All the Cowboys Ain't Gone: A Novel
All the Cowboys Ain't Gone: A Novel book cover

All the Cowboys Ain't Gone: A Novel

Hardcover – February 23, 2021

by
Price
$22.17
Format
Hardcover
Pages
352
Publisher
Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1799955665
Dimensions
6.2 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
Weight
1.4 pounds

Description

''How to read All The Cowboys Ain't Gone : get comfortable, take a deep breath, open to page one, and let 'er rip. You're off at a gallop on a grand adventure with the resourceful Lincoln Smith, who could give Allan Quatermain and Indiana Jones a run for their money. Smashing!'' -- James R. Benn, author of The Red Horse and other Billy Boyle mysteries ''[A] rollicking debut ... Lincoln is an old-fashioned hero worth rooting for. Jacobson ingeniously colors in Lincoln's adventures with elements of Dumas, Jules Verne, and P. C. Wren's Beau Geste mixed with much Indiana Jones-style derring-do. This is a ride worth taking.'' -- Publishers Weekly ''Epic adventure meets western cool. All The Cowboys Ain't Gone swaggers its way from page to page with thrilling action, likable characters, and a galloped pacing. Jacobson has a master's sense of storytelling, and he writes like he's having a hell of a lot of fun doing it.'' -- James Wade, author of All Things Left Wild ''Treasure, torture, crocodiles, snakes, dueling with curtain rods, and escaping bad guys via balloon are some of the rollicking adventures awaiting the reader who doesn't mind suspending their disbelief at some of the characters' exploits. As a wish-fulfillment adventure, it's a fun ride.'' -- Historical Novels Review ''One of the most fun pieces of nostalgic escapism since Raiders of The Lost Ark ...Jacobson has just the right touch for this story. He grounds the characters and setting in just enough reality to let the adventure sing. He also uses humor. injecting a sly, yet loving, self awareness. Lincoln realized much of western legend is myth, yet it's the code that is worth something to believe in. It is that code that weaves through the sweep and romance of the adventure. All the Cowboys Ain't Gone is much about storytelling and its importance as much as the story it tells. Like Michael Chabon or some of Joe Lansdale's work, John Jacobson uses classic tropes to explore characters and beliefs. Times may have changed, but heroes are always needed. Lincoln Smith is a choice.'' -- MysteryPeople ''Original, unique, adroitly crafted, and an inherently fascinating read featuring truly memorable characters, All the Cowboys Ain't Gone deftly showcases the impressive literary storytelling talents of author John J. Jacobson.'' -- Midwest Book Review ''Jacobson's novel is the most quixotic cowboy story you're likely to ever read. And just like that storied tale, this one is funny, adventurous and most of all, timely ... Lincoln Smith is the hero today for all of those who, if not long for, certainly wax nostalgic about a time before the iPhone, the internet, and social media were ubiquitous.'' -- Mountain Times ''For those readers who love the rollicking adventure in Beau Geste and The Three Musketeers , and thrilled to the sound of hoofbeats crossing Romania in Teel James Glenn's Cowboy in Carpathia -- this book is for you!...This is an adventure truly worthy of Dumas, with its own Texas D'Artagnan and the multinational Three Musketeers... All the Cowboys Ain't Gone is the kind of story we used to watch at the Saturday Morning Movies, one we hate to see end, and one we'd like to have return again and again in a series of sequels just as funny, exciting, and satisfying.'' -- New York Journal of Books ''Want to be taken on a wild adventure? Imagine a cross between James Bond and MacGyver, throw in the Wild West and North Africa, and the result will be this book.'' -- Storeybook Reviews ''This is a book that surprised and enchanted me from the first page! Not only does it have an intriguing and brilliant cover, this book has all of the things I love: cowboys, spying, rollicking adventures, a grandiose imagination, and action by the gallon!'' -- Book Bustle Though JOHN J. JACOBSON didn't join the French Foreign Legion after being jilted by a girlfriend, or over his displeasure of missing the last great cattle drive, he has, borrowing Churchill's phrase, lived a rather variegated life. He was born in Nevada, grew up in the West, surfed big waves in Hawaii, circled the world thrice, survived the sixties and seventies, corporate America, and grad school. Among other degrees he has an MA in Renaissance literature from Claremont Graduate University.

Features & Highlights

  • “This is a book that surprised and enchanted me from the first page! Not only does it have an intriguing and brilliant cover, this book has all of the things I love: cowboys, spying, rollicking adventures, a grandiose imagination, and action by the gallon!”--Book Bustle
  • All the Cowboys Ain't Gone
  • is the rollicking adventure story of Lincoln Smith, a young Texan living at the beginning of the twentieth century, who thinks of himself as the last true cowboy. He longs for the days of the Old West, when men like his father, a famous Texas Ranger, lived by the chivalric code.
  • Lincoln finds himself hopelessly out of time and place in the fast-changing United States of the new century. When he gets his heart broken by a sweetheart who doesn't appreciate his anachronistic tendencies, he does what any sensible young romantic would do: he joins the French Foreign Legion.
  • On his way to an ancient and exotic country at the edge of the Sahara, Lincoln encounters a number of curious characters and strange adventures, from a desert hermit who can slow up time to a battle with a crocodile cult that worships the god of death. He meets them all with his own charming brand of courage and resourcefulness.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(91)
★★★★
20%
(61)
★★★
15%
(46)
★★
7%
(21)
★
28%
(85)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Silly

One of the dumbest books I have ever read. I was duped into thinking that this might be a good read. Boy was I wrong. There is no redeeming value to the book. I wish I could return it to Amazon to get my money back or at least a credit.
12 people found this helpful
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It was an ok read

Honestly, it was ok. The writing was simplistic and not very engaging. The action scenes, as others have said, left a lot to be desired. To me, it felt more like a cheap imitation of the classic adventure stories than anything remotely original.
The plot, the setting and some of the characters were truly interesting, however it just really felt flat and phoned in at times.
*SPOILER BELOW*

The twist at the end really made me say “F this book” out loud. It was unnecessary and REALLY took me out of it. Not to mention...the battle of Camarón happened nearly 20 years before the start of the book, in which the character in question was VERY CLEARLY not in the Legion.
6 people found this helpful
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Adventure abounds

Want to be taken on a wild adventure? Imagine a cross between James Bond and Macgyver, throw in the Wild West and North Africa, and the result will be this book.

"I like gettin' out and see what's stirring with the new day, while it's still fresh and wild, before others get a chance to mar it's newness."

I started reading this book and wasn't sure what to expect. We meet Lincoln Smith, a young man that loses his father to some outlaws in the wild west of Texas in the late 1800s. His father was a role model for Lincoln and he did his best to emulate his father all his life. I have to admit I could relate a little bit to Lincoln and how he did not like things to change. He didn't like the trains coming through his town and definitely did not like the horseless carriages he encountered as a young man. He even says he was born too late and should have been born about 50 years earlier.

Lincoln decides after a Wild West show closes that he is going to join the French Foreign Legion to see places he has only heard of and places he hasn't. We have all heard of this outfit and I have to admit, I really don't know much about them other than they are a military organization. Apparently, this organization still exists and I could find myself going down a rabbit hole reading about the group but stopped myself. Anyway, Lincoln makes his way to France to join up in the early 1900s and meets Jake and John, two men that will have his back more times than he can count. What follows is their adventure.

Lincoln has some crazy good luck throughout the book. He manages to wriggle his way out of tough situations and while it may seem impossible, it is what made this book so fascinating to me. I think Lincoln is a bit naive and could have easily been taken advantage of (and probably was a few times) but luckily he met various characters that took him under their wing and watched out for him.

There is one character that I didn't like at first but came to admire and that is Amanda. She is the daughter of an Ambassador and she is very hard-headed and insists on doing what she wants despite the potential danger. But I think that is what attracts Lincoln to her and there could be a romance brewing but only time will tell.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and once the action really picked up about halfway through the book, I had a hard time putting it down. Sure, some of it may seem impossible but that is the great thing about books, they make the impossible possible and let us imagine a world other than our own.
6 people found this helpful
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Larger Than Life!

For Lincoln Smith, the West was never truly won. Born just after the glorious days, when legendary heroes like Wild Bill infamous outlaws roamed across the plains, Lincoln dedicates his life to "the old code." Caught between chivalry and hero worship of his departed Texas Ranger father, Lincoln is searching for a place out of time. He finds all this and much more than he bargained for after joining the French Foreign Legion.

In All the Cowboys Ain't Gone, John J. Jacobson paints a colorful world in true, Texan, tall-tale fashion. Sometimes you read a book you just can't help but fall a little in love with. I was raised by older parents, on stories from elderly relatives who recalled events of the turn of the century. I always felt a little outside my time, and could immediately relate to Lincoln Smith's frustrations and determination to make his own way. Instead of giving up on the way of life he dreams of, Lincoln sets out to carry what he sees as the spirit of the Old West with him.

Although Jacobson's novel is told from multiple perspectives, Lincoln lives at the heart of the narrative. He is a larger-than-life hero, and refreshingly unaware of this fact. Much in the style of Indiana Jones, Lincoln often finds himself jumping from one danger to the next. And just like Indie, our hero always manages to fight or improvise his narrow escape. Other highlights for me include intrepid archeology student, Amanda, who not only served as love-interest but a strong and capable woman in her own right. And who couldn't love three French Foreign Legionnaires who go by the names of Porthos, Athos, and Aramis?

If you're searching for a traditional Western novel, this may not be the book for you. But if you're here for brilliant writing, fantastic character, and a rollicking adventure, look no further. From compelling cover art and a likable hero, to brilliant and often cheeky prose, I couldn't put down All the Cowboys Ain't Gone and can't wait to read it again.

**I was provided with a copy of All the Cowboys Ain't Gone by the publisher and this is my voluntary and honest review.**
3 people found this helpful
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Fabulous Adventure!

"The direction of the arrow cannot be changed. It may be slowed, but not changed."

All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone by John J. Jacobson is an exuberant good time set at the tail end of the Old West era. Living in Texas during the turn of the twentieth century, young Lincoln Smith longs for those long-gone glory days of the Texas Rangers and the Old West uncluttered by oil wells and modern machinery. The spread of the railroad across the United States and other inventions are nothing but travesties and eyesores to Lincoln. Books about the Old West and the French Foreign Legion sustain him throughout his childhood, providing him with the dream of one day joining the Legion and traveling to lands left unmarred by modern ways and contraptions.

In the first six chapters, Lincoln's life takes a dramatic turn just months before his twelfth birthday. The story jumps ahead ten years, and Lincoln reluctantly shuffles off to college, but more exciting capers are on the horizon when he finally seizes the opportunity to seek out the Legionnaires and travel to exotic destinations.

Lincoln is a completely likable main character, full of spunk and ingenuity and endowed with proper grammar (his mother is a school teacher, after all), his father’s rifle (Lincoln’s most prized possession), and an unquenchable zest for adventure. When Lincoln meets two older guys, Jake and Johnny, who are also intent on joining the Legion, the story takes a new and often hilarious turn. The goal for these two gents is to get posted in Sidi Bel Abbès in Algeria, North Africa, so they can secretly look for King Sol’s lost treasure in legendary Mur. Lincoln agrees to help them search but insists his loyalty will remain with the Legion if they join up. Once again, however, the plot twists and turns in a new direction.

Jacobson has a flair for adding a hefty dose humor into some dastardly action filled with murder, peril, and greed. This mixture works well in this story, making it fast paced and fun to read. The reader never becomes a victim of boredom with All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone because riotous and dangerous surprises await Lincoln and his friends around every corner.

Lincoln’s adventures are somewhat reminiscent of Sir H. Rider Haggard’s 1885 bestseller King Solomon’s Mines, positioning All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone at the edges of that Lost World literary subgenre of the popular Victorian adventure/romance. While Lincoln quickly adapts his rugged old-fashioned Texas ways where ever he goes, he always remains a swashbuckling adventurer and a gentleman with an unshakable code of honor.

All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone is a must read for anyone needing a break from life’s toils and tribulations and looking for a spirited romp that moves from Texas all the way to Algeria, with Lincoln Smith never failing to charm and entertain throughout each chapter.

"I've never been accused of being normal."

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
3 people found this helpful
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Adventures from Wilds of Texas to Sands of Africa

The adventures of a Texas cowboy who hates the sounds of mechanical anything is not the story I was expecting when I started All The Cowboys Ain’t Gone by author John J. Jacobson. I was expecting the story to stay tied to south Texas and northern Mexico. What the author delivered was the story of a well-educated boy who turned into a young man taking off on a wild adventure to join the French Legion.

The cowboy in question is Lincoln Smith and his adventures drive this book in brisk chunks of time. From south Texas to Florida to Africa. What I love about this story how the author took me on an adventure that I didn’t want to put down. It was very reminiscent of Indiana Jones and epic Italian spaghetti Western movies all mingling together.

There is a treasure to be found, amongst the crocodiles, a stolen rifle, a dead horse, a few kidnappings are all a part of a boisterous tour de force by Jacobson. The best part was that it is highly realistic and energetically fun. Quite well-written the only flaw I saw with this story neared the end and felt like it quite rushed to a small degree.

If you are wanting a perfect escapism book that brings to life adventures from the wilds of Texas to the sands of Africa, then check out Jacobson’s book All The Cowboys Ain’t Gone.
2 people found this helpful
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Utterly entertaining

Utterly entertaining, All The Cowboys Ain’t Gone had me laughing out loud with the characters’ antics and catching my breath with the non-stop action from beginning to end. I can see this made into a movie in the same vein as Indiana Jones and The Mummy.

Having a twelve-year-old son, I found myself taking to Lincoln right away. The opening scenes with his mother admonishing him for his language and supervising his lessons really resonated with me. The great start hooked me into this book that’s in a genre I don’t normally read.

Mr. Jacobson certainly has a flair for storytelling that’s playful and engaging. While I thought the events that happen to Lincoln from Texas to New Hampshire, Florida to New York, France to Algeria, and finally to the fictional Mur highly improbable, I still found myself engrossed in his adventures and delighted with his narrow escapes. It’s a tall tale befitting its Texas origins and I had absolutely no problem with that.

I enjoyed meeting the new characters Lincoln encountered, especially Jake and Johnny, Amanda, the Three from Camarón Legionnaires named after Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, and Omar. I even enjoyed the villains even though they’re campy and absolutely ridiculous. It’s all part of the charm of the book.

Lincoln is easy to root for. At times naïve, he nevertheless has a core of honor and loyalty which makes him perfect for the French Foreign Legion. By the end of the book, he has absolutely learned the lesson his mother taught him when he was a boy:

“… though things aren’t the way you’d prefer, there are still going to be plenty of adventures; they’re just going to be different. You’re just going to have to use your imagination to find them.”
2 people found this helpful
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Great writing!

Before I go into my review, there’s something I should clue you into. I am very much a mood reader. There are times where I fly through a book, and others where I’m enjoying a book, but I can’t seem to breeze through it as easily. When it came to All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone by John J. Jacobson, it was a book I had a harder time breezing through, but I honestly think it’s because I am a total mood reader and this book was full of Indiana Jones-style action...and I am sadly not a particular fan of Indiana Jones. *cue the boos* Yes, I get that a lot.

Okay *takes a breath* I am glad to have gotten that off my chest. There are several aspects that I did enjoy from All the Cowboys. Primarily, the writing was wonderful. So, while I did lose my focus at parts in the story, it was the writing itself that got me through. Jacobson was able to give me the perspective of Lincoln Smith, a true old soul if I ever read of one. Although I am not a lover of all things western and the kind of action and adventure, dreams and reality, that can come along with it, I was able to enjoy this story because of the life Jacobson’s words gave to it.

Lincoln is a great character and it was interesting to read about him and his engagement in the cowboy life. I mentioned earlier that the book was full of Indiana Jones-style action, and I meant it. Lincoln was a great character to go along that ride with. Lincoln brought integrity and commitment to the cowboy life to the table. I’m not a reader of cowboy stories, but Lincoln is a great character that is easily likable. Readers of all-American cowboy stories and watchers of thrilling old school action flicks would certainly enjoy this story.
2 people found this helpful
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High Energy Adventure!

As with most books, I try not to read too much of the blurbs or descriptions in an effort to be surprised by what I’m reading. Though not a usual practice, this has led me to books that completely blow my mind. This is a book that surprised and enchanted me from the first page! Not only does it have an intriguing and brilliant cover, this book has all of the things I love: Cowboys, spying, rollicking adventures, a grandiose imagination, and action by the gallon! I can't really nail down what I loved most about this book, which is rare for me.

This novel felt like part Indiana Jones, part James Bond, and part Clint Eastwood western with some Don Quixote mixed in. Several other reviewers have commented on the plot evolving into larger battle scenes and unbelievable situations. I thought this contributed to the charm of the book, of the escapist nature of the narrative. I found this to be exactly what I needed right now, an escape from reality into an unbelievable world. Lincoln Smith is a man, born a few years too late, who yearns for adventure and the old way of the world. He eventually finds it in the French Foreign Legion in Africa. I loved Lincoln's adventures and all of the characters he meets along the way. Princes, comrades, ladies, and more venture with Lincoln through the narrative.

The cover is eye catching, the writing is enticing, and the story will take your breath away! This is a fast-paced novel that can be read in a couple of sittings, clocking in at around 350 pages. Though I received a print copy, I am sure that the audio book of this novel would be just as exciting! Overall, this book has even character development, accelerated pacing, and a narrative that keeps you enthralled from start to finish. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys epic quest literature, turn of the century stories, sweeping epics, or who just need an escape from reality for an afternoon.
2 people found this helpful
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We want MORE !!

How anyone could rate this below 5 stars escapes me. WELL written, fantastic characters, great storyline. I haven't had such a fun escapist read in many many years !!! HIGHLY recommend !

I'm not certain I purchased this from Amazon although it's where I buy most books.
1 people found this helpful

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