Gary Jennings
Encyclopedia
Gary Jennings was an American
author who wrote children's and adult novels. In 1980, after the successful novel Aztec
, he specialized in writing adult historical fiction
novels.
, to Glen Edward and Vaughnye May Jennings, Gary Jennings attended little formal school after graduating from Eastside High School
(of Lean on Me
fame) in Paterson, New Jersey
, and was mostly self-educated thereafter.
His novels were known for their historical detail and occasionally graphic content. Jennings' novels are well-researched: he lived for 12 years in Mexico
to research the Aztec novels, traveled the Balkans
while researching
Raptor
, and joined nine circus troupes during the writing of Spangle
. He also produced a number of novels for younger readers, such as A Rope in the Jungle and a history of the occult Black Magic, White Magic.
Gary Jennings died in February 1999 in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
, aged 70, from heart failure.
Three further books in the series (Aztec Blood, 2002; Aztec Rage, 2006; Aztec Fire, 2008) were written by Robert Gleason, Jennings' former editor, and Junius Podrug
, working from notes left by Jennings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author who wrote children's and adult novels. In 1980, after the successful novel Aztec
Aztec (book)
Aztec is a historical fiction novel by Gary Jennings. It is the first of five novels in the Aztec series.The book is written as a series of letters from the Bishop of the See of New Spain to King Carlos of Spain containing a transcribed biography of Mixtli , an elderly Aztec man, by Spanish Catholic...
, he specialized in writing adult historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
novels.
Biography
Born September 20, 1928, in Buena Vista, VirginiaBuena Vista, Virginia
Buena Vista is an independent city located within the confines of Rockbridge County, Virginia. The population was 6,650 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Buena Vista with Rockbridge county for statistical purposes.-Geography:Buena Vista is located at...
, to Glen Edward and Vaughnye May Jennings, Gary Jennings attended little formal school after graduating from Eastside High School
Eastside High School (Paterson, New Jersey)
Eastside High School is a four-year public high school in Paterson, New Jersey, United States, that serves the eastern section of Paterson. EHS, which serves grades 9 through 12, operates as part of the Paterson Public Schools....
(of Lean on Me
Lean on Me (film)
Lean on Me is a 1989 dramatized biographical written by Michael Schiffer, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Morgan Freeman. Lean on Me is loosely based on the story of Joe Louis Clark, a real life inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school is at risk of being...
fame) in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, and was mostly self-educated thereafter.
His novels were known for their historical detail and occasionally graphic content. Jennings' novels are well-researched: he lived for 12 years in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to research the Aztec novels, traveled the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
while researching
Raptor
Raptor (book)
Raptor is a 1993 historical novel written by Gary Jennings.-Plot summary:Raptor is an historical novel set in the late fifth and early sixth centuries...
, and joined nine circus troupes during the writing of Spangle
Spangle (novel)
Spangle is a historical novel written by Gary Jennings and first published in 1987.-Plot introduction:After surrendering at Appomattox Court House in Virginia at the end of the American Civil War, two Confederate soldiers meet and join Florian’s Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders, a traveling...
. He also produced a number of novels for younger readers, such as A Rope in the Jungle and a history of the occult Black Magic, White Magic.
Gary Jennings died in February 1999 in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 11,097....
, aged 70, from heart failure.
Aztec series
- AztecAztec (book)Aztec is a historical fiction novel by Gary Jennings. It is the first of five novels in the Aztec series.The book is written as a series of letters from the Bishop of the See of New Spain to King Carlos of Spain containing a transcribed biography of Mixtli , an elderly Aztec man, by Spanish Catholic...
(1980) : A story of the AztecAztecThe Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
empire just before and during the arrival of the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. - Aztec AutumnAztec AutumnAztec Autumn is a 1997 historical fiction novel by Gary Jennings; it is a sequel to Jennings's 1980 bestseller Aztec.-Plot summary:The narrative takes us to a time one generation after the Conquest, when the magnificent Aztec empire has fallen beneath the brutal heel of the invading Spaniards...
(1997), a story of the Aztecs following the Spanish conquest.
Three further books in the series (Aztec Blood, 2002; Aztec Rage, 2006; Aztec Fire, 2008) were written by Robert Gleason, Jennings' former editor, and Junius Podrug
Junius Podrug
Junius Podrug is an American author and attorney. He was a defense attorney on the Chippendales dancers federal murder and wrongful death legal cases. His fiction and nonfiction books have been published under his own and three other names. His works have been translated into sixteen languages...
, working from notes left by Jennings.
Novels
- The Terrible Teague Bunch (1975) : about a gang of Texas outlaws at the tail end of the Old West
- Sow the Seeds of Hemp (1976) : about a fire-breathing preacher in Mississippi
- The JourneyerThe JourneyerThe Journeyer is a historical novel about Marco Polo, written by Gary Jennings and first published in 1984.-Plot introduction:Marco is the only heir to the wealthy Polo family of Venice. Unsupervised, he freely roams the streets and canals of the city getting in trouble...
(1984) : An account of the travels of Marco PoloMarco PoloMarco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
to the Far EastFar EastThe Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. - SpangleSpangle (novel)Spangle is a historical novel written by Gary Jennings and first published in 1987.-Plot introduction:After surrendering at Appomattox Court House in Virginia at the end of the American Civil War, two Confederate soldiers meet and join Florian’s Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders, a traveling...
(1987) : A chronicle of the lives of circus entertainers. Also released in paperback, split into a trilogy: The Road Show, The Center Ring and The Grand Promenade. - The Lively Lives of Crispin Mobey (by 'Gabriel Quyth') (1988) : "A novel of the hilarious chronicle of the exploits of an all-too-zealous missionary." Mostly assembled from a series of short stories published under Jennings's real name in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction 1972-1979.
- RaptorRaptor (book)Raptor is a 1993 historical novel written by Gary Jennings.-Plot summary:Raptor is an historical novel set in the late fifth and early sixth centuries...
(1992) : Thorn, a hermaphrodite, and his/her adventures in a post-Roman world.
For young adults
- March of the Robots: From The Manikins Of Antiquity To The Space Robots Of Tomorrow (1962)
- The Movie Book (1963)
- Parades!: Celebrations and circuses on the march (1966)
- The Teenager's Realistic Guide to Astrology (1971)
- The Shrinking Outdoors (1972)
- The Killer Storms: Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Tornadoes (1974)
- Black Magic, White Magic (1975)
- March of the Heroes: The folk hero through the ages (1975)
- March of the Gods (1976)
- The Rope in the Jungle (a novel) (1976)
- March of the Demons (1977)
Nonfiction
- Personalities of Language (1965)
- World of Words: The Personalities of Language (1967)
- The Treasure of the Superstition Mountains (1973)