Paperback 1176: Dirty Harry: Duel For Cannons / Dane Hartman (Warner Books 90-793)

Paperback 1176: Warner Books 90-793 (PBO, 1981)

Title: Dirty Harry #1: Duel For Cannons 

Author: Dane Hartman (pseud. for god knows who)

Cover artist: No idea

Condition: 7/10

Value: $20

[Encinitas, CA, Aug. 2026]

Best things about this cover: 

• "Do you remember the Alamo? Well, do ya, punk!?"
• Look admittedly I know nothing about guns but would you hold a .44 Magnum in front of your face like that, so close to your eye.? I understand they can have kind of a kick. Oh, sorry, it looks like it has "manageable recoil," so go ahead Clint, press it to your face, shoot those Texans, I'm sure it's fine.
• His hair looks very ... salon. Like, there's definitely product in there. Doesn't look "dirty" at all, tbh. And his cheekbones. Don't get me started. To die for.

Best things about this back cover: 

• Ah, stickers on a paperback. Someone is going to burn in paperback hell, I see...
• That MEN OF ACTION BOOKS logo is ... ornate. I guess men of action use guns with sights? Or periscopes? That's the only "action" I'm getting from this logo. Doesn't seem very ... active ... but I do like the font design. (Men of action probably don't care about font design.)
• "Blazing byways" should've set off some editor's "Alliteration Overkill" detector.

Page 123~

    Almost of its own volition, the .44 Magnum was out and in his hand.

First of all, replace ".44 Magnum" with "his dick" and it's pretty funny. Second, I would absolutely pay to see an animated Dirty Harry movie where the gun is a separate character. "Let's kill, Harry. Kill kill kill. Make them dead! Full of lead!" "Whoa, whoa, easy there, Maggie" (she's called "Maggie")

~RP

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