G Stands For Glory by Norvell Page © 1936-1939, originally published in Ace G-Man Stories, this edition: Altus Press 2010 limited edition hardcover (also available in trade paperback)  – pulp crime short stories featuring the F.B.I.

It’s the stories, not the book, that are forgotten here. From the publisher’s website:

“Known best for his work on Popular Publications’ The Spider, pulp scribe Norvell Page proved he was no slouch when it came to penning gangster and G-man epics! This book collects all eleven stories Page wrote for “Ace G-Man Stories” between 1936 and 1939, which are reprinted here for the first time!”

I’ve read some of the Spider adventures, and while I like them, I find these even more to my taste, since the plots elements are less outlandish. These stories are fast and furious, great fun reading though a bit predictable. There are at least three stories with similar set-ups: two agents, either in “G-school” or in their first year and still on probation, competing against each other both to make a good showing to their chief but also to get the girl. In both there is also a gang of crooks that needs to be caught. The crooks and the girl are a standard part of these stories, a required element by the story editor of Ace G-Man Stories.

These stories won’t be mistaken for anything serious or thought-provoking, but if it’s simply an enjoyable few hours that’s wanted, these may be a good choice. I’ll read more of Page’s non-Spider stories.