Buchanans Range War

In this book, combat fatigue begins to overwhelm Buchanan as he becomes a mechanical killer in defense of his "family." A mad, power hungry man named Don Porado is determined to gain complete control over a large section of territory. A big, bruising man hired by Porado physically ambushes Buchanan's godson Billy, nearly beating him to death as a warning to others. Using hired guns and questionable legal tactics, Porado has been buying everything that was for sale and then using whatever means necessary to force a sale. Buchanan and his sidekick Coco arrive at the lowest point in the fight, rallying the forces against Porado and staying with the fight, even when the odds are at their highest against them. Buchanan's tactics are to chip away at Porado's forces, killing them one or two at a time, but this is not without cost to Buchanan's psyche. While he can rationalize his killing in defense of his "family", Buchanan is growing more appalled at his lack of remorse when the lead from his guns take yet another life. At the end, there is a climactic battle and Porado's forces are defeated and Buchanan heads for the local saloon to get drunk. Tom Buchanan is in many ways a philosopher, loving the wild nature of the frontier yet appalled at the consequences of the lack of civilization. He kills to live and for justice, yet yearns for a time when that will not be necessary. Yet, he himself will have difficulty living a settled lifestyle, so his hope is for something he will have trouble living with. In the character of Tom Buchanan, Ward has created a hero with principles, aspirations and a solid grounding in reality. Although those qualities fit many western characters, Ward once again writes very well, delivering a story that grabs and retains your attention.