About
Harry Arthur Gant lived at the intersection of the Old West and the New West.
He was a cowboy during the 1890s. He saw at first hand the hard work, the hard fun, and the occasional violence of that place and time. He knew cattle barons and horse thieves, con men and hustlers. As civilization spread through the Old West, he worked with the Wild West Shows that helped perpetuate the legends of that country. He was a guy who could get things done.
When the first film makers came around, he soon became indispensable to them, and then followed them to the New West. With a new set of skills in the silent film era, he helped perpetuate the new form of legend that came out of Hollywood. He knew stars and extras, more con men and hustlers, movers and shakers.
He tells his story with a distinctive mix of Old West plain speaking and New West sophistication, with the rough edges left on. This memoir spans two of the most fascinating parts of America's past.
The Usurper King (The Plantagenet Legacy Book 3)
Description
<p><span style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">First, he led his own uprising. Then he captured a forsaken king. Henry had no intention of taking the crown for himself; it was given to him by popular acclaim. Alas, it didn't take long to realize that that having the kingship was much less rewarding than striving for it. Only three months after his coronation, Henry IV had to face a rebellion led by Richard's disgruntled favorites. Repressive measures led to more discontent. His own supporters turned against him, demanding more than he could give. The haughty Percies precipitated the Battle of Shrewsbury which nearly cost him the throne—and his life.</span><br style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;" /><span style="color:rgb(15,17,17);font-family:'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;">To make matters worse, even after Richard II's funeral, the deposed monarch was rumored to be in Scotland, planning his return. The king just wouldn't stay down and malcontents wanted him back.</span></p>
Story Behind The Book
Harry Gant wrote his memoir in 1959. It gathered dust for fifty years before his grand-daughter and her son brought it to Castle Knob. It's a remarkable glimpse into the ways of the Old West, the early days of the film industry, and the mind of a real character.
Just as remarkable are the traces of Gant and his friends that remain in the corners of the Internet. While checking his facts, Castle Knob found an entire chapter omitted from his memoir, a chapter that puts him at the center of one of the great stories of the Twentieth Century.
