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Flint
🎧Listening Length = 6 hours and 38 minutes
A classic western from a #1 New York Times bestselling author and read by an Audie Award–winning narrator: Flint left the American west to escape a bloody past — but the east held danger too. Now, incurable illness sends him back to New Mexico — where his plans for a quiet end are disrupted by threats to a local rancher.
He left the West at the age of seventeen, leaving behind a rootless past and a bloody trail of violence. In the East he became one of the wealthiest financiers in America—and one of the most feared and hated.
Now, suffering from incurable cancer, he has come back to New Mexico to die alone. But when an all-out range war erupts, Flint chooses to help Nancy Kerrigan, a local rancher. A cold-eyed speculator is setting up the land swindle of a lifetime, and Buckdun, a notorious assassin, is there to back his play.
Flint alone can help Nancy save her ranch…with his cash, his connections—and his gun. He still has his legendary will to fight. All he needs is time, and that’s fast running out….
A classic western from a #1 New York Times bestselling author and read by an Audie Award–winning narrator: Flint left the American west to escape a bloody past — but the east held danger too. Now, incurable illness sends him back to New Mexico — where his plans for a quiet end are disrupted by threats to a local rancher.
He left the West at the age of seventeen, leaving behind a rootless past and a bloody trail of violence. In the East he became one of the wealthiest financiers in America—and one of the most feared and hated.
Now, suffering from incurable cancer, he has come back to New Mexico to die alone. But when an all-out range war erupts, Flint chooses to help Nancy Kerrigan, a local rancher. A cold-eyed speculator is setting up the land swindle of a lifetime, and Buckdun, a notorious assassin, is there to back his play.
Flint alone can help Nancy save her ranch…with his cash, his connections—and his gun. He still has his legendary will to fight. All he needs is time, and that’s fast running out….
Audible Audio
First published November 1, 1960
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About the author
Louis L'Amour
995 books3,463 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 413 reviews
April 30, 2024
one of the better ones of the genre
… and some have called it their favorite. I call it a “black and white” because it reminds me of old westerns I’ve seen on YouTube or Turner Classic Movies. Simply a solid old fashioned western. So far as the storytelling goes, Louis is telling it to you in the dead of a winter night, the fireplace lit up or the wood stove glowing with heat. If it’s summer, you’re on the porch or maybe around the fire pit, talking and listening until the darkest part of the night.
They left him for dead and reckoned they’d be able to steal all the land they needed for their herds. But Flint had never really learned what it meant to quit. And he’d like a chance to get to know Nancy better and find all the things they had in common. He fought the cancer and he fought his foes to carve out for himself a second life.
3.75
… and some have called it their favorite. I call it a “black and white” because it reminds me of old westerns I’ve seen on YouTube or Turner Classic Movies. Simply a solid old fashioned western. So far as the storytelling goes, Louis is telling it to you in the dead of a winter night, the fireplace lit up or the wood stove glowing with heat. If it’s summer, you’re on the porch or maybe around the fire pit, talking and listening until the darkest part of the night.
They left him for dead and reckoned they’d be able to steal all the land they needed for their herds. But Flint had never really learned what it meant to quit. And he’d like a chance to get to know Nancy better and find all the things they had in common. He fought the cancer and he fought his foes to carve out for himself a second life.
3.75
April 24, 2012
Most of these Louis L'Amour westerns are like Pringles in print. Salty, crunchy, and virtually identical. But they're fun to eat, and once in awhile you get a hankerin'...
July 26, 2016
As a child I used to love gathering around the TV with my family watching such classic westerns as Gunsmoke, The Virginian, and Bonanza (so totally smitten was I with Little Joe (aka Michael Landon)). All of these were considered atypical westerns for their time, as the core of the storylines dealt less about the range but more about family, how they cared for one another, their neighbors, and just causes.
As much as I loved the TV shows, I'd never actually 'read' a western. Several of my friends over the years had suggested that I read Louis L'Amour and so I chose "Flint" to be my first foray into the western genre.
He left the West at the age of seventeen, leaving behind a rootless past and a trail of violence. In the East, he became one of the wealthiest financiers in America. Now, suffering from incurable cancer, he has come back to New Mexico to die alone. But when an all-out range war erupts, Flint chooses to help Nancy Kerrigan, a local rancher. A cold-eyed speculator is setting up the land swindle of a lifetime, and Buckdun, a notorious assassin, is there to back his play. Flint alone can help Nancy save her ranch…with his cash, his connections—and his gun. He still has his legendary will to fight. All he needs is time, and that’s fast running out…. (publisher's synopsis)
I did enjoy this book, probably because it brought back such fond memories of the TV shows (and again I found myself smitten with the male lead, an educated, urbane, complex guy). This book, like the shows, deals with morals and honor and closeness of family. But there's also plenty of action, full of twists and turns, with Flint believing he will die anyway and hence not playing by the rules and attacking his foes head-on.
This book was an easy read and one that I enjoyed. It certainly won't be the last for me by this author, or of the genre.
3.5*/5
As much as I loved the TV shows, I'd never actually 'read' a western. Several of my friends over the years had suggested that I read Louis L'Amour and so I chose "Flint" to be my first foray into the western genre.
He left the West at the age of seventeen, leaving behind a rootless past and a trail of violence. In the East, he became one of the wealthiest financiers in America. Now, suffering from incurable cancer, he has come back to New Mexico to die alone. But when an all-out range war erupts, Flint chooses to help Nancy Kerrigan, a local rancher. A cold-eyed speculator is setting up the land swindle of a lifetime, and Buckdun, a notorious assassin, is there to back his play. Flint alone can help Nancy save her ranch…with his cash, his connections—and his gun. He still has his legendary will to fight. All he needs is time, and that’s fast running out…. (publisher's synopsis)
I did enjoy this book, probably because it brought back such fond memories of the TV shows (and again I found myself smitten with the male lead, an educated, urbane, complex guy). This book, like the shows, deals with morals and honor and closeness of family. But there's also plenty of action, full of twists and turns, with Flint believing he will die anyway and hence not playing by the rules and attacking his foes head-on.
This book was an easy read and one that I enjoyed. It certainly won't be the last for me by this author, or of the genre.
3.5*/5
April 17, 2023
A mysterious man who appears from nowhere. A millionaire, boxer and gunfighter with a duplicitous wife. He has come to his mentors old hideout in the lava badlands to die. But fate takes a hand with Nancy Kerrigan needing help in defeating Port Baldwin.
Taking his mentors name Flint the mysterious man cuts a trail with his gun and goes from being the hunted to the hunter. A great Western.
Taking his mentors name Flint the mysterious man cuts a trail with his gun and goes from being the hunted to the hunter. A great Western.
June 29, 2019
My favorite L'Amour book ever. I think I've read it 4 times. When I was a kid it appealed to my sense of adventure, the smart woman, the mysterious man who is wise and silent. Now I enjoy it because it showcases the many different types of people in the world all around us. And yes because of the awesomness of the man called Flint.
March 4, 2019
My first Louis L'Amour book; I couldn't put it down! I think I've just discovered a new favorite genre. Now if only there were a movie.
September 24, 2022
Re-read, September 2022:
I enjoyed this quite a bit more the second time around. The plot twist was easier to swallow since I'd had time to think about it. It still feels a little cliche to me, but I can appreciate how it pushes the main character to reevaluate his life and get some of that sweet, sweet Character Development. So that's pretty cool.
Original review:
This book revolved around one of my least-favorite cliches of all time and was, objectively speaking, pretty much complete trash from beginning to end. NEVER-THE-LESS, I found myself weirdly invested in the story, and absurdly pleased when it turned out to have a happy ending.
I enjoyed this quite a bit more the second time around. The plot twist was easier to swallow since I'd had time to think about it. It still feels a little cliche to me, but I can appreciate how it pushes the main character to reevaluate his life and get some of that sweet, sweet Character Development. So that's pretty cool.
Original review:
This book revolved around one of my least-favorite cliches of all time and was, objectively speaking, pretty much complete trash from beginning to end. NEVER-THE-LESS, I found myself weirdly invested in the story, and absurdly pleased when it turned out to have a happy ending.
May 17, 2021
"Flint" opens nicely: a terminally ill man seeks a peaceful, hidden oasis (amid lava fields, crevices, ice caves) in New Mexico as a place to die. The first 1/4th here hints at a character study with reflections and redemptions. Suddenly, a dozen+ folks with little development enter to scenes of typical, senseless shoot-em-ups. I believe L'Amour is better than this. The Good Folks: 4 stars. The Bad: 2. The story: 2. Atmosphere: 5 stars (the Eden-like oasis, the reaction of horses, the contrast in clothing, more). Resolution: 2 star (oh so lazy). Overall: 3 stars. The atmosphere of this one has stayed with me. It's just that the excellent first half/set-up doesn't have an equally satisfying pay-off.
June 22, 2014
A life threatening illness makes Mr. Kettleman leave his wife and business affairs to head back out west. He is looking for a place to die, but soon finds out that he is soon to be hauled into a new conflict.
A conflict in which he is not sure he maybe able to finish.
A great book, great writings and musings about what this man called "Flint" all stands for. A true western that is hard to put down.
A conflict in which he is not sure he maybe able to finish.
A great book, great writings and musings about what this man called "Flint" all stands for. A true western that is hard to put down.
January 5, 2025
A good classic Western from an author that defines the genre. MacLeod Andrews is an excellent narrator for the audiobook, getting all the hardened Western voices just right. Yet the story lacks something, a sense of God and redemption, something a “good man” with a past in the 1880s would have thought much about.
March 13, 2011
Whatever happened to The Western? Superceded by modern crime writing, no doubt.
This was a real return to form from the last novel I tried by Louis L'Amour (The Haunted Mesa), which I think he must have written in his dotage. This was a traditional, classic Western, and I enjoyed the portrayal of the scenery, the lava strewn mesas, the endless blue skies, the scent of the sage as your horse keeps you company in the painted desert, combining with the real men, the real Western girls who you admire nearly as much as your horse, and the timeless truth that a man has to do what a man has to do.
Although it often bordered on the laughably cliched, the effortless style carries the plot and the characters along, and you can't help but admire it. Is anyone writing like this these days in any genre? Maybe Elmore Leonard, and he started with Westerns too. I'd like to see a revival of The Western if only to remind people that seemingly simple storytelling is an art in itself, and it is through the Western that this tradition is best carried.
This was a real return to form from the last novel I tried by Louis L'Amour (The Haunted Mesa), which I think he must have written in his dotage. This was a traditional, classic Western, and I enjoyed the portrayal of the scenery, the lava strewn mesas, the endless blue skies, the scent of the sage as your horse keeps you company in the painted desert, combining with the real men, the real Western girls who you admire nearly as much as your horse, and the timeless truth that a man has to do what a man has to do.
Although it often bordered on the laughably cliched, the effortless style carries the plot and the characters along, and you can't help but admire it. Is anyone writing like this these days in any genre? Maybe Elmore Leonard, and he started with Westerns too. I'd like to see a revival of The Western if only to remind people that seemingly simple storytelling is an art in itself, and it is through the Western that this tradition is best carried.
June 6, 2024
Shoot 'em ups, male egos, a pretty girl, an evil vixen, a spectacular horse and wild scenery.. good memories of a bad guy, and a remote but beautiful hiding place. That's what you'll get in this western.
I was a little disappointed because after my last L'Amour experience (last year) I expected more mysticism and fewer guns. Last year I read The Californios, which I liked better. However it is what it is and the hero lives on, unlike a lot of other characters. The last scene was surprising.
I'll bet Louis L'Amour had to stretch his imagination to find creative and unusual ways for gunslingers to bite the dust. The fight scenes in this novel were a bit too violent for my preferences but I'm sure there are plenty of western novel fans who live for this stuff.
I listened to an audiobook version produced in 2023 through Audible. The reader did a fine job.
I read this for Booktube's "June on the Range 2024" event. Reading a L'Amour novel is one of the requirements. This I have done.
I was a little disappointed because after my last L'Amour experience (last year) I expected more mysticism and fewer guns. Last year I read The Californios, which I liked better. However it is what it is and the hero lives on, unlike a lot of other characters. The last scene was surprising.
I'll bet Louis L'Amour had to stretch his imagination to find creative and unusual ways for gunslingers to bite the dust. The fight scenes in this novel were a bit too violent for my preferences but I'm sure there are plenty of western novel fans who live for this stuff.
I listened to an audiobook version produced in 2023 through Audible. The reader did a fine job.
I read this for Booktube's "June on the Range 2024" event. Reading a L'Amour novel is one of the requirements. This I have done.
March 24, 2015
If you are the type of reader to pay attention to lists, you will often find this book listed among the top 25 all-time best Western novels.
James T. Kettleman is a financier of railroads in the late 1800’s with a fortune to rival those of the Vanderbilts. But he started life in the West, learning and growing at the knee of his mentor, a man named Flint. Kettleman left the West at the age of seventeen after the death of his mentor in a shootout in which young Kettleman also made a lasting impression on those that saw his own proficiency with a gun. In the East he became one of the wealthiest financiers in America. All of that happened before the beginning of this book but now, suffering from incurable cancer, he has come back to New Mexico to die alone. He gets caught up in an all-out range war, and doesn’t want his rich and powerful identity known so he chooses to go by the name of his old friend Flint.
There are typical western themes and scenes in this book but there is also quite a bit of interesting perspectives that you might encounter from a railroad financier such as land claims, legal battles over property and the like. It’s a good mix and I enjoyed my time spent with these characters.
James T. Kettleman is a financier of railroads in the late 1800’s with a fortune to rival those of the Vanderbilts. But he started life in the West, learning and growing at the knee of his mentor, a man named Flint. Kettleman left the West at the age of seventeen after the death of his mentor in a shootout in which young Kettleman also made a lasting impression on those that saw his own proficiency with a gun. In the East he became one of the wealthiest financiers in America. All of that happened before the beginning of this book but now, suffering from incurable cancer, he has come back to New Mexico to die alone. He gets caught up in an all-out range war, and doesn’t want his rich and powerful identity known so he chooses to go by the name of his old friend Flint.
There are typical western themes and scenes in this book but there is also quite a bit of interesting perspectives that you might encounter from a railroad financier such as land claims, legal battles over property and the like. It’s a good mix and I enjoyed my time spent with these characters.
April 27, 2022
So, a plotline that I really, really love is that of a character believing they will die quite soon—and then seeing what they do with that belief. (I adored watching that play out, in miniature, in The Beautiful Ones by Emily Hayse.) In the case of Valancy (The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery) and Parvin (A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes), impending death causes them to live more freely and fully. But Jim Flint travels West to hide in a secret place and die in privacy, except he gets pulled into the plight of a young woman who stands to lose her ranch.
I enjoyed Flint overall. One thing that was quite unique about it (compared to other Louis L’Amour novels) was that the hero had to deal with a physical illness that was, for brief periods of time, quite crippling. At the risk of sounding morbid, I’ll say that that was quite interesting. XD
I enjoyed Flint overall. One thing that was quite unique about it (compared to other Louis L’Amour novels) was that the hero had to deal with a physical illness that was, for brief periods of time, quite crippling. At the risk of sounding morbid, I’ll say that that was quite interesting. XD
June 19, 2024
Nice change of pace for me while settling in at work, fun characters with lots of subtext.
Enjoyed the majority of this book but the end was very abrupt and didn’t feel to settle anything. More of a ‘then they lived happily ever after’ ending.
Enjoyed the majority of this book but the end was very abrupt and didn’t feel to settle anything. More of a ‘then they lived happily ever after’ ending.
January 12, 2021
I love Flint. I know that it's corny and the end is kind of silly, but I don't care very much. This is partly because it's a nostalgia read for me. L'Amour was probably the first writer I ever loved. When I was 13 and 14 years old I read my dad's old L'Amour paperbacks one right after another. It didn't matter to me that they were formulaic with the same kinds of characters and the same kinds of things happening in every single one. They had fast plots and lots of action, and I enjoyed the western settings (of course, I also liked L'Amour's non western novels, like Last of the Breed, The Walking Drum, and The Haunted Mesa). It turns out I still do enjoy all those things.
The novel is about Flint, a mystery man who was found as a child by a burned out wagon train and then handed off, unloved, from one poor farmer to another until, abandoned for the last time in a tiny western town, he was found by an old gun for hire who paid to put him in a boarding school for a few years before educating him in the art of surviving the rigors of the old west. When the gunslinger is murdered, Flint, well trained and something of a gunslinger prodigy, takes immediate dramatic, and violent revenge before disappearing from the west and becoming the legendary "Kid at the Crossing."
When the novel begins, Flint is older, he has become a hugely successful New York businessman (this is unfortunate for L'Amour, who is unconvincing and at his worst when describing Flint's various financial moves), but he has cancer, his wife has tried to have him murdered, and he has moved back West to die in a remote and peaceful oasis in the Malpais desert. His plans to die in peace are upended when he gets sucked into a brutal range war. His enemies don't realize they are up against the legendary Kid at the Crossing, and that he has nothing left to lose.
I mean, this is all you want in a Western!
SPOILER ALERT: Ok, what I'm about to say next is definitely a spoiler, but I have to mention it because it's the most ridiculous part of the book. The main thing about Flint is that he's dying. This fact influences everything he does, and L'Amour frequently waxes poetic about Flint's immanent death. So, when, at the end of the book it turns out that Flint is NOT going to die and he was misdiagnosed, the reader definitely feels like L'Amour has pulled a fast one. We are happy about it because we want Flint to be happy, but it also makes everything that went before seem kind of silly. It feels like L'Amour cheated a bit to give us a happy ending.
The novel is about Flint, a mystery man who was found as a child by a burned out wagon train and then handed off, unloved, from one poor farmer to another until, abandoned for the last time in a tiny western town, he was found by an old gun for hire who paid to put him in a boarding school for a few years before educating him in the art of surviving the rigors of the old west. When the gunslinger is murdered, Flint, well trained and something of a gunslinger prodigy, takes immediate dramatic, and violent revenge before disappearing from the west and becoming the legendary "Kid at the Crossing."
When the novel begins, Flint is older, he has become a hugely successful New York businessman (this is unfortunate for L'Amour, who is unconvincing and at his worst when describing Flint's various financial moves), but he has cancer, his wife has tried to have him murdered, and he has moved back West to die in a remote and peaceful oasis in the Malpais desert. His plans to die in peace are upended when he gets sucked into a brutal range war. His enemies don't realize they are up against the legendary Kid at the Crossing, and that he has nothing left to lose.
I mean, this is all you want in a Western!
SPOILER ALERT: Ok, what I'm about to say next is definitely a spoiler, but I have to mention it because it's the most ridiculous part of the book. The main thing about Flint is that he's dying. This fact influences everything he does, and L'Amour frequently waxes poetic about Flint's immanent death. So, when, at the end of the book it turns out that Flint is NOT going to die and he was misdiagnosed, the reader definitely feels like L'Amour has pulled a fast one. We are happy about it because we want Flint to be happy, but it also makes everything that went before seem kind of silly. It feels like L'Amour cheated a bit to give us a happy ending.
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September 8, 2023I read this one because it's my father in law's favorite book. His copy is very worn and tattered and is usually found somewhere in the living room. He's read it countless times. I respect the man to high heaven and never pass up an opportunity to understand him more.
My first time dipping my toes into the Western genre. What a genre! I wonder why it isn't still as popular? Everything has its time, like space Sci fi, monster horror, etc, and I think Western is due for a revival. Romance is currently having one, why not Westerns as well.
I could see why my father in law loves this; it describes action in detail like punches and swings and kicks that I could perfectly visualize as a fight sequence in a movie. It also had mystery, a sprinkle of a love story (slight sprinkle, there was only 1 woman in the town so the option was inevitable), suspense, and a surprising amount of comedy. I was cackling at the zingers and one-liners tossed back and forth between enemies and was texting my father in law my favorite ones. It also has a rich appreciation of nature. Walking and riding in nature, taking in the setting, respecting the setting, and having it improve one's life. Witnessing nature and animals were frequently mentioned to have enriched the main character's life and was the true point of life. Again, definitely reminds me of my father in law. That describes him to a T; he's one of the most present people I know.
My only gripe was at times the dialogue got a little too... I'm not sure how to describe it, preachy? Like "Do you want some coffee?" "I'm a man who never let's an opportunity pass by to savor a cup, you would be wise to do the same" or "You don't sound like a local" "I'm the type man that's been through many places, local to none, and I'll always blah blah blah". Just say yes. Just say no. Just say sure. Everything doesn't need to be a Matthew McConaughey whispered shower thought. A lot of "type of man" sentences all over. But oh well, the novel's goal was never to be high brow.
I was entertained. I might be a Western convert! Apparently the author has written like a 100 of them so I might add some variety to my TBR list.
My first time dipping my toes into the Western genre. What a genre! I wonder why it isn't still as popular? Everything has its time, like space Sci fi, monster horror, etc, and I think Western is due for a revival. Romance is currently having one, why not Westerns as well.
I could see why my father in law loves this; it describes action in detail like punches and swings and kicks that I could perfectly visualize as a fight sequence in a movie. It also had mystery, a sprinkle of a love story (slight sprinkle, there was only 1 woman in the town so the option was inevitable), suspense, and a surprising amount of comedy. I was cackling at the zingers and one-liners tossed back and forth between enemies and was texting my father in law my favorite ones. It also has a rich appreciation of nature. Walking and riding in nature, taking in the setting, respecting the setting, and having it improve one's life. Witnessing nature and animals were frequently mentioned to have enriched the main character's life and was the true point of life. Again, definitely reminds me of my father in law. That describes him to a T; he's one of the most present people I know.
My only gripe was at times the dialogue got a little too... I'm not sure how to describe it, preachy? Like "Do you want some coffee?" "I'm a man who never let's an opportunity pass by to savor a cup, you would be wise to do the same" or "You don't sound like a local" "I'm the type man that's been through many places, local to none, and I'll always blah blah blah". Just say yes. Just say no. Just say sure. Everything doesn't need to be a Matthew McConaughey whispered shower thought. A lot of "type of man" sentences all over. But oh well, the novel's goal was never to be high brow.
I was entertained. I might be a Western convert! Apparently the author has written like a 100 of them so I might add some variety to my TBR list.
May 13, 2025
Super fun quick read. Solid three stars, which I consider a good rating. It’s not high literature. It’s just shoot em up fun. Totally engaging and just a delicious guilty pleasure. Strong silent type whooping some bad guy butt and getting the pretty lady in the end. I can see why Louis L’Amour became so popular. This was the first L’Ampur book I’ve read and I will definitely pick up more. You can read them super fast because they are short and not mentally demanding. It’s like cartoons on Sunday morning. Fun.
January 14, 2024
Good plot just not my speed. I also struggled with the writing style.
February 3, 2025
Hadn't read this in years, but picked it up at a used book store as a book club/reading challenge. Really enjoyed it, I'd forgotten how engaging L'Amour's books were.
May 19, 2025
A good western..lots of characters and action...typical good guy verses bad guy story, but well done.
September 14, 2025
I’ve noted it in the past, but I’ll risk repeating myself, Louis L’Amour is one of the top Western Historical Fiction writers out there, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg of what he can write. In the case of Flint, the reader comes for the western, but gets a romance and a mystery bonus.
Flint begins when a mysterious man slips off a train when its slowing for a steep grade and he makes his way across country. He’s prepared the world for his disappearance. He was a wealthy and powerful businessman, but now he wants to get away into the western vastness to die in peace.
The man came a long way from a bedraggled, abandoned child shivering and hungry on a western town street. A hired gunfighter took him up and got him a home and a school, then taught him much about the ways of the west, people, and guns before the man, Flint, was killed in an unfair gunfight. Years later, as a man, the ‘kid at the crossing’ started small and ruthlessly ended up on top of the heap. He thought to have love and a family, but his beautiful wife married him for greed and then she was part of a plot to kill him.
Now, that he’s dying of cancer, he comes back west, takes up his old mentor’s name, and hopes to be left alone. Instead, this younger James Flint meets a poised and strong western woman in trouble when her ranch is part of a powerful man’s secret plans to gain more wealth and power. Flint can’t walk away even if this is to be his last stand. Suddenly, he doesn’t want to die and wishes he’d met Nancy Kerrigan long ago.
Flint is probably one of my all-time favorite Louis L’Amour stories. I loved seeing Flint in action, spend time with him when’s he’s alone out in the wild country, his time taming the wild horse herd and dreaming of Nancy, and of course, when he faced off against a large group of ruthless conniving villains including his wife.
MacLeod Andrews was a great match for this story and I loved how he voiced the cast of characters including both women. His talent made a good story even richer for the hearing.
All in all, this was a fabulous adventure in the old American West that I can recommend.
My full review posted at The Reading Frenzy 9.9.25.
Flint begins when a mysterious man slips off a train when its slowing for a steep grade and he makes his way across country. He’s prepared the world for his disappearance. He was a wealthy and powerful businessman, but now he wants to get away into the western vastness to die in peace.
The man came a long way from a bedraggled, abandoned child shivering and hungry on a western town street. A hired gunfighter took him up and got him a home and a school, then taught him much about the ways of the west, people, and guns before the man, Flint, was killed in an unfair gunfight. Years later, as a man, the ‘kid at the crossing’ started small and ruthlessly ended up on top of the heap. He thought to have love and a family, but his beautiful wife married him for greed and then she was part of a plot to kill him.
Now, that he’s dying of cancer, he comes back west, takes up his old mentor’s name, and hopes to be left alone. Instead, this younger James Flint meets a poised and strong western woman in trouble when her ranch is part of a powerful man’s secret plans to gain more wealth and power. Flint can’t walk away even if this is to be his last stand. Suddenly, he doesn’t want to die and wishes he’d met Nancy Kerrigan long ago.
Flint is probably one of my all-time favorite Louis L’Amour stories. I loved seeing Flint in action, spend time with him when’s he’s alone out in the wild country, his time taming the wild horse herd and dreaming of Nancy, and of course, when he faced off against a large group of ruthless conniving villains including his wife.
MacLeod Andrews was a great match for this story and I loved how he voiced the cast of characters including both women. His talent made a good story even richer for the hearing.
All in all, this was a fabulous adventure in the old American West that I can recommend.
My full review posted at The Reading Frenzy 9.9.25.
December 2, 2019
I had never read a western style fiction before. I'm completely new to the genre and had no idea what to expect from this, but I was excited for an action-packed cowboy-esque story and ready to try something different.
This started off very promising. There was a lot of intrigue. Our protagonist was strong, dark, and mysterious. I actually really loved this set-up of a man who started off with nothing going back to nothing so that he can die alone.
After that, things started to falter. I'm willing to overlook a lot of the impracticality and character tropes because I think that's what this genre warrants. Even so, I really struggled to understand the setting and geography of where this took place. We kept going back and forth from different locations that I think were supposed to be nearby, but I couldn't quite figure out how they connected. I had the same problem with events taking place. Lots of things would happen kind of quickly and I would just get confused as to how we jumped from one thing to another.
I'm sure some of this does have to do with my lack of knowledge of this kind of setting and genre. I enjoyed the fast-paced action. The mood and tone was set up well. However, this just didn't do it for me overall.
This started off very promising. There was a lot of intrigue. Our protagonist was strong, dark, and mysterious. I actually really loved this set-up of a man who started off with nothing going back to nothing so that he can die alone.
After that, things started to falter. I'm willing to overlook a lot of the impracticality and character tropes because I think that's what this genre warrants. Even so, I really struggled to understand the setting and geography of where this took place. We kept going back and forth from different locations that I think were supposed to be nearby, but I couldn't quite figure out how they connected. I had the same problem with events taking place. Lots of things would happen kind of quickly and I would just get confused as to how we jumped from one thing to another.
I'm sure some of this does have to do with my lack of knowledge of this kind of setting and genre. I enjoyed the fast-paced action. The mood and tone was set up well. However, this just didn't do it for me overall.
Read
May 18, 2012This was a twist on a Louis L'Amour classic. This man actually made a name for himself in the East before heading out West. Turns out, though, that he went went because he was dying and wanted a place to die in peace. The West was not the place for Flint to find peace.
As with every L'Amour story, this one pulled me in and kept me there all the way through.
As with every L'Amour story, this one pulled me in and kept me there all the way through.
November 27, 2020
James Kettleman is a wealthy financier in the East. His doctor tells him that he is dying of cancer and his wife tries to have him killed. He disappears into New Mexico taking the name of Flint and becomes involved in a war over land.
September 8, 2019
good read...
October 28, 2019
Personal Response:
Overall, I enjoyed Flint very much. It is very interesting because Flint has to fight the outlaws who are all fighting for land. Everything is put against him and he is diagnosed with cancer. He still came out victorious by defeating the outlaws and saves the land and cattle for Nancy. I also think it is cool how even though he knows that he is dying, he still gives his life to save Nancy’s ranch. My favorite part about this whole book is that Flint has to think like an outlaw again and go back to his violent ways to save the ranch.
Plot Summary:
Flint is a young man at the age of 17 and is leaving the west, he is doing many odd jobs when he starts making major moves and is now becoming one of the largest stockholders in the country. He is now a billionaire, but his riches are making him highly sought after by gangs and other notorious outlaws. He is living in new york when a terrible sickness attacks his body. Flint is told by a doctor that he has cancer so at that moment he is deciding to leave his whole entire fortune behind. He is on a train when he meets this wonderful young lady named Nancy, and she is one of the biggest ranchers in the west. Upon arrival to Flint’s hideout, he is greeted by a lone cattle rustler, and they start talking about how he is planning to steal Nancy’s cattle. Flint, thinking to himself makes a drastic decision and heads to Nancy’s ranch to save her and her career from being taken away. He is now staying at the ranch and he is fighting off outlaws and cattle rustlers. He starts to realize that his cancer is not killing him, so he goes to another doctor and the doctor tells him that he just has ulcers.
Characterization:
Flint is the main character in the story. He starts off a 17 year old boy who is leaving the west. He is determined, brave, and hardworking. He is now a thirty-year-old man and is diagnosed with cancer, so he gives up. In the book, he attempts to save a lady’s Ranch and he succeeds. Finally, in the end, he saves the ranch and finds out he just has ulcers.
The outlaws and Cattle rustlers are the antagonists in this book. They are relentless and always trying to take cattle and riches. Another not so common antagonist is Flint’s cancer, he leaves his riches and fights with it every step of the way, only to find out he has ulcers.
Setting:
This book took place first takes place in the west. The reader can assume that the setting takes place around the early 1900s because of the barren land and guns. The setting is very important because if it was in a modern era, the book would not make sense because of the transportation they are using and the crimes that are being committed.
Thematic Connection:
The book Flint has many different themes displayed throughout the story. The main theme that I’m catching to never give up. This is shown in the book when Flint doesn’t give up after his life put to a slow crawl after being diagnosed with cancer.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up. I would recommend this because there is a little bit of violence, but it also would be a good book for an older person. I think that either gender would enjoy this book because it is a book about action and also has a bit of romance.
Overall, I enjoyed Flint very much. It is very interesting because Flint has to fight the outlaws who are all fighting for land. Everything is put against him and he is diagnosed with cancer. He still came out victorious by defeating the outlaws and saves the land and cattle for Nancy. I also think it is cool how even though he knows that he is dying, he still gives his life to save Nancy’s ranch. My favorite part about this whole book is that Flint has to think like an outlaw again and go back to his violent ways to save the ranch.
Plot Summary:
Flint is a young man at the age of 17 and is leaving the west, he is doing many odd jobs when he starts making major moves and is now becoming one of the largest stockholders in the country. He is now a billionaire, but his riches are making him highly sought after by gangs and other notorious outlaws. He is living in new york when a terrible sickness attacks his body. Flint is told by a doctor that he has cancer so at that moment he is deciding to leave his whole entire fortune behind. He is on a train when he meets this wonderful young lady named Nancy, and she is one of the biggest ranchers in the west. Upon arrival to Flint’s hideout, he is greeted by a lone cattle rustler, and they start talking about how he is planning to steal Nancy’s cattle. Flint, thinking to himself makes a drastic decision and heads to Nancy’s ranch to save her and her career from being taken away. He is now staying at the ranch and he is fighting off outlaws and cattle rustlers. He starts to realize that his cancer is not killing him, so he goes to another doctor and the doctor tells him that he just has ulcers.
Characterization:
Flint is the main character in the story. He starts off a 17 year old boy who is leaving the west. He is determined, brave, and hardworking. He is now a thirty-year-old man and is diagnosed with cancer, so he gives up. In the book, he attempts to save a lady’s Ranch and he succeeds. Finally, in the end, he saves the ranch and finds out he just has ulcers.
The outlaws and Cattle rustlers are the antagonists in this book. They are relentless and always trying to take cattle and riches. Another not so common antagonist is Flint’s cancer, he leaves his riches and fights with it every step of the way, only to find out he has ulcers.
Setting:
This book took place first takes place in the west. The reader can assume that the setting takes place around the early 1900s because of the barren land and guns. The setting is very important because if it was in a modern era, the book would not make sense because of the transportation they are using and the crimes that are being committed.
Thematic Connection:
The book Flint has many different themes displayed throughout the story. The main theme that I’m catching to never give up. This is shown in the book when Flint doesn’t give up after his life put to a slow crawl after being diagnosed with cancer.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up. I would recommend this because there is a little bit of violence, but it also would be a good book for an older person. I think that either gender would enjoy this book because it is a book about action and also has a bit of romance.
March 28, 2021
There's a reason you know the name Louis L'Amour; a true master of his craft!
This was my very first Louis L'Amour novel to read (although I have collected the leather-bound editions for a while now), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The action was fast, gritty, and raw -- exactly the way I had hoped it would be. L'Amour's writing seemed to be the essentials; that is, it felt like every word in the book had a purpose. There was no fluff in Flint.
Flint is the story of a man who is preparing to die. He has an incurable disease and has chosen where and how he will pass away, he just doesn't know when yet. It should have been a peaceful ending for him, away from the other troubles he was leaving behind, but life has other plans for our protagonist. Blood, sweat and tears will flow and bullets will fly!
There were no super unexpected twists (although there were a few surprises), but there were definitely thrills and suspense. The characters were complex and multidimensional. I now see what all the hubbub is about. There is a reason you have heard of Louis L'Amour; he was very, very good at his craft and he has left behind an enduring legacy that defines what a Western should be.
There aren't many reasons to dislike this book. I scratched my head, and this was all I could come up with:
1. You just don't like westerns. The story here is great, well-paced, well-researched and filled with interesting characters, but it is a western. Dirty, dusty, violent. If you don't like westerns you won't like Flint.
2. You read L'Amour all the time and perhaps it is not too different from his other novels. I cannot speak to this since this was the first time one, but frankly I could read Flint again right now and I think I would still enjoy it.
3. Nancy Kerrigan. This one was not L'Amour's fault as the book was written before the whole Nancy Kerrigan/Tony Harding figure skating, knee whacking incident and following bruhaha. Unfortunately, the name "Nancy Kerrigan" is burned into my brain forever associated with the 90's fiasco and every time I saw the name in Flint it was difficult for me not to picture tears and ice skates. Even so, I loved this book.
I will read more L'Amour; I am sure of it. Perhaps over time I will begin to take L'Amour's writing for granted as I become more accustomed to it (although I don't think so), but for now, this is a 5-star read for me.
5 out of 5 stars
This was my very first Louis L'Amour novel to read (although I have collected the leather-bound editions for a while now), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The action was fast, gritty, and raw -- exactly the way I had hoped it would be. L'Amour's writing seemed to be the essentials; that is, it felt like every word in the book had a purpose. There was no fluff in Flint.
Flint is the story of a man who is preparing to die. He has an incurable disease and has chosen where and how he will pass away, he just doesn't know when yet. It should have been a peaceful ending for him, away from the other troubles he was leaving behind, but life has other plans for our protagonist. Blood, sweat and tears will flow and bullets will fly!
There were no super unexpected twists (although there were a few surprises), but there were definitely thrills and suspense. The characters were complex and multidimensional. I now see what all the hubbub is about. There is a reason you have heard of Louis L'Amour; he was very, very good at his craft and he has left behind an enduring legacy that defines what a Western should be.
There aren't many reasons to dislike this book. I scratched my head, and this was all I could come up with:
1. You just don't like westerns. The story here is great, well-paced, well-researched and filled with interesting characters, but it is a western. Dirty, dusty, violent. If you don't like westerns you won't like Flint.
2. You read L'Amour all the time and perhaps it is not too different from his other novels. I cannot speak to this since this was the first time one, but frankly I could read Flint again right now and I think I would still enjoy it.
3. Nancy Kerrigan. This one was not L'Amour's fault as the book was written before the whole Nancy Kerrigan/Tony Harding figure skating, knee whacking incident and following bruhaha. Unfortunately, the name "Nancy Kerrigan" is burned into my brain forever associated with the 90's fiasco and every time I saw the name in Flint it was difficult for me not to picture tears and ice skates. Even so, I loved this book.
I will read more L'Amour; I am sure of it. Perhaps over time I will begin to take L'Amour's writing for granted as I become more accustomed to it (although I don't think so), but for now, this is a 5-star read for me.
5 out of 5 stars
August 31, 2025
Fantastic. This was an excellent Western. I see why Louis L'Amour seems to be a relatively well-known author in this genre. I think, I don't really know. Given that this was written in the sixties, my expectations were rock bottom. I am very pleasantly surprised. Everything felt so well-researched from the cattle ranching politics (I didn't even know that was a thing) to the weapons and even the terrain (which I'm still impressed over considering when it was written). It kept jumping POVs, but it was very well done, and used to develop the mystery and interconnectedness of all the characters. While the women weren't overly developed, I put this more down to lack of time. The two women (and their POVs) felt very realistic--which was again nice considering men today often don't write women overly well. For being written in the sixties, racism was a concern. There were moments were characters are singled out and identified by their race, but this was never done terribly. Native Americans are mentioned by various tribes. I don't know how accurate his portrayal of them are (probably not that much), but I appreciate that it wasn't the worst--probably because there weren't many individuals, but still. Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book--and highly recommend for anyone wanting to get into Westerns. It was a very easy read, but some of the lines were so incredibly well-written. I want more.
March 25, 2023
Sam sebe som sa cudoval, ze beriem do ruky westernovku, ale milo prekvapila. Od L'Amoura som posledne cital Education of a wandering man a dost ma zaujal. Nachadzal som sa v nom alebo chcel byt viac ako on. Preto som si povedal, ze skusim niektoru z jeho westernoviek. Velmi jednoduche, prijemne a putave citanie. Idealne pred spankom, ked vladzete mat este jedno oko pootvorene. Nenajdete tam brutal hlboke myslienky, ale mozno najma pre muzov tieto pribehy hraju na nase dobrodruzne a obcas samotarske sklony.
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