The Beginning

Longhorn Series, Book 1

By: Dusty Rhodes

Narrated by: Gene Engene

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Buck Cordell is a giant of a man in a giant, untamed land called Texas. He builds a cattle ranch where ordinary men all say it can't be done a cattle empire that defies all odds, a family that changes the course of Texas history, and a legacy that outlives the Old West.

Round 'em up: listen to another novel in the Longhorn Series.

©2007 Dusty Rhodes (P)2007 Books In Motion

Texas history after the Civil War

Would you consider the audio edition of The Beginning to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version. I suspect I would like some of it better because of the unusual male voices interpreted by the narrator. Buck, Chester and Chester's dad's voices were on target, but others were choppy with strange inflections.

What other book might you compare The Beginning to and why?

Hmmm, not sure.

Have you listened to any of Gene Engene’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never heard him before. I enjoyed his story narration and main character Texas accents a lot. He did the female and Hispanic voices well also. But his attempt to make the other male characters distinctive was distracting.

If you could rename The Beginning, what would you call it?

Don't think I would rename it.

Any additional comments?

Actually, I was exhausted after completing the book. There were so many tragedies emergencies and danger that I was cautious about starting each new chapter. That being said, the story was interesting and fast paced. The history of the cattle industry after the Civil War was well researched and fascinating. I did enjoy it, but maybe not enough to continue the series.

great story

Dusty Rhodes does it again in this great western. and Gene Engene is without a doubt the best narrator doing a western that has ever read a book. outstanding.

Eeeeyaaaahoooo.

Loved it. Great tale. Little bit of everything. Could NOT seem to stop listening. But I do wish he'd found the Hondo Kid.

The Beginning of a Great Series

Perhaps, because I listened to "The Hondo Kid" first, then "The Prodigal Brother", listening to the series out of sequence is the reason I didn't find "The Beginning" as good as Books 2 & 3. I haven't heard Book 4, the last book in the series, yet.

"The Beginning" sets the background for the other books and really should be read first, but the next 2 books give evidence of what happened in Book 1, just not as detailed.

All in all, it's a great series, narrated by the very talented Gene Engene.

I highly recommend it for those who love the Western genre.

No kissing, just killing

This was a fun book though I felt the narrator was a little over the top at times. I did lose count of how many bodies piled up. There were quite a few.

For a western, it was just about right. There was very little sex which is fine, but I would suggest Mr. Rhodes avoids anything even close to sex because his approach is a little hokey.

Best Read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this series to friend - anyone!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Beginning?

The whole first book was memorable, I could not put it down. The strength of character of the men is lost in men of today.

What does Gene Engene bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Gene Engene brings to life the voices of each person and has the correct strength of voice for the strongest characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did not want to put this whole series down. Each book was great in its own right.

Any additional comments?

This was my first in cowboy reads but it certainly won't be my last. Great job from Author and Narrator.

Absolutely Wonderful

I found this series by accident. I love the narrator so I searched other books he has narrated in the past. Since I also love westerns I snatched up the whole series of 4 on the same day. These are a must to read in order. This one is the first, then The Hondo Kid, The Prodigal Brother, and The Family. Haven't read a western this good since Lonesome Dove. I totally hated to see the series end and am still hoping there might be another addition to it in the future. It's hard for me to fathom that these were written by a semi-retired professional wrestler. They are extremely well done and I will definitely read this series again and again in the future. The characters are wonderfully developed and you will feel as though you know each of them personally. Buy all 4 and you will not want to put down your iPod.

Excellent story and well-read!

This is my first Western audiobook series. I wasn't sure what to expect but I LOVE IT! This book gives great action and plot, some romance for us ladies out there, and is an overall very enjoyable book. I just bought the next 3 in the series! I am glad my first try was a success.

Well read- Gene Engene does a fabulous job.

Great Read!

I really hadn't noticed I had gotten a western, but so happy I did. As a kid I watched every western they had back in the early TV days with my dad. It wasn't that long ago I was wondering what ever happened to a good western? I am almost finished with this one and have put the rest of this series in my wish list. Happy Trails :)

The adventures of Buck and Chester

After the Civil War many soldiers on both sides did not know the war was over. Buck and Chester, our main characters learn of the cease fire only after an unfortunate, unnecessary battle, where all but four of them were killed. The Union shipment they com-endeared had letters announcing the end of the war and $20,000. Because there was no one to return the money to they decided to split it four ways. While two of the lower ranked soldiers were counting the money they decided it would be better to take it for themselves, well Buck and Chester ended up on the better side of that deal. Confederates stuck in the North had a very hard time making it back to their homes in the South because there were many that still had vendettas to satisfy.

They headed South from Virginia to Texas together and along the way they recognized that they had similar mind sets and specific skills that offset eachother. The trip was demanding and at times deadly but it helped them to learn to trust each other, develope a friendship and eventually become partners in the cattle business. They decided to purchase Longhorn cattle that at the time were pretty specific to Mexico but had an large untapped market in the US. It turned out to be very lucrative but dangerous. Adventures abound as these two rough and tumble, no nonsense characters go up against everything from Indians to cowboy desperadoes. A little romance, cherished family members and loyal employees round out this well told, Old Wild West story.

When the narration first started, Gene Engene's voice reminded me of the narrator of the old Walt Disney, documentary movies which made the live animals seem so funny. He does a great job with these tough characters. This would be an excellent series for anyone who loves old western TV series. Not my genre but I liked these characters very much and it was a great Daily Deal.