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The Sacketts #8.5
War Party
Paperback.
Paperback
First published September 4, 1973
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About the author
Louis L'Amour
995 books3,469 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 84 reviews
July 2, 2021
My quest for reading more Westerns continues with this collection of short stories by Louis L’Amour. These are tales of adventure and honor in bleak, drought-ridden environments, which makes the reading mighty fine.
The Gift Of Cochise, one of L’Amour’s most famous tales, was adapted to the silver screen in the John Wayne film, HONDO. It tells the story of a lone woman tending to her ranch and her children in the wildlands of New Mexico. Her husband has left to get supplies but has never returned and it’s up to her to fend off the Apaches. She does her best and earns the respect of the famous Cochise. Unknown to her, a future savior has crossed paths with her missing husband and that hero is heading straight into a Cochise-led ambush. Thrilling story-telling with a lovely twist at the end.
The Defense Of Sentinel opens with an awakening town drunk, alone on a deserted street. The residents have vanished and the horse tracks show there must have been a mass exodus while the man was sleeping off a drinking binge. It doesn’t take him long to figure out the Apaches are coming and he does his best to defend a town for absent citizens who always made fun of him. The last paragraph has that L’Amour lilt, a little direction taken opposite what the reader was expecting.
There are more stories but the one that gripped me the most was Men To Match The Hills. A killer is hired to gun down a man guarding a ranch. This hired gunfighter is meticulous, never getting into gunfights but always killing his targets in isolated circumstances. But this time, the hunter becomes the hunted. There is a dramatic showdown that takes place while thunder and lightning roar above the fray.
His eyes had opened to darkness and a vast roaring that filled the world, a roaring of gigantic masses of wind and almost continuous thunder. Like a solid wall the wind swept the ridge, bending the huge trees like willows and sweeping the rocks with icy scythes of driving rain, pounding the earth and lashing at his cowering, rain-drenched body.
As with his other stories, I was rapidly turning the pages only to discover the ending to be completely different from what I expected. I practically gulped down this book and had to put it away each time so that I didn’t finish it too soon. Knowing the book was waiting for me to finish it certainly made it a treasure. Perhaps I should have started reading Westerns much sooner than I have.
Book Season = Year Round (unusual fates)
The Gift Of Cochise, one of L’Amour’s most famous tales, was adapted to the silver screen in the John Wayne film, HONDO. It tells the story of a lone woman tending to her ranch and her children in the wildlands of New Mexico. Her husband has left to get supplies but has never returned and it’s up to her to fend off the Apaches. She does her best and earns the respect of the famous Cochise. Unknown to her, a future savior has crossed paths with her missing husband and that hero is heading straight into a Cochise-led ambush. Thrilling story-telling with a lovely twist at the end.
The Defense Of Sentinel opens with an awakening town drunk, alone on a deserted street. The residents have vanished and the horse tracks show there must have been a mass exodus while the man was sleeping off a drinking binge. It doesn’t take him long to figure out the Apaches are coming and he does his best to defend a town for absent citizens who always made fun of him. The last paragraph has that L’Amour lilt, a little direction taken opposite what the reader was expecting.
There are more stories but the one that gripped me the most was Men To Match The Hills. A killer is hired to gun down a man guarding a ranch. This hired gunfighter is meticulous, never getting into gunfights but always killing his targets in isolated circumstances. But this time, the hunter becomes the hunted. There is a dramatic showdown that takes place while thunder and lightning roar above the fray.
His eyes had opened to darkness and a vast roaring that filled the world, a roaring of gigantic masses of wind and almost continuous thunder. Like a solid wall the wind swept the ridge, bending the huge trees like willows and sweeping the rocks with icy scythes of driving rain, pounding the earth and lashing at his cowering, rain-drenched body.
As with his other stories, I was rapidly turning the pages only to discover the ending to be completely different from what I expected. I practically gulped down this book and had to put it away each time so that I didn’t finish it too soon. Knowing the book was waiting for me to finish it certainly made it a treasure. Perhaps I should have started reading Westerns much sooner than I have.
Book Season = Year Round (unusual fates)
July 16, 2019
Although I have loved old Western movies for as long as I can remember—my favorites are Anthony Mann films starring Jimmy Stewart and Budd Boetticher films starring Randolph Scott—I never had much of an urge to read Western novels. I suspected they might be too simplistic, too pulpy. Besides, what I loved most about these films was the way their heroes were both dignified and demarcated by their stark landscapes. Without that commanding visual context, what would remain?
Yet through the years, one name kept coming back to me: Louis L’Amour. The drugstore racks were always filled with his books when I was a kid, and, compared to to other prominently displayed Western authors, like Max Brand and Luke Short, they appeared—to my young eyes at least—to be better written. Then later, when I began to teach high school English, I was given a textbook that contained a L’Amour short story entitled “Trap of Gold.” In it, L’Amour describes a prospector named Wetherton who discovers a desert mountain tower of “crumbling granite” contain a “band of quartz” that was “six feet wide’ and “cobwebbed with gold.”:
The vein itself lay on the downhill side and was sharply tilted so that as man working at the bein would be cutting his way into the very foundations of the tower, and any single blow of the pick might bring the whole mass down upon him. Furthermore, if the rock did fall, the vein would be hopelessly buried under thousands of tons of rock and lost….”Yes, this was the sort of landscape I was looking for. I could see Jimmy Stewart or Randolf Scott pitted against this tower. Even after I stopped teaching the textbook, “Trap of Gold” stayed with me.
Thus it was that, when I encountered a slim paperback volume of ten L’Amour stories entitled War Party, and found that “Trap of Gold” was one of those stories, I decided to read the entire collection. I was glad that I did.
A few of these stories—like “Trap of Gold”— show men struggling against very specific sorts of terrain. “Alkali Basin,” for example, shows how the life of a stagecoach station manager is continually troubled by large natural rock “wall” close to the station—an excellent post from which Apaches can menace both the station and the incoming stage, and the aptly titled “Men to Match These Hills” in which a hired gun and the man he has been hired to kill use the features of the surrounding countryside to defeat each other. And in “The Defense of Sentinel,” the town drunk—the only person left in a town that has been warned of a coming Apache assault—uses the town itself as his defensive terrain.
Even when the landscape itself doesn’t feature specific, its stark demands create a context wherein both women and men must prove themselves and assess the worth of each other. (“One for the Pot,” “Booty for a Badman,” “A Mule for Sante Fe.” My two favorite stories, though—except for “Trap of Gold” are “A Gift from Cochise,” in which the legendary chief assess the worth of two lonely people in the harsh countryside, and pays them a compliment, and “War Party” in which a wagon train filled with settlers from the east both encounter a band of warriors, and—under the obligatory assessments the countryside requires—becomes a war party itself.
All in all, I found the collection “War Party” a worthwhile experience, and I believe I will return to the works of L’Amour soon to continue my own assessments. (So far, so good.)
November 10, 2020
Ten great short stories. Trap of Gold makes your hair stand on end. Will greed win or the tottering rock. One for the Pot shows even hardened gunmen can have a soft spot for a woman with sand. War Party was again about a woman with sand. Get out of Town was great in a boy hiring the right man. Booty for a Badman was funny with Tell Sackett the consummate bluffer and making Christine Mallory see sense. The Gift of Cochise showed apache are good judges of character and matchmakers. A Mule for Sante Fe shows not to judge a woman by her looks. Alkali Basin was funny and the line ‘but after all, tgere are worse things than Apaches!’
Men to Match the Hills was great with a battle royale. My favorite was The Defense of Sentinel and one man defending a town from an Indian attack witg tge great final lines ‘ Dead, all right, ‘ he said. ‘’Dead drunk!’’ Great short stories.
Men to Match the Hills was great with a battle royale. My favorite was The Defense of Sentinel and one man defending a town from an Indian attack witg tge great final lines ‘ Dead, all right, ‘ he said. ‘’Dead drunk!’’ Great short stories.
November 13, 2015
War Party is a collection of short, western tales written between the years 1948 and 1960 by the most famous western author of all time: Louis L'Amour. Each story is well-written and full of action. The main characters are interesting and every Indian in the book is an Apache. Even the famous Cochise makes an appearance in one of the stories.
By the time I started the fourth chapter, I realized that this novel was a collection of short stories rather that one single story. I kept waiting for characters to overlap, but they never did. At no point on the front or back covers, nor inside at the beginning of the book, did it ever state that this was a gathering of short stories. Usually, there will be a listing of all the story titles, but in this case . . . nothing. I found this to be a little weird and a kind of confusing.
Louis L'Amour is my favorite western writer. The flavors he creates as he bakes up a good story are second to none. His knowledge of the Old West was well-renown and he knew how to put pen to paper and create exciting stories of America's bygone days. Of course, we look at Indians, now called Native Americans, in different ways than we did fifty years ago. I cringe when I see the word "savages" used to describe them. I am part Cherokee myself and have a fondness for Native Americans. I understand that they attacked many a white man back in those days, but they were only defending this home from invaders, which in their case, was the white man.
Overall, War Party is a great set of short stories about the Old West. Louis L'Amour has created quite a collection of stories that are sure to please any lover of western tales. So, if you are wanting to curl up beside a roaring fire and read a few tales about life in the 1870's on the great American frontier, find yourself a copy of this book and prepare yourself for a rip-roaring good ol' time.
I rated this book an 8 out of 10.
By the time I started the fourth chapter, I realized that this novel was a collection of short stories rather that one single story. I kept waiting for characters to overlap, but they never did. At no point on the front or back covers, nor inside at the beginning of the book, did it ever state that this was a gathering of short stories. Usually, there will be a listing of all the story titles, but in this case . . . nothing. I found this to be a little weird and a kind of confusing.
Louis L'Amour is my favorite western writer. The flavors he creates as he bakes up a good story are second to none. His knowledge of the Old West was well-renown and he knew how to put pen to paper and create exciting stories of America's bygone days. Of course, we look at Indians, now called Native Americans, in different ways than we did fifty years ago. I cringe when I see the word "savages" used to describe them. I am part Cherokee myself and have a fondness for Native Americans. I understand that they attacked many a white man back in those days, but they were only defending this home from invaders, which in their case, was the white man.
Overall, War Party is a great set of short stories about the Old West. Louis L'Amour has created quite a collection of stories that are sure to please any lover of western tales. So, if you are wanting to curl up beside a roaring fire and read a few tales about life in the 1870's on the great American frontier, find yourself a copy of this book and prepare yourself for a rip-roaring good ol' time.
I rated this book an 8 out of 10.
April 19, 2025
A pleasant vignette in which the mansplainer gets his comeupance. Really, that's not fair to the FMC. Trying again:
A pleasant vignette in which the FMC is proved right, despite the verbally abusive, gas-lighting antagonist, who usually positions himself as just trying to protect her best interests, getting in her way or manipulating her.
It was nice to see L'Amour work in the period and not have it feel stereotypical or locked to familiar characters.
A pleasant vignette in which the FMC is proved right, despite the verbally abusive, gas-lighting antagonist, who usually positions himself as just trying to protect her best interests, getting in her way or manipulating her.
It was nice to see L'Amour work in the period and not have it feel stereotypical or locked to familiar characters.
May 27, 2025
Didn't really care much for the stories in this one. They all seemed a little dry to me, and none of the stories seemed to really go anywhere.
January 27, 2025
This is a series of short stories, including another tale of Tell Sackett.
October 11, 2015
"What can be more pitiful than a townless town drunk?"
Louis L'Amour was a writing machine, and each of the short stories collected in this edition could've made for a proper novel. Instead, they're a solid collection of stories similar to Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes. They're done in L'Amour's style and contain the perfect blend of adventure, rite of passage, violence, wisdom, suspense, romance, twists, and humor, told against the backdrop of the old West. Maybe even a Sackett makes an appearance. Why there isn't a Louis L'Amour hour of television on some network, I really don't know. Each of these stories would make for a fabulous hour of television. Not to mention how epic the story of the Sacketts could be in a television series. Each story ends on a surprising twist, much like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and is completely satisfying; yet, I really wish some of these were expanded upon.
Louis L'Amour was a writing machine, and each of the short stories collected in this edition could've made for a proper novel. Instead, they're a solid collection of stories similar to Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes. They're done in L'Amour's style and contain the perfect blend of adventure, rite of passage, violence, wisdom, suspense, romance, twists, and humor, told against the backdrop of the old West. Maybe even a Sackett makes an appearance. Why there isn't a Louis L'Amour hour of television on some network, I really don't know. Each of these stories would make for a fabulous hour of television. Not to mention how epic the story of the Sacketts could be in a television series. Each story ends on a surprising twist, much like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and is completely satisfying; yet, I really wish some of these were expanded upon.
November 12, 2017
Louis L'Amour is a great writer! There is no wonder why 300 million copies of all his 120 stories are still in print world wide. No matter what genre you like, his writing ability surpasses being pigeon holed, and I believe anyone would enjoy his "pioneer" stories, as he likes to call them. This book was a collection of short stories I picked up to introduce myself to L'Amour. Glad I did. He has an amazing ability to draw you in and set up a story fast. His characters are well described and very real. He puts you in the location right down to the feel and smell of it. Yeah I guess you could say I would recommend this book, but more to the point I think I would recommend this author and look forward to finding more of his treasures.
June 18, 2012
I didn't read this whole book, it's a compilation of short stories. But I read the Sackett related one (Booty for a Badman), which I think should actually be BEFORE 'Sackett' not after, because it's also about Tell, but before he meets up with his woman.
I also read one just following that which was quite enjoyable, about a woman left alone in scarey Indian country and how she earns their respect with her good shooting, and then ends up with a guy whose life was saved by her husband's death.
I also read one just following that which was quite enjoyable, about a woman left alone in scarey Indian country and how she earns their respect with her good shooting, and then ends up with a guy whose life was saved by her husband's death.
August 7, 2017
Bud Miles, a boy, buried his father after an Indian attack. He had to be a man because he and his mother traveled by wagon train to California.
The excitement of seeing new land, the thrill of meeting strange people and the fear of encountering cruel enemies stirred up different emotions. It’s hard to imagine the pioneers traveling rough terrain, difficult paths, and nearly impossible situations. But War Parties gave me a glimpse into that world. I
even found myself shedding a tear.
This has become one of my favorite L’Amour stories.
The excitement of seeing new land, the thrill of meeting strange people and the fear of encountering cruel enemies stirred up different emotions. It’s hard to imagine the pioneers traveling rough terrain, difficult paths, and nearly impossible situations. But War Parties gave me a glimpse into that world. I
even found myself shedding a tear.
This has become one of my favorite L’Amour stories.
July 26, 2010
A collection of L'Amour's short stories. I generally like his novels better but there are some good ones here. L'Amour also wrote a number of short stories or novellas that he later expanded to full-length novels.
February 3, 2017
I'm a Louis L'Amour fan. War Party is a collection of short stories; everyone I considered a winner.I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories. Even they I had read them several years ago, they were still fresh and like new.
December 13, 2012
Some of my favorite Louis L'Amour short stories are in this collection. "The Courting of Grisabella" a Sackett short story and "The Gift of Cochise".
March 16, 2018
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE
A Louis L'Amour special treat of different short stories that all have a story within a story. Old sayings of yesteryear, enjoyable reading.
A Louis L'Amour special treat of different short stories that all have a story within a story. Old sayings of yesteryear, enjoyable reading.
November 5, 2021
Just a fabulous Author
I truly enjoy Mr L'Amour wit and knowledge. He has done his homework and knows his Western history. Very enjoyable books
I truly enjoy Mr L'Amour wit and knowledge. He has done his homework and knows his Western history. Very enjoyable books
September 23, 2022
I liked the short stories. They were all interesting and cool to read.
August 15, 2019
I don't normally read short story collections; but I am reading the Sacketts series, and this book is number 8.5. It is a compilation of independent short stories by Louis L'Amour, and only one involves a character, Tell Sackett, from the series. They are very entertaining and are tightly written - they contain a plethora of information in only a few pages. It's almost like each story could have been fleshed out to make a full-length novel, but would the stories have been as effective in long-form? These are action and adventure tales and each contain the quintessential dusty plains, towns, strong women, hard-working men, outlaws and Indians of the old TV westerns.
I won't give a synopsis of all ten stories, but at least the Sackett entry and four of my favorites:
Booty for a Badman - Tell Sackett is having no luck with mining. He can earn a hundred dollars if he will carry fifty pounds of gold through treacherous territory to Hardyville for four men who are afraid of the Coopers, a band of bandits. Riding in lonesome country he tops a ridge and sees a beautiful woman standing beside the trail like she was waiting for the stage. Is she trouble and full of tricks? The ending is a surprise.
Alkali Basin - Wells, a station agent, has requested blasting powder. The vice-president of the Overland Stage Co. thinks it is a ridiculous request. He and his niece are on their way to inspect the station. The station is constantly attacked by Apaches, and he thinks blasting powder would be extreme to fight off the Indians. When they arrive at the station, it doesn't take him long to figure out why Wells wants the blasting powder.
Trap of Gold - Wetherton wants to make life easier for his wife and son. He discovers two upthrusts of crumbling granite and one is tilted and slashed with a vein of quartz cobwebbed with gold. He soon determines that there is enormous wealth to be had but every ounce must be taken at the risk of life as he uses a pick ax to remove the quartz. The deeper he goes, the richer the vein. In picking out the quartz, he is cutting a deep notch and the unstable upthrust could fall in on him at any time. Can he defeat his lust for gold or will he dig one day too many? This was a nail biting tale.
One for the Pot - Mail-order-bride, Laurie, runs away from her new husband Steve because of a sense of failure. She can't even make a decent cup of coffee. The Miller clan want Steve's land and have hired a killer to get rid of him and acquire his land. Laurie tells the old man her story, he teaches her how to make good coffee, and convinces her to return home before Steve finds out she has left. The ending is a big surprise.
The Defense of Sentinel - The official town drunk of Sentinel, Finn McGraw, wakes up and finds the town is deserted - where did everyone go? He gets excited with everything left unguarded. It's all his for the taking including all the liquor, food and clothes he wants. He soon discovers why everyone left when when he must defend the town alone against Apaches. Funny ending.
Author L'Amour is a master storyteller, and these short tales are evidence of that. The other five stories are entitled: War Party, Get Out of Town, The Gift of Cochise, A Mule for Sante Fe, and Men to Match the Hills. Each will remind you of the old westerns you could catch on TV many years ago. Well worth reading this collection of short stories.
I won't give a synopsis of all ten stories, but at least the Sackett entry and four of my favorites:
Booty for a Badman - Tell Sackett is having no luck with mining. He can earn a hundred dollars if he will carry fifty pounds of gold through treacherous territory to Hardyville for four men who are afraid of the Coopers, a band of bandits. Riding in lonesome country he tops a ridge and sees a beautiful woman standing beside the trail like she was waiting for the stage. Is she trouble and full of tricks? The ending is a surprise.
Alkali Basin - Wells, a station agent, has requested blasting powder. The vice-president of the Overland Stage Co. thinks it is a ridiculous request. He and his niece are on their way to inspect the station. The station is constantly attacked by Apaches, and he thinks blasting powder would be extreme to fight off the Indians. When they arrive at the station, it doesn't take him long to figure out why Wells wants the blasting powder.
Trap of Gold - Wetherton wants to make life easier for his wife and son. He discovers two upthrusts of crumbling granite and one is tilted and slashed with a vein of quartz cobwebbed with gold. He soon determines that there is enormous wealth to be had but every ounce must be taken at the risk of life as he uses a pick ax to remove the quartz. The deeper he goes, the richer the vein. In picking out the quartz, he is cutting a deep notch and the unstable upthrust could fall in on him at any time. Can he defeat his lust for gold or will he dig one day too many? This was a nail biting tale.
One for the Pot - Mail-order-bride, Laurie, runs away from her new husband Steve because of a sense of failure. She can't even make a decent cup of coffee. The Miller clan want Steve's land and have hired a killer to get rid of him and acquire his land. Laurie tells the old man her story, he teaches her how to make good coffee, and convinces her to return home before Steve finds out she has left. The ending is a big surprise.
The Defense of Sentinel - The official town drunk of Sentinel, Finn McGraw, wakes up and finds the town is deserted - where did everyone go? He gets excited with everything left unguarded. It's all his for the taking including all the liquor, food and clothes he wants. He soon discovers why everyone left when when he must defend the town alone against Apaches. Funny ending.
Author L'Amour is a master storyteller, and these short tales are evidence of that. The other five stories are entitled: War Party, Get Out of Town, The Gift of Cochise, A Mule for Sante Fe, and Men to Match the Hills. Each will remind you of the old westerns you could catch on TV many years ago. Well worth reading this collection of short stories.
August 2, 2019
Though critics may accuse these stories of being predictable, morally simplistic, and lacking in modern sensitivity, they sure as heck make for satisfying action-adventure yarns. L'Amour's writing is particularly strong here, bringing the Old West to vibrant life in a way very few authors can match. L'Amour's novels are generally hit or miss (particularly the early ones), but his short stories are consistently excellent--probably because their brevity keeps him from running out of gas halfway through. All of these tales feature characters who are larger than life, but "Men to Match the Hills" is the only one that comes close to being cheesy. The rest are near-perfect examples of the genre, though L'Amour is certainly guilty of recycling various plot elements again and again, the way pulp writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs often did. Within this same book, for example, we get two stories about pathetic schlubs single-handedly holding off an Indian attack.
"The Gift of Cochise" was the basis for the John Wayne movie HONDO, which L'Amour then adapted into a full length novel, and "War Party" was later reworked into BENDIGO SHAFTER. "Booty for a Badman" adds a new chapter to the beloved SACKETT saga. "War Party" would be considered a feminist classic if it were written by someone like Margaret Atwood or Annie Proulx. "Get Out of Town" reminded me a little of the movie SHANE. "Trap of Gold" is a nice change of pace (no cowboys, no Indians, no gunfighting, no romantic interest), and "The Defense of Sentinel" is the only Western I know of in which the hero is an unrepentant drunkard.
WAR PARTY is a great story collection I think even non-L'Amour fans can appreciate. Anyone thirsting for frontier-style adventure is guaranteed to come away satisfied.
"The Gift of Cochise" was the basis for the John Wayne movie HONDO, which L'Amour then adapted into a full length novel, and "War Party" was later reworked into BENDIGO SHAFTER. "Booty for a Badman" adds a new chapter to the beloved SACKETT saga. "War Party" would be considered a feminist classic if it were written by someone like Margaret Atwood or Annie Proulx. "Get Out of Town" reminded me a little of the movie SHANE. "Trap of Gold" is a nice change of pace (no cowboys, no Indians, no gunfighting, no romantic interest), and "The Defense of Sentinel" is the only Western I know of in which the hero is an unrepentant drunkard.
WAR PARTY is a great story collection I think even non-L'Amour fans can appreciate. Anyone thirsting for frontier-style adventure is guaranteed to come away satisfied.
September 13, 2025
I don't often read Westerns, but my dad really liked Louie L'Amour, and I've enjoyed reading a couple of them. This was pretty good, too.
I was surprised when I got into it that this was a book of short stories. I didn't even know L'Amour wrote short stories. I'm not actually an avid reader of short fiction--especially with so many that I've read lately in SF or fantasy being unsatisfying and strange. (YMMV.) These were not like that. These stories had a clear beginning, middle, and end, with exciting action and heroes to root for. That makes them easy to start and easy to finish, and not too long, just the right thing before bed.
The author favors stories of boys stepping into their father's shoes too young; of men left on their own to face dangers bigger than themselves; and of women learning to see the good in a rough man. The morality is pretty straightforward, with only a few small exceptions, and that's part of the charm of the stories. There's plenty of violence and loss here, lots of hardship and pain, but the stories focus on the kernel of hope that the survivors cling to, kinda like a little Western Chicken Soup for the Soul, and that's a pleasure to read now and again.
Recommended for Western readers, of course, but also those who think they might like the genre but want an easy intro. This fits the bill.
I was surprised when I got into it that this was a book of short stories. I didn't even know L'Amour wrote short stories. I'm not actually an avid reader of short fiction--especially with so many that I've read lately in SF or fantasy being unsatisfying and strange. (YMMV.) These were not like that. These stories had a clear beginning, middle, and end, with exciting action and heroes to root for. That makes them easy to start and easy to finish, and not too long, just the right thing before bed.
The author favors stories of boys stepping into their father's shoes too young; of men left on their own to face dangers bigger than themselves; and of women learning to see the good in a rough man. The morality is pretty straightforward, with only a few small exceptions, and that's part of the charm of the stories. There's plenty of violence and loss here, lots of hardship and pain, but the stories focus on the kernel of hope that the survivors cling to, kinda like a little Western Chicken Soup for the Soul, and that's a pleasure to read now and again.
Recommended for Western readers, of course, but also those who think they might like the genre but want an easy intro. This fits the bill.
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March 25, 2022 Great story by the greatest western writer of all times.
Ten stories to capture our imagination of maybe being drawn back in time to the old west, when there were real life gunfights, desperados, lawmen who tamed a town or were bought by ruthless bad guys, gamblers of all sorts, pioneers who blazed trails looking for the promised land, gunfighters looking to have a name as being one of the best, the women, some strong, some bad and the Indians...
Wat Party comes to mind, as does the names of the characters, John Sampson, Tom Croft, Neely Stuart, Ben, Webb and a few others...
Reminds me of a tale where a young Indian brave was insulted by a white man and so a lifelong feud between this revengeful Indian and this humble but very skillful white man develops into a confrontation, where the white man tries his best to console and make friends with the Indian brave, but to no avail, and even though he could have killed him and saved his life, twice, he knew in his heart that someday he may have to kill him....
Ten stories to capture our imagination of maybe being drawn back in time to the old west, when there were real life gunfights, desperados, lawmen who tamed a town or were bought by ruthless bad guys, gamblers of all sorts, pioneers who blazed trails looking for the promised land, gunfighters looking to have a name as being one of the best, the women, some strong, some bad and the Indians...
Wat Party comes to mind, as does the names of the characters, John Sampson, Tom Croft, Neely Stuart, Ben, Webb and a few others...
Reminds me of a tale where a young Indian brave was insulted by a white man and so a lifelong feud between this revengeful Indian and this humble but very skillful white man develops into a confrontation, where the white man tries his best to console and make friends with the Indian brave, but to no avail, and even though he could have killed him and saved his life, twice, he knew in his heart that someday he may have to kill him....
March 8, 2018
I picked up this book pretty much at random and started reading it thinking it was a short Louis L'Amour novel, but found it a collection of short stories. The stories are all excellent--highly readable and never dragging. I would have rated the collection higher than three stars, but several are formulaic enough to be noticeable--that is the only (minor) criticism I have of this collection. I'm not really a Western fan, but I've never read a Louis L'Amour book I didn't enjoy, and this volume keeps that string going.
March 2, 2021
Pocket paper-backs, pulp fiction Westerns. These were the modern substitutes for knights in shining armour. They were also adult-approved versions of a kids comic book. They are no longer very much in vogue, but growing up my Dad shared his library with me. He must have had hundreds of these, and I probably read just about all of them. Particularly enjoyable were the ones in the Sackett series. The stories have all blurred together with time, their plot always a step away from redundancy, but their feet was always planted firmly in good fun.
June 4, 2018
This is more of an analogy instead of a single coherent linked story. I was waiting for the plotlines to intersect, about half-way through I realized they weren't but the stories were entertaining nevertheless. The story told in the last chapter was short and sweet, probably the best because it was so tight and concise. Naming one of the Apache leaders as Cochise was a nice touch although not necessary for the story.
May 8, 2021
More like a 3.5, it's a solid collection of shorts with no duds. Though none of them really stood out too me as great or noteworthy. Like any L'Amour, the characters are well written and the fight scenes are always thought out well. Most of the tales deal with ordinary people who had to become more to survive against all odds.
I would recommend, its L'Amour and if you just want a sampling from time to time then a story from this collection would hit the spot.
I would recommend, its L'Amour and if you just want a sampling from time to time then a story from this collection would hit the spot.
November 30, 2021
This is a good story of settlers making their way into (and hopefully across) the Rocky Mountains. As they begin to climb into the mountains, a group decided to make their new home in the foothills of the mountains. They deal with Native American neighbors and learn to survive and thrive in a new home.
February 19, 2023
I don't usually read short story collections, but I am working my way through the Sackett books and this was listed as The Sacketts #8.5. It is a collection of short stories and one is about the Sacketts. All of the stories in the book are well written and enjoyable. If you like westerns or just a fan of good writing, this will not disappoint !
July 1, 2023
This has become my favorite book of stories
Most of the other novels that I've read I preferred to the books with stories. The last two stories were my favorites. Sometimes something happens in real life so odd that it sure can throw you for a loop. This collection of stories were well worth my time. 🥰
Most of the other novels that I've read I preferred to the books with stories. The last two stories were my favorites. Sometimes something happens in real life so odd that it sure can throw you for a loop. This collection of stories were well worth my time. 🥰
January 3, 2019
This was an excellent book of short stories. I think that this genre may fit L'Amour better than his novels do. There are ten stories here, including Booty for a Bad Man which features Tell Sackett (which was my impetus for picking this book up). But I enjoyed each of the stories.
August 4, 2020
This is a collection of short stories of varying lengths. I mention that because it was an obvious from the book description that it is a collection of unrelated stories and not one of his novels. Still, I found the stories generally entertaining and engaging and overall I liked the volume.
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