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Law of the Desert Born: Stories
A PRIZED COLLECTION OF AMERICAN FICTION—FROM AMERICA’S FAVORITE STORYTELLER
This first-rate collection of short stories by the incomparable Louis L’Amour showcases the legendary writer at his very spinning a fascinating and wholly authentic set of unforgettable tales. In these extraordinary stories, we meet a man who is forced to defend himself by taking another’s life—and must pay for his actions in a most punishing manner; a young thrill-seeker who finally finds a place he can call home, and vows to stay there—regardless of the man who tries to stand in his way; and a drifter who honors a deathbed promise to a stranger by embarking on an unlikely mission of mercy.
Complete with revealing author’s notes, the stories in Law of the Desert Born are historically precise, and filled with L’Amour’s trademark humor and adventure. They are nothing less than modern classics of the American West, told by one of the most beloved storytellers of our time.
This first-rate collection of short stories by the incomparable Louis L’Amour showcases the legendary writer at his very spinning a fascinating and wholly authentic set of unforgettable tales. In these extraordinary stories, we meet a man who is forced to defend himself by taking another’s life—and must pay for his actions in a most punishing manner; a young thrill-seeker who finally finds a place he can call home, and vows to stay there—regardless of the man who tries to stand in his way; and a drifter who honors a deathbed promise to a stranger by embarking on an unlikely mission of mercy.
Complete with revealing author’s notes, the stories in Law of the Desert Born are historically precise, and filled with L’Amour’s trademark humor and adventure. They are nothing less than modern classics of the American West, told by one of the most beloved storytellers of our time.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
465 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
1,008 books3,528 followersLouis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
February 26, 2022
Great short stories. 11 in total. Desert Death Song was my favorite and the chase across the alkaline desert. Several similar stories of small ranchers against the bigger ranches.
Trap of Gold I had read before and was a good one to end the series. A man has to know when to walk away.
Trap of Gold I had read before and was a good one to end the series. A man has to know when to walk away.
March 13, 2017
When I got into westerns, the first thing I learned is if you want a great read in the genre, turn to Louis L’Amour. LAW OF THE DESERT BORN is proof of that claim.
This book is a collection of short stories by the author, complete with author notes before each story. Each story is filled with the author’s unique view of the West, adventure, humor and authenticity. The stories move quickly and the book can be read in one sitting. The only problem is the book had to end.
So, grab your cowboy hat, your six shooter and jump on in.
This book is a collection of short stories by the author, complete with author notes before each story. Each story is filled with the author’s unique view of the West, adventure, humor and authenticity. The stories move quickly and the book can be read in one sitting. The only problem is the book had to end.
So, grab your cowboy hat, your six shooter and jump on in.
February 25, 2021
I had not expected this to be a dramatization when I borrowed the audiobook from the library, but it was a very welcome and pleasant surprise.
In fact, I checked it out and listened to it a second time because of how entertaining it was. (I definitely needed a pick me up after I finished a very disappointing non-western audiobook.) I loved the music, the sound effects, and the cast. When I first listened to it, I remember how the music gave me goosebumps. As for the cast, all of them did a spectacular job with their deliveries.
In regards to the actual story, it has become one of my favorites. Just like the previous Louis L’Amour books I read, the characters come across as being real and human. I won’t say much else about them because I don’t want to (possibly) spoil anything for those who haven’t read this yet.
Without a doubt, I know I need to keep an eye out for this at the bookstore because I want to add Law of the Desert Born to my collection. This is one western that I highly and most definitely recommend checking out.
In fact, I checked it out and listened to it a second time because of how entertaining it was. (I definitely needed a pick me up after I finished a very disappointing non-western audiobook.) I loved the music, the sound effects, and the cast. When I first listened to it, I remember how the music gave me goosebumps. As for the cast, all of them did a spectacular job with their deliveries.
In regards to the actual story, it has become one of my favorites. Just like the previous Louis L’Amour books I read, the characters come across as being real and human. I won’t say much else about them because I don’t want to (possibly) spoil anything for those who haven’t read this yet.
Without a doubt, I know I need to keep an eye out for this at the bookstore because I want to add Law of the Desert Born to my collection. This is one western that I highly and most definitely recommend checking out.
June 15, 2023
I have to say that my pleasure in reading L'Amour is less in the playout of his stories and much more in reveling in the sense I get that I am in the Old West with its tough people and its rugged beauty. He lingers in his loving descriptions of the land - here he lays out the view of the surroundings in a desolate place:
"... Bodine had lost himself in that broken, rugged country known as Powder Basin. It was a region of some ten square miles backed against an even rougher and uglier patch of waterless desert, but the basin was bad enough itself. Fractured with gorges and humped with fir-clad hogbacks, it was a maze where the juniper region merged into the fir and spruce and where the canyons were liberally overgrown with manzanita. There were at least two cliff dwellings in the area and a ghost mining town of some dozen ramshackle structures, tumbled in and wind worried."
Even though the place is forlorn and dangerous, his beautiful description makes me want to walk in it.
L'Amour loves to let his heroes show the reader tricks of the trail. In one of these 11 stories of the collection titled Law of the Desert Born, published in 1983, a hunted man rubs the barrel of his rifle down with dirt to make sure there is no glint of shining metal that could give his location away. After reading quite a few of L'Amour's books I have an appreciation that he insisted on accuracy in his historic tales; I know that he worked hard through both book study and personal travel all over the west to make that happen.
These are the short stories included in this volume, with a star for those that I particularly enjoyed, and two stars for my very favorites:
Law of the Desert Born: A man has killed a sheriff's brother in self-defense and is on the run from a gang of 8 men. He leads them toward certain death in the dry desert.
* Riding On: A cowboy shoots a man in the dark who he suspects of rustling cattle, and to his horror, he finds that it is his own father. His ranch fires him because they suspect that he and his father were among the cattle rustlers.
The Black Rock Coffin Makers: A man in a saloon is drawn on and kills his assailant. He learns that he himself is a doppelgänger for a wanted man.
** Desert Death Song: A wanted man has a posse of 200 men after him, but he has holed up in a deadly maze of canyons.
** Ride, You Tonto Raiders!: In a familiar L'Amour trope, a young widow realizes that she has the fight of her life coming when bad men in town gang together to take her ranch from her. But a stranger seems bent on helping her defend it.
One Last Gun Notch: A man whose wife was murdered and whose cattle were stolen became a gunslinger to exact revenge, but now, years later, he finds himself hired to do the same kind of evil.
Death Song of the Sombrero: The cowboys on a secluded ranch are told by a stranger that he's killed their boss fair and square in a gunfight, and that they can work for him now or get on down the road.
The Guns Talk Loud: Once again, the story of a man determined to defend a young woman whose ranch is about to be overrun by dishonest men. He finds an ally in a tall stranger who comes along.
*Grub Line Rider: A new man comes into the ranch and announces that he needs 600 head of cattle to start his own outfit up on the ridge, and, by the way, the owner's daughter is welcome to come be his cook! Men at the table nearly choke on their food.
The Marshall of Painted Rock: The Marshall is approached by a beautiful woman who has just arrived in town. She tells him that she is the sister of the man condemned to hang there tomorrow, that she is certain he is innocent, and that she will do anything to get him back to their ailing mother.
Trap of Gold: A miner traces gold in a creek to a leaning rock tower high above. There is a jackpot of gold twisting through quartz at the base of the tower. He is experienced enough to know that removing the gold at the base will almost certainly eventually cause the tower to collapse, crushing him. How much should he take?
"... Bodine had lost himself in that broken, rugged country known as Powder Basin. It was a region of some ten square miles backed against an even rougher and uglier patch of waterless desert, but the basin was bad enough itself. Fractured with gorges and humped with fir-clad hogbacks, it was a maze where the juniper region merged into the fir and spruce and where the canyons were liberally overgrown with manzanita. There were at least two cliff dwellings in the area and a ghost mining town of some dozen ramshackle structures, tumbled in and wind worried."
Even though the place is forlorn and dangerous, his beautiful description makes me want to walk in it.
L'Amour loves to let his heroes show the reader tricks of the trail. In one of these 11 stories of the collection titled Law of the Desert Born, published in 1983, a hunted man rubs the barrel of his rifle down with dirt to make sure there is no glint of shining metal that could give his location away. After reading quite a few of L'Amour's books I have an appreciation that he insisted on accuracy in his historic tales; I know that he worked hard through both book study and personal travel all over the west to make that happen.
These are the short stories included in this volume, with a star for those that I particularly enjoyed, and two stars for my very favorites:
Law of the Desert Born: A man has killed a sheriff's brother in self-defense and is on the run from a gang of 8 men. He leads them toward certain death in the dry desert.
* Riding On: A cowboy shoots a man in the dark who he suspects of rustling cattle, and to his horror, he finds that it is his own father. His ranch fires him because they suspect that he and his father were among the cattle rustlers.
The Black Rock Coffin Makers: A man in a saloon is drawn on and kills his assailant. He learns that he himself is a doppelgänger for a wanted man.
** Desert Death Song: A wanted man has a posse of 200 men after him, but he has holed up in a deadly maze of canyons.
** Ride, You Tonto Raiders!: In a familiar L'Amour trope, a young widow realizes that she has the fight of her life coming when bad men in town gang together to take her ranch from her. But a stranger seems bent on helping her defend it.
One Last Gun Notch: A man whose wife was murdered and whose cattle were stolen became a gunslinger to exact revenge, but now, years later, he finds himself hired to do the same kind of evil.
Death Song of the Sombrero: The cowboys on a secluded ranch are told by a stranger that he's killed their boss fair and square in a gunfight, and that they can work for him now or get on down the road.
The Guns Talk Loud: Once again, the story of a man determined to defend a young woman whose ranch is about to be overrun by dishonest men. He finds an ally in a tall stranger who comes along.
*Grub Line Rider: A new man comes into the ranch and announces that he needs 600 head of cattle to start his own outfit up on the ridge, and, by the way, the owner's daughter is welcome to come be his cook! Men at the table nearly choke on their food.
The Marshall of Painted Rock: The Marshall is approached by a beautiful woman who has just arrived in town. She tells him that she is the sister of the man condemned to hang there tomorrow, that she is certain he is innocent, and that she will do anything to get him back to their ailing mother.
Trap of Gold: A miner traces gold in a creek to a leaning rock tower high above. There is a jackpot of gold twisting through quartz at the base of the tower. He is experienced enough to know that removing the gold at the base will almost certainly eventually cause the tower to collapse, crushing him. How much should he take?
April 19, 2025
3’stars
Not even sure how I found out about this book lol, but I’ve been chasing the high Lonesome Dove gave me ever since I read it and nothing has ever come close to it…
Nor did this, I fear. As a collection of Western-based short stories, it was entertaining and a nice palate cleanser from all the fantasy I’ve been reading lately, but nothing to write home about.
I feel like my dad would lowkey eat this book up though, I can’t lie lol… maybe I’ll pass it along to him!
Not even sure how I found out about this book lol, but I’ve been chasing the high Lonesome Dove gave me ever since I read it and nothing has ever come close to it…
Nor did this, I fear. As a collection of Western-based short stories, it was entertaining and a nice palate cleanser from all the fantasy I’ve been reading lately, but nothing to write home about.
I feel like my dad would lowkey eat this book up though, I can’t lie lol… maybe I’ll pass it along to him!
November 30, 2025
It’s time for another Louis L’Amour book, this one being a collection of his short stories from earlier in his career. The back blurb notes that an un-authorized publisher was trying to sell these stories without L’Amour’s permission, so that was the reason he put them together under this title. While I have enjoyed the author’s regular books, it was time to see what he could do with a short story.
There are eleven stories in total, some coming as surprises, some endorsing the L’Amour doctrine of lonely men in hot, inhospitable terrains. Even the protagonists who initially seem to be hard-edged men end up showing glimmers of courage and pathos. And then there are the usual L’Amour descriptions, which I always enjoy.
Red Posner…had a face like a horned toad and a disposition like a burro with the colic.
I liked this collection, with every story displaying the author’s knowledge of the old Southwest of the United States. Other writers may try to describe a desolate town of sand, but only L’Amour can give it some real oomph.
Book Season = Summer (tang of sagebrush)
There are eleven stories in total, some coming as surprises, some endorsing the L’Amour doctrine of lonely men in hot, inhospitable terrains. Even the protagonists who initially seem to be hard-edged men end up showing glimmers of courage and pathos. And then there are the usual L’Amour descriptions, which I always enjoy.
Red Posner…had a face like a horned toad and a disposition like a burro with the colic.
I liked this collection, with every story displaying the author’s knowledge of the old Southwest of the United States. Other writers may try to describe a desolate town of sand, but only L’Amour can give it some real oomph.
Book Season = Summer (tang of sagebrush)
May 5, 2022
Some true cowboy stories about black hats and white hats and the beautiful women whose property and reputation hang in the balance.
L'Amour is a master of the traditional Western tale and this short story collection shows how quick his draw can be. Each story follows a crack-shot stranger riding into town, forced into a feud and doing right by good, hardworking folk. There's a noticeable formula here but that certainly doesn't take away from L'Amour's clean and engaging style or indeed his impeccable attention to detail. Would-be Western writers could learn a lot from any of these plots.
That being said, I didn't get a great sense of character for most of the protagonists of these adventures. It could even be argued that they aren't as important as the thrilling plots. Also, in the earlier stories of this collection, I did feel there was some overstatement of emotional stakes, which is to say more than one sentence conveying the problem at hand.
Personal nitpicks aside, I'm glad to have read Law of the Desert Born. These moralistic tales have a definite timeless quality to them and a breakneck pace that had me flying through the pages. If you like your Westerns clean-cut and rich in description, I highly recommend Laws of the Desert Born.
Notable Stories
• Riding On – a classic cowboy story of guilt and redemption, with a family murder mystery as its subplot.
• One Last Gun Notch – a simple story about a hired gun changing his mind, and rehoming a clock.
• Trap of Gold – a tale that trades firearms for a pick and gold pan, which is still thrilling regardless.
L'Amour is a master of the traditional Western tale and this short story collection shows how quick his draw can be. Each story follows a crack-shot stranger riding into town, forced into a feud and doing right by good, hardworking folk. There's a noticeable formula here but that certainly doesn't take away from L'Amour's clean and engaging style or indeed his impeccable attention to detail. Would-be Western writers could learn a lot from any of these plots.
That being said, I didn't get a great sense of character for most of the protagonists of these adventures. It could even be argued that they aren't as important as the thrilling plots. Also, in the earlier stories of this collection, I did feel there was some overstatement of emotional stakes, which is to say more than one sentence conveying the problem at hand.
Personal nitpicks aside, I'm glad to have read Law of the Desert Born. These moralistic tales have a definite timeless quality to them and a breakneck pace that had me flying through the pages. If you like your Westerns clean-cut and rich in description, I highly recommend Laws of the Desert Born.
Notable Stories
• Riding On – a classic cowboy story of guilt and redemption, with a family murder mystery as its subplot.
• One Last Gun Notch – a simple story about a hired gun changing his mind, and rehoming a clock.
• Trap of Gold – a tale that trades firearms for a pick and gold pan, which is still thrilling regardless.
February 21, 2020
There is something deeply satisfying to my soul about these stories of hard life in rugged desert country where sometimes the difference among choices involving living and dying is very slight. A person‘s character matters as much as a persons skill in travel, riding horses, branding cattle, and negotiating with neighbors and enemies. Sometimes I desperately need to escape to this place and time that is so different from the world I inhabit with smart phones, 24 hour television, and social isolation while everyone shouts to be heard on a service called Facebook.
October 28, 2021
man, tough, leather-faced and dusty, rides into town. orders a drink. finds trouble. draws his gun. someone lies dead on the floor/ground. man meets woman: soft, beautiful-faced, alone and lonely bc her husband died. man, tough and leathery, saves the day and gets the golden-girl. dragons aren't slain, but the 'bad guys' are. brown indigenous peeps are minor minor-characters. no attempt to recognize the land everybody be fighting over was ours first.
one story flies outside of this air space. man, tough, alone, lone wolf, not afraid of wolves, rides out to the rock to mine gold. chips away. takes risks. takes chances. sweats. sleeps. looks at stars. feels fear. does he get the gold or not? what do you think?
one story flies outside of this air space. man, tough, alone, lone wolf, not afraid of wolves, rides out to the rock to mine gold. chips away. takes risks. takes chances. sweats. sleeps. looks at stars. feels fear. does he get the gold or not? what do you think?
July 29, 2016
If you like Westerns at all, I don't know what you need past "Louis L'Amour." If you don't, I don't know why you'd read this. L'Amour was a master of the western, and this is a good collection of many of his short stories. He wrote with a simple style, but it worked for the stories he was telling.
As with all things L'Amour, recommended for anyone who likes Westerns.
As with all things L'Amour, recommended for anyone who likes Westerns.
August 15, 2011
I guess I chose a good Louis L'amour book to read for my first. I enjoyed the short stories in this. I plan on reading more of his books in the future.
August 26, 2016
Reiterates the constant theme of Passing Through, the drifter who feels morally obligated, or inspired by clear gray eyes on a tall slim redhead, to administer deeply needed justice.
July 1983, L'Amour refused to sign unauthorized editions, unlike Harry Harrison in Galactic Dreams proud autographing illegal underground translations because they trumpeted world-wide reader demand. (Canada copyright 50 years < US 75.) LL included last story to set this frontier law collection equal to fake, and added pre-ambles from personal experience specifying locales, gunslingers, and old bandit tales to surpass. History channel may be reviving one feud, but L'Amour has the goods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasant...
http://www.history.com/shows/hatfield...
Dedication reads "To my loyal readers, who will know how to read a brand." Quality here is high: girls with spunk or ignored; not a flaw in spelling, grammar, style, plot, flow, or focus. Magazine submissions from 1942-53, most 1949-51 glow with polishing from originals, reason enough to try for legal version. Internet may facilitate copies, fill when real unavailable limited, encourage demand for honest access.
1 Law of the Desert Born - "Wild dangerous men who went into country where nobody else dared venture.. killed and robbed to live" p31 conquered the West, good and bad". After three days on the run, Shad Marone leads pursuit into dry ashy Sink, where Navajos found hidden spring, but following Apaches perished.
2 Riding On - Reb Farrell shoots distant rustler, finds own honest father Jim dead. Fired by Nathan Embree, father of sweetheart Laura, Reb follows clue of pa's missing rifle. Wounded Lon fingers Joe Banta.
3 The Black Rock Coffin Makers - Jim Gatlin, new Tucker arrival mistaken for Jim Walker, takes on missing farmer's claim against town bigshot Wing Cary. Tall pretty Lisa has rounded slim figure, wide clear gray eyes p68. L'Amour has a strong preference for gray eyes.
4 Desert Death Song - Handsome Nat Bodine framed for holdup murder by rich Pete Daley, jealous over quiet pretty Mary Callahan, has to hide in rugged country.
5 Ride, You Tonto Raiders! - Matt Mathurin (from Latin, saintly) Sabre didn't want to draw in response to drunk foolish Billy Curtin, so agreed to boy's dying request to carry thousands home to wife Jenny, slender "tall for a girl, yet she came no farther than his lips" p168. Big tall L'Amour does like slim tall girls.
6 One Last Gun Notch - Morgan Clyde 35, peaceful until returned with antelope haunch, found Diana "wife and smoking ruins" burned out by big cattlemen. Now a similar bigshot hires him to take out the Hallams. The girl, almost the size and prettiness of Diana, says Vic is out for antelope. "It was all the same" p227.
7 Death Song of the Sombrero - Stretch Magoon 6'5" reckons if rustler "ain't dead, he'll be some sore when he wakes up an' finds all that dirt in his face" p236, sees how Sombrero brand superimposes on Lucky S cattle he guards. But Tinkerville newcomer handsome Paul Hartman convinces lovely red-haired (another L'Amour weakness) owner Kelly "named for her pa's favorite burro" p255 Jarvis 21 to fire the "itinerant range detective" p240.
8 The Guns Talk Loud
http://www.blackcowboys.com/boseikard...
Drifter Sonora, big man with two guns, invites narrator Dan Ketrel, equally big and like-armed, for a drink. Dan remembers latest bandit description "very big man wearin' two guns" p263, as does town boss Harvey Kinsella. So Dan invites him to help pretty Mary Belton by tearing down big cattleman fence starving her cattle.
9 Grub Line Rider - Kim Sartain, stopped by hostile trio riding for big cattleman Jim Targ, decides to buy cattle from Tom Monaghan, especially after sighting "the swell of her bosom" p291 (closest to X-rating L'Amour gets) from his daughter Rusty, slim redhead "apt to be bossy" who will "feed anybody, stray dogs or no-account saddle bums not barred" p287.
10 The Marshal of Painted Rock is world-travelled Matt Sabre back again. Rafe Berry is set to hang, but the real criminal mastermind yet to be uncovered, despite allure of Claire Gallatin, actress masquerading as suspect's sister.
"To clean up a tough town without killing, that takes a man!" p341.
11 Trap of Gold - Weatherton finds rich gold under soft spire that will crush over-eager digging through base. Suspense. Rock creaks and groans warning. Will he quit before the weight above falls down?
July 1983, L'Amour refused to sign unauthorized editions, unlike Harry Harrison in Galactic Dreams proud autographing illegal underground translations because they trumpeted world-wide reader demand. (Canada copyright 50 years < US 75.) LL included last story to set this frontier law collection equal to fake, and added pre-ambles from personal experience specifying locales, gunslingers, and old bandit tales to surpass. History channel may be reviving one feud, but L'Amour has the goods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasant...
http://www.history.com/shows/hatfield...
Dedication reads "To my loyal readers, who will know how to read a brand." Quality here is high: girls with spunk or ignored; not a flaw in spelling, grammar, style, plot, flow, or focus. Magazine submissions from 1942-53, most 1949-51 glow with polishing from originals, reason enough to try for legal version. Internet may facilitate copies, fill when real unavailable limited, encourage demand for honest access.
1 Law of the Desert Born - "Wild dangerous men who went into country where nobody else dared venture.. killed and robbed to live" p31 conquered the West, good and bad". After three days on the run, Shad Marone leads pursuit into dry ashy Sink, where Navajos found hidden spring, but following Apaches perished.
2 Riding On - Reb Farrell shoots distant rustler, finds own honest father Jim dead. Fired by Nathan Embree, father of sweetheart Laura, Reb follows clue of pa's missing rifle. Wounded Lon fingers Joe Banta.
3 The Black Rock Coffin Makers - Jim Gatlin, new Tucker arrival mistaken for Jim Walker, takes on missing farmer's claim against town bigshot Wing Cary. Tall pretty Lisa has rounded slim figure, wide clear gray eyes p68. L'Amour has a strong preference for gray eyes.
4 Desert Death Song - Handsome Nat Bodine framed for holdup murder by rich Pete Daley, jealous over quiet pretty Mary Callahan, has to hide in rugged country.
5 Ride, You Tonto Raiders! - Matt Mathurin (from Latin, saintly) Sabre didn't want to draw in response to drunk foolish Billy Curtin, so agreed to boy's dying request to carry thousands home to wife Jenny, slender "tall for a girl, yet she came no farther than his lips" p168. Big tall L'Amour does like slim tall girls.
6 One Last Gun Notch - Morgan Clyde 35, peaceful until returned with antelope haunch, found Diana "wife and smoking ruins" burned out by big cattlemen. Now a similar bigshot hires him to take out the Hallams. The girl, almost the size and prettiness of Diana, says Vic is out for antelope. "It was all the same" p227.
7 Death Song of the Sombrero - Stretch Magoon 6'5" reckons if rustler "ain't dead, he'll be some sore when he wakes up an' finds all that dirt in his face" p236, sees how Sombrero brand superimposes on Lucky S cattle he guards. But Tinkerville newcomer handsome Paul Hartman convinces lovely red-haired (another L'Amour weakness) owner Kelly "named for her pa's favorite burro" p255 Jarvis 21 to fire the "itinerant range detective" p240.
8 The Guns Talk Loud
http://www.blackcowboys.com/boseikard...
Drifter Sonora, big man with two guns, invites narrator Dan Ketrel, equally big and like-armed, for a drink. Dan remembers latest bandit description "very big man wearin' two guns" p263, as does town boss Harvey Kinsella. So Dan invites him to help pretty Mary Belton by tearing down big cattleman fence starving her cattle.
9 Grub Line Rider - Kim Sartain, stopped by hostile trio riding for big cattleman Jim Targ, decides to buy cattle from Tom Monaghan, especially after sighting "the swell of her bosom" p291 (closest to X-rating L'Amour gets) from his daughter Rusty, slim redhead "apt to be bossy" who will "feed anybody, stray dogs or no-account saddle bums not barred" p287.
10 The Marshal of Painted Rock is world-travelled Matt Sabre back again. Rafe Berry is set to hang, but the real criminal mastermind yet to be uncovered, despite allure of Claire Gallatin, actress masquerading as suspect's sister.
"To clean up a tough town without killing, that takes a man!" p341.
11 Trap of Gold - Weatherton finds rich gold under soft spire that will crush over-eager digging through base. Suspense. Rock creaks and groans warning. Will he quit before the weight above falls down?
March 12, 2025
started finished 11th march 2025 good read three stars i liked it nothing less nothing more shorts from l'amour and interesting note from l'amour about the writing publishing world...how another publisher not batam his publisher went about gathering some of l'amour stories not protected by copyright (and forget ethics since we never leave the playground) that published some of these what we'll call unprotected stories. one could make an analogy to some of his western stories...people on land they settled on...others coming along and making a claim. too, he mentions some who have gone about "debunking" is the word he used...western stories or facts. say it ain't so joe...and there's another analogy for us both hundred-year-old western world and present day..."fact-checkers" anyone? and the list goes on.
these stories are entertaining and i've read close to four dozen from l'amour...out of 105...i've read again elsewhere 120. l'amour was quite taken by certain dynamics of the land...certain canyons or types of box canyons or places not easily found and apparently many such places exist and he uses some or one particular one that appears in variations at least one maybe two that appear in these.
good reads all.
these stories are entertaining and i've read close to four dozen from l'amour...out of 105...i've read again elsewhere 120. l'amour was quite taken by certain dynamics of the land...certain canyons or types of box canyons or places not easily found and apparently many such places exist and he uses some or one particular one that appears in variations at least one maybe two that appear in these.
good reads all.
Read
January 8, 2021I like to read something light but interesting each night before bed. Something predictable enough so it does not keep me awake. Something interesting enough to please me. Something clean enough so it does not give me nightmares. A good choice is always anything written by Louis L'amour and this collection of short stories pleases me greatly. Although some of the stories are long enough to be considered novellas, many are brief enough to be read in one sitting.
I am currently on Ride, You Tonto Raiders. It is typically L'amore with a nice twist at the end. I love his detailed descriptions of the countryside and although the characters are often predictable and a bit shallow, they are good for my purposes and the author has so many of them I will never run out of this peaceful night-cap.
I am currently on Ride, You Tonto Raiders. It is typically L'amore with a nice twist at the end. I love his detailed descriptions of the countryside and although the characters are often predictable and a bit shallow, they are good for my purposes and the author has so many of them I will never run out of this peaceful night-cap.
February 23, 2018
There is something about short stories I really like. They are to the point and quickly describe the characters and setting in a straight forward way. No unnecessary padding, because a good short story writer doesn't need to waste space and time. These stories are classic western tales with the hero of slightly flawed but righteous character overcoming the greedy unscrupulous town or land bully, with cunning guile, sharp fists and fast guns. The classic good over evil with a usually happy ending. Each story a little better than the last. A pleasant and uncomplicated reading voyage. Great tales from a master of the western genre.
September 30, 2023
I usually don’t read short stories. It always seems to me that when I get into a short story it finishes when I am justing wanting more of the story and the characters. So I was reluctant to read these stories by arguably the best ever western writer. What I soon found was that each story was a gem or perhaps a rich vein of gold. Not only the stories were good but the author injected his own vast experience of the western landscape and history with short preambles that related to the short story. I now realise that Louis L’Amor didn’t just write ABOUT the west, he actually wrote from his lived experiences of the vast west. The west was in him .
July 21, 2017
Never like short stories but rarely do I not like anything written by Louis L Amour and this was not an exception. 90% of these could have been extended into first rate novels,. the notes by the author before each story were enough to give this 4 stars. For so many years, I thought Zane Grey was the only western writer and even he I did not start reading until after the reading of THE RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE at the age of 50. Then I read Louis L Amours autobiography . Have been hooked ever since. I feel as though I know him , as if he it talking to ME when he writes his notes.
August 17, 2025
there’s always a strong woman
In Louis L’Amour novels there is always, a strong woman that sees the value of the man who might not otherwise be seen seen as a hero. She is a full partner with the hero who loves and respects her. When you think of the author’s life and all of his experiences, I know of no author other than Ian Fleming, who was so deeply immersed and what he wrote about. I have read every single one of his stories, and although there are a lot of similarities, they all leave you with a great feeling.
In Louis L’Amour novels there is always, a strong woman that sees the value of the man who might not otherwise be seen seen as a hero. She is a full partner with the hero who loves and respects her. When you think of the author’s life and all of his experiences, I know of no author other than Ian Fleming, who was so deeply immersed and what he wrote about. I have read every single one of his stories, and although there are a lot of similarities, they all leave you with a great feeling.
May 17, 2020
This is a different group of short stories. In between the short stories, he gives a brief historical anecdote . I like this touch. I learn how to pronounce Mogollan, "Muggy Own". Two are probably my favorites. The Grub Line Rider is a story of a man who decides to homestead only when a bully tells him he can't. The other is the Marshall of Painted Rock. He has two stories about Matt Sabre, a man wh has seen the world. I find humor in this story and I love the character.
June 25, 2021
A great collection of frontier stories by the master. I've read several collections of L'Amour's shorts and never read a dud. I enjoy how the same characters will show up at times like in this collection the second on the Tumbling K crew had a solo tale, Matt Sabre has a story and the lion hunter Jim Morton shows up in another tale. Very few can write compelling shorts as consistently as Louie L'Amour, he just had the knack.
Highly recommend any L'Amour collection a master short story writer.
Highly recommend any L'Amour collection a master short story writer.
January 14, 2023
This is a very nice collection of short stories. I am going type the titles so someone wanting to know which are in this collection will be able to find them easily. Law of the Desert Born; The Black Rock Coffin Makers; Desert Death Song; Ride, You Tonto Raiders; One Last Gun Notch; Death Song of the Sombrero; The Guns Talk Loud; Grub Line Rifer; The Marshal of Painter Rock; Trap of Gold. There are also comments from Louis L'Amour after each short story.
October 24, 2025
This is a 'spite' edition of some short stories; the author angrily introduces them by whining about how somebody is printing unauthorized versions and he is seeing no money from that.
The stories themselves are just ok, basically Hallmark movies for a man who thinks fondly of the Old West that he never experienced. Most of the stories are basically the same; a tough, righteous man overcomes evil hombres by the quickness of his draw and his knowledge of the land.
The stories themselves are just ok, basically Hallmark movies for a man who thinks fondly of the Old West that he never experienced. Most of the stories are basically the same; a tough, righteous man overcomes evil hombres by the quickness of his draw and his knowledge of the land.
July 22, 2017
A jailed Indian.
A murdered Judge.
A man on the run.
A Sheriff who tracks em down with the help of the Indian.
I love listening to these Louis L'Amour stories, even better than watching it on television.
If feels like I'm right there on the trail, tracking down a killer, feeling the hot sun, and riding a horse.
A murdered Judge.
A man on the run.
A Sheriff who tracks em down with the help of the Indian.
I love listening to these Louis L'Amour stories, even better than watching it on television.
If feels like I'm right there on the trail, tracking down a killer, feeling the hot sun, and riding a horse.
August 11, 2022
Good audiobook dramatisation of this short story by Louis L’Amour. An interesting bit of tracking for revenge, across the deserts, in this short story. I enjoy the way L’Amour can weave a tale from front to back, taking you from present day to the past, that gives you context for the character’s desire for revenge, back to present choices again.
July 26, 2018
Exactly what you have come to expect from this author.
A well written series of stories with plenty of action. The short articles between the other stories are interesting and enjoyable. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good western.
A well written series of stories with plenty of action. The short articles between the other stories are interesting and enjoyable. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good western.
December 18, 2018
There were a few stories that I think weren't very good. One of them bordering on the main character sexually harassing one of the female characters and then her being smitten with him just because he survived. So while most of the stories were enjoyable, that one really ruined the book for me.
February 14, 2019
A collection of Louis L'Amour's short stories. None were particularly memorable, but none were particularly bad. A nice addition is the historical notes after each story that are at least tangentially related to preceding story.
September 18, 2021
Short stories
Law of the Desert Born
Riding On
The Black Rock Coffin Makers
Desert Death Song
Ride, You Tonto Raiders!
One Last Gun Notch
Death Song of Sombrero
The Guns Talk Loud
Grub Line Rider
The Marshall of Painted Rock
Trap of Gold
With L'Amour commentary before each.
Law of the Desert Born
Riding On
The Black Rock Coffin Makers
Desert Death Song
Ride, You Tonto Raiders!
One Last Gun Notch
Death Song of Sombrero
The Guns Talk Loud
Grub Line Rider
The Marshall of Painted Rock
Trap of Gold
With L'Amour commentary before each.
February 27, 2022
Excellent entertaining mystery
A collection of short stories will written. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story lines are interesting and entertaining. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a quick read. Enjoy reading 2019😀
A collection of short stories will written. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story lines are interesting and entertaining. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a quick read. Enjoy reading 2019😀
February 25, 2023
I really enjoyed these western short stories! Six of the eleven stories I rated 5/5 stars (numbers 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11.) Only #7 was 3 stars and 2-5 were 4 stars. Recommended for anyone who enjoys westerns or short stories!
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