Trouble on His Wings (Stories from the Golden Age) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

This a hysterically funny and fast-paced story with a nice fresh story. The main character, Johnny Brice, a go get them reporter who likes taking unbelievable chances to get some good film shots has a streak of seemingly bad luck which he attributes to a girl who all of a sudden shows up--seemingly coincidental but you will soon find is not so. I also listened to the audio book which with its multi-talent and sound effects production really gives you the feeling of having a movie in your mind.

Journalist Johnny Brice is a perfect pulp character -- likes larger than life action and loves nothing more than to storm into a catastrophe, film it fast and furious, get the pictures, get them to his newspaper -- and get out, all in one MOTION! In this next story I tried out in this pulp Golden Age Serial, I found myself on the wings of a great aerial adventure and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes just a plain fun read...and if all of the above isn't enough action to inroduce the story, there's more -- when Johnny meets this beautiful dangerous dame who he rescues, he blames her for his new bout of "bad luck" turning up around every corner--so much so that he nicknames her, "Jinx." Twists and turns throughout and a surprise ending all wind together to make this an all-out Hubbard adventure worth reading!

There was no internet, cell phones, or cable TV during the 1930s and 1940s, so people would find entertainment by seeing picture shows, listening to the serials on the radio, and reading magazines. The magazine stands were full of pulp magazines with ragged edges, pulpwood paper, embellished covers, and cheap prices. Pulps contained countless adventure stories by real storytellers of the time, such as H.P. Lovecraft, Elmore Leonard, and Ray Bradbury. Stories from the Golden Age is releasing all of author L. Ron Hubbard's short stories from the 1930s and 1940s onto audiobooks. Galaxy Press nicely sent me the award winning audiobook, Trouble on His Wing, originally published in the January 1939 issue of Five-Novels Monthly.

Trouble on His Wings is about a journalist (AKA a picture-chaser) named Johnny Brice, who will do anything to get the best story for World News. Along with his cameraman sidekick, Irish Donnegan, Johnny plans on getting the best newsreels of the cruise ship that caught on fire at sea. By time he arrives, the waters had claimed the cruise ship and the survivors were rescued. Johnny comes up with the bright idea of paying $5,000 for the pictures that the survivor took. It was great idea until Johnny risked his life saving a woman from the ocean. He has looses all footage from the shipwreck and gets stuck with a beautiful woman whom he names Jinx.

After barely saving their jobs, Johnny and Irish head to their next assignments that take them to Idaho and across the seas to China. They take along Jinx because they don't know what else to do with her as they suspect that she is wanted by the police. Disaster after disaster occurs, ruining every camera shot, in which Johnny blames Jinx for everything. He wants to leave her behind, but he is falling in love for the golden-haired beauty.

I had the honor of listening to a few other audiobooks from Stories from the Golden Age last year, so I eagerly agreed to review Trouble on His Wings courtesy of Galaxy Press in exchange for my honest review. I would have never thought an adventure about a cameraman would be entertaining, but I was hooked into Johnny Brice's adventures almost instantly. I didn't realize a cameraman would risk their own life to get the best pictures. The story is cleverly written and the voice cast is spot on, especially with Jennifer Aspen as Jinx. The sound effects for the ocean, planes, and forest fire enhances the story. I felt I was actually with them on the adventure. Trouble on His Wings is an intriguing tale with action, humor, and romance and it is now my favorite audiobook from Stories from the Golden Age. I highly recommend it to everyone.