Louis L'Amour

[Clay M]

Just wanted to see if there are any fans, and what your favorite books are.

I just finished A Man Called Trent. Excellent reading.

I am in a mode of reading his books so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Clay M

[Skipper]

Crossfire Trail

[bubba.50]

I used to have probably 100 or so of Louis's books & loved every one of them. be hard to pick a favorite but Crossfire Trail would be on the list. my least favorites would be any of the Sackett series. some of his best work was the two Treasury of Short Stories books.

much as I like his books, he always reminded me of an old Audie Murphy quote when someone asked him how it felt to make his army movie & he said "well, I'll tell ya, I've made that same damn western a hundred times with a different horse so it felt really good to do somethin' else for a change".

[smokeywolf]

Skipper, if you haven't read it yet, try "The Lonesome Gods". IIRC, story takes place in early 19th century southern California.

Clay, that is one of my Louis L'Amour favorites.

[toallmy]

30 some years ago I read them all multiple times , as we only had 2-3 channels we could pick up on the old television . Then I moved on to the executioner Mack Bollen. My father read the western , and mother read romance . Simple times I enjoyed them all .

[rancher1913]

have everyone of his books, sometimes multiple copies. the sacketts books were one of my favorites, but loved them all.

[nvreloader]

I have over a 100+ of his books,
my favorite is,
The trail to 7 Pines,
which was written in my neck of the woods,
along with Riders of the High Rock for Western NV.

I have just picked up the volume #5 series of his short stories collections,
which I am now reading, then it is on to Hills of Homicide.

I have several of his first PB, under the Fawcett Brand
before he came under the Bantum Books Co,
only missing about 15-20 of his editions,
which I am still looking for.

The ones I have are read and then reread again,
read several chapters at bed time, every night, then fall asleep.

IMHO, he was the BEST western writer,
with true and accurate info in his writings.

Tia,
Don

[waksupi]

I used to read him, but he got to be too predictable and repetitious.

[farmerjim]

Last of the Breed

[starmac]

I have always been a big fan of his books, and like most of them.
The Sakett books were inspired by a fight he got into in Tucumcari New Mexico. He wound up fighting 5 mexican brothers and was somehow impressed that they all stuck together in the melee. As I have been in a fight or two in Tecumcari, I can sort of relate, but wasn't really impressed. lol
He has written some about the country around Mora, we have ranch property there and while it has tamed down some, there are still much safer places for white folks to hang out. It was a lot wilder 30 years ago when I started hanging out there, I can just imagine what it ws like back in his day.
If westerns are not your thing (even if they are) have a look at Sitka, there is one I can't recall the name of about a US fighter pilot that was forced down and imprisoned in Siberia that is some good reading too.

[NSB]

My favorite was Anti-Gravity. I couldn't put it down.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

Have to agree on Last of the Breed and The Walking Drum.
CF

[Multigunner]

His best that I remember was "the Walking Drum", about a medieval trading expedition.

[RogerDat]

Last of the Breed
Gets my vote too. I also like Tucker, I have family in the area where much of the story takes place so I enjoyed being able to picture the places he was describing. I do like the some of the books that feature Sackett family members. The Daybreakers sticks in my mind as a favorite. The Hop Along Cassidy novels he wrote are ok too. The western books do tend to follow a few basic story plots but tend to be fun to read.

[starmac]

My favorite was Gravity. I couldn't put it down.

I thought I had read them all, but don't recall Gravity.

I was lucky enough to spend a night in jail in Wheeler Texas once. The nice lady that ran the county jail came and ask if I wanted any kind of reading material when she got off shift. She went to the store and got me some donuts and a louise LaAmore book, I don't remember which one, but it sure helped pass the time. lol

[Mk42gunner]

I have read most of his books multiple times; and of his shorter books I think I liked The Broken Gun the best, maybe because it wasn't the same book with different names.

Last of the Breed and The Walking Drum were two of the best non-westerns that he wrote.

So how many of you have read his book of poetry?

Robert

[Hickory]

Flint is a good one.

[cliff55]

Hondo- WalkingDrum-Last of the Breed

[Battis]

They're all good. I've read each one at least twice. Some of the movies aren't bad.
I wrote to Louis L'Amour back around 1980. He responded with a letter typed on a large card with an image of one of his book jackets on the back. He signed it on the bottom. Naturally, I have it framed.

[lightman]

Years ago I joined his book club. I have all of them in hardback. There was only one that I did not care for out of all of them. They do follow a predictable plot. I think they are written at about a 4th or 5th grade reading level, making for an easy and relaxing read.

[DLCTEX]

I thought I had read them all, but don't recall Gravity.

I was lucky enough to spend a night in jail in Wheeler Texas once. The nice lady that ran the county jail came and ask if I wanted any kind of reading material when she got off shift. She went to the store and got me some donuts and a louise LaAmore book, I don't remember which one, but it sure helped pass the time. lol

We have a new jail, very modern. Come back and visit.
Louie tried to be factually correct, but in First Fast Gun he mentioned water hycinth and it is not a native plant. It was brought to New Orleans from South America by the Japanese to give away the flowers at the 1932 Worlds Fair. People threw the faded flowers away and those that fell in water grew and invaded all over..

[Light attack]

Another vote for Last of the Breed. Back in the last century we would fly to Okinawa on Air Force C-141s. A bunch of us would buy Louis L'Amour paperbacks and after a couple of hours everyone would switch. Could read several in one flight. Also have to agree with Cousin Audie, They do follow a common outline.

[45workhorse]

I enjoyed anything he wrote. Especially while floating around on gray taxi cabs.

[TenTea]

Love the westerns, but Education of a Wandering Man is my top pick.

It's basically his autobiography mixed with philosophy.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=la+mour+tales+of+a+wandering+man

http://dolmv3q9e9skh.cloudfront.net/productImage/?sku=guides-education-of-a-wandering-man&w=200
(https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=la+mour+tales+of+a+wandering+man)

[Battis]

http://www.louislamour.com/community/llbio.htm

[725]

Third vote for Last of the Breed.

[Clay M]

Love the westerns, but Education of a Wandering Man is my top pick.

It's basically his autobiography mixed with philosophy.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=la+mour+tales+of+a+wandering+man

http://dolmv3q9e9skh.cloudfront.net/productImage/?sku=guides-education-of-a-wandering-man&w=200
(https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=la+mour+tales+of+a+wandering+man)

Looks like an interesting book. I will look for it.
I have read everything Zane Grey wrote, and most westerns do have common themes or plots.
They are still interesting.

I read a good bit of fiction.

Charles Dickens is my favorite, and I also like John Steinbeck.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy are also among my favorites.

[starmac]

[QUOTE=DLCTEX;3636829]We have a new jail, very modern. Come back and visit.
Louie tried to be factually correct, but in First Fast Gun he mentioned water hycinth and it is not a native plant. It was brought to New Orleans from South America by the Japanese to give away the flowers at the 1932 Worlds Fair. People threw the faded flowers away and those that fell in water grew and invaded all over..[/QUOTE

If they had the same judge and same lady running the jail I wouldn't mind, but somehow doubt the judge would tell me to drive down to the jail and tell them to lock me up, in this day and time. lol

Just a couple of months after they graciously gave me a place to stay, I had another run in with the same judge, but it was real pleasant dealing with him that time.

Back in them days I passed through there just about every day, two at the most.

[William Yanda]

Last of the Breed

That's what I was going to say.

[Riverpigusmc]

used to read them all the time in my early teens

[shooter93]

I read some but it seemed they became like I could just shuffle the pages, change a name or two and it was the next novel. A little know western writer was Elmore Leonard. He wrote just a few near the end of the hay day of westerns and switched to mysteries but they are very good with many turned into movies. You make want to check him out. He was also the author of Justified....the tv series based on one of his characters.

[Gavetta]

Louis l amour and elmore leonard,great time passers.all gave me great pleasure.may they rest in peace.

[jonp]

Had all of them in hardcover at one time. I donated them to the local small library. "Under The Tonto Rim" is one of my favorites as I worked on top of it in The Coconino NF for a summer and spent much time traveling it from Payson to Strawberry and around it. Hiked the Mazatal one summer weekend by myself and it was breathtaking.

"To The Last Man" was also set in the area and based on the true story of the Pleasant Valley War. The sheep-cattle feud it was based on is some interesting reading

The book is based on the Tewksbury/Graham Range War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasant_Valley_War and as the name of the book says it was pretty much fought until no-one was left to fight.

[richhodg66]

Last of the Breed

My favorite, though I haven't read nearly as many of his as some of you guys have.

[PULSARNC]

Yondering a collection of short stories and to the far blue mountaind

Sent from my XT901 using Tapatalk

[jonp]

I got popped for fishing without a license once in the pond at my camp. I forgot about it and a few months later my stepfather called me up and told me the sheriff had called my mother to see where I was as there was a warrant out for my arrest. ?? Never been arrested so I had no idea how it worked, I thought I was going to get a bill or something in the mail for the ticket. I called the Sheriff's office and they told me to come in. Next day I drove over and when I got there the Deputy told me the sheriff was gone for lunch, could I come back in an hour. Uh..sure. Went to have lunch and when I got back had a chat with the Sheriff and he gave me the summons (?) to appear in court and told me to make sure I got there. No worries.

[Clay M]

One thing all the old western novels have in common is the fastest gun in town.
I suspect in reality more people were dry gulched than were ever killed face to face in a fast draw contest.

Just makes more sense.

[waksupi]

I got popped for fishing without a license once in the pond at my camp. I forgot about it and a few months later my stepfather called me up and told me the sheriff had called my mother to see where I was as there was a warrant out for my arrest. ?? Never been arrested so I had no idea how it worked, I thought I was going to get a bill or something in the mail for the ticket. I called the Sheriff's office and they told me to come in. Next day I drove over and when I got there the Deputy told me the sheriff was gone for lunch, could I come back in an hour. Uh..sure. Went to have lunch and when I got back had a chat with the Sheriff and he gave me the summons (?) to appear in court and told me to make sure I got there. No worries.

That is how law enforcement commonly arrested people with warrants here. Call them, and they would come to the office. Now so many locales think they need to call out a swat team for an over due library book.

[MT Gianni]

I started on them in the sixty's and got most of them when they came out. I really enjoyed Lando and the two books centered on Milo Talon.

[starmac]

The night I spent in the wheeler was done without any warrant. It was a speeding ticket I refused to pay and hired a lawyer instead, It roicked on for a year before I finally fired the lawyer and called the judge, who said he would put a warrant out if I still refused to pay. I told him I didn't need to wait on a warrant, just clean out a cell and I would drive over there (out of state) and show up when he wanted me too. He was a genuinely good guy that tried everything to get me to pay the fine, even offering to take 10 bucks down and pay the rest when ever I decided too. lol I wasn't guilty, so told him the county wasn't getting one dime out of me period. He then sentenced me to three days, and told me to drive to the county jail and tell them to lock me up. The jailer, a nice lady claimed they didn't tell anybody to drive there and ask tob be locked up, plus they didn't lock up anyone for speeding. lol I told her that was my instructions from the judge, but would be glad to just go back home too. lol She made the call and was laughing over the phone, then told me that she guessed she had to lick me up, BUT there was no way she was keeping me three days. She didn't give me a cell until shift change, when she was leaveing, came back with some donuts and a loise laAmore book and came in at 6 am the next morning to turn me loose. Over all not a bad experience, except for the steel bed. lol

[RogerDat]

I found this book by Elmer Kelton called the The Time It Never Rained someplace or another, read it and really liked the way the author wrote about people. This one is set in the 1950's but he has others http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/690442.The_Time_It_Never_Rained

Here is a list. He tends to write with a more varied plot at least in some of his books.
http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Elmer+Kelton&search_type=books

+1 on Zane Gray being most enjoyable read.

[bayjoe]

Sacketts books were my favorite

[MT Gianni]

I found this book by Elmer Kelton called the The Time It Never Rained someplace or another, read it and really liked the way the author wrote about people. This one is set in the 1950's but he has others http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/690442.The_Time_It_Never_Rained

Here is a list. He tends to write with a more varied plot at least in some of his books.
http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Elmer+Kelton&search_type=books

+1 on Zane Gray being most enjoyable read.
My favorite Elmer Kelton was The Man who rode Midnight.

[bubba.50]

it used to alternately amuse and aggravate me the way Louis would get cluttered up & bogged down by his story. but then suddenly..... a way out would magically appear and the story would take off in an entirely different direction.

[SSGOldfart]

Well I kinda favor the Sackett series myself,he got me through a tour overseas,back when we didn't have a English-language TV station,and only one radio station,so reading was a major factor.

[woodbutcher]

:DLouis L`Amour has got to be my favorite western author.Elmore Leonard is also quite good too.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[bubba.50]

Elmore Leonard was a much better western author 'til he tried to write dialog, then he fell off a bit. but still overall a much better writer.

[Bad Water Bill]

At 80 I have read almost all of those old western books.

Recently I have found another author that I find interesting.

Look up "Dusty Richards" for an author that has done his homework about the old times.

His credentials are real and he has authored about 150 books so far.

[lightman]

My favorite Elmer Kelton was The Man who rode Midnight.

Yeah, that was a good book!

[farmerjim]

Anybody read T. T. Flynn ? I haven't yet , but his son lives around the corner from me. He was a neurosurgeon and did my first back surgery.

[Detroitdanm]

There's very little Mr L'amour wrote that I haven't read, many of his books more than once as they're just flat out good yarns. I discovered his books late in high school when I was still learning what it takes to be a good man. Yeah they weren't Shakespeare but they told stories of honor and courage, doing the right thing and persevering through difficulties and obstacles. Some may deride them as simplistic but I found them good food for thought for a young man coming of age as well as very entertaining. Many beloved books throughout his series, but a number of the Sackett series probably stand as my favorites.