This short novel is made up of three stories that narrate the adventures of the ape-man after World War II and into the early 1960s. It continues to tell the story that began in Gary’s first book, Tarzan: Untamed Frontiers. ERB’s Tarzan is back, and whether he is conducting a meeting with a dignitary in London, or having a meal with his faithful Waziri, the savage ape-man is always right below the surface ready to act at a moment’s notice. 

 The thing I like most about Gary’s writing is he not only brings back the Tarzan that Edgar Rice Burroughs created, but he continues his adventures in the time when ERB ended his adventures and into recent history. Greystoke not only faces old enemies and new but also must work towards putting distance between himself and the old, fictional Tarzan of the Apes, the creation of an author’s imagination thus letting the ape-man become a half-forgotten myth, while he, Greystoke, works through the problem of hiding the fact that even in the middle of the 20th century he still appears to be about 30 years old.  All of this adds a sense of realism to the stories. 

 Gary knows his history and it is fun to see him explore Greystoke’s friendship with Churchill and other historical characters and how those relationships work into the story.    

 Despite this being a pretty light read at just over 200 pages, the stories draw you in and all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

CHIEF NTARE insisted that their friend Tarzan take him on the trail of vengeance.  The jungle lord knew that if this raid into British territory went unpunished, it would be open season for the bloody struggles of the Congo to spill over into the Impenetrable Forest and points east.  Independence was weakening the strength of the remaining King’s African Rifles Regiment detachments.

The Manyuema needed another lesson.  It would be terrible in its force, the word would filter throughout the numerous tribes in the upper river basin.

Standing respectfully through the ceremony after the mass burial of the 43 murdered men, women and children, the ape-man immediately sprang up into the understory, brachiating swiftly westward after the renegades.  Chief Ntare held onto his shoulders much of the way.  Their journey long, a strap supporting his friend was tied around Tarzan’s prodigious chest.

In this way, within two days they had outdistanced their prey, for the pair needed allies.  The Batwa were spread in a wide arc throughout the deep rainforest, holding sway over their own fiefdoms in twelve shifting locations throughout Central Africa.  Surrounded by a sea of green, the small people had contended with the Bantu for centuries, often on the losing end of a struggle.

Tarzan’s Peace had kept some Bantu away from the eastern Twa, but not all.

The Batwa in the border region between the two large easternmost provinces of the Belgians had also felt the wrath of the Manyuema over time.  As much as the Belgians tried to stamp out the heinous crime of cannibalism, the Manyuema used it as a terror weapon to emphasize their control of the headwaters of the Congo.

Chief Ntare expressed relief as Tarzan finally dropped from a large mahogany tree into the clearing before his distant cousin’s hut, Chief Kanyi of the Mitumba Twa.  There were about 500 inhabitants, two hundred were warriors.  With their Bwindi cousins, they comprised the Great Lake tribe of Twa pygmies.

Quickly standing as he noticed his abrupt guests, Kanyi asked Ntare, “What brings you here so swiftly, cousin?”

“The Manyuema are on a rampage.  They have fast-shooting rifles and destroyed much of our band near Lake Rweru [Lake Edward].  The others pulled back into the dense tree-line south, fighting as they went.”

Tarzan then spoke, “Chief Kanyi, we need one hundred of your warriors.  The rest should remain to protect your people.  We will hound the cannibals and slaughter them with the ways of the forest.”

Lifting his chin to stare into the ape-man’s face, the Mitumba chieftain grinned and announced, “Our special guest will be pleased to see you, friend Tarzan.”

It was time to put an end to the marauding of the Manyuema cannibals.

A PRODIGIOUS reader of fiction, Gary Buckingham always had an abiding interest in history and political geography.  Realizing early on that career prospects in those fields were limited, he became an electrical engineer.  By the time he was done with higher education, he had degrees in physics (one) and EE (three), with minors in math, astrophysics, industrial engineering and marketing. Achieving Professional Engineer registration added to his working life.

World travel has imparted additional knowledge through his visitation of all 50 states and the ten provinces of Canada, journeying often to western Europe.  Then the singular trips to New Zealand/Australia and Greece.  The closest he came to Africa and the Middle East were Crete and Rhodes in 1998.

Working for seven agencies and 17 distinct occupations as a federal engineer, Gary decided it was time to follow-up his voluminous reading by finally writing some tales of Tarzan.

With the kind combined recommendation to ERB Inc. by Will Murray, Joe DeVito and Matt Moring, Gary became line editor of The Wild Adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs^TM for the first ten new manuscripts of that series.

His prior publications of his own Tarzan tales, each authorized by ERB Inc., amount to three.

The softbound  8 ½” x 11” Tarzan: Untamed Frontiers limited signed edition was his first standalone production (still available).

Second to appear was Tarzan and the Lion of Judah in three hardcover editions (one 6” x 9” and two Deluxe 8 1/2” x 11”), each with the new Mark Schultz frontispiece (still available).

The sold-out chapbook for the 2023 Dum-Dum convention, Tarzan in Lawless Times, is third.

If you are interested in this or any of Gary Buckingham’s work you can contact him at:

gbucking3@gmail.com