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No Traveller Returns
Louis L’Amour’s long-lost first novel, faithfully completed by his son, takes readers on a voyage into danger and violence on the high seas. Fate is a ship. As the shadows of World War II gather, the SS Lichenfield is westbound across the Pacific carrying eighty thousand barrels of highly explosive naphtha. The cargo alone makes the journey perilous, with the entire crew aware that one careless moment could lead to disaster. But yet another sort of peril haunts the Lichenfield. Even beyond their day-to-day existence, the lives of the crew are mysteriously intertwined. Though each has his own history, dreams and jealousies, longing and rage, all are connected by a deadly web of chance and circumstance. Some are desperately fleeing the past; others chase an unknown destiny. A few are driven by the desire for adventure, while their shipmates cling to the Lichenfield as their only true home. In their hearts, these men, as well as the women and children they have left behind, carry the seeds of salvation or destruction. And all of them—kind or cruel, strong or broken—are bound to the fate of the vessel that carries them toward an ever-darkening horizon. Inspired by Louis L’Amour’s own experiences as a merchant seaman, No Traveller Returns is a revelatory work by a world-renowned author—and a brilliant illustration of a writer discovering his literary voice.
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2018
411 people are currently reading
1830 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
995 books3,469 followersLouis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 22, 2018
"No Traveller Returns" is Louis L'Amour's first novel. It was written between 1938 and 1942. It was a "rough" manuscript lovingly reconstructed and polished by son Beau L'Amour and is now in print for the first time. Louis served as a merchant seaman for a few years and considered himself to be "a self-educated yet blue collar adventurer and world traveler...the sea and the places it took him became his university".
In this novel, the SS Lichenfield, a tanker carrying 80,000 barrels of naphtha left San Pedro bound for Manila. Thirty three crewmen, men of different ethnicities and temperaments, would have to work together in the confined space aboard the tanker. The year was 1939.
Why did men go to sea? David Jones was a fugitive. By traveling with hobos and jumping a train, his life forever changed. Tex Worden was the sole survivor of a sea disaster. "The motives of men are a continual puzzle". Take John Harlan. Harlan kept a private log. He loved fine books. Peter Brouwer, a most capable seaman, just wanted to save enough money for passage back to Amsterdam.
The call of the sea was strong. Why would a man leave everything behind to drift, literally homeless, to no apparent destination? Life aboard the SS Lichfield with its cargo of naphtha was precarious. Despite ventilation and seals, a spark or lit cigarette could ignite the cargo.
"No Traveller Returns" by Louis L'Amour and Beau L'Amour is an excellent character study of the men that populated the SS Lichfield. The in-depth portrayal of the principal protagonists was very impressive. A full description of the jobs aboard the vessel as well as a glossary of seafaring terms added to the beauty of the novel. Having been familiar with only Louis L'Amour Westerns, this reader found this nautical novel to be amazing!
Beau L'Amour has compiled Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures Volumes One and Two. Many manuscripts unpublished prior to Louis's death in 1988 are contained in these volumes.
www.louislamourslosttreasures.com
Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "No Traveller Returns (Lost Treasures)".
In this novel, the SS Lichenfield, a tanker carrying 80,000 barrels of naphtha left San Pedro bound for Manila. Thirty three crewmen, men of different ethnicities and temperaments, would have to work together in the confined space aboard the tanker. The year was 1939.
Why did men go to sea? David Jones was a fugitive. By traveling with hobos and jumping a train, his life forever changed. Tex Worden was the sole survivor of a sea disaster. "The motives of men are a continual puzzle". Take John Harlan. Harlan kept a private log. He loved fine books. Peter Brouwer, a most capable seaman, just wanted to save enough money for passage back to Amsterdam.
The call of the sea was strong. Why would a man leave everything behind to drift, literally homeless, to no apparent destination? Life aboard the SS Lichfield with its cargo of naphtha was precarious. Despite ventilation and seals, a spark or lit cigarette could ignite the cargo.
"No Traveller Returns" by Louis L'Amour and Beau L'Amour is an excellent character study of the men that populated the SS Lichfield. The in-depth portrayal of the principal protagonists was very impressive. A full description of the jobs aboard the vessel as well as a glossary of seafaring terms added to the beauty of the novel. Having been familiar with only Louis L'Amour Westerns, this reader found this nautical novel to be amazing!
Beau L'Amour has compiled Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures Volumes One and Two. Many manuscripts unpublished prior to Louis's death in 1988 are contained in these volumes.
www.louislamourslosttreasures.com
Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "No Traveller Returns (Lost Treasures)".
July 7, 2018
Louis L’Amour, perhaps the most prolific writer in history, left us some ninety novels, a book of poetry, a couple of hundred short stories, and countless research papers, memoirs, unfinished manuscripts, notes, and drafts reflecting the meticulous background he relied on to create his marvelous works. In “No Traveller Returns,” his son, Beau, completes an unpublished manuscript of his father’s about the sea.
Born in North Dakota in 1908, his father was a veterinarian who, trying to escape financial ruin, spent some eight years travelling to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest. Hard work at cattle ranching, baling hay, mining, and lumbering filled L’Amour’s mind with characters that would later inhabit his writings.
Louis’ early days were filled with personal adventures that eventually evoked the western lore that made him famous. I have read detective stories, science fiction, sea stories, and boxing stories, all from the mind of this widely travelled and observer of the human kaleidoscope. His writing isn’t academic or complicated. Some have called it simplistic, pedestrian, and commercial. But his work never ceases to entertain. Reading his books and stories is easy and fascinating for the simple storytelling at which he excelled.
In “No Traveller Returns,” L’Amour follows the voyages of a tanker ship and its diverse crew. Through journals, memoirs, narratives and anecdotes, the colorful characters reveal the secrets of their lives and their motivation for following the sea. Beau L’Amour dug the manuscript from his father’s archives, edited it to reflect how he believed his father would have completed it, and has published it as a part of series that is intended to bring Louis’ unfinished works back to the public eye.
Personally I am delighted to get this chance to continue to admire L’Amour’s work. I have been a fan for years, personally met and had conversation with him a couple of times at his Caliente Creek cabin, and think that Beau does a wonderful job at keeping his memory alive.
November 11, 2019
NO TRAVELLER RETURNS
This was really good. I love books about the sea and those who travel it.
Initially written by Louis L'Amour in the 1930s but never published, his son Beau L'Amour has extensively researched and completed the novel, creating something thoroughly enjoyable.
It is the story of the SS Lichenfield, a transport tanker carrying 80,000 barrels of highly flammable naphtha from SanPedro to Manila. And its crew.
The crew. Of course this is what gives the story it's heart. Where they came from, how they ended up on this ship, their hopes and dreams and disappointments. And a few unusual links between some of them.
It is written with subtlety and depth of feeling, it feels real. The rough exterior of the seamen and the tenderness and doubt within combine into this fascinating and enjoyable story.
Blueprint drawings of the Lichenfield, explanation of ship's personal, and a glossary of terms also add pleasure and clarity.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Louis and Beau L'Amour, and Bantam Books of Penguin Random House LLC for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This was really good. I love books about the sea and those who travel it.
Initially written by Louis L'Amour in the 1930s but never published, his son Beau L'Amour has extensively researched and completed the novel, creating something thoroughly enjoyable.
It is the story of the SS Lichenfield, a transport tanker carrying 80,000 barrels of highly flammable naphtha from SanPedro to Manila. And its crew.
The crew. Of course this is what gives the story it's heart. Where they came from, how they ended up on this ship, their hopes and dreams and disappointments. And a few unusual links between some of them.
It is written with subtlety and depth of feeling, it feels real. The rough exterior of the seamen and the tenderness and doubt within combine into this fascinating and enjoyable story.
Blueprint drawings of the Lichenfield, explanation of ship's personal, and a glossary of terms also add pleasure and clarity.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Louis and Beau L'Amour, and Bantam Books of Penguin Random House LLC for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 1, 2019
“What was it made a man go to sea? What made a man leave everything behind and drift away across the world, bound for nowhere to anywhere?”
At times full of human longing and literary romanticism, at other times bruising and tragic, No Traveller Returns is an interesting read on many levels. We are on board the Pacific crossing of the SS Lichenfield, carrying eighty thousand barrels of highly explosive naphtha.
The book, as son Beau L’Amour reveals in a detailed and well-written preface, was the first novel-length work written by his father, Louis. “The first indication that Dad was working on this book is in a journal entry from June 9, 1938,” writes Beau. At the time Louis was promoting his semi-autobiographical stories based on his world travels. Louis wanted to be known as a “self-educated yet blue-collar adventurer.”
But those stories didn’t sell at the time; the 300 million books would come later.
As a publishing project and as a story, No Traveller Returns is fascinating. Beau writes (in an equally frank and fascinating afterword) that he felt like “an archaeologist excavating then rebuilding the ruins of an ancient city.” Whatever work Beau did, it’s seamlessly woven into his father’s original fabric.
Reading this might be a matter of setting expectations. No Traveller Returns is a steady story of rough men, their working conditions, their reasons for shipping out, the grudges and feuds among them—all contrasted with the sometimes poetic descriptions of the sea.
“The night was a symphony of velvet darkness in which millions of stars swung their tiny lanterns overhead. Not a gleam was in sight that might have been another ship, but miles behind and to the north a Matson passenger liner was bound away from San Francisco to Tahiti.”
Short chapters, entries from “The Private Log of John Harlan, Second Mate,” interject various observations about the ship’s the mission. Each of Harlan’s sections set up chapters devoted to various characters—Able Seaman Pete Brouwer, Ordinary Seaman David Jones, Fireman Fritz Schuman and so on. There are stories within stories—shore leave brawls, women left behind, debts owed, scores to settle.
Harlan is an observer of human nature. “Sometimes, it seems, the greatest possibilities for drama are disguised beneath the most unexpected exteriors, and one never knows when circumstance is going to lift some apparently inferior person to almost heroic stature.” (A reasonable bit of foreshadowing right there.)
Harlan is also keenly aware of the strange fact that mankind even exists at all. He has plenty of time at sea to ponder and add pages to the ship’s log.
“For instance, a very slight change in atmospheric conditions or a difference of a few degrees of temperature, and we might no longer exist. A plague resulting from those new conditions, or any of a multitude of other things, might severely alter our development. Man tries to learn all the rules, tries to build walls about himself to withstand the elements and the forces of his own civilization, and to protect himself form all the danger, yet three is so little that can be done.”
The contemplative scenes are balanced with fistfights, drinking, brawling, scheming; men squaring up old grudges, etcetera.
As the ship’s course continues there are hints of the looming danger of the cargo, the risk in the holds below like the collective dark subconsciousness of the crew. A brief mention of a seemingly minor collision with a dockside crane in Liverpool—could it be important? When Able Seaman Dennis McGuire senses that first “potato vine of aromatics, a tendril of hydrocarbons,” we have a pretty good hunch of what’s coming and the title of the book also suggests how this all might end.
Kudos to Beau L’Amour for the careful extraction of this relic from the stash of his late father’s works—and for bringing it to light. (No Traveller Returns is one in a series of books under the banner Louis L’Amour’s Lost Treasures. One volume of collected works came out in 2017, another is due this coming November.)
No Traveller is beautifully produced with detailed drawings of the ship, a glossary, and the fascinating preface and afterword that bookend the story itself. It’s easy to see what drew Louis to write about the sea—likely the same pull that drew Melville and Conrad, too. The story won’t be confused with an action-packed thriller, but there is decided undertow that pulls you right along.
Four stars for the story, five for the yeoman’s publishing effort.
At times full of human longing and literary romanticism, at other times bruising and tragic, No Traveller Returns is an interesting read on many levels. We are on board the Pacific crossing of the SS Lichenfield, carrying eighty thousand barrels of highly explosive naphtha.
The book, as son Beau L’Amour reveals in a detailed and well-written preface, was the first novel-length work written by his father, Louis. “The first indication that Dad was working on this book is in a journal entry from June 9, 1938,” writes Beau. At the time Louis was promoting his semi-autobiographical stories based on his world travels. Louis wanted to be known as a “self-educated yet blue-collar adventurer.”
But those stories didn’t sell at the time; the 300 million books would come later.
As a publishing project and as a story, No Traveller Returns is fascinating. Beau writes (in an equally frank and fascinating afterword) that he felt like “an archaeologist excavating then rebuilding the ruins of an ancient city.” Whatever work Beau did, it’s seamlessly woven into his father’s original fabric.
Reading this might be a matter of setting expectations. No Traveller Returns is a steady story of rough men, their working conditions, their reasons for shipping out, the grudges and feuds among them—all contrasted with the sometimes poetic descriptions of the sea.
“The night was a symphony of velvet darkness in which millions of stars swung their tiny lanterns overhead. Not a gleam was in sight that might have been another ship, but miles behind and to the north a Matson passenger liner was bound away from San Francisco to Tahiti.”
Short chapters, entries from “The Private Log of John Harlan, Second Mate,” interject various observations about the ship’s the mission. Each of Harlan’s sections set up chapters devoted to various characters—Able Seaman Pete Brouwer, Ordinary Seaman David Jones, Fireman Fritz Schuman and so on. There are stories within stories—shore leave brawls, women left behind, debts owed, scores to settle.
Harlan is an observer of human nature. “Sometimes, it seems, the greatest possibilities for drama are disguised beneath the most unexpected exteriors, and one never knows when circumstance is going to lift some apparently inferior person to almost heroic stature.” (A reasonable bit of foreshadowing right there.)
Harlan is also keenly aware of the strange fact that mankind even exists at all. He has plenty of time at sea to ponder and add pages to the ship’s log.
“For instance, a very slight change in atmospheric conditions or a difference of a few degrees of temperature, and we might no longer exist. A plague resulting from those new conditions, or any of a multitude of other things, might severely alter our development. Man tries to learn all the rules, tries to build walls about himself to withstand the elements and the forces of his own civilization, and to protect himself form all the danger, yet three is so little that can be done.”
The contemplative scenes are balanced with fistfights, drinking, brawling, scheming; men squaring up old grudges, etcetera.
As the ship’s course continues there are hints of the looming danger of the cargo, the risk in the holds below like the collective dark subconsciousness of the crew. A brief mention of a seemingly minor collision with a dockside crane in Liverpool—could it be important? When Able Seaman Dennis McGuire senses that first “potato vine of aromatics, a tendril of hydrocarbons,” we have a pretty good hunch of what’s coming and the title of the book also suggests how this all might end.
Kudos to Beau L’Amour for the careful extraction of this relic from the stash of his late father’s works—and for bringing it to light. (No Traveller Returns is one in a series of books under the banner Louis L’Amour’s Lost Treasures. One volume of collected works came out in 2017, another is due this coming November.)
No Traveller is beautifully produced with detailed drawings of the ship, a glossary, and the fascinating preface and afterword that bookend the story itself. It’s easy to see what drew Louis to write about the sea—likely the same pull that drew Melville and Conrad, too. The story won’t be confused with an action-packed thriller, but there is decided undertow that pulls you right along.
Four stars for the story, five for the yeoman’s publishing effort.
November 4, 2018
I’m probably not the target audience for a L’Amour novel, but when I saw that this book was one of his earliest novels and completed by his son, I knew it was one I wanted to read.
I’ll be honest, the day to day of a ship’s crew is not really that interesting to me. In the beginning, as I began reading about the crew, I wasn’t very invested in the story. But like so many other novels, once the characters are introduced and their personalities come alive, things start to come together.
As the ship travels deeper into the journey, tensions mount and there is the sense that things will not end well. By the last quarter of the book, I could not put it down. I also loved reading the acknowledgements at the end of the story. All in all, I think Louis L’Amour would be proud to share the authorship of this book with his son, Beau.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
I’ll be honest, the day to day of a ship’s crew is not really that interesting to me. In the beginning, as I began reading about the crew, I wasn’t very invested in the story. But like so many other novels, once the characters are introduced and their personalities come alive, things start to come together.
As the ship travels deeper into the journey, tensions mount and there is the sense that things will not end well. By the last quarter of the book, I could not put it down. I also loved reading the acknowledgements at the end of the story. All in all, I think Louis L’Amour would be proud to share the authorship of this book with his son, Beau.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
June 30, 2018
Advance copy from Netgalley. No Traveller Returns is written in a very unique way. Each chapter is from one of the workers/sailors on the S.S. Lichenfield, a tanker ship containing naphtha, which is explosive and unstable. The characters were quite vivid, at times too lengthy in descriptions. These guys had fights, bloody faces, adventures at dry dock and before the Lichenfield, and we got to have a front row seat to that. Good story of life on the sea, and I recommend
November 27, 2024
I knew when I grabbed this book off the shelf it was going to be a good one. Louis started the book and his son finished it after he passed, a beautiful tale and such great storytelling by father and son. One of the biggest Louis L’amour page turners I’ve had the pleasure to read. Paints a great picture of life at sea
November 8, 2018
Each time I think I can't become more enamored with Louis L'amour's writing, I get proved wrong. No Traveller Returns was a sensational gift to fans and newcomers as it now has the distinction of being the first novel the author wrote and a change of pace from his usual writing style. Beau L'Amour did an excellent job of cleaning and refining this unpublished work for reader consumption. It is indeed a Lost Treasure and I am heartily glad Beau released it.
No Traveller Returns is in a different style. It reminded me of the classic works of Jack London or Joseph Conrad. It's a seafaring adventure story about the men who sailed on a dangerous tanker around the time before WWII. L'Amour wrote this having years of living and working in just such a life as he depicted. This was not just one story, but several collected together and tied together because they eventually all became the crews of the SS Lichenfield. Having this many narrators to the story gave it color and depth that a single or dual point of view couldn't give it. It could have been confusing with that many voices, but it wasn't. Not all are likeable or necessarily good, but all chose the sea and ships. Between each chapter introducing the men are the journal entries of the second mate, John Harlan who acts as the glue tying all the others together.
In the beginning, the reader is made privy to a disgruntled, bitter man doing an important job and not doing it well just before the Lichenfield tanker puts to sea. Because of this, I had a dread suspicion of what was coming. The suspense built for me as I got to know and care about all those men working and living on that ship. There is a mystery in the end and an ending that left me not quite satisfied though it wasn't bad. Much about this book including the various stories will stick with me for a bit, I think.
Though prolific in his narration work, this is the first time I've encountered Scott Brick's work. I thought he did an exceptional job with this large cast of colorful and varied characters, the old-style and international accents, the story pace and a good steady 'storytelling' tone. Incidentally, it was neat to have Beau L'Amour narrate the afterward.
So, all in all, I am thrilled to have read this one and it will be a prize among my many favorite L'Amour books. Those who enjoy a character-based seafaring adventure set just before WWII should give this a go.
My thanks to Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
No Traveller Returns is in a different style. It reminded me of the classic works of Jack London or Joseph Conrad. It's a seafaring adventure story about the men who sailed on a dangerous tanker around the time before WWII. L'Amour wrote this having years of living and working in just such a life as he depicted. This was not just one story, but several collected together and tied together because they eventually all became the crews of the SS Lichenfield. Having this many narrators to the story gave it color and depth that a single or dual point of view couldn't give it. It could have been confusing with that many voices, but it wasn't. Not all are likeable or necessarily good, but all chose the sea and ships. Between each chapter introducing the men are the journal entries of the second mate, John Harlan who acts as the glue tying all the others together.
In the beginning, the reader is made privy to a disgruntled, bitter man doing an important job and not doing it well just before the Lichenfield tanker puts to sea. Because of this, I had a dread suspicion of what was coming. The suspense built for me as I got to know and care about all those men working and living on that ship. There is a mystery in the end and an ending that left me not quite satisfied though it wasn't bad. Much about this book including the various stories will stick with me for a bit, I think.
Though prolific in his narration work, this is the first time I've encountered Scott Brick's work. I thought he did an exceptional job with this large cast of colorful and varied characters, the old-style and international accents, the story pace and a good steady 'storytelling' tone. Incidentally, it was neat to have Beau L'Amour narrate the afterward.
So, all in all, I am thrilled to have read this one and it will be a prize among my many favorite L'Amour books. Those who enjoy a character-based seafaring adventure set just before WWII should give this a go.
My thanks to Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2019
4.5/5
An American adventure novel, reminiscent of John Steinbeck and Dennis Johnson, that describes both the loneliness and the enchantment of the high seas in perfect clarity.
You can never be sure what to expect when a work is published posthumously. Will it live up to its namesake? Will it capture the integrity of its original author?
Beau L’Amour, the son of Louis L’Amour, has worked faithfully to resurrect this lost treasure of a novel with care and expert thought. A feat I’m sure was no easy battle.
NO TRAVELLER RETURNS feels torn straight out of another world, another time, another mindset. It’s an American legacy often lost to the modern generation where a man’s merit is based in his grit, his toughness, and his willingness to stand tall even in the tightest of circumstances. It’s a poetic tale of the many characters aboard a tanker. It’s about time passing, the heroism in humble men and humble tasks, the complexities of the human condition, and the last remnants of old-fashioned chivalry before it was dead.
Prepare to be enraptured by prose that ignites the adventurer, stirs the grit in your marrow, and calls you to the rolling, unforgivable grace of the sea.
An American adventure novel, reminiscent of John Steinbeck and Dennis Johnson, that describes both the loneliness and the enchantment of the high seas in perfect clarity.
You can never be sure what to expect when a work is published posthumously. Will it live up to its namesake? Will it capture the integrity of its original author?
Beau L’Amour, the son of Louis L’Amour, has worked faithfully to resurrect this lost treasure of a novel with care and expert thought. A feat I’m sure was no easy battle.
NO TRAVELLER RETURNS feels torn straight out of another world, another time, another mindset. It’s an American legacy often lost to the modern generation where a man’s merit is based in his grit, his toughness, and his willingness to stand tall even in the tightest of circumstances. It’s a poetic tale of the many characters aboard a tanker. It’s about time passing, the heroism in humble men and humble tasks, the complexities of the human condition, and the last remnants of old-fashioned chivalry before it was dead.
Prepare to be enraptured by prose that ignites the adventurer, stirs the grit in your marrow, and calls you to the rolling, unforgivable grace of the sea.
October 16, 2022
On its own, this is probably a three star story. It kind of meanders and is a bit pedantic yet also confusing because some characters are so similar and their arcs are laid out seemingly haphazardly. But, the commentary from Beau L’Amour, where explains how this was one of his father’s earliest works and unfinished before Louis’ death, is interesting and opens a window into a writer I’ve enjoyed since I was a very small child. I really enjoyed that part, enough to elevate the whole book to four stars.
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June 30, 2018No Traveller Returns is written in a very unique way. Each chapter is from one of the workers/sailors on the S.S. Lichenfield, a tanker ship containing naphtha, which is explosive and unstable. The characters were quite vivid, at times too lengthy in descriptions. These guys had fights, bloody faces, adventures at dry dock and before the Lichenfield, and we got to have a front row seat to that. Good story of life on the sea, and I recommend.
September 15, 2018
I was so impressed with the beautiful writing. I'd never read L'Amour before and this book made me hungry for more. Ships at sea are a big draw for me too. So where did Louis stop and his son begin? It was a seamless change, not noticed by me until I realized something was missing, a heartbeat in the story. All in all a very good book.
Thank you to Goodreads for a copy of the book for my review.
Thank you to Goodreads for a copy of the book for my review.
January 6, 2019
Thank you Ingrid for this gracious gift! I thoroughly enjoyed reading a 'new' book from Louis L'Amour. Having read many of his Western novels this was a welcomed change of pace. Though the manuscript was incomplete when discovered by his son, Beau, the final product was true to form. Beau did a fantastic job of researching his father's notes, the history of the time period, and getting the lay of the land in order to deliver a gem.
June 16, 2025
I thought I would read the works of Louis L'Amour in chronological order. That was probably a mistake. 'No Traveller Returns' reads more like a disjointed collection of associated stories than a polished and unified whole. I was also disappointed at the novel's lack of moral compass.
May 12, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.0 of 5
The SS Lichenfield is carrying a cargo of highly explosive naphtha across the Pacific. Every crewman knows how dangerous such a cargo is, and that one accidental spark could kill them all. Travelling with such cargo has each crew member reflecting on what's important in their lives. Some have family that they don't see enough. Some are running away from a past, and others are running toward something still unseen.
This novel is an early, and unfinished work by master storyteller, Louis L'Amour. It has been completed by his son, Beau, who maintains the Louis L'Amour estate and has been editing and publishing much of Louis' unfinished works as a "Lost Treasures" series. Not too long ago I read and reviewed Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures Volume 2 which I enjoyed. Seeing the rough starts and rewrites, and notes on characters is a really interesting peek inside the methods of a popular writer. This book, being a completed novel, doesn't have that same appeal and really must be read and reviewed as a completed novel. And in that sense, this just doesn't work.
We can see that this is an early attempt, and a rather clumsy one at that.
This is sort of a "Love Boat" for the working class. We get to know many of the ship's workers. We get a glimpse of the diaries and a glimpse of their off-ship lives, and maybe, if we're lucky, their path will cross one another off ship, but for the most part, we get separate stories which are weakly tied together in an attempt to make it a cohesive story. But the characters are too many to follow each of them satisfactorily. Just as we get in to one man's story, we turn and get in to another man's story. And then another's, and possibly more, before we get back to the first story. I felt I was constantly being pulled away from the story rather than being brought into more story and the effect for me was that it was taking too long without getting results.
As a character study, this is quite fascinating. We get a good glimpse at some character traits that L'Amour used over and over again - the tough guy who would walk through steam to save a soul - but I found myself more interested in a character type that I don't remember seeing often in L'Amour's books (and I haven't read them all, so perhaps this character is present in the L'Amour canon) - the dedicated and respected worker who, because of an 'obvious flaw' (in this case, a stutter) doesn't fit in with the rest of the macho men, but still manages to be necessary and come through in a pinch. I'd definitely like to see more of this type of character in L'Amour.
Looking for a good book? No Traveller Returns by Louis' L'Amour is an interesting read from the perspective of this being an early work (in a different genre) of a literary icon, but is not worthy of recommending to those not already familiar with or fans of Louis L'Amour's work.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
The SS Lichenfield is carrying a cargo of highly explosive naphtha across the Pacific. Every crewman knows how dangerous such a cargo is, and that one accidental spark could kill them all. Travelling with such cargo has each crew member reflecting on what's important in their lives. Some have family that they don't see enough. Some are running away from a past, and others are running toward something still unseen.
This novel is an early, and unfinished work by master storyteller, Louis L'Amour. It has been completed by his son, Beau, who maintains the Louis L'Amour estate and has been editing and publishing much of Louis' unfinished works as a "Lost Treasures" series. Not too long ago I read and reviewed Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures Volume 2 which I enjoyed. Seeing the rough starts and rewrites, and notes on characters is a really interesting peek inside the methods of a popular writer. This book, being a completed novel, doesn't have that same appeal and really must be read and reviewed as a completed novel. And in that sense, this just doesn't work.
We can see that this is an early attempt, and a rather clumsy one at that.
This is sort of a "Love Boat" for the working class. We get to know many of the ship's workers. We get a glimpse of the diaries and a glimpse of their off-ship lives, and maybe, if we're lucky, their path will cross one another off ship, but for the most part, we get separate stories which are weakly tied together in an attempt to make it a cohesive story. But the characters are too many to follow each of them satisfactorily. Just as we get in to one man's story, we turn and get in to another man's story. And then another's, and possibly more, before we get back to the first story. I felt I was constantly being pulled away from the story rather than being brought into more story and the effect for me was that it was taking too long without getting results.
As a character study, this is quite fascinating. We get a good glimpse at some character traits that L'Amour used over and over again - the tough guy who would walk through steam to save a soul - but I found myself more interested in a character type that I don't remember seeing often in L'Amour's books (and I haven't read them all, so perhaps this character is present in the L'Amour canon) - the dedicated and respected worker who, because of an 'obvious flaw' (in this case, a stutter) doesn't fit in with the rest of the macho men, but still manages to be necessary and come through in a pinch. I'd definitely like to see more of this type of character in L'Amour.
Looking for a good book? No Traveller Returns by Louis' L'Amour is an interesting read from the perspective of this being an early work (in a different genre) of a literary icon, but is not worthy of recommending to those not already familiar with or fans of Louis L'Amour's work.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2018
I am not typically a fan of sea-faring tales, and frankly have never read L'Amour before (I had always associated him purely with Westerns, which are also not my typical fare), but was offered the ARC and intrigued at the prospect of a long-lost manuscript finished with the aid of the author's son. I was pleasantly surprised to find the story engaging and the characters and action jumping off the page. I shouldn't have been surprised - L'Amour is a world-renowned author, after all, and so it's no surprise that the man can write compellingly - but was. Some of that is due to the genre/topic, but the rest to the fact that it is the author's long-lost first novel, which one presumes he never published for a reason. I don't know what that reason was, but it's not immediately apparent to me - this was an interesting look at a world I knew nothing about, told from a variety of perspectives that offered a glimpse into the life of a sailor that I found informative and entertaining at the same time.
September 7, 2020
On and on and on and on about why sailors don't like being home and must return to sea. I got that after the first half hour, so I don't need an entire book about it. Great visual descriptions as usual by the author, but as stated in the preface, the reason the author never got published before was weak plots. On and on in this book I kept understanding why this book never got published. Well, this book had no plot and a horrible ending (hence the spoiler title of no traveler returns). I'll give it two stars because the vivid imagery was great, but this book lacked purpose, cause, and typical accuracy of the author's later work. It took a crew to install rivets, so if the worker inside the tank quits early the companion worker(s) outside the tank certainly know it.
July 12, 2018
No Traveller Returns (Lost Treasures) by Louis L'Amour and Beau L'Amour is a previously unpublished first work of Louis L'Amour. The book had been written in segments over a period of time and set aside. The book is about a fateful voyage of the S.S. Lichenfield in 1939. The story gives some background information on the jobs and personal characters of the major crew members. Before the ship leaves dock some critical repairs are left incomplete. The ship seems to be incorrectly loaded with 80 thousand barrels of the explosive naphtha.
The story is an interesting study of the time and characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The story is an interesting study of the time and characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 12, 2018
I received an advance copy of this through GoodReads First Reads for my honest review. I was pulled into this from page one. Thank you Beau L'amour, for getting this important work out there for us to enjoy! I was so sure that Louis L'amour was the "Cowboy Author" but this book smashed that theory! The depth of each of the crew in this was amazing. I am passing this on to my son who has read nearly every western by this author. I enjoyed the Afterword as much as the story. A must-read.
November 16, 2018
A Sea Shanty
One cannot look at a collaboration with a legend in quite the same manner as a co-written book. In the first place, the original author's contribution is now static, limited to what was already written plus any notes; and in the second the voice must of necessity change, no matter how slightly, to one informed by current events, slang, politics, political correctness and any number of nuances simply not present at the time the original work was started. Nonetheless, the concept for the novel remains a relevant kernel around which to create, so my approach to reading and enjoying it was for its own sake and on its own merits.
All that said, this is an intriguing story told from a number of points of view and skipping back and forth in time to some extent. I found that a bit confusing at first but quickly caught on that the background of each protagonist was being presented so as to put his actions in proper context. The feel and style of earlier novelists was sufficiently consistent and seamless that I was swept rapidly into noir nostalgia and the various tales being interwoven into the shipboard community. Son Beau has done a credible job of preserving and enhancing father Louis' works and reputation as we travel across the sea with the crew and cargo of the SS Lichenfield. This is a solid adventure!
One cannot look at a collaboration with a legend in quite the same manner as a co-written book. In the first place, the original author's contribution is now static, limited to what was already written plus any notes; and in the second the voice must of necessity change, no matter how slightly, to one informed by current events, slang, politics, political correctness and any number of nuances simply not present at the time the original work was started. Nonetheless, the concept for the novel remains a relevant kernel around which to create, so my approach to reading and enjoying it was for its own sake and on its own merits.
All that said, this is an intriguing story told from a number of points of view and skipping back and forth in time to some extent. I found that a bit confusing at first but quickly caught on that the background of each protagonist was being presented so as to put his actions in proper context. The feel and style of earlier novelists was sufficiently consistent and seamless that I was swept rapidly into noir nostalgia and the various tales being interwoven into the shipboard community. Son Beau has done a credible job of preserving and enhancing father Louis' works and reputation as we travel across the sea with the crew and cargo of the SS Lichenfield. This is a solid adventure!
November 17, 2024
I happened to find this book at the local library, and it covered the world of sailing ships in the 1930's, rather than his normal milieu of the western United States. The fact that his son helped write it was also interesting.
And the story is very different, not merely because it was an early attempt at fiction, but it doesn't follow the type of storyline of most of his other works. There is no single major protagonist, but a group of several major characters very different from each other and with very different backstories, some related and others not, and not all of them are sympathetic ones. L'amour was in the merchant marines himself, mainly because it was the Great Depression at the time and people had to take whatever jobs they could to keep alive. And the story does not have a typical good ending either.
The story itself was based on an unfinished manuscript that predated his published work, and son Beau took a long time before he would make a finished story out of it, mostly due to uncertainty how to go about it. He did well enough with the material.
And the story is very different, not merely because it was an early attempt at fiction, but it doesn't follow the type of storyline of most of his other works. There is no single major protagonist, but a group of several major characters very different from each other and with very different backstories, some related and others not, and not all of them are sympathetic ones. L'amour was in the merchant marines himself, mainly because it was the Great Depression at the time and people had to take whatever jobs they could to keep alive. And the story does not have a typical good ending either.
The story itself was based on an unfinished manuscript that predated his published work, and son Beau took a long time before he would make a finished story out of it, mostly due to uncertainty how to go about it. He did well enough with the material.
November 16, 2018
This book by the author is not one of his westerns for which he is famous. The book details the crew of a doomed ship due to it's cargo. The book chapters alternate between the diary of the second mate which is used to set up a more detailed following chapter about one of the ship's crew. I will warn any readers that it is a somewhat depressing book.
This may not be your cup of tea if you are a fan of Louis L'Amour's westerns, but I found it to be an interesting read.
I received a free Kindle copy of No Traveller Returns by Louis and Beau L'Amour courtesy of Net Galley and Random House, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I was looking for something different and had not read anything written by the author.
This may not be your cup of tea if you are a fan of Louis L'Amour's westerns, but I found it to be an interesting read.
I received a free Kindle copy of No Traveller Returns by Louis and Beau L'Amour courtesy of Net Galley and Random House, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I was looking for something different and had not read anything written by the author.
December 6, 2018
**Thank you, @tlcbooktours, for the free finished copy to review. All opinions are my own.**
What an unexpected surprise this book turned out to be! Set on a merchant marine, L’Amour weaves a beautiful tale of the ship’s crew. Between each chapter, a piece of one of the shipmate’s journal is read and it acts as a very effective narrator to move the story along. Each chapter is a quick, yet deep, character study of a different member of the ship. Originally written between 1938 and 1942, this would technically be L’Amour’s first novel. L’Amour’s son, Beau, took the rough manuscript found among his father’s writings and NO TRAVELLER RETURNS was born!
I enjoyed this story so much. My own grandfather spent 10 months as a merchant marine, so I could easily envision that many of these stories could be personal accounts of his own. A topic I know nearly nothing about, I loved getting an inside look at life on the sea.
What an unexpected surprise this book turned out to be! Set on a merchant marine, L’Amour weaves a beautiful tale of the ship’s crew. Between each chapter, a piece of one of the shipmate’s journal is read and it acts as a very effective narrator to move the story along. Each chapter is a quick, yet deep, character study of a different member of the ship. Originally written between 1938 and 1942, this would technically be L’Amour’s first novel. L’Amour’s son, Beau, took the rough manuscript found among his father’s writings and NO TRAVELLER RETURNS was born!
I enjoyed this story so much. My own grandfather spent 10 months as a merchant marine, so I could easily envision that many of these stories could be personal accounts of his own. A topic I know nearly nothing about, I loved getting an inside look at life on the sea.
January 15, 2019
While Louis L'Amour is known for Westerns, this book is about the crew of a tanker ship. It was published after L'Amour died. His son pulled together a manuscript and notes to edit the book. It begins with events involving different crew members while the ship is in dry dock. This foreshadows an imminent danger which keeps the book suspenseful. The book is written from the point of view of the second mate. Every other chapter, the second mate introduces a character and gives the reader information about events and the ship. The other chapters are the story of the crew members. The stories help to explain why crew members behave in certain ways. The end of the book brings together the events preceding the sailing and the stories of the crew members. It ties up the loose ends of the story. The book has a lot of detail about the ship and what it's like to be out to sea. I enjoyed reading it.
July 19, 2018
Having read most of Louis L'Amour's work, I am a fan and could not wait to wade into this advance copy. But, this book was different from any of his other work. The characters were more complex than his other work, and had motivations well beyond those found in his western stories. I really enjoyed the depth of the characters portrayed and the action. As a retired Navy guy, I found a sense of realism that connected with my experiences aboard ship; the fears, friendships, duty, dangers and personalities of the many characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story with excellent characters. L'Amour gives you the back story of his characters and even leaves the reader with a bit of a mystery in the end. Excellent work, highly recommended.
December 6, 2018
No Traveller Returns Louis L'Amour
This is the authors first novel. It centers around the late 20's and 1930 time period. The life's and adventures of merchant seamen. A lot of the book centers in and around San Pedro, the port of Los Angeles, where I grew up. I'm familiar with quite a few of the locations mentioned. I have also heard stories of the other locations. The characters portrayed are sailors he crewed with in his tenure at sea. One of the characters is modeled after his deceased brother. And my favorite character Dennis McGuire, after himself. The ending is a tragic one when the steam ship goes down with all hands. This is a well written book full of lively, tuff characters who lived in an era of hard times . Enjoyed immensely!
This is the authors first novel. It centers around the late 20's and 1930 time period. The life's and adventures of merchant seamen. A lot of the book centers in and around San Pedro, the port of Los Angeles, where I grew up. I'm familiar with quite a few of the locations mentioned. I have also heard stories of the other locations. The characters portrayed are sailors he crewed with in his tenure at sea. One of the characters is modeled after his deceased brother. And my favorite character Dennis McGuire, after himself. The ending is a tragic one when the steam ship goes down with all hands. This is a well written book full of lively, tuff characters who lived in an era of hard times . Enjoyed immensely!
August 21, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. It was different than other writings of his as the plot was presented in an unique way of each chapter being about a central character. The centering of the journal of the 2nd mate made it all work. I developed and rooted for my favorites as always.
The title threw me until I realized the spelling was British and also that my first thought was true that they would never return the same person due to their experiences.
It opened a door into the makings and the other side of an author struggling to learn and obtain his spot in the limelight. Fate has a stronger way of winning out as Louis found.
The title threw me until I realized the spelling was British and also that my first thought was true that they would never return the same person due to their experiences.
It opened a door into the makings and the other side of an author struggling to learn and obtain his spot in the limelight. Fate has a stronger way of winning out as Louis found.
March 30, 2019
This was an engaging read and reminded me why I enjoyed my first run at his catalog 20 years ago. I’ve got to go back. This isn’t a western setting but the characterization and POV depict rugged men, their backstories and help define why the reader should care about their fate. The lack of female POV dates this work though I understand it was written in the thirties and there were not female Merchant marines. A modern version of this would absolutely have to have those to be a more compelling story. Definitely read if you like L’Amour but I wouldn’t recommend this be the first book of his that you read.
October 17, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this earliest of L'Amour's novels. It is certainly very different from the books I have known and loved these many years. I am so glad that Beau worked so hard to make his father's work available, and gladder still that I obtained it. I love the sea and tales of its ways and the working of men upon it. I love the Western stories of L'Amour, but relish the experience of a more complex development of characters while showing the same clear presence of the wonderful power of description which so enriches all of his works. When L'Amour writes, the people and places come to vivid life.
September 19, 2019
"No Traveller Returns" is on the long side, but interesting from a historical perspective - this is L'Amour writing in the late 30s and early 40s, his first novel rediscovered, completed, and published by his son Beau. It's a literary sea adventure and follows a number of different men and their stories through alternating vignettes as they share life aboard the SS Lichenfield as WW2 looms. Very unlike his westerns, it has some autobiographical elements since L'Amour did sale with the merchant marines for a few years. I listened to the CDs and the narrator, Scott Brick, was excellent.
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