Lay Down My Sword and Shield

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

The hero of James Lee Burke's recent best-seller Rain Gods, cousin to lawman Billy Bob Holland and a genuine product of the South, both old and new, Hackberry Holland makes his first appearance in this early gem from "America's best novelist" (The Denver Post).

Against the backdrop of growing civil rights turmoil in a sultry border town, the hard-drinking ex-POW attorney yields to the myriad urgings of his wife, his brother, and his so-called friends to make a bid for a congressional seat - and finds himself embroiled in the seamy world of Texas powerbrokers. And when Hack attempts to overturn an old army buddy's conviction, and crosses paths with a beautiful union organizer who speaks to his heart in a way no one else has, he finds both a new love and a new purpose as he breaks free from the shackles of wealth and expectation to bring justice to the underserved.

©2010 James Lee Burke (P)2010 Simon & Schuster

Burke one of my favorites,BUT

This was disappointing. Too much of the book focused on his excess drinking and moved too slow. However, if you are interested in the treatment of migrants and African Americans and characters in the late sixties you may find it interesting. Very accurate. I knew many who could have been one of the characters.

Only Burke could have gotten me into this book.

Any additional comments?

This is a hard book to listen to and Burke walks the knife's edge through the horrors of war both abroad and at home. He puts you into places of terror without ever glorifying the violence. His books always make me feel like I've been some place real and met people I would otherwise never meet. Will Patton's reading brings the story alive.

Classic mix of Patton and Burke

Really enjoyed it. Took a little while to get the "context" of the era story takes place, but it takes nothing from the story. If you like the Patton/ Burke coop you'll love it (particularly if you liked "Rain Gods").

It ended too soon!

I love James Lee Burke and his characters..Dave Robicheaux, Clete Purcell ..and now Hackberry Holland
Want more!

A strong message about the human condition.

This story was very good, but very dark. The main character, Hackberry Holland, is an alcoholic rich lawyer with a lot of issues, especially his past as a prisoner of war in Korea.

James Lee Burke is an excellent writer and I like how he expressed the good and the bad sides of Hackberry. I definitely plan on reading the next book in the series.

One of my favorite narrators, Will Patton, was awesome in his narration of this novel.

I think I'll go back to Louisiana

James Lee Burke attracted me with the early exploits of Dave Robicheaux. I believe it was "Black Cherry Blues" that first captured my attention around 1990. I could relate to Dave, and Burke's writing swept me along with the story like leaves in a dusty breeze, carried along toward you knew not where until the currents slowed, subsided and gently set you down in the soft green grasses of contemplation.

Not so with Hack. Hack Holland, plain and simply, is a jerk. All of Burke's brilliant wordsmithing, attempting to paint him with an altruistic brush couldn't cover up his narcissistic, self-absored character. His social warrior bravado, from which he appears to derive his obsessive pleasure, is fabricated and sickening and the level of depravity to which he is willing to sink for some supposed betterment to mankind is a stretch, because Hack, like all his kind, is in it only for Hack.

Maybe it's there, but I didn't pick up Burke's socialist bent in the Robicheaux books. Here it is evident, using his truly brilliant literary prowess to push a certain political agenda; introduced like an annoying and unpleasant odor that wont go away; an agenda hidden in the swelling storm of an emotional story like faint whispers behind the cracking of distant thunder, suggestions wrapped in a cloak, a pill more easily swallowed concealed in the meat of an engaging yarn.

I had enjoyed Robicheaux and thought to expand into some of Burke's other worlds. I tried "Wayfaring Stranger" and although Weldon Holland's was not as powerful a story as the novels depicting the New Orleans detective, I did enjoy it. After all, it was JLB in all his rhetorical genius. So I decided to start with the Holland's from the beginning. I should have avoided Texas and remained in Louisiana.

I've already purchased "The Jealous Kind" and "House of the Rising Sun" so while I may be making the Holland's acquaintance again, it doesn't excite me by any stretch of the imagination.

The story had potential but was overpowered by the unfortunate character of Hackberry Holland; the kind of disappointment like rolling the scoop of ice cream off the cone and into the dirt with the first lick. You're left with the sugar cone, but don't know whether you should eat it on principle, or crush it beneath the leather sole of you Justin's in disgust.

Will Patton did a great job, as usual. He captured the intensity of the story line and his characterization is impeccable.

I am looking forward to the next Robicheaux book, but the thought of stepping up onto Hackberry's porch again is like looking forward to self flagellation.

Too bad John Wesley Hardin only hit the wooden columns on the porch and didn't follow through with his threat to granddaddy Holland. It would have saved us the less than auspicious experience of accompanying his masochistic, egocentric grandson on a senseless romp through South Texas.

this is a great book.

this book was a great introduction to a powerful character. you can see elements that shape the Dave robicheaux novels later. seems that for many the story didn't move fast enough but, like in life, it's not the destination but the journey.
read it.

Must listen book

Any book written by James Lee Burke and read by Will Patton is a winner. This one more a movie in your head!

another good one

The combination of James Lee Burke's poetic pros and Will Patton's voice, made this a wonderful read.

Jame Lee Burke is a great writer. GREAT!

l liked everything about this book. His writing is as though I am at the scene watching. So descriptive. Main Character is riveting. I LOVE the ending. Narrator is my favorite male narrator. Burke is a national treasure.