American Civil War. The hero is a Confederate Artillery Sergeant with the Virginia (Rockbridge) Battery who, on the 9th August 1862, is captured during the retreat from Cedar Run.


Van Essen is a habitual escaper who is sent to an island prison camp that is reputed to be escape proof. The camp commander has no love of artillerymen nor do the group of Confederate cavalrymen to whom he is attached. They have plans of their own that do not include the newcomer.


This is not just an escape yarn but one that rides the rapids and develops into a running battle against the Federal Army.


I must have enjoyed writing this book as it embraces things that I do remember. Influences of the escape stories that I read when I was young like Colditz, Stalag Luft 3, 'The Wooden Horse' escape by Eric Williams and the First World War classic 'The Road To En-Dor'. Combine all that with an interest in the American Civil War and, I guess it would be inevitable that 'REBEL RUN' would happen. Although fiction the Regiments and Civil War events are factual.


This book was the one that I was reading when my wife, gently, told me that I had written it. For those new to my blog a stroke left me missing 30 years of memories. While Van Essen was captured on the 9th August by  a weird coincidence that was also the date of that stroke.