The Searchers by Alan LeMay, published by Harper and Brothers, reviewed by J.S.Bradford
This is the novel that was the basis and inspiration for the classic John Ford movie starring John Wayne. The novel stands by itself as a great western. It possesses a uniquely American blend of characters, plot, theme and place; all that plus great dialogue and an abundance of irony. One of the best lines is when the leader of the Rangers, Colonel Sol Clinton, approaches the Comanche camp of Yellow Buckle, aka, “the forever elusive Chief Scar,” and instructs his men, “Leave us go amongst them.” A key moment is the revelation of the history of the ornament inscribed “Made in England.” Amos lies and tells Debbie it was inscribed with the words, “Ethan to Judith,” identifying the scalped parents of Martin Pauley. Of special interest is the author’s sweeping knowledge of Native American tribes.
~Reviewed by J.S. Bradford
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Reviewed by Wayne Coe (Reader)
Reviewed on November 16, 2025
This review is oblivious to actual US history, genocidal settler colonialism, the endemic racism of LeMay’s premise, the false trope of “captives” used to reverse-smear indigenes when white’s have carried out 150 years of bordibg school abductions and genocide. From 1816 -1978 the U.S. abducted hundreds of thousand is children sent them hundreds of miles from home to beat their language, beliefs & customs out of them, and to blackmail parents to turn over their land. The Searchers reverses these facts and posits a phoney abduction and hate-driven search to save a white girl from becoming barbaric. Westerns have always been designed to flatter the genocidal European.
Story inspired by life of the author's great grandfather, a Black Cowboy who kidnapped his Native American bride after a cattle drive from Waco, TX to Dodge City, KS. Their story, him a master horseman and her a trained to be a healer with herbs and
An adventure-filled time-travel western. Given a 5-star editorial review in 2020 by the InD'tale Magazine. "The weaving in of actual historical connections between the characters is fascinating. Fans of this genre will love the originality with the a
