By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton

Buy at Amazon.com

I love this book. It is written in a bracing, common man sort of narrative. The book is funny and entertaining. I’ve always been a sucker for a Navy man and dogs – especially German Shepherds. Mark Butterworth’s book, A Man with Three Great German Shepherds (and 1,000 Troy Ounces of Gold) was a wonderful read and a joy to pass on to my husband for his reading pleasure as well.

The book centers around Chief Warrant Officer Dan Martin. Retired, Dan turns back to faith to heal his life as well as seeking out and adopting three German Shepherds who will fill his life with a love and loyalty that only dogs can give. Martin believes in discipline and knows that there is only right and wrong. There is no gray area in between. He longs for a simpler time, a more wholesome time. Don’t we all?

Martin’s life has seen divorce and loneliness. Detachment is a serious possibility until he finds faith in the Catholic Church. His Shepherds also fill the loneliness void. And then there is his gold. He collects gold and is obsessive concerning it. But hey, I take that as a survival trait. Dan collects gold one coin at a time over the years and puts it away. So much so, that he accumulates a great wealth of it.

You’ll learn of Dan’s adventures – the book is summarized wonderfully at Amazon.com:

A Man with Three Great German Shepherds (and 1000 troy ounces of gold) is a comic novel about a retired, Navy Warrant Officer, Dan Martin, and three endearing German Shepherds he’s rescued and trained in Sacramento, California. After saving the life of his Catholic priest from a knife wielding lunatic, Dan’s dogs become local celebrities, attracting national attention when they appear with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. It’s fame and fortune for Dan (he hopes) until the IRS makes him a target of investigation since he’s a gold bug with his life savings in bullion, and for having worked in his retirement under the table (more gold) for a millionaire contractor who’s been cheating on his taxes for decades. Dan heads for northern Idaho in the hope that his employer can use leverage, money, and contacts to get the government off their backs, bringing the story to a stirring climax. *** A Man with Three Great German Shepherds will appeal to dog lovers through the tale of the adoption of the dogs and the heroism of the oldest, Lucy. People who have owned or known German Shepherds will enjoy the affectionate and vivid descriptions of their personalities, their habits and problems, their beauty, the events of their lives and affect on others throughout the story. And there’s Dan’s story, his initial problems with retirement, his attempt to win over his estranged children, his adoption of the dogs and their training, his desire to show them off and find some distinction in the world, and then his problems with having deceived the government and consequences which lead to a disturbing conclusion. There is brio in the narrative as Dan mordantly or quizzically observes the world around him. People may start off reading a dog story and find themselves enriched by one man’s adventure toward greater humility catalyzed by his three beautiful, obedient, and faithful animals. A Man with Three Great German Shepherds is a book that is not only likely to become popular, but remain popular (including internationally) for a long time due to its accurate portrayal of the regal nobility of the German Shepherd breed, its well known and beloved qualities; and because Dan Martin, Everyman, plays on many human chords. A book in part like Rescuing Sprite, My Dog, Tulip, Marley and Me, and Old Yeller.

I truly recommend this book. For a little while, this book lifted me out of politics and the sadness of late, and transported me into a wonderful story. Thank you Mark – I hope you will write many more.