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Fallon
Macon Fallon had never needed much more than a deck of cards, a fast horse, and a ready gun. And he was counting on those things now, as he led an unsuspecting group of settlers into an abandoned mining town. But while Fallon prepared to pass the ghost town off as a gold mine in the making, a funny thing happened: a real-life community started to take shape in the town he's christened Red Horse, and a lovely, strong-minded woman started to take notice of one Macon Fallon. So when a band of vicious outlaws and a kid who fancied himself a gunslinger threatened to rip Red Horse apart, Fallon found himself caught in the one predicament he's never gambled on -- picking up a gun and laying down his life for a place he just might call home ...
133 pages, Leather Bound
First published February 1, 1963
299 people are currently reading
838 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
995 books3,468 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 155 reviews
February 9, 2023
"What difference can one man make in the destiny of a town? . . . [This place] would go on without me." -- Macon Fallon, founder and acting mayor of the Colorado boom town called 'Red Horse'
"No, Mr. Fallon, I do not think it would. As much as I dislike you . . . I do not think the town would live or could live without you." -- Ginia Blane, general store employee and potential love interest
Macon Fallon has worked many jobs - buffalo hunter, cowhand, miner, stagecoach teamster - but lately he's been roaming from town to town on the 19th century wild west frontier to (barely) make a living as a cardsharp / gambler. After narrowly surviving a would-be lynching by drunken louts accusing him of cheating, he throws in his lot with the families occupying a small westbound wagon train. Fallon immediately spins some spirited con artistry on them involving a supposed gold mine near an abandoned town they are approaching, and before long it he has legitimately helped to settle a small community and start of number of businesses. Then some deadly trouble from the past comes a-calling, and Fallon quickly realizes that his new acquaintances have two choices - either stand by him or run for the hills. Can this flawed title character also rise to the occasion? With a positively Capra-esque happily ever after-type of ending, Fallon was a pleasant character drama that - since Westerns have fallen out of favor on the silver screen - cries out for a TV-movie adaptation.
"No, Mr. Fallon, I do not think it would. As much as I dislike you . . . I do not think the town would live or could live without you." -- Ginia Blane, general store employee and potential love interest
Macon Fallon has worked many jobs - buffalo hunter, cowhand, miner, stagecoach teamster - but lately he's been roaming from town to town on the 19th century wild west frontier to (barely) make a living as a cardsharp / gambler. After narrowly surviving a would-be lynching by drunken louts accusing him of cheating, he throws in his lot with the families occupying a small westbound wagon train. Fallon immediately spins some spirited con artistry on them involving a supposed gold mine near an abandoned town they are approaching, and before long it he has legitimately helped to settle a small community and start of number of businesses. Then some deadly trouble from the past comes a-calling, and Fallon quickly realizes that his new acquaintances have two choices - either stand by him or run for the hills. Can this flawed title character also rise to the occasion? With a positively Capra-esque happily ever after-type of ending, Fallon was a pleasant character drama that - since Westerns have fallen out of favor on the silver screen - cries out for a TV-movie adaptation.
August 3, 2020
Fallon is a great Western. Ginia Blane sums him up’I think you are a fraud, Mr Fallon, because I believe you are a good man and a good citizen masquerading as a gambler, a cheat, and a drifter’.
Fallon escapes a lynching after a poker game goes bad and finds a couple of settlers with wagons. He then cons them into coming to an abandoned town he calls Red Horse. We then have an attack by Indians on Fallon, the Bellows gang and a flash flood. Rounding up with another fist fight. I laughed how Ginia got her man and the fact that he as a man with a fast horse wasn’t going to do him a damned bit of good.
Fallon escapes a lynching after a poker game goes bad and finds a couple of settlers with wagons. He then cons them into coming to an abandoned town he calls Red Horse. We then have an attack by Indians on Fallon, the Bellows gang and a flash flood. Rounding up with another fist fight. I laughed how Ginia got her man and the fact that he as a man with a fast horse wasn’t going to do him a damned bit of good.
December 24, 2022
Say what you will about L'Amour's writing style, this is one engaging western. At times it seems as though I actually felt the dust and grit, and actually heard the six-guns and ricochets. The western is my favorite film genre, but even after setting that clear bias aside, it's a wonder that this short, sharp book hasn't yet been turned into a marketable screenplay. It seems like the story would write itself.
March 28, 2017
Chuck Norris prays to Macon Fallon.
August 22, 2019
Fallon is an out of luck drifter and a gambler.
Escaping a lynching party with just his horse and the clothes on his back, he runs into the vast land of an uninhabited desert.
Accidentally stumbling upon the remains of an old mining town that went belly up, he runs into a wagon group and persuades them that their salvation lies within the walls of the ancient town that he ‘owns’.
By creating this lie, he gets the chance to rebuild the town, populate it and make it so much better than it ever was.
Along the way he has to fight a group of greedy outlaws that want to steel everything he holds dear, including the headstrong daughter of a local store-owner.
Great storytelling and a way to learn about gold rush, mining in the west, Native American tribes, how towns were build and what was their foundation and who was in the core of those who lived there and settled wild places in the wilderness of the west frontier.
Escaping a lynching party with just his horse and the clothes on his back, he runs into the vast land of an uninhabited desert.
Accidentally stumbling upon the remains of an old mining town that went belly up, he runs into a wagon group and persuades them that their salvation lies within the walls of the ancient town that he ‘owns’.
By creating this lie, he gets the chance to rebuild the town, populate it and make it so much better than it ever was.
Along the way he has to fight a group of greedy outlaws that want to steel everything he holds dear, including the headstrong daughter of a local store-owner.
Great storytelling and a way to learn about gold rush, mining in the west, Native American tribes, how towns were build and what was their foundation and who was in the core of those who lived there and settled wild places in the wilderness of the west frontier.
September 10, 2020
"Η τύχη του χαρτοπαίκτη", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.
Είχα, δεν είχα, πάλι πέρασαν δυο και βάλε χρόνια από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα βιβλίο του αγαπημένου μου Λουίς Λ'Αμούρ. Και μου αρέσει που ήμουν σίγουρος ότι δεν θα περνούσε τόσος καιρός μέχρι να τον ξαναπιάσω στα χέρια μου. Αλλά συμβαίνουν αυτά. Λοιπόν, δέκατο έβδομο βιβλίου του συγγραφέα που διαβάζω και δηλώνω ξανά πολύ ικανοποιημένος. Πρόκειται για να ωραίο, κλασικό γουέστερν, με γοργή δράση, εξαιρετικά σκηνικά, σκληρούς χαρακτήρες και φοβερή ατμόσφαιρα, σίγουρα ό,τι πρέπει για να περάσει γρήγορα και ευχάριστα η ώρα. Εντάξει, δεν θα έλεγα ότι εντυπωσιάζει, ούτε ότι η ιστορία είναι ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπη ή συγκλονιστική, όμως έχει πραγματάκια που θα ικανοποιήσει τους λάτρεις των γουέστερν και των περιπετειών, ενώ η γραφή είναι αν μη τι άλλο πολύ καλή, με ρεαλιστικές περιγραφές και φυσικούς διαλόγους. Επίσης ο βασικός πρωταγωνιστής είναι ένας πολύ σκληρός και κουλ τύπος, που αλλάζει τρόπο σκέψης μετά από αυτά που θα ζήσει, προσωπικά τον συμπάθησα πάρα πολύ.
Είχα, δεν είχα, πάλι πέρασαν δυο και βάλε χρόνια από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα βιβλίο του αγαπημένου μου Λουίς Λ'Αμούρ. Και μου αρέσει που ήμουν σίγουρος ότι δεν θα περνούσε τόσος καιρός μέχρι να τον ξαναπιάσω στα χέρια μου. Αλλά συμβαίνουν αυτά. Λοιπόν, δέκατο έβδομο βιβλίου του συγγραφέα που διαβάζω και δηλώνω ξανά πολύ ικανοποιημένος. Πρόκειται για να ωραίο, κλασικό γουέστερν, με γοργή δράση, εξαιρετικά σκηνικά, σκληρούς χαρακτήρες και φοβερή ατμόσφαιρα, σίγουρα ό,τι πρέπει για να περάσει γρήγορα και ευχάριστα η ώρα. Εντάξει, δεν θα έλεγα ότι εντυπωσιάζει, ούτε ότι η ιστορία είναι ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπη ή συγκλονιστική, όμως έχει πραγματάκια που θα ικανοποιήσει τους λάτρεις των γουέστερν και των περιπετειών, ενώ η γραφή είναι αν μη τι άλλο πολύ καλή, με ρεαλιστικές περιγραφές και φυσικούς διαλόγους. Επίσης ο βασικός πρωταγωνιστής είναι ένας πολύ σκληρός και κουλ τύπος, που αλλάζει τρόπο σκέψης μετά από αυτά που θα ζήσει, προσωπικά τον συμπάθησα πάρα πολύ.
September 10, 2022
My first Louis L’Amour book and it was a fun western adventure! I especially liked the battle against nature when the flash flood happened.
February 17, 2011
Fallon is the 4th book written by Louis L'Amour that I have read this year. Normally, that's about my max for L'Amour each year because I have other westerns on my “To Be Read” shelf by other authors. But I'm plum out (that's a little western expression there) and only have L'Amour books there now. That's OK though if they're as good as Fallon.
This book is the 65th L'Amour book I've read. That tells me I read a lot of books, or else I'm just getting old. A little of both I suspect. Ever since I fell in love with the Sackett family in my teen years, I’ve been reading L’Amour westerns (as well as a few of his non-western adventure stories). Fallon was first published in 1963 and tells the tale of a drifter who is part con artist, part fraud, but mostly a good guy. It is shortly after the Civil War is over and he cons his way into establishing the new town of Red Horse, based on rumors of a gold strike nearby (rumors started by Fallon, himself, of course). Instead of skedaddling to San Francisco like he planned, using the money from a dry claim he sold to an unsuspecting fellow, he finds himself coming to care about the little town and its people who, in turn, rely on him for leadership against the roughnecks in the neighborhood. This is a fine story, with a few unexpected plot twists to keep it interesting. The ending is satisfying and even humorous. Yet again, I am happy to see a "formula" western by L'Amour not be so formula-driven after all. I would rank this one in his top 10...and if you don't count the Sackett novels it would be in his top five.
This book is the 65th L'Amour book I've read. That tells me I read a lot of books, or else I'm just getting old. A little of both I suspect. Ever since I fell in love with the Sackett family in my teen years, I’ve been reading L’Amour westerns (as well as a few of his non-western adventure stories). Fallon was first published in 1963 and tells the tale of a drifter who is part con artist, part fraud, but mostly a good guy. It is shortly after the Civil War is over and he cons his way into establishing the new town of Red Horse, based on rumors of a gold strike nearby (rumors started by Fallon, himself, of course). Instead of skedaddling to San Francisco like he planned, using the money from a dry claim he sold to an unsuspecting fellow, he finds himself coming to care about the little town and its people who, in turn, rely on him for leadership against the roughnecks in the neighborhood. This is a fine story, with a few unexpected plot twists to keep it interesting. The ending is satisfying and even humorous. Yet again, I am happy to see a "formula" western by L'Amour not be so formula-driven after all. I would rank this one in his top 10...and if you don't count the Sackett novels it would be in his top five.
January 8, 2013
Well, I took my sweet old time reading this book, set it aside for a few days after getting into chapter one so I could get some writing done. Picked it back up today and flew through the rest of it right quick. I really enjoyed this little story. It had everything I was wanting, the Western setting, the hero who seems all tough and bad but is really a good guy on the inside, the tiny little sprinkle of a love interest, and some action. It was a super quick read once I sat myself to read it, and I liked that. It left no time for unnecessary description or filler. It was sparse and lean, and it made me feel that dry wind in my face kinda feel. I love how these books are so easy to picture in my head.
I liked how the story had the hero resettling a ghost town, and how he found loyal men to stand with him to strike the bad gang down. Always had an interest in ghost towns and stuff, so that was neat. Then things happened, the storm, where he and another man nearly died, and problems with people in town. It never got dull. I really liked it. I'll most certainly be continuing on with reading this author, I'm digging 'em a lot :)
I liked how the story had the hero resettling a ghost town, and how he found loyal men to stand with him to strike the bad gang down. Always had an interest in ghost towns and stuff, so that was neat. Then things happened, the storm, where he and another man nearly died, and problems with people in town. It never got dull. I really liked it. I'll most certainly be continuing on with reading this author, I'm digging 'em a lot :)
March 3, 2015
This is the third of three books I'm reading in a row by Louis L'Amour and it is certainly the best.
The story seems to be taking a direction that it angles from and takes the reader on a journey of a man's self discovery. What adds so much to the story is that the reader also learns much about the main character. The thoughts about the character at first are likely to be different by the end of the book.
The writing is top notch. L'Amour builds this story differently than the two I just read before it.
The characters are well written. As a story should, the characters develop as the story goes along.
This book is best of the 20 I've read, so far, this year.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
The story seems to be taking a direction that it angles from and takes the reader on a journey of a man's self discovery. What adds so much to the story is that the reader also learns much about the main character. The thoughts about the character at first are likely to be different by the end of the book.
The writing is top notch. L'Amour builds this story differently than the two I just read before it.
The characters are well written. As a story should, the characters develop as the story goes along.
This book is best of the 20 I've read, so far, this year.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
June 21, 2019
STORY
Intriguing and a cool tone. Occasionally predictable. A perfect summer-day read!
THEMES
C'mon, it is a Wild West novel. The themes are about being a good man, a coward, and some other moralistic questions along the way. Super great!
CHARACTERS
Fallon was cool and all, so were most of the others, but honestly, Brennan is the Best.
CONTENT
Swearing, violence, drinking, mentions of rape, etc etc. A light Western, all content considered.
OVERALL
SO glad I started reading L'Amour. He was the author that got my dad into reading.
Intriguing and a cool tone. Occasionally predictable. A perfect summer-day read!
THEMES
C'mon, it is a Wild West novel. The themes are about being a good man, a coward, and some other moralistic questions along the way. Super great!
CHARACTERS
Fallon was cool and all, so were most of the others, but honestly, Brennan is the Best.
CONTENT
Swearing, violence, drinking, mentions of rape, etc etc. A light Western, all content considered.
OVERALL
SO glad I started reading L'Amour. He was the author that got my dad into reading.
August 10, 2025
I actually enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and that didn't require deep thinking.
(Razor doesn't understand why a group of cows are called cat-tle.)
(Razor doesn't understand why a group of cows are called cat-tle.)
September 10, 2018
Audio from OverDrive narrated by Jason Culp
It was everything that I wanted and expected.
When closed my eyes while listening, I visualized this story in the style of the great black and white movies that I grew up on. For the younger Hd folk, that was when art direction was mainly about lighting. No CGI then.
So experience a lengthy old movie without profanity, explicit sex and violence, and cigarette commercials. "Call for Philip Morris"
It was everything that I wanted and expected.
When closed my eyes while listening, I visualized this story in the style of the great black and white movies that I grew up on. For the younger Hd folk, that was when art direction was mainly about lighting. No CGI then.
So experience a lengthy old movie without profanity, explicit sex and violence, and cigarette commercials. "Call for Philip Morris"
July 8, 2019
Fallon by Louis L'Amour good short yarn concentrates on drifter gambler gun fighter Fallon, Fallon is good at whatever he lends his hand to. Westerns such a simpler life, where your word and bravery were your total sum of who you are. Fallon on the run finds a ghost town and plans his next big scam he figures with passing wagon trains and selling fake gold stakes but something happens he has a change of heart. Redemption and change for good is possible or is it.
October 4, 2010
I recently discovered another library near my home and they have an entire bookshelf devoted to Louis L'Amour. Yay! I read all of his books when I was twelve and it has been a pleasure to become reacquainted.
Fallon is a fun, action-filled western. The descriptions of the west and of the society that was being built are a bonus, as the plot is pretty straightforward.
Fallon is a fun, action-filled western. The descriptions of the west and of the society that was being built are a bonus, as the plot is pretty straightforward.
May 13, 2013
probably one of my favorite L'Amour novels. I never want to stop saying "grease your skids and stack your duds, for I shall down your meat-house" at inappropriate times. I'm not entirely convinced there ever was an appropriate time.
a little disappointed to find out he uses the line in other books too, but still.
a little disappointed to find out he uses the line in other books too, but still.
September 16, 2013
I'm a sucker for old fashioned westerns ... especially as told by Louis L'Amour. Fallon is a simple character study of a man in the wild west. This book contains gamblers, escape from hangings, conniving, ranching, Indian fights, outlaws, love, marriage and the building of a ghost town into a viable city. Easy read and highly recommended for anyone who wants to relax with a western!
August 13, 2015
A classic 1963 oater by prolific Western writer Louis L'Amour. I had read that Fallon was one of his best and
it did not disappoint. If you were a fan of the Maverick TV series back in the day, you will enjoy this tale of a
self described unscrupulous con man, card shark and drifter who against his will discovers he does have scruples.
it did not disappoint. If you were a fan of the Maverick TV series back in the day, you will enjoy this tale of a
self described unscrupulous con man, card shark and drifter who against his will discovers he does have scruples.
November 30, 2020
Matt Fallon flees a lynching after killing a man in self defense. He meets a group of immigrants heading west and along the way starts a town for the group. Then a band of outlaws riding in claiming ownership of the town site.
September 18, 2015
Best
One of his best books because of the sly humor in it. Also no pretentious pronouncements, or any attempts to show knowledge about various subjects. a few of his books have that and are only saved by a good story line
One of his best books because of the sly humor in it. Also no pretentious pronouncements, or any attempts to show knowledge about various subjects. a few of his books have that and are only saved by a good story line
February 19, 2017
Here is how I explain this book. A-W-E-S-O-M-E !! This is like.....my favorite Louis L'Amour ever!! I know I say that about a bunch of them, but this is serious. I mean this book was like, awesome!!! Yeah, so you should all read this book. Definitely.
May 21, 2013
Had a down day, sick in bed. And Louis L'Amour came through for me, as always. A solid western, with his deft characterization, excellent descriptiong and knowledge of all things western.
December 4, 2023
Plenty of action, interesting characters, and vivid descriptions – no wonder Louis L’Amour was so popular.
July 22, 2023
Macon Fallon is a card sharp and a man who has done everything he could to avoid working for a living all of his life. After escaping a lynching party, he runs into the Blanes and Damons who’re traveling to California but are stalled because of a broken wagon wheel. By this point he and his horse are dying of thirst.
He convinces them to settle in his town, called Red Horse, which he had just made up. His rule is that they will pay him 30% of whatever they earn. They agree.
They make it to town. He sets to work on cleaning it up, painting new signs and building a dam. His plan is to work a few claims and then sell them to strangers and move on to better parts.
Ginia Blane is a very beautiful young woman who despises him.
Al Damon gets drunk one night and fails to corral the cattle. When a thunderstorm strikes Fallon has to rescue the cattle before they are washed away.
Al Damon is a teenager itching to be a gunslinger. He is feeding information to a gang that has its eyes on Red Horse. Al has a plan to elect a mayor who will then hire a sheriff and a deputy.
After traveling in the mountains for a day he comes upon a Ute war party. He escapes them and returns to Red Horse only to find out Damon’s plans have come to fruition.
He has a confrontation with the new mayor and sends him packing.
He is up in the hills and he looks down on the town and he says it could really use a school.
Just as he is on the verge of leaving, he has a conversation with Genia, who says the town would die without him.
This is an interesting tale about how a town might grow out of nowhere and what it would take to make it a permanent settlement. And it also looks at whether a drifter and gambler can leave what he has built.
Recommended.
He convinces them to settle in his town, called Red Horse, which he had just made up. His rule is that they will pay him 30% of whatever they earn. They agree.
They make it to town. He sets to work on cleaning it up, painting new signs and building a dam. His plan is to work a few claims and then sell them to strangers and move on to better parts.
Ginia Blane is a very beautiful young woman who despises him.
Al Damon gets drunk one night and fails to corral the cattle. When a thunderstorm strikes Fallon has to rescue the cattle before they are washed away.
Al Damon is a teenager itching to be a gunslinger. He is feeding information to a gang that has its eyes on Red Horse. Al has a plan to elect a mayor who will then hire a sheriff and a deputy.
After traveling in the mountains for a day he comes upon a Ute war party. He escapes them and returns to Red Horse only to find out Damon’s plans have come to fruition.
He has a confrontation with the new mayor and sends him packing.
He is up in the hills and he looks down on the town and he says it could really use a school.
Just as he is on the verge of leaving, he has a conversation with Genia, who says the town would die without him.
This is an interesting tale about how a town might grow out of nowhere and what it would take to make it a permanent settlement. And it also looks at whether a drifter and gambler can leave what he has built.
Recommended.
September 1, 2020
Rispetto ai protagonisti degli altri romanzi di L'Amour che ho letto, questo Macon Fallon, che dà il titolo al libro, è un tipo diverso. Solitario un poco suo malgrado e non per scelta come Shalako, è un gambler e un aspirante truffatore. Peccato che alla fine, con suo sommo piacere, sarà lui il truffato.
Tra una banda di rapinatori e un sacco di gente, Fallon cercherà di rimettere in piedi una città che fu una boom town un decennio prima, ma che nasconde una truffa.
Movimentato come romanzo, ma sempre ben scritto, leggibile e godibile anche se di alcuni personaggi secondari resta il dubbio di come sia andata a finire, per loro, la storia, perché nel finale il punto di vista soggettivo di Fallon cancella il resto.
Tra una banda di rapinatori e un sacco di gente, Fallon cercherà di rimettere in piedi una città che fu una boom town un decennio prima, ma che nasconde una truffa.
Movimentato come romanzo, ma sempre ben scritto, leggibile e godibile anche se di alcuni personaggi secondari resta il dubbio di come sia andata a finire, per loro, la storia, perché nel finale il punto di vista soggettivo di Fallon cancella il resto.
July 19, 2025
Westerns are outside of my comfort zone, and this was my first Louis L'Amour book, but it was a fun read! The story moved quickly and kept me interested.
There was a good mix of action, interesting characters, and a great setting. Even though I don't usually read Westerns, I’m glad I gave this one a try.
There was a good mix of action, interesting characters, and a great setting. Even though I don't usually read Westerns, I’m glad I gave this one a try.
February 20, 2020
I'm a Louis L'Amour fan boy so any review I give will always be biased. I did enjoy this one more than most not his normal format.
February 5, 2021
Louis writes such great stories! This was not my favorite but still an entertaining read. Actually, I believe it was more the reader on Audible that made me like it less than some of his other books.
March 28, 2021
Great book but the ending was way too rushed like most of Louis’ shorter books. I don’t understand why he couldn’t write an extra 10-20 pages and everything would be fine. I presume that he was too excited to move on to the next story.
November 13, 2021
It took a while to finish this one. It has a slow beginning but it picks up well. Fallon is a fraud. He sets out to bring a ghost town back to life and for some reason his scam works. He aims to set it up, sell a few gold claims and skedaddle. The scam works and draws the bad guys to the town. This book is more character driven than driven by nature. A great book for L'Amour fands.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews