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Ambush
Book by Short, Luke
269 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1948
62 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Luke Short
128 books36 followersLuke Short (real name Frederick Dilley Glidden) was a popular Western writer.
Born in Kewanee, Illinois Glidden attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two and a half years and then transferred to the University of Missouri at Columbia to study journalism.
Following graduation in 1930 he worked for a number of newspapers before becoming a trapper in Canada then later moved to New Mexico to be an archeologist's assistant.
After reading Western pulp magazines and trying to escape unemployment he started writing Western fiction. He sold his first short story and novel in 1935 under the pen name of Luke Short (which was also the name of a famous gunslinger in the Old West, though it's unclear if he was aware of that when he assumed the pen name.)
After publishing over a dozen novels in the 1930s, he started writing for films in the 40s. In 1948 alone four Luke Short novels appeared as movies. Some of his memorable film credits includes Ramrod (1947) and Blood on the Moon (1948). He continued to write novels, despite increasing trouble with his eyes, until his death in 1975. His ashes are buried in Aspen, Colorado, his home at the time of his death.
Born in Kewanee, Illinois Glidden attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two and a half years and then transferred to the University of Missouri at Columbia to study journalism.
Following graduation in 1930 he worked for a number of newspapers before becoming a trapper in Canada then later moved to New Mexico to be an archeologist's assistant.
After reading Western pulp magazines and trying to escape unemployment he started writing Western fiction. He sold his first short story and novel in 1935 under the pen name of Luke Short (which was also the name of a famous gunslinger in the Old West, though it's unclear if he was aware of that when he assumed the pen name.)
After publishing over a dozen novels in the 1930s, he started writing for films in the 40s. In 1948 alone four Luke Short novels appeared as movies. Some of his memorable film credits includes Ramrod (1947) and Blood on the Moon (1948). He continued to write novels, despite increasing trouble with his eyes, until his death in 1975. His ashes are buried in Aspen, Colorado, his home at the time of his death.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 6, 2021
Ambush was made into a 1950 film with Robert Taylor two years after it was written by Luke Short, the pseudonym for Frederick Glidden. The U. S. Cavalry is ordered to track down and kill the band of Apaches led by Diablito, with a major side benefit being the planned rescue of a woman held hostage by the gang. These stories have become controversial at the least, and it seems the typical Western put out in the last 30 years steers clear of racial warfare. The most egregiously dated bit was when an otherwise fairly reputable character decided that Indian faces "were expressionless for the best of reasons, because they had neither thoughts nor emotions to express". Come on.
Prospector Ward Kinsman has been stealthily working on Apache land for some time. He creates fake bear tracks to try to keep them away from his area. That's a tactic I hadn't heard of. When he visits nearby Fort Gamble (New Mexico), he is asked to act as guide for the Cavalry unit that will be attempting the attack and rescue. It turns out that Kinsman, in a former life, was in the cavalry and actually captured the leader of this band of Apaches, the hated and feared Diablito. He knows that Diablito would savor the chance to capture and torture him. After listening to the commanding officer's plan, Kinsman is worried that the action will more likely result in the death of the poor woman at the hands of her captors during a raid, than in her liberation, and he declines to be involved. As you can probably imagine, there are reasons that he later changes his mind.
Just one page into the book, I had already decided that Short was a more gifted writer than Zane Grey or Louis L'Amour. I stand by that. There are gorgeous descriptions of the western landscape:
"Bailey's Peak, whose north slope they were climbing, was a vast, mashed-down cone whose base lay on New Mexico's desert floor and whose summit was smothered with vaulting dark conifers. Between sand and pine, mile upon weary mile of waterless canyon maze leached out the mountain, giving reluctantly to altitude until, two thirds of the way up, a tougher rock took over to pinch the canyons tight and hold the soil for the trees."
Short provides an engaging side story involving the sexual politics at Fort Gamble that puts his feel for plot, character development and the intricacies of relationships on full display. I liked the sentiment of one woman at the fort: "Anything was bearable, she knew, as long as there was no self-pity." Another good scene arose when Ann Dunnifor's beau tells her bad things about Kinsman and she only becomes more interested in him. And finally, I admire a writer who lets his hero get beaten in a fist fight.
Prospector Ward Kinsman has been stealthily working on Apache land for some time. He creates fake bear tracks to try to keep them away from his area. That's a tactic I hadn't heard of. When he visits nearby Fort Gamble (New Mexico), he is asked to act as guide for the Cavalry unit that will be attempting the attack and rescue. It turns out that Kinsman, in a former life, was in the cavalry and actually captured the leader of this band of Apaches, the hated and feared Diablito. He knows that Diablito would savor the chance to capture and torture him. After listening to the commanding officer's plan, Kinsman is worried that the action will more likely result in the death of the poor woman at the hands of her captors during a raid, than in her liberation, and he declines to be involved. As you can probably imagine, there are reasons that he later changes his mind.
Just one page into the book, I had already decided that Short was a more gifted writer than Zane Grey or Louis L'Amour. I stand by that. There are gorgeous descriptions of the western landscape:
"Bailey's Peak, whose north slope they were climbing, was a vast, mashed-down cone whose base lay on New Mexico's desert floor and whose summit was smothered with vaulting dark conifers. Between sand and pine, mile upon weary mile of waterless canyon maze leached out the mountain, giving reluctantly to altitude until, two thirds of the way up, a tougher rock took over to pinch the canyons tight and hold the soil for the trees."
Short provides an engaging side story involving the sexual politics at Fort Gamble that puts his feel for plot, character development and the intricacies of relationships on full display. I liked the sentiment of one woman at the fort: "Anything was bearable, she knew, as long as there was no self-pity." Another good scene arose when Ann Dunnifor's beau tells her bad things about Kinsman and she only becomes more interested in him. And finally, I admire a writer who lets his hero get beaten in a fist fight.
October 23, 2021
Reading Ambush makes me realize that is it high time I read more Westerns. I appreciate how Luke Short’s western novel Ambush is not a traditional “shoot em up” styled Western. It is a little bit of a slow burn in the first portions of the plot as we learn some of the story, but I really liked how the author makes the novel character and theme driven, letting us get to know the characters and their stories.
As a central character, Ward Kinsman is sort of an antiheroic type; he is a flawed, moody, solitary but driven character who takes pride and honor seriously. He has a sort of “street smart” capability that helps him gain trust among the men. He has the wits, brains, and experience about him to strategize and produce a game plan for an impending confrontation. He is called on to lead a group of soldiers to help to try to rescue Mary Carlisle from an Apache tribe. However, to do so, they must deal with one of the infamous leaders of the Apache, Diablito.
It is interesting how there were several subplots of romance in the novel. I did not find these too distracting at all, and I thought they added a little bit more realness, dimension and depth to the characters and overall plot. Short aptly balances out these subplots with a final confrontation and skirmish between the band of soldiers and Diablito’s men in the book’s final parts.
As mentioned earlier, I really liked how Short emphasizes certain themes within the plot. Honor, loyalty, sense of duty, responsibility, valor, and a code of ethics are all explored and prevalent within the novel.
A very enjoyable first read from Luke Short. I hope to read more of his works in the future.
As a central character, Ward Kinsman is sort of an antiheroic type; he is a flawed, moody, solitary but driven character who takes pride and honor seriously. He has a sort of “street smart” capability that helps him gain trust among the men. He has the wits, brains, and experience about him to strategize and produce a game plan for an impending confrontation. He is called on to lead a group of soldiers to help to try to rescue Mary Carlisle from an Apache tribe. However, to do so, they must deal with one of the infamous leaders of the Apache, Diablito.
It is interesting how there were several subplots of romance in the novel. I did not find these too distracting at all, and I thought they added a little bit more realness, dimension and depth to the characters and overall plot. Short aptly balances out these subplots with a final confrontation and skirmish between the band of soldiers and Diablito’s men in the book’s final parts.
As mentioned earlier, I really liked how Short emphasizes certain themes within the plot. Honor, loyalty, sense of duty, responsibility, valor, and a code of ethics are all explored and prevalent within the novel.
A very enjoyable first read from Luke Short. I hope to read more of his works in the future.
October 19, 2015
I love the Luke Short (Frederick D. Glidden) cozy Westerns. The men are strong in character but not infallible, the women likewise. Dad always had Luke Short books along when we went camping. I wish there had been a Luke Short series of TV movies or something of that ilk. The books are hard to find cuz people hung on to them or read them to pieces.
April 13, 2020
Taut little western I forgot I’d read. One of the first Luke Short books I got. Reread it over last weekend. Main character is the usual western loner. He scouts some for the Army. A reservation Apache called Diablito (think Geronimo) escapes the reservation and is leading a renegade band of warriors through mountainous country. A kidnapped white woman is with them and the story is about how the mountain man works with the Army to ambush the Apaches and rescue the woman. There’s some neat side stories in this one. The sister of the captive woman and her relationship with an officer, another officer who is attracted to an enlisted man’s wife, the near death of the post commander. It all neatly fits together for a satisfying conclusion.
October 8, 2025
Another done in a day. Such a rogue choice from me but it was this or the sequel to Call me by Your Name for the selection of English books at the hostel.
Exactly what you’d expect from a 1950s Western novel. Not my style so don’t have much to say about it. Probably a good story if that’s your thing, the author and the book has good really reviews.
Exactly what you’d expect from a 1950s Western novel. Not my style so don’t have much to say about it. Probably a good story if that’s your thing, the author and the book has good really reviews.
July 10, 2025
This is an entertaining old time western tale. A woman is kidnapped by Apache raiders in Arizona. The woman was traveling through Arizona with her husband’s team of surveyors as they were heading for a job in California. The rest of the travelers were killed in the raid. Unbeknownst to the Apache raiders, the woman is the daughter of a Colonel in the U.S. Army. The Apache renegades just included her as a slave in their band. Because she is the daughter of a high-ranking Cavalry officer, the nearby cavalry troop at Fort Gamble is assigned to rescue her. There is a lot of interesting historical detail about the working of these cavalry outposts, the Apache tribe and the desert environment and how that effects the rescue attempt. The characters are well drawn and defined. They are not simply stereotyped to fit an anticipated storyline. The dialogue is realistic and helpful in creating the tension and danger that this rescue entails.
October 6, 2020
U.S. cavalry story set in 1870s Arizona during the Apache Wars. It's got plenty of authentic details of the period, but the setup is long and melodramatic. Most of the action is back-loaded. There's also a dizzying amount of head-hopping, multiple changes in point of view per chapter.
This Luke Short novel, originally serialized in The Saturday Evening Post, was published in 1948, about a decade into his run as one of the most popular western novelists. The book hasn't aged well due to its machismo, misogyny, and its racist portrayal of Apaches. It was adapted into a Sam Wood movie starring Robert Taylor.
This Luke Short novel, originally serialized in The Saturday Evening Post, was published in 1948, about a decade into his run as one of the most popular western novelists. The book hasn't aged well due to its machismo, misogyny, and its racist portrayal of Apaches. It was adapted into a Sam Wood movie starring Robert Taylor.
August 8, 2021
A Good, Fast Read
This book practically read itself. In my case, unfortunately, some of the speed with which this book passed beneath my eyes is attributable to my skimming long passages of action. The writing is decent (not great), but not good enough to make long action sequences comprehensible to a sedentary person, which I am.
The book is nowhere near so racist as I expected it to be. I should have known better; it's a book group selection, and this group has yet to make a bad recommendation.
This book practically read itself. In my case, unfortunately, some of the speed with which this book passed beneath my eyes is attributable to my skimming long passages of action. The writing is decent (not great), but not good enough to make long action sequences comprehensible to a sedentary person, which I am.
The book is nowhere near so racist as I expected it to be. I should have known better; it's a book group selection, and this group has yet to make a bad recommendation.
June 4, 2017
Good western about an army scout who tries to help capture a renegade Apache and rescue a kidnapped white woman. The major he works for is a book learned officer who does not respect or understand the skills of the Apache warriors. Naturally, this leads to disaster for his command. Exciting, well done, this was made into a movie in 1949 starring Robert Taylor. Recommended.
October 28, 2020
My first Luke Short western. It was a pretty good read with believable characters in a southwest Apache country setting. Local US Army forces are faced with rescuing a woman captive from the Apache and have to rely on a loner civilian scout for help. Good escapism.
July 29, 2023
Very good reading
I really enjoyed reading this book because had excitement and some fact about how the West really was. I am glad that many things have changed though the years. I love these books because it gives you a look into the old West.
I really enjoyed reading this book because had excitement and some fact about how the West really was. I am glad that many things have changed though the years. I love these books because it gives you a look into the old West.
November 15, 2024
I really liked this book about a army scout who does his best to save a hard headed officer who thinks he knows it all for the sake of his men. Full of action and a bit of romance makes for a page turner.
October 24, 2018
first time in a while I have read an Indians and Cowboys western. Well written and enjoyable
January 7, 2021
The action does not start until the fourth chapter so it started kind of slow. There were many names to remember but it was good enough to rate 4 stars by me.
July 31, 2021
Once again a very good read from author Luke Short. I still thoroughly enjoy my westerns and this author knew thst genre well. My thanks to him for taking me to places i love to go.
October 10, 2024
Solid generic western,
from the no swearing,
no sex,
and overwhelming Christian values times....
from the no swearing,
no sex,
and overwhelming Christian values times....
December 29, 2020
Classic western novel.
One of Luke Short's best. Lively action and welcome love interests with believable characters. Recommend highly!
Western fans will love it.
One of Luke Short's best. Lively action and welcome love interests with believable characters. Recommend highly!
Western fans will love it.
March 21, 2020
Is it a western? I guess so but the slow and boring kind. Not much action to hold ones interest. Zzz...
September 27, 2021
“Ambush” by Luke Short is a really well written western I do not have very many western in my read category but this one would probably be at or near the top even if I had hundreds in my library. It’s masterfully done throughout with detail to the true life feel of 1870’s southwest ethos that makes this a very believable multi-thread plot line with complex strategy and tactics and two interweaving developing love stories but mostly it’s about Army war against Apaches but it’s also a psychological profile of different arch type of people in this campaign focus more on the people movement and action rather than on a actual Indian war the Apaches while central to the story are for the most part off stage for much of it the author choosing to develop great depth in the character developments which comes together in the end in a very happy ending sort of way. Five stars just finely written pulp fiction an enjoyable read.
October 6, 2018
A Luke Short western about a man who has deserted civilization. He is a prior scout for the U.S. cavalry but has no desire to hunt and kill more Indians. The Army wants him back to lead the chase for a vicious Apache war chief. This novel became a screen gem starring Robert Taylor and John Hodiak. This novel is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
July 12, 2023
The movie version was much better than the book especially the ending. But I still enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews