The hunters 1957 was salters first novel and remains the most concise expression of his talents. Storms have battered them, they have lain, sometimes for months on end, becalmed. Oct 24, 2017 when james salter died in 2015, the consensus obituary went like this my summary. To learn more about salter, read his 1993 art of fiction interview or one of his. The hunters by james salter 1997, hardcover for sale online. James salter books list of books by author james salter. Robert mitchum portrays an aging air pilot from wwii who manages to find one more war to find some success in. With his stirring, rapturous first noveloriginally published in 1956 james salter established himself as the most electrifying prose stylist since. The hunters, by james salter chris becketts fiction.
The novel was the basis for the 1958 film adaptation of the novel starring robert mitchum and robert wagner with a different storyline. His father was a real estate broker and businessman, who had graduated from west point in november 1918 as world war i was ending and served briefly in the united states army corps of engineers. The hunters by james salter penguin random house canada. The hunters is james salter s debut novel and a tale of usaf fighter pilots during the korean war, first published in 1956. Cleve arrives in korea eager to join the ranks of pilot aces. The hunters is james salters debut novel and a tale of usaf fighter pilots during the korean war, first published in 1956. He is more interested in how people live than in what success they achieve. The hunters by james salter 2012, paperback for sale online. Savilles luck is out but pell, refusing to follow orders and endangering others, still downs the enemy. In todays piece, geoff dyer looks at salters first novel, the hunters. James salter is a novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. James arnold horowitz june 10, 1925 june 19, 2015, better known as james salter, his pen name and lateradopted legal name, was an american novelist and shortstory writer. The novel recounts the erotic awakening of a young american college dropout in france.
I bought the book after reading an article on salter in the lrb by james meek, which observed that twentiethcentury american novelists tend to depict the military as victims, but that the hunters had more in common with the iliad or beowulf than with catch22. Introduction by reynolds price farrar, straus and giroux farrar, straus and giroux as nearly perfect as any american fiction i know, is how reynolds price the new york times described this classic that has been a favorite of readers, both here and in europe, for almost. One of the great postwar american writers, james salter has, at 87, spent his working life in the shadow of his peers. The hunters 1957 was salters first novel and remains.
A novel first published in 1956, subsequently adapted into a 1958 movie of the same name starring robert mitchum. Mar 01, 20 with its electrifying flight sequences and highpowered cast, the hunters is a mesmerizing film based on the bestselling novel by veteran fighter pilot james salter. James salter, a west pointer who went to korea as a jet fighter pilot, has written a novel of that far eastern event that has none of the hokum that for the sake of specific comparison with recent popular korean war tales marks james micheners output. Saville in korea as he watches the undependable lt.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. James salter, a west pointer who went to korea as a jet fighter pilot, has written a novel of that far eastern event that has none of the hokum that for the sake of. With his stirring, rapturous first noveloriginally published in 1956 james salter established himself as the most electrifying prose stylist since hemingway. In this long out of print masterpiece, james salter, himself an aviator in the korean war, wrote one of the best books ever about warfare, especially aerial warfare, and what may well be the only great piece of fiction to emerge from the war. James salter audio books, best sellers, author bio.
Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. But not many can deny that salter writes with a precision seldom seen in contemporary literature. James salter is, simply, one of the best writers in. His first two novels, the hunters and the arm of flesh, are legendary in military. Salter is considered one of the finest writers writers in the u. Newly revised by the author, the story of cleve connells war flies straight into the heart of mens rivalries and fears. Salter regards the hunters, and his second air force novel, the arm of flesh 1961, as stages in a literary apprenticeship that culminated in his first important novel, a sport and a pastime 1967. On this memorial day, elizabeth farnsworth talks with james salter, author of the hunters, a novel about fighter pilots in korea. Originally published in 1956, the hunters was james salter s first novel.
James salter revisits his second novel, the arm of flesh, making extensive changes and rewriting many portions entirely. James salter authored numerous books, including the novels all that is, solo faces, light years, a sport and a pastime, the arm of flesh revised as cassada, and the hunters. Salter grew up in new york city and was a career officer and air force pilot until his midthirties, when the success of his first novel the hunters, 1957 led to a fulltime writing career. James salters prose is tight, not a word wasted, often poetic and incandescent. Now revised by the author and back in print on the sixtyfifth anniversary of the air force, the story of. Horowitz, born june 10, 1925, passaic, new jersey, u. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. The hunters james salter fighter pilots experiences in korea. James salter, american fiction writer and screenwriter whose work is characterized by a careful, economical use of language and by themes that often involve the passage of time and the losses experienced along the way. As with the others it is a magnificent piece of writing.
In the hunters, james salter examines a corrupt system of promotion and achievement in a squadron of mighunting fighter pilots during the korean war. Once a career officer and pilot in the united states air force, he abandoned the military profession in 1957 after successful publication of his first novel, the hunters. James salter simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Salter, at left, in korea in 1952, with other members of the 335th fighter squadron, the inspiration for his first novel, the hunters. Originally a career officer and pilot in the united states air force, he resigned from the military in 1957 following the successful publication of his first novel, the hunters. A spry 233 pages in the vintage paperback edition, the novel brushes lightly over coordinates, dates, and times. On june 10, 1925 salter was born and named james arnold horowitz, the son of mildred scheff and george horowitz.
Click to read more about the hunters by james salter. The hunters, the american writer james salters debut novel from 1956, tells the story of an aging fighter pilots unnerving first tour of duty in the korean war. With its electrifying flight sequences and highpowered cast, the hunters is a mesmerizing film based on the bestselling novel by veteran. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the hunters. May 11, 20 e ight years ago, the writer james salter received a telephone call out of the blue from an admirer. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. The writers authority breaths life into every sentence and the authenticity of his story is irrefutable. The hunters by james salter 1997, hardcover for sale. As it comes to its solution the result is a tight flying story with the elements of the service in sharp outline. James salter born june 10, 1925, new york city is an american novelist and shortstory writer.
In this system, pilots are judged exclusively by the number of migs they destroy, with those rare pilots who kill five or more migs during their 100mission tours of duty called aces. The hunters, based on the novel written by james salter, is a very solid picture, perhaps bogged down by its determination to give the picture emotional heart, it never the less thrills with its aerial sequences and is awash with glorious colour that new televisual technology can enhance, its also a film that definitely needs to be seen in. When jets were young it has been over sixty years since american pilots deployed to korea to engage in aerial combat at the dawn of the jet age. Salters prose, the contemporary writer most admired and envied by other writers.
Quotations by james salter, american novelist, born june 10, 1925. Buy the hunters penguin modern classics by salter, james from amazons fiction books store. Nowhere do we get a sense of how the air campaign figures into the wider conflict. His first novel, the hunters, about the korean war was turned into a 1958 film starring robert mitchum and robert wagner. June 10, 1925 june 19, 2015 was an american novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and movie director. The hunters is a 1958 american deluxe color cinemascope war film adapted from the novel, the hunters by james salter. A great writers writer passed away, much esteemed by his fellow writers, but little known by the general public despite the success of his first novel, the autobiographical the hunters, which was adapted to the cinema with robert mitchum in the. James salters primary concerns are the achievement of perfection and the integrity of the individual. If youre interested in purchasing tickets to the revel, click here. Produced and directed by dick powell, it stars robert mitchum and robert wagner as two very different united states air force fighter pilots during the korean war. Not much to show for 82 years, you might think, but salters words are so carefully chosen and polished such quality raw materials that each book carries more. James low, next to him, was the model for the books. The resulting work cassada combines the untamed vision of a young military pilot with the clarity and power of a masterful writer. Now revised by the author and back in print on the sixtyfifth anniversary of the air force, the story of cleve connells war flies straight into the heart of mens.
Based on his own experiences as a fighter pilot in the korean war, it is a classic of wartime fiction. It was published in 1956 and is the third salter novel i have read in the past thirteen months. E ight years ago, the writer james salter received a telephone call out of the blue from an admirer. Jul 08, 2015 bbc aired a taped interview of author james salter in memorial of his passing last month. He grew up in new york city and was a career officer and. In james salter commission after his first novel, the hunters, was published in 1957 under the pseudonym james salter. His most noted novels were the hunters 1957 and a sport and a pastime 1967. Geoff dyer on james salters first novel, the hunters. James salter quit fighting migs and left the air force to write the hunters, a novel set during the korean war.
Originally published in 1956, the hunters was james salters first novel. Now revised by the author and back in print on the sixtyfifth anniversary of the air force, the story. The hunters, released in 1958, showed the socalled forgotten air war from the korean war. Not much to show for 82 years, you might think, but salters words are so carefully chosen and polished such quality raw materials that each book carries more weight. I like men who have known the best and the worst, whose life has been anything but a smooth trip. He lands command of an air squadron led by richard egan, who was his leader during wwii. James salter 1925 2015 was a novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Bbc aired a taped interview of author james salter in memorial of his passing last month. See all books authored by james salter, including a sport and a pastime, and light years, and more on. James salter is the author of the novels solo faces, light years, a sport and a pastime, the arm of flesh revised as cassada, and the hunters.
The hunters by james salter overdrive rakuten overdrive. The hunters by james salter 2012, paperback for sale. The hunters is a book about men in the 1950s in difficult situations and therefore might not appeal to women. May 19, 2007 another stop in my journey through james salters sparse output.
James salter, a writers writer short on sales but long on. In todays piece, geoff dyer looks at salter s first novel, the hunters. James salter is one of americas greatest prose stylists. Another stop in my journey through james salters sparse output. James salter s prose is tight, not a word wasted, often poetic and incandescent. A novel by james salter and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.