The Falcon Killer by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

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Title: The Falcon Killer

Author: L Ron Hubbard

Narrator: Full cast

Copyright: 2011, Galaxy Audio

Duration: 2 hours

Genres: pulp fiction, military

Filed in: Audiobook Reviews

Review copy provided by Galaxy Audio.



PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: China's war ace, a fighter pilot nicknamed "The Falcon Killer (Tzun Kai)," is actually Bill Gaylord, raised in Peking by his American parents. Gaylord lost both of them as a child during the violent Boxer uprising and then saw his foster family slaughtered in wartime. With a past that's hardened his soul and given him nerves of steel, Gaylord has used his resolve to down more Japanese aircraft than can be counted.

When he's not hunting down enemy planes, intrigue constantly follows him—stars of Tzun's rogues gallery include an agent provocateur and a despotic Chinese warlord. Soon enough, events pit Gaylord against a Japanese spy who has caused untold trouble for the Chinese. Gaylord must somehow find and defeat him or risk losing an ancient Chinese kingdom to the land of the rising sun.

Copyright 2011, Galaxy Audio



AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Nunchang, once a proud and important port city in China, now little more than a war-ravaged ruin. When it became clear that the Japanese forces would not be turned away, the Chinese army set the city ablaze and retreated, leaving the population to fend for themselves. Having nowhere else to go, many of the surviving residents stayed in the ruined city, doing their best to scratch out a living under Japanese occupation.

American businessman Henry Thompson was away on business when the city fell, and was disturbed when he returned to find the city he called home in ruins. Even more disturbing was the fact that Thompson was now effectively cut off from his oil fields some distance from the city. It is the oil fields that made Thompson a wealthy man, and more importantly, are now a major supplier of petroleum for the Chinese army. Then, one day, the answer to his problems literally fell right out of the sky.

During a daring air battle over the city, an airplane of the Chinese Air Service is shot down near Thompson’s home, and the wounded pilot makes his way to the gate. The flyer is none other than Bill Gaylord, also known as the Falcon Killer. Gaylord is unquestionably the top pilot of the Air Service, having shot down more Japanese planes than any other pilot. If Thompson can nurse Gaylord back to health, and keep him hidden from the Japanese, he might just be the man to help Thompson get to the oil fields, and defend them from invading forces.

The Falcon Killer is one of the latest offerings from Galaxy Audio in their continuing effort to produce the golden age stories of L Ron Hubbard. Throughout the 1930’s and 40’s, Hubbard wrote more than 100 pieces of short fiction and published them in the various pulp magazines of the day. These stories hark back to a time that was not necessarily simpler, but perhaps not so quickly paced. They are stories of courage and honor, from a time when girls were girls and men were men, as the old song goes.

This story is a pretty good example, not only of the fiction of the times, but also of L Ron Hubbard’s work in particular. Hubbard was clearly fond of writing war stories, usually fictional wars of his own devising. I’ve also noticed that many of the wars he makes up involve Japan and China. I guess he was right about Japan, although it remains to be seen about China.

As with the other L Ron Hubbard releases from Galaxy Audio, The Falcon Killer features a main narrator, Chris Emerson, and a full cast of voice talents for the characters, including R F Daley, Christina Huntington, Jim Meskimen, Mark Silverman, and Robert Wu. As usual, the narrators all did a great job, and the full cast production gives the story an added cinematic quality.

Another great story from a great American writer. Like Hubbard’s other works, The Falcon Killer is just good old-fashioned fun.



CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:

On Blazing Wings by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

A Matter of Matter by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)

Orders is Orders by L Ron Hubbard (Audiobook Review)



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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:

Get “The Falcon Killer” by L Ron Hubbard, a Full Cast Audio Production from Galaxy Audio.



This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.

Audiobook review by Steven Brandt

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