Product DescriptionOne blow to the temple with his fist brought Rattler to the ground unconscious, and earned him the name, Old Shatterhand . The name stuck. From that day on he was Old Shatterhand to all but the wily frontiersman Sam Hawkens, his friend and mentor who just couldn t bear to give up calling him a Greenhorn. Fate took the young immigrant teacher from a comfortable tutoring position in St. Louis to a survey job for the railroad between the Rio Pecos and Canadian Rivers in New Mexico. It was there that the inborn instincts of a true frontiersman could harness his mighty physical strength, his unerring marksmanship, and total fearlessness in the face of danger or even imminent death. Facing down a charging bull buffalo with only a pair of pistols, or tangling with a mighty grizzly with his Bowie knife was one thing. But fulfilling Klekih petra s dying request to befriend and watch over Winnetou was quite another. They were surveying on Apache territory without permission, and now that a drunken Rattler had senselessly shot the White Father and teacher of the Apache nation, they were mortal enemies. Both men admitted later on that the first look into one another s eyes had stirred a sense of admiration. Now it seemed all but hopeless. But to Old Shatterhand, a promise made is a promise kept. He would not give up until it was done, no matter what the cost. Hair-raising adventure spiced with the acid humor of the wry Sam Hawkens leaves room for the high moral values of both Winnetou and Old Shatterhand in the fight of good against evil, and a life-long blood brotherhood between the two men.ReviewAn enlightening tale of the American West, told like no other story I have read. I could not put it down. --Angie BaldwinIt's great that there's finally a good translation of Winnetou I to be had! --KarmesinAbout the AuthorBorn in Winnipeg, Canada, my first language was German. Reading and writing in the old gothic script stood me in good stead in some translations of old letters and diaries I have been priviledged to do. I grew up on 'Last of the Mohicans', on Buffalo Bill, Daniel Boone, and Wild Bill Hickock. This is what led me to Karl May and Winnetou. What was the European perspective of the Wild West? As a storyteller and narrator of Aboriginal and other stories, I am always looking for inspiration and Karl May is no exception. I read about Karl May himself before delving into Winnetou and can clearly see right through the characters and into the heart of the author. It is a fascinating study of good and evil within the context of its time and, overlooking the inacuracies and inappropriateness of the times, is highly entertaining. Now retired, I devote my time to writing and recording short stories and parables. I am also a volunteer book narrator for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.