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burntwater
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Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Jul 13th, 2024 at 9:10pm
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For years I’ve been trying to get my hands on a limited print book, ‘ Gringo Doctor ‘  by I.J.Bush. He was Bill Jordan’s Grandfather. This book was mentioned in Jordan’s  book ‘ No Second Place Winner ‘ and I tagged it as a must about ten years ago. It’s a remarkable tale about a surgeon who traveled and practiced along the Wild West Texas border and into Mexico. This was a time of ‘ No Law West of the Pecos ‘ and he lived and worked with some wild tough characters. Besides surgery and having to ride horseback to remote patients 40-80 miles through some interesting country he was also a bit of a archeologist and explorer dealing with the Indian tribes and remote settlements and mining camps deep in the rugged no-man’s land of the Sierra Madres of Sonora and Chihuahua. When the big Mexicans Revolution ignited in the early 1900’s the good doctor cut tracks with Pancho Villa and became 
‘ Surgeon General of the Insurrecto Army  ‘ . Wow what a title what a tale.

After about ten years of hoping to find a volume within financial reach I saw an offering on Abe Books for around $40.00 shipped. Original printings running $400 to $500 so I bit but didn’t follow the fine print close enough. It was three months delivery, no tracking, no nothing. It just showed up one day. But it’s a pretty nice leather bond book from some obscure bindery in Delhi, India. It’s a great read so if you’re like me interested in that period of the West and the Mexican border region you’ll love it

Rick ( always two clicks off the topic ) 
  
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texasmac
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #1 - Jul 14th, 2024 at 2:00am
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Rick,

It's still avaiable through Abe Books.  Based on your recommendation I just ordered one for $36.85 total with an estimated delivery date of Sept. 11.

BTW, I just finished reading a book I highly recommend titled "My 60 Years on the Plains" by William Thomas Hamilton.  The 224 page book is available from several sources including Amazon for around $5 in paperback or less than $15 in hardcover.  Here's a few comments about the book:

He spent his whole life, from the time he was twenty through to his last years, on the plains, and was an authority on Indian life and customs.

Trapping, Trading, and Indian Fighting - It's the classic memoir from a frontiersman that gives valuable insight into life in the far west among outlaws, Native Americans, hunters and trappers.

“In the death of "Uncle Billy" Hamilton the United States loses its greatest Indian fighter and most skillful Indian sign talker and sign reader that this country ever produced.” Butte Daily Post

William Thomas Hamilton, also known as Wildcat Bill, was an English-born American frontiersman and author. His book was first published in 1905 and he passed away in 1908.

Wayne
  

NRA Life (Benefactor & President's Council) Member, TSRA Life Member, NSSF Member, Author & Publisher of the Browning BPCR book
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craigd
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #2 - Jul 14th, 2024 at 7:17pm
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Wayne, your thought prompted me to recall what I thought was a good read by the single shot rifle author Kelver, 15 years on the western frontier.
  
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db
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #3 - Sep 7th, 2024 at 7:12pm
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I went searching for the book and it came up on the Internet Archive. 

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boats
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #4 - Sep 8th, 2024 at 6:23am
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The title and Internet archive reference are both good tips. Bookmarked it on my IA page. Looks like good winter reading. Thanks guys 

Boats
  
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Oldbee
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #5 - Sep 8th, 2024 at 2:25pm
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I just ordered the book.  I need to restart my reading and get off the computer!
  

Seabee's, Danang, Chu Lai, Khe Sanh, 1966 -1968
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burntwater
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #6 - Sep 8th, 2024 at 3:12pm
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There is something very satisfying when you have to turn printed pages with your fingers and have the heft of a real book in your hands, a volume you can pick up any time just to read a few lines. 

Rick
  
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waterman
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #7 - Sep 8th, 2024 at 4:01pm
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I ordered this book from an ABE seller back in July.  Supposed to be a Made in India print-on-demand leather-bound copy.  Have not seen anything yet.  Caveat emptor.
  
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boats
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Re: Gringo Doctor a Good Read
Reply #8 - Sep 8th, 2024 at 5:16pm
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Much prefer a real book too, but thinning my library, shelf space at a premium . Don’t have much On South West history. If it’s real good may buy a copy. Like to read more on West Texas. It’s my favorite part of the state.

Boats.
  
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