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Kilkenny #includes "A Gun for Kilkenny"
Dutchman's Flat: Stories
TURN HOME, RIDER
In this land, the place you leave behind might not be there when you get back. At least not the way you knew it. Tack Gentry of the G Bar, Chat Lock of Dutchman’s Flat, and Ward McQueen of the Tumbling K knew how it felt to struggle against men who were trying to take from them what they believed in. For the bad rush in when the good leave, and men will choose to fight, not just over drunken threats, gambling losses, and honor, but for land, friendships, family, and even love—a struggle magnificently captured in these eleven great stories written and handpicked by the incomparable Louis L’Amour himself.
In this land, the place you leave behind might not be there when you get back. At least not the way you knew it. Tack Gentry of the G Bar, Chat Lock of Dutchman’s Flat, and Ward McQueen of the Tumbling K knew how it felt to struggle against men who were trying to take from them what they believed in. For the bad rush in when the good leave, and men will choose to fight, not just over drunken threats, gambling losses, and honor, but for land, friendships, family, and even love—a struggle magnificently captured in these eleven great stories written and handpicked by the incomparable Louis L’Amour himself.
241 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
200 people are currently reading
503 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 59 reviews
January 13, 2020
A good collection of short western stories. I especially liked "Keep Travelin', Rider" and "McQueen Of The Tumbling K". Especially disliked "A Gun for Kilkenny". Recommended for western fans.
February 11, 2015
This is a nice collection of Louis L’Amour’s western short fiction. I’ve read a number of these collections of his now and always come away with a warm feeling. Unlike a lot of popular novelists who give short stories a try, Louis L’Amour does a great job with the form.
There are a total of 11 stories in this collection and it includes the lengthy “West of the Tularosas” which is really a novella and introduces the character of Ward McQueen of the Tumbling K ranch, a character who also takes the lead in the follow-on story in the collection. There is also a very short piece relating to one of L’Amour’s regular characters, Marshall Lance Kilkenny. I do enjoy it when the short stories interconnect with other stories in the same volume as well as with other novels I’ve read in the past. It makes it fun to spend time in Louis L’Amour’s West.
There are a total of 11 stories in this collection and it includes the lengthy “West of the Tularosas” which is really a novella and introduces the character of Ward McQueen of the Tumbling K ranch, a character who also takes the lead in the follow-on story in the collection. There is also a very short piece relating to one of L’Amour’s regular characters, Marshall Lance Kilkenny. I do enjoy it when the short stories interconnect with other stories in the same volume as well as with other novels I’ve read in the past. It makes it fun to spend time in Louis L’Amour’s West.
December 4, 2020
Do you prefer realism or family-friendly books and films? Because you cannot have it both ways. Stories about real life - dramas, Westerns, etc. - involve angry people, mean people and violence. They become silly if they are family-friendly. Louis L'Amour's westerns skirt the line. There is plenty of violence - fistfights and shootouts were his forte, but I'll be dad-gummed if he let his angry cowboys cuss. That's where it gets hinky. These are some of the most polite cowboys and bandits you'll ever meet. The filth that comes out of his cowboys' mouths - one even said "Like blazes!" Oh, well. Different strokes for different folks.
Dutchman's Flat, published in 1986, is a collection of 11 Wild West stories. It's not clear in my edition when each was written. Apparently L'Amour had a problem with unauthorized collections getting published when some of his stories were found to be sans copyrights.
My favorite story is "Keep Travelin', Rider". Tack Gentry returns to the G Bar Ranch after a year away to find that the owner, Tack's Uncle John was killed in a gunfight and that the ranch has been taken over by the killer and his men. One of them suggests that Gentry "Keep travelin'" if he knows what's good for him. A classic L'Amour story set-up. The protagonist is faced with a choice of ignoring wrongdoing and saving his hide, or doing the right thing at the risk of dying. We know where this is going. All of the stories are well-thought-out and concise and exciting. I got a kick out of this blast from the past: "... an old-fashioned (store) counter, curved inward on the front to accommodate women shoppers who wore hoopskirts". Speaking of women, the hero often has a star-struck lady admirer waiting for him when the smoke clears.
Unfortunately, Louis L'Amour and his editors let some sloppy writing slip through. His grammar (not his characters' grammar) sometimes leaves something to be desired. He comes up with some bizarre places in a spoken sentence to identify the speaker:
"Whenever", Doc Lander said, "a bad man is born, there is also born a man to take him."
And L'Amour repeated a sentence four paragraphs later. It would be best for readers to focus on the plots.
Dutchman's Flat, published in 1986, is a collection of 11 Wild West stories. It's not clear in my edition when each was written. Apparently L'Amour had a problem with unauthorized collections getting published when some of his stories were found to be sans copyrights.
My favorite story is "Keep Travelin', Rider". Tack Gentry returns to the G Bar Ranch after a year away to find that the owner, Tack's Uncle John was killed in a gunfight and that the ranch has been taken over by the killer and his men. One of them suggests that Gentry "Keep travelin'" if he knows what's good for him. A classic L'Amour story set-up. The protagonist is faced with a choice of ignoring wrongdoing and saving his hide, or doing the right thing at the risk of dying. We know where this is going. All of the stories are well-thought-out and concise and exciting. I got a kick out of this blast from the past: "... an old-fashioned (store) counter, curved inward on the front to accommodate women shoppers who wore hoopskirts". Speaking of women, the hero often has a star-struck lady admirer waiting for him when the smoke clears.
Unfortunately, Louis L'Amour and his editors let some sloppy writing slip through. His grammar (not his characters' grammar) sometimes leaves something to be desired. He comes up with some bizarre places in a spoken sentence to identify the speaker:
"Whenever", Doc Lander said, "a bad man is born, there is also born a man to take him."
And L'Amour repeated a sentence four paragraphs later. It would be best for readers to focus on the plots.
March 10, 2021
A collection of outstanding stories of the American West by a master story teller. Each story is accompanied by an author's note which in themselves are insightful.
October 17, 2019
Very interesting story’s of men that persevere through hard times, would definitely suggest this book to other if your wanting some short story’s.
February 7, 2008
A collection of short stories, each with a forward by the author.
"Dutchman's Flat"
"Keep Travelin', Rider"
"Trail to Pie Town"
"Mistakes Can Kill You"
"Big Medicine"
"Man From Battle Flat"
"West of the Tularosas"
"McQueen of the Tumbling K"
"The One for the Mohave Kid"
"The Lion Hunter and the Lady"
"A Gun for Kilkenny"
#####
The choice to read this book was based on the fact that I was heading out on vacation to the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. It seemed appropriate, then, to read some western fiction, and of course when one thinks of westerns, one usually thinks of Louis L'Amour.
I've actually quite enjoyed the L'Amour books I've read in the past. I've described L'Amour as a very good story-teller. I still hold this to be true. Perhaps not a great writer, but he knows how to engage the reader in his particular genre.
The stories in this collection vary quite a bit. Most seem rather formulaic and all rely on a few favorable circumstances for the hero to succeed, rather than based on the hero's own good works.
Even so, the glimpses of good story-telling can be found in most of these stories. Still, I would recommend a Louis L'Amour novel before this collection of stories.
"Dutchman's Flat"
"Keep Travelin', Rider"
"Trail to Pie Town"
"Mistakes Can Kill You"
"Big Medicine"
"Man From Battle Flat"
"West of the Tularosas"
"McQueen of the Tumbling K"
"The One for the Mohave Kid"
"The Lion Hunter and the Lady"
"A Gun for Kilkenny"
#####
The choice to read this book was based on the fact that I was heading out on vacation to the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. It seemed appropriate, then, to read some western fiction, and of course when one thinks of westerns, one usually thinks of Louis L'Amour.
I've actually quite enjoyed the L'Amour books I've read in the past. I've described L'Amour as a very good story-teller. I still hold this to be true. Perhaps not a great writer, but he knows how to engage the reader in his particular genre.
The stories in this collection vary quite a bit. Most seem rather formulaic and all rely on a few favorable circumstances for the hero to succeed, rather than based on the hero's own good works.
Even so, the glimpses of good story-telling can be found in most of these stories. Still, I would recommend a Louis L'Amour novel before this collection of stories.
April 7, 2008
If you like stories about good guys who kick butt and get the girl and the bad guys who get it in the end, read Louis L'amour. He also has a knack for describing scenery, and every canyon, spring, etc. he mentions truly exists. He was a great authority on the American Wild West which is not quite how Hollywood often portrays it.
January 14, 2012
Collection of short stories with intros by L'Amour. I really enjoy his intros and what they add to the picture of the real West.
Stories:
Dutchman's Flat
Keep Travelin', Rider
Trail to Pie Town
Mistakes Can Kill You
Big Medicine
Man from Battle Flat
West of the Tularosas
McQueen of the Tumbling K
The One for the Mohave Kid
The Lion Hunter and the Lady
A Gun for Kilkenny
Stories:
Dutchman's Flat
Keep Travelin', Rider
Trail to Pie Town
Mistakes Can Kill You
Big Medicine
Man from Battle Flat
West of the Tularosas
McQueen of the Tumbling K
The One for the Mohave Kid
The Lion Hunter and the Lady
A Gun for Kilkenny
January 10, 2019
Tack Gentry of the G Bar, Chat Lock of Dutchman's Flat and Ward McQueen of the Tumbling K are in pursuit of someone who shot a man in the back-twice.
Experience. That's the word that comes to mind as I read this book. It felt like riding a horse, going through rough areas. I took a step back in time and loved it.
What a great ending. Unexpected.
Experience. That's the word that comes to mind as I read this book. It felt like riding a horse, going through rough areas. I took a step back in time and loved it.
What a great ending. Unexpected.
May 16, 2018
I like the parts where in one of the first stories that the rider proved the criminal wrong for using his horse that was trained by the rider. I would recommend this book to people that are interested in the Old West.
November 23, 2021
Excellent selection of L'Amour short stories and a superb recommendation for anyone who claims to not like Westerns. If the person still says it after reading this book, he/she is either a liar or has no taste literature whatsoever.
FIND IT! BUY IT! READ IT!
FIND IT! BUY IT! READ IT!
June 24, 2008
great short stories from a wonderful writer, very moral and clean. Makes you wish there were more people like the folks in this book the real salt of the earth.
December 23, 2008
Another short story collection, but this one has some really good stuff, including "McQueen of the Tumbling K."
August 2, 2011
Good book of short stories by Mr. L'Amour...
August 20, 2014
Enjoyable western reading adventure.
February 6, 2013
Must read if you like westerns
April 20, 2013
As I've stated in the past, I LOVE his short stories too!!
April 28, 2015
Wonderful collection of short stories some of which became books. What also makes this collection unique is each story is preceded by a short introduction from L'Amour.
January 9, 2021
This was a nice novella, quick read. I listened to it on CD and the reader did a wonderful job changing his voice and tone to fit the situation. This one leaves you with a good feeling.
December 8, 2015
I enjoyed reading these stories of the West. Louis L'Amour is quite the spinner of tails. I also liked his commentaries which added to the flavor of the stories.
April 15, 2016
My first L'Amour book, and much more addictive than I would have guessed. Great stories of honor and heroics in the West. I especially liked the first story. 4.5 stars.
March 21, 2018
An unexpected twist for a L'Amour novel, very appreciated!
January 31, 2019
Good men chasing a back shooting bad man only to find Things may not be what they thought. This was a good read.
February 13, 2019
A volume of great western short stories by the master.
April 24, 2019
Loved the stories. Will definitely be looking for more L`Amour next time I am at the bookstore.
August 2, 2017
I struggle if I want to give this book 2 stars or 3 stars. It's a collection of short stories, some of which are good, but not great, and the rest of which are just "meh". Overall, I think I liked it as a whole, although before I started reading the book, something caught me as odd. On the back cover, Louis L'Amour says the following:
It goes on for a few more paragraphs. Curious, I looked online for the "unauthorized edition" of Dutchman's Flat, but couldn't find anything. So, I started reading. As if Louis L'Amour isn't finished with his little rant, he says the following in the forward:
I hate to break it to Louis L'Amour, but that's sort of the way copyright works. If you have content that is not protected by copyright, then it's considered "Public Domain", and anyone can use it, without or without attribution, in any way, shape, or form they see fit. Now, the Copyright Act of 1978 changed that, so any work created is automatically copyrighted to the creator of the work. You can thank Disney for that. Dutchman's Flat was published in 1986, 8 years after that law was passed. So, prior to 1978, which was certainly during the height of Louis L'Amour's career, you had to manually apply a copyright and register it with the copyright office. If you didn't the work was considered "public domain".
So, those "unauthorized editions" , such as Law of the Desert Born and The Hills of Homicide as well as Dutchman's Flat that are not protected by copyright, are fair game. That's just the way the law was. Get mad all you want, but it's no one's fault but your own.
Now, to be fair, he does admit this a couple paragraphs later:
That's perfectly acceptable. Just don't take the whiny, complaining, "that's not fair" approach to the situation. It makes you come across as petty, childish, and immature. And really, it seems to me that the "unauthorized editions" attributed Louis L'Amour as the author anyway, even though they didn't have to on public domain work. Which, in reality, is driving more readers to the shelves to purchase your stories, if you're really that good (which I would debate isn't the case, actually).
Long story short, if you want to protect your work from unauthorized use, then make sure the copyright is applied, which is now default for any work created after 1978.
So, how about a review of the book now? It comes with the following stories:
* Dutchman's Flat
* Keep Travelin', Rider
* Trail to Pie Town
* Mistakes Can Kill You
* Big Medicine
* Man from Battle Flat
* West of the Tularosas
* McQueen of the Tumbling K
* The One from the Mohave Kid
* The Lion Hunter and the Lady
* A Gun for Kilkenny
Each chapter starts with an "author's note", where Louis L'Amour tries to come off as an encyclopedic expert on 19th century western culture. He explains why cowboys dressed in bright colors, why women carried guns, why some hands rode with others, etc. In some cases, they're applicable to the story. In other cases, not really. Overall, I found them distracting and somewhat annoying.
I read this book next, for the chapter on Kilkenny as I am just coming off the Kilkenny series. That short story is certainly the shortest story in the book, and really quite amateur. I guess it's sort of interesting, as you can feel what the townspeople must be felling, but ultimately, this had all the characteristics of a stereotypical short story, without anything really creative.
As far as the rest of the short stories went, my favorite was West of the Tularosas probably followed by The One for the Mohave Kid. The short story Big Medicine sort of had a playful air about it, which made it a fun read. The short story Keep Travelin', Rider almost starts like a Twilight Zone movie. The rest, where "meh".
If you're an absolute diehard western reader, then I guess you may find the author's notes at the beginning of each short story interesting, otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.
Dear Reader,
I've derived a lot of pleasure in the past decade in personally preparing collections of my short stories for my publisher, Bantam Books, to issue in paperback.
Now, without my permission, a publisher I do not approve of is trying to publish some of my stories that appear in this collection in a book bearing this same title. I am outraged by their completely unauthorized edition of my stories, and I have put together this collection so my fans will not be shortchanged.
It goes on for a few more paragraphs. Curious, I looked online for the "unauthorized edition" of Dutchman's Flat, but couldn't find anything. So, I started reading. As if Louis L'Amour isn't finished with his little rant, he says the following in the forward:
On the back cover I've explained why this edition of Dutchuman's Flat is coming out so closely with Bantam's recent publication of the short fiction collection I put together entitled Riding for the Brand. A very small number of my stories are not protected my copyright low and, without my permission, a publisher I am in no way associated with is bringing out original magazine versions of some of these works in books under the same titles with my name on them.
I hate to break it to Louis L'Amour, but that's sort of the way copyright works. If you have content that is not protected by copyright, then it's considered "Public Domain", and anyone can use it, without or without attribution, in any way, shape, or form they see fit. Now, the Copyright Act of 1978 changed that, so any work created is automatically copyrighted to the creator of the work. You can thank Disney for that. Dutchman's Flat was published in 1986, 8 years after that law was passed. So, prior to 1978, which was certainly during the height of Louis L'Amour's career, you had to manually apply a copyright and register it with the copyright office. If you didn't the work was considered "public domain".
So, those "unauthorized editions" , such as Law of the Desert Born and The Hills of Homicide as well as Dutchman's Flat that are not protected by copyright, are fair game. That's just the way the law was. Get mad all you want, but it's no one's fault but your own.
Now, to be fair, he does admit this a couple paragraphs later:
While they may have the legal right to publish my stories contained in these two unauthorized editions, I'm now more determined than ever than my stories be published the way I see fit to best serve my readers.
That's perfectly acceptable. Just don't take the whiny, complaining, "that's not fair" approach to the situation. It makes you come across as petty, childish, and immature. And really, it seems to me that the "unauthorized editions" attributed Louis L'Amour as the author anyway, even though they didn't have to on public domain work. Which, in reality, is driving more readers to the shelves to purchase your stories, if you're really that good (which I would debate isn't the case, actually).
Long story short, if you want to protect your work from unauthorized use, then make sure the copyright is applied, which is now default for any work created after 1978.
So, how about a review of the book now? It comes with the following stories:
* Dutchman's Flat
* Keep Travelin', Rider
* Trail to Pie Town
* Mistakes Can Kill You
* Big Medicine
* Man from Battle Flat
* West of the Tularosas
* McQueen of the Tumbling K
* The One from the Mohave Kid
* The Lion Hunter and the Lady
* A Gun for Kilkenny
Each chapter starts with an "author's note", where Louis L'Amour tries to come off as an encyclopedic expert on 19th century western culture. He explains why cowboys dressed in bright colors, why women carried guns, why some hands rode with others, etc. In some cases, they're applicable to the story. In other cases, not really. Overall, I found them distracting and somewhat annoying.
I read this book next, for the chapter on Kilkenny as I am just coming off the Kilkenny series. That short story is certainly the shortest story in the book, and really quite amateur. I guess it's sort of interesting, as you can feel what the townspeople must be felling, but ultimately, this had all the characteristics of a stereotypical short story, without anything really creative.
As far as the rest of the short stories went, my favorite was West of the Tularosas probably followed by The One for the Mohave Kid. The short story Big Medicine sort of had a playful air about it, which made it a fun read. The short story Keep Travelin', Rider almost starts like a Twilight Zone movie. The rest, where "meh".
If you're an absolute diehard western reader, then I guess you may find the author's notes at the beginning of each short story interesting, otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.
September 18, 2024
A nice collection of short stories in the Western lands. A good read and very enjoyable.
December 25, 2021
Folks are still giving me L'Amour books faster than I can read them, and I'm trying to work my way through the backlog. This short story collection was decent, with two or three really good ones (the first and last in the collection were standouts) and a lot of average tales.
I was intrigued by the fiery introduction, in which L'Amour blasts an unnamed publisher for releasing a similar collection of his stories (that somehow weren't protected by copyright) and urges his fans to only purchase the "authorized" Bantam Books version. If you want to check out 1980s western publishing drama, you can read more about it here.
I was intrigued by the fiery introduction, in which L'Amour blasts an unnamed publisher for releasing a similar collection of his stories (that somehow weren't protected by copyright) and urges his fans to only purchase the "authorized" Bantam Books version. If you want to check out 1980s western publishing drama, you can read more about it here.
June 17, 2021
A fine collection of shorts, the title story was expanded into the novel The Key-Lock Man. Also has a Kilkenny short and a novella length story about a fierce ranch forman and his crew protecting their owner's property. After the novella is another story about the same crew, seems like it was a prequel since the events seem to happen before the novella. All of these stories are well done and that's not even half the stories in this collection.
Highly recommended, can't beat shorts from the master of the genre.
Highly recommended, can't beat shorts from the master of the genre.
February 20, 2017
Although its a bit dated as these are earlier pulp stories by Louis L'Amour, there's still the raw authenticity and familiarity with the old west in these tales that modern authors do not match. Some of the short stories in this collection are truly excellent, such as the title story, which gives an insight into the personality and events of the old west few other authors could provide.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews