The French Foreign Legion, a military wing of the French Army, has been famous since its inception in 1831. For L. Ron Hubbard the Legion served as plot material for many of his classic pulp fiction stories, three of which are included in the latest release from Galaxy Press. Hell's Legionnaire dates from 1935 and is particularly violent and gruesome, although still tame by today's standards. It's a fantastic short story. Legionnaire Dusty Colton has killed a French officer in self-defense and flees the Legion only to find himself saving a beautiful woman from captivity in an evil Berber camp. Tense, tightly constructed, and with a strong dash of romance thrown in for good measure, Hell's Legionnaire will undoubtedly make my favorite's list of classic pulp fiction I am reviewing this year. I won't reveal the ending but readers familiar with the style and sentiment of 1930s American pulp fiction and adventure films will love the closing dialogue. This is classic material indeed and a joy to read.

The second story, The Barbarians, is another gruesome piece and equally suspenseful, but without the romance. When Major Duprey of the French Legion receives a gruesome package, Jack Harvey takes it upon himself to avenge a friend's death. The Barbarians is pure testosterone pulp writing, flavored with a dash of philosophy regarding the brutality of war. Another fine example of short story writing, I found this tale as captivating as anything Hubbard wrote. His ability to propel readers immediately into the action is showcased in this 1930s era action tale.

The final offering, The Squad That Never Came Back, involves a group of Legionnaires seeking treasure in the Moroccan desert. Told with a first person narrative, The Squad That Never Came Back is less violent than the two preceding stories but entertaining all the same. When I say it's less violent I mean that Hubbard's skill included knowing when to avoid going too far in his action. So the violence here is no less shocking than in the previous stories, but handled in a slightly different fashion. Another tremendous adventure, The Squad That Never Came Back is a great example of the hard-boiled first person narrative in a short, short story. Told in seven brisk chapters, the pace accelerates as the story unfolds.

All in all, the first story, Hell's Legionnaire, is my favorite and certifiable as something of a forgotten classic. Given that only a handful of Hubbard's pulp fiction has been reprinted until now, you can expect to discover many such literary jewels for those of you collecting the entire landmark series as I am. It cannot be said often enough that L. Ron Hubbard was popular during the golden age of pulps for a good reason, and stories such as these are all the modern literary archeologist needs in confirming what readers had discovered over sixty years ago - these are great entertainments. Memorable characters, plenty of action, strong images and even a dollop or two of romance make Hell's Legionnaire a volume I heartily recommend for every pulp fiction fan. ( )

I very enjoyable story of romance and adventure! ( )

I received several L. Ron Hubbard's stories on CD from the Early Reviewers and have to admit I had never heard or read any of his works before. My family and I listened to the audio books in the car while traveling and I have to say we were pleasantly surprised at the entertainment value. The sound effects and voice variations were engaging and the pulp fiction stories helped the time pass quickly. My teenage daughter loved the historical value and happy endings while my boys stayed interested due to the action scenes and the characters. All-in-all, we were a very happy family and my husband and I found these readings opened several conversations with the kids we might not have had otherwise, especially talking about old radio shows and families gathering to listen-in on a weekly basis! We are passing these along to my sister-in-law and her family to enjoy during their travels as well. The audio books have more than earned the 4 star rating from us. The paperback books, on-the-other hand get a mere 3 stars as they were not as entertaining as the adventurous readings.

My rating system is as follows:

5 stars - Excellent, Worth Every Penny, Made It Into My Personal Library!
4 stars - Great book, but not a classic. Passing on for others as a must read & encourage to review.
3 stars - Good overall, generally well written with few errors. Passing on to community library for others to enjoy.
2 stars - Would not recommend based on personal criteria, too many typo's, lack of character development, or simply unreliable story-line for me.
1 star - Difficult to read, hard to finish, or didn't finish. Wouldn't recommend purchasing or reading.

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book I review was provided to me by the publisher, media group or the author for free and no financial payments were received, unless specified otherwise. ( )

Ah, it's been a while since I've seen a decent French Foreign Legion adventure story in any format so I was rather pleased with Hell's Legionnaire. This audiobook features three great Legionnaire stories: the titular adventure Hell's Legionnaire, The Barbarians, and The Squad That Never Came Back. Each story manages to capture a different facet of that unique, romantic vision of the Legion that was popular in the days of Gary Cooper's Beau Geste and each one leaves the listener wanting more. The first two stories might not have quite the same impact alone, but when combined with The Squad That Never Came Back, they form a beautiful and compelling mosaic. Meanwhile The Squad That Never Came Back, the finest of the story in the collection, could easily stand alone as a treasure hunt story on the level of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The voice acting, while nothing to brag about, is well done and well-suited to the subject matter. Overall this is a fine collection that any pulp adventure fan will enjoy. ( )

This disc contains three stories. All are enjoyable. Though, I found Hell's Legionare a bit hard to follow in places The Barbarians is a very violent story. This audiobook was well done with a multi person cast and sound effects, more like a radio drama than a typical audiobook. The story, written in the 1930s, had a period feel to it (with the languge, actions and attitudes of the characters). Included with the cds was a small illustrated and informative booklet about L. Ron Hubard and the Golden Age of Pulp Fiction.