Michael Dante

I have been a serious reader for over 60+ years. In that time I may have read a book worse than "Six Rode Home", but I'd be hard pressed to name it. The author has failed on every conceivable level to have produced a readable novella. The only positive aspect I can think of is that it was short (88 pages). The characters are cardboard cut-outs, one dimensional verging on non-dimensional. Dialogue is atrociously poor, the plot is catch-as-catch can, wholly improbable and unbelievable, there show more are no chapters and no smooth segues from one scene to the next. It is supposed to be set post Civil War, but the setting of time and place never occurred, it reads more like a typical western. I don't wish to come across as mean-spirited toward the author, but, in my opinion this work has no redeeming value. If you are contemplating using your finite time to read it, my advice, succinctly is: Don't! show less

I give this book a 5 for the story, how interested you got in Dante's life and how you wanted him to succeed. I also liked the numerous photographs and the slightly larger print. However, for proofreading I have to give it a zero. If you are going to drop names, you need to make sure they are spelled correctly. For someone who's been in baseball, to spell the Pittsburgh Pirates as Pittsburg Pirates (page 20) is almost a sin. It is corrected in later references but it never should have show more occurred in the first place. For all the stars referenced as good friends or acquaintances, the misspelling of names was extremely distracting for a book that is otherwise well done. For example, Gabby Hayes is referred to as Gaby Hayes on page 71; Jayne Mansfield is referred to as Jane Mansfield on page 71; Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom was referred to as Slapsy Maxine Rosenblum on page 102 but correctly spelled on the photo caption on page 105; Johnny Mack Brown was referred to as Johnnie Mack Brown on page 269, and the list goes on; There was a very confusing passage on page 5 that I read several times where Dante is asked to erect a clothesline so a neighbor can hang her clothes out but then the neighbor is referred to as "busy inside the house taking the clothes out of the dryer to hang on the newly erected clothesline" - it doesn't make sense to me as if the clothes were dry, why would you hang them outside? It is a shame a book as interesting as this didn't have a better proofreader. However, for film buffs I would still recommend it. I also wonder if any of Dante's radio shows are available on cd as I would love to hear some of the interviews. show less

I may have missed the categorization of the book, but it has the look and feel of a children's or YA book. Not much here similar to many old Western TV shows. Also historically inaccurate with the use of dynamite in 1865.

At first, I too thought that this book was for young adults or children, but alas, since it contains some subject matter that would be inappropriate for YA, the 'novella' (88 pages) does seem to have been written for adults. Although, certainly not for serious readers. The plot is typical of a 60's or 70's TV western. Many facts are wrong, and events and photos are inconsistent with supposed locales. Dialogue is also poor and badly presented, and character development is non-existent. The show more story even fails to correlate with the book's dedication and introduction. The many presentation errors seem indicative of none-existent editing, as well.

I generally do not give up on books, and tend to finish all that I start. Although tempted to quit, I did read all of this -- in less than 3 hours, while watching a football game. I'm not sure who this book's audience would be, and find it remarkable that it was even accepted into the Early Reviewers program. show less