Gringos Books In Order

Publication Order of Gringos Books

John Harvey is a renowned English author who began his writing career in the 1970’s. His genres consist mostly of crime fiction, He has been named as one of the greatest writers of all times. This fact was especially established by the Charlie Resnick book series, based in Nottingham city. The series got the title of the greatest books of the 21st century.

John Harvey has authored and co-authored several other books, and one other great reads he has written are the Gringos series. He is a master at writing fictional books that depict people with deep psychological issues. He also makes it possible for followers of his book to escape the daily hustle and bustle of life by creating mystery and suspense that is unparalleled. The Gringos is a type of book series that one will not put down until they have completed.

Introduction to the Gringos
The Gringos, is a book series, co-authored by the talented John Harvey and Angus Wells. The books in this series were co-authored by one Angus Wells, who went under the pseudonym J.D Sandon. The Gringos series contains ten books in total, with the first book being published in 1972. The first book in the series is called “Guns across the River”. The last book in the Gringos series is “Survivors”, which was last published in 1982.

The Gringos is a type of book written by the Piccadilly Cowboys. John Harvey is definitely one of them. Piccadilly Cowboys were a group of British writers between the 1970’s and the 1980’s, who wrote Western based books. Most of these books were characterized by violence, adventure and brutality. They were fast paced books that kept a readers brain motivated at all times.

The Gringos are a group of four men, who were trusted to bring Pancho Villa the guns that he needed to advance the city of Mexico. The one stumbling block for Pancho Villa was Zacatecas, and he needed to defeat him so that he can grow in Mexico.

Guns Across the river
The very first book in the Gringos series. It was co-authored and published in 1979 by John Harvey and Angus Wells as J.D Sandon. The plot of “Guns across the river” is an interesting one. The four trusted men that were to bring the guns to Pancho Villa are men who had nothing to lose, but their lives. They were:
Jonas Strong: His color was that which damned him
Cade Onslow: Deserted the US Army while still a Major. His only aim in life was vengeance
Jamie Durham: his face was worse than the sol of a shoe
Yates McCloud: was a rapist, who was described as headed straight to hell.
These four characters comprise the Gringos, and as observed, have a humanity to them that cannot be ignored. They are relatable characters, and so is the book.

This book introduces the four characters as well as their boss Pancho Villa. The four are sent by their boss for these crucial guns, which will enable Pancho rule Mexico City. They do this daunting task, only to discover later that this was a trap. They now have to use the guns that they were to deliver to Pancho for their self-defense. Their trip is full of mysterious stunts, and the reader should know that even though these men realize early on that they are in a trap, they still proceed with their journey. Along this journey, they gather other bandits for the mission ahead.

Cannons in the rain
As the series progresses, the Gringos finally get to have the identity of the person pursuing them. This great development however does not seem to make their efforts any less, as some of them fall into the hands of this same enemy. They have to fight tooth and nail to rescue the captured comrades. The book is very elaborate on the steps that were taken by the Gringos.
The series, and particularly the book, does not only speak of war, guns and brutal torture scenes, it also establishes the relationship of the four initial Gringos. Jonas Strong and Yates McCloud for instance establish their relationships quite elaborately, when McCloud exclusively and clearly states that he does not mix with people of color.

The rest of the Gringos Series
The series captures an elaborate image of escape plans, some success, general failure and some other gruesome scenes. During the whole series and story line, the author brings into serious question the worth of human life. As the series ends, the readers are provoked into thinking about what should be the cost of life. Or is it just a worthless endeavor. Should one fight for it tooth and nail? The similarity of the fictional relationship of the Gringos characters to the actual human livelihood is uncanny.

Time setting of the Gringos
The Gringos is in a western time setting, it is an 1800’s theme, with horses and guns blazing. Horses were the main means of transport and the southern accent was prevalent. Guns had just started being popular and were not readily available for the public. This was when the cowboys were true cowboys, and aspects like race played a huge role in whom a person was and who they could associate with. Some readers consider the time setting of the book to be a little later than an actual western period because of the lack in technological aspects that belong to that time setting.

In Conclusion
The books in the Gringos are well articulated and are not tiresomely long. They can easily and readily relate with the reader and life itself. They bring out aspects of the human life that most people tend to ignore, for instance the cost of human life. They as well deviate the mind from the daily hustle and routine of life. They are far from boring and anybody who desires adventure, suspense and thought provocation all in one setting should review this series.

It is definitely a great western read, which is fast paced, and the characters have been well described and defined to the reader. The book series not only appeals to the older generation, but also to the younger people. The adventure attracts a wide range of audiences, and this is one indication of a good read. The plot flows flawlessly, and is bound to capture a reader’s imagination in more than one way.