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LAST TRAIN RUNNIN' is R.D.
Foster’s first published book. This novel takes place in the mid-to-late
1960’s during a time of great social and civil turmoil in America. The story follows the lives of two
young men, one in Vietnam and the other a university student, as they try to cope with their own separate, but parallel worlds.
Everett Blalock became well known as a brilliant
singer/songwriter/musician and the leader of a three-piece folk group
called Last Train Runnin'. During the mid 1960s, the very popular trio
seemed to be well on the road to
success, and often touted as 'The-Next-Big-Thing' in Folk Music.
However, as fate would have it, due to the rise of Rock & Roll the bottom fell out of the
Folk Music market. Everett soon found himself broke with nowhere to
go and hopelessly in love with Holly, a beautiful young co-ed, whose wealthy
parents didn’t like him at all. With her father's political connections, the young
man who wrote and sang about peace and love suddenly found himself on top
of the Selective Service list. Terrified of being drafted into the Army and
becoming an infantryman in Vietnam, Everett instead enlisted in the Navy on
the assurance by a recruiter that with his college degree there was no way
he would be an infantryman in the war.
Everett’s story begins as a squad
of US Marines prepare to establish a listening-post on a small hilltop in
South Vietnam. Everett Blalock is the Navy Corpsman assigned to the detail.
David Westerfield, a journalist
and student at the University of Texas, who with his affluent family’s
connections, had managed to avoid the draft and became active in the
anti-war movement. David, one of those guys who always had good intentions,
seemed to be constantly getting into trouble, especially when it came to
writing about politics, and often had to depend on his folks to get him out.
Trying to help him avoid trouble, David’s editor-in-chief, an old friend of
his father, assigned him the job of writing a story about ‘Whatever Happened
To’ "Last Train Runnin," the band that had been called the ‘Next-Big-Thing
in Folk Music.’ Little did he know that writing about politics was child’s
play compared to what was to come.
READ CHAPTER 1
READ CHAPTER 2
BUY "LAST TRAIN RUNNIN" AT:
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Reader's Reviews
*Last Train Runnin is a First Class Ride
This is an exciting, fast reading book. The chapters are not to long, the
characters are interesting, and, while it is a Vietnam era book, it's not
an overwhelming theme. The author writes the way I think. I look forward
to his next book.
* Great story for
every palate
* Grabs
you from the first page and the story keeps you in suspense and moves
expertly from one main character to the next. The book never slowed its
pace and the ending is brilliant. Whether you are a Vietnam veteran or
were a war protestor, this book has something for both. The author's
sensible approach to that war is refreshing and entertaining.
* Well,
sir, I finished reading your book and all I could say at the end was Wow!
It is a great read; I stayed up way too late last night reading it. My
dang eyeballs started sweatin' this morning as I read about Next Train
Runnin and Blalock's son & Williams' nephew. You did a fantastic job. I
told a computer salesman from Springfield, MO, about your book Friday
afternoon and he says he's gonna buy it. I'll do all I can to get the word
out. Thanks for an outstanding book. Semper Fidelis, Frank
*Just finished the book again.... Kinda frogged up at the end...
absolutely a wonderful experience, even for the second time... I am
looking forward to reading it again next year and the next... good job...
RM
*I ordered your book and it arrived last Friday. Finished
reading it today and can truthfully say I really enjoyed it. Will be
sending it on to Gary for his reading pleasure. Congratulations and thanks
for letting me know about it. What were you first two books and are they
available?
MB
*I
just finished your book. It took awhile as I had to put it down for awhile
each time I started crying. It was very good and I hope you will receive
an award for best first novel!
Vicki
*#1
I read your book, it was very good! Thanks for serving our Country and
thanks for this book and the viewpoint you wrote it from. GB
*I
just finished reading "Last Train Runnin." A good read -- better than I
expected. It was one of those stories that you
can't put down for very long; it connected. There were a few copy editing
glitches, but nothing so bad as to spoil the experience. I'd sure like to
hear some of Ronnie Foster's songs.
Sam Cohen
www.thespiritof76.com/rkba.html
RKBA! ...the exclamation point means "shall not be infringed(!)"
*Got
to finally read your book, and can't say enough good things
about it. Could hardly put it down and now I'm looking forward to
the next one. Could tell you had a lot of personal experiences
woven into the plot and brought back a lot of memories and
reflections on my part. Congrats on a great job! What's the
latest on your next endeavor? Thanx again for the great read!!!
Just Another Class of 66 Critic.....Mark S |
