El Paso

A Novel

by Winston Groom

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Pub Date Oct 04 2016 | Archive Date Sep 30 2016

W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright

General Fiction (Adult)

Description

Long fascinated with the Mexican Revolution and the vicious border wars of the early twentieth century, best-selling author Winston Groom brings to life a much-forgotten period of history in this episodic saga set in six parts. Pitting the legendary Pancho Villa against “the Colonel,” a thrill-seeking Bostonian railroad tycoon whose fading fortune is tied up in a colossal ranch in Chihuahua, El Paso opens during a time of dramatic upheaval in Mexico—its government being squeezed on one end by Villa’s revolutionaries and on the other by “filthy” American capitalists. Content to observe the war from aboard his dazzling yacht, the Ajax, the Colonel is suddenly pulled into this drama when his famous Valle del Sol ranch is raided for nearly “two million and a half dollars in beef on the hoof.” Oblivious to the realities of war and hoping to salvage his losses, the Colonel whisks his family down to Mexico where they make a disturbing discovery: it was Villa who not only stole the cattle but also murdered their beloved ranch manager. Even worse, Villa’s henchmen abduct the Colonel’s grandchildren in another daring raid only days later. Frantic, the aging patriarch and his adopted son race to El Paso, hoping to gather a group of cowboys brave enough to hunt down the generalissimo on his own turf. As the desperate Yankees quickly learn once they return to Chihuahua, their deep pockets and political clout mean next to nothing in a crumbling nation rife with communist sympathizers. After weeks of searching and with no trace of Villa, the Colonel fears all is lost—that is, until a twist of fate unites his party with that of Johnny Ollas, an aspiring matador whose wife has also been kidnapped by the marauding revolutionaries. Bloodied and battered, the two factions unite, galloping off on an extraordinary manhunt through some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth: the vast and snake-ridden Sierra Madre. The novel explodes into an epic as an extraordinary cast of characters from both history and imagination begin to emerge, all vying to get their hands on the ever-elusive Villa. But no matter what prize each player ultimately seeks, no one is left unscathed in this sprawling story of heroism, injustice, and love. Replete with shootouts, daring escapes, and an unforgettable bullfight, El Paso brings to life a crucial moment in history and, in the process, becomes an indelible portrait of the American Southwest in the final days of the wild frontier.

Long fascinated with the Mexican Revolution and the vicious border wars of the early twentieth century, best-selling author Winston Groom brings to life a much-forgotten period of history in this...

A Note From the Publisher

LibraryReads nominations due by 8/20. IndieNext nominations due by 8/5.

Advance Praise

“[Groom] combines military savvy with storytelling skill for a satisfying saga pitting an American railroad tycoon against Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. . . . An engaging epic that could be headed for the best-seller lists and then the big screen. This is the big one that fans have been waiting for, and they’ll grab it up like they would a delicious box of chocolates.” — Booklist, starred review

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781631492242
PRICE	$27.95 (USD)

Additional Information

Average rating from 14 members

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Featured Reviews

Lori H, Educator

A perfect, epic adventure wrapped up in a perfectly plotted tale of family, love, and stepping up to do what must be done, even against almost impossible odds. Stretching from Boston to El Paso and northern Mexico, the lives and fates of an American railroad magnate and his family are entwined with the brutality of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution, just prior to WWI. This book has it all - a good guys, bad guys, a cattle drive, shootouts, rescues and failures, honorable cowboys and not-so-honorable men. Pershing, Patton, Tom Mix, the journalist John Reed and more all make appearances in this story. And what a story! I read at night until I literally could not keep my eyes open. If you like history, or classic Westerns, or adventure at all, you should love this story. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Easily one of my top 5 books of the year so far. Many thanks to NetGalley and Liveright for allowing me to read this marvelous tale.

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Mary V, Librarian

Winston Groom’s latest novel, El Paso, has all the action and imagery that you expect from a good western: a cattle drive, a road trip race via airplane and train, cold-blooded murders, tense battlefield exploits, multiple kidnappings, complete with villains and heroes. Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, Groom’s handful of historical figures populate El Paso: Pancho Villa, President Wilson, Tom Mix, Ambrose Bierce, and Generals Pershing and Patton. Recommended for those who enjoy rip-roaring adventure.

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Cathrine C, Reviewer

4.5★
A rootin’-tootin' sprawling Southwestern yarn with all the excess, overindulgence, and satisfaction of a Thanksgiving dinner. There are guns, yachts, planes, trains, cowboys and Indians, hangings, kidnappings, bull fights, lost gold mines, gila monsters, rattlesnakes, jaguars, and bears, Oh My! It’s a story set against the backdrop of rich American imperialism south of the border, the Mexican Revolution, and the exploits of the infamous Pancho Villa. Almost 100 years later and that border is still a contentious issue.
We’re talking H—U—G—E ‼︎

As the author states, this is not a “historical novel” but with his talent for combining fact and fiction in storytelling (he penned Forrest Gump) it is generously peppered with true persons and events which add flavor and spice to this fictional tale about a kidnapping and desperado manhunt through the Sierra Madre. It is brutal, cruel, and violent at times, and it all works. My one complaint is the page count (well, also the bull fight—I loathe bullfighting). I prefer my books a bit shorter these days but it was never boring and always entertaining. What initially attracted me was the cover. My dad was born in El Paso in 1920 during the time period and one of his favorite songs was Marty Robbins’s El Paso so I took a chance and requested it.
Adventures In Reading 101. My dad would have liked this as much as I did.

Extras

For listening pleasure here is a link to Marty Robbin’s classic song with the great Grady Martin on guitar. Back in the day (would you just listen to me) the radio would only play songs that lasted 2 minutes so it was edited. This is the unabridged, true book lovers version. You gotta love a song that tells a story and sets the perfect mood for a book. It was also used in the season finale of Breaking Bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UVVS...

I had no idea there was actual film footage of Pancho Villa. In this one the viewer witnesses an execution. Did someone actually film that?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g58zP...