Eleven soldiers attempt to hold a river crossing in the middle of the desert The Colorado River’s most vital point for American settlement is the ferryboat at Yuma Crossing. When the gold rush begins, a gang of white outlaws seizes the ferry from the local Yuma tribesmen, who have operated the crossing for decades. The US Army rousts the outlaws, but the high command decides to keep the crossing rather than return it to the Yuma. No one considers how badly the Yumas want the ferry back. Left in command of the ferry is Lieutenant Thomas Sweeny, a one-armed Irishman who wins the dangerous assignment by bringing charges against an alcoholic major. Hundreds of miles from reinforcements, he occupies the position with a ten-man force, limited supplies, and no way to call for help. In the distance, four hundred Yuma prepare for battle, intent on reclaiming what once was theirs.
Author
Brian Francis Wynne Garfield was an American novelist and screenwriter. He wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen and wrote several novels under such pen names as "Frank Wynne" and "'Brian Wynne" before gaining prominence when his book Hopscotch (1975) won the 1976 Edgar Award for Best Novel. He is best known for his 1972 novel Death Wish, which was adapted for the 1974 film of the same title, followed by four sequels, and a remake starring Bruce Willis. His follow-up 1975 sequel to Death Wish, Death Sentence, was very loosely adapted into a film of the same name which was released to theaters in late 2007, though an entirely different storyline, but with the novel's same look on vigilantism. Garfield is also the author of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. Garfield's latest book, published in 2007, is Meinertzhagen, the biography of controversial British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen. Brian Garfield was the author of more than 70 books that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and 19 of his works were made into films or TV shows.He also served as president of the Western Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America. Brian Garfield passed away on December 29, 2018 at his home in Pasadena, California. He had struggled with Parkinson's Disease during the last years of his life.
