Night Over the Solomons: Stories

by Louis L'Amour

LOUIS L’AMOUR’S FIGHTERS IN THE SKY
 
They’re freelance pilots and full-time troubleshooters for democracy. They’re men like Steven Cowan, Mike Thorne, and Turk Madden who face danger every day of their lives and fight like tigers for what they believe in. With the world on the brink of war, they’re on the front lines or wherever there’s action. From the dangerous South Sea islands, to steaming South American jungles, to the islands of Japan, you’ll find these men ready to fight the enemies of freedom—in a battle to the death.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Adventure, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, World War II, Action

180 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Louis 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".

Reviews

[Barry Medlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of stories!!

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as L'Amour's similar West from Singapore, this collection of short stories get really repetitious really fast. Basically, each story involves the hero ("Turk Madden" in most of them) flying in to the jungles/wastelands/deserts of the Solomons/Tibet/South America/Siberia on some secret mission, only to get captured, escape, use his fists/guns, shoot down a couple of planes, and somewhere along the way…run into some gorgeous girl? Not helping (at least in my case) is that our hero is frequently running around with something called a "smatchet," which to me just sounded stupid as I read it but turns out is a real thing and actually fairly badass:



These stories were published between 1942-49 in the magazines "Thrilling Adventures" and "Sky Fighters," selling initially for 10¢ but then inflating to 15¢ and finally an outrageous 20¢ for the later issues. And maybe if the stories had actually been read at the rate of one per year, they would have fared better - but IMHO the l'Amour estate did them a disservice by publishing them in a back-to-back anthology. Indeed, both this book and Singapore would probably work better if they were combined into one volume, alternating the ship- and air-based stories for a little more variety. But as it is, this book started off kinda fun, but quickly became a chore. Still, I can't quite bring myself to give it only two stars, and so am rounding up to a just-barely-deserved 3.



STORIES INCLUDE:

Night Over the Solomons, 1943 (Thrilling Adventures)
Mission to Siberut, 1942 (Thrilling Adventures)
Pirates With Wings, 1949 (Sky Fighters)
Tailwind to Tibet, 1948 (Sky Fighters)
The Goose Flies South, 1947 (Sky Fighters)
Wings over Khabarovsk, 1944 (Sky Fighters)

[Rogue-van (the Bookman) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After traveling in the Pacific in the late 1930's, Louis L'Amour wrote these six stories for the adventure magazines. War, intrigue, exotic ports, and tough characters make fodder for exciting stories. The heroes in these stories would have been formidable foes even in the old west.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories by Louis L'Amour set in the South Pacific. The time on many of them are on the eve of World War II.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

The espisodes in this book are taken from L'Amour's experience during WWII. An excellent read for those interested in WWII.

[Gail Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

stories of WWII written during the war and soon after it ended

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 1988 collection of short stories written by author Louis L'Amour early in his career. These seven tales take place during or slightly after WWII. A common characteristic is that there is usually a woman to be rescued and a brute to be defeated by our hero in a display of fisticuffs.

Short Story Collection: 1. Night Over the Solomons - 1942. Shipwrecked sailor Mike Thorne discovers a secret Japanese airbase on Kolombangara in the Solomons Preparing for an attack against the Americans on Guadalcanal; 2. Mission to Siberut - 1942. Civilian flyer Steve Cowan is sent to the Indonesian island of Siberut to locate and destroy a freighter before it can deliver 50 Messerschmitt 110s to Japan; 3. Pirates With Wings - Post-WWII. Flyer Turk Madden encounters problems during an aerial geologic survey in Brazil's Matto Grosso; 4. Tailwind to Tibet - Post WWII. After a plane carrying an advanced radiation detection instrument crashed deep in Tibet, Turk Madden takes a team of government representatives to attempt to retrieve the cargo, and the pilot's sister who hopes he survived the crash; 5. The Goose Flies South - Post WWII. Turk Madden takes three government representatives to Patagonia to secretly observe an atomic bomb test being conducted by rogue German scientists and a fascist Argentinian group; 6. Wings over Khabarovsk - During WWII. Turk Madden is being wrongfully held on a murder charge in Siberia. He is accused of killing a young Russian who had taken, now missing, photos of suspicious features on the coast.

[Brian Fagan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do you sometimes end up reading two books in quick succession that turn out to have striking similarities? I recently read James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific. The book I picked up this morning, a quick read, was Louis L'Amour's Night Over the Solomons. Both are set in the same location at the same time: World War II in the southern Pacific Ocean. L'Amour's book is a collection of six short stories. Generally, I tend to avoid short stories and read novels, but this book was included in a 3-pack.

I enjoy L'Amour's western novels, but this short story collection was disappointing. The plots were largely formulaic. In most, a rugged and fearless civilian hero is doing for-profit work for the U. S. government or the military during wartime. He's got a few good buddies along. The mission involves a dangerous landing in an occupied area, often after a crazy dogfight. Tell me, can an amphibian plane outmaneuver and destroy a fighter plane? Probably not. But it happens here. More than once. Cliffs are climbed. Without ropes. In pitch darkness. Butts are kicked. The lovely single woman hanging around is impressed, and interested. In one episode, enraged spear-chucking natives chase the good guys to their seaplane. Kinda like the scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Not sure which came first. This collection came out, like that movie, in the mid-80's.

And I'm sorry, but there are times where Mr. L'Amour's grammar is just plain wrong - not in dialogue but in his writing itself.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found an old box a few weeks ago and started to read some books tucked away. A few I had read already but a good number were ones I never got around to.

One of my favorite authors is Louis L'Amour. Started reading his westerns with the Sackett sagas and got into them. As I searched old used book stores for paperback copies I found many L'Amour titles which were not westerns. He had many early stories in other genres. WW II adventures, boxing and some non-cowboy but still westerns and a few pirate books.

He had many short stories from the old 'Mens" magazines and this collection is of some that as he gained more and more readers was put together. While they seem a bit dated by today's standards, they are all nice reads. A story that keeps you turning the pages is what the writer wanted and if you then looked for the next issue to read another from them was how they got their starts. L'Amour was one like Mickey Spillane who caught the reader's attention and built a steady following. But then a book caught a lot of attention and away they go.

[Ward G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is by the authors opening welcome.
Some of his earliest work.

The book is a group of short stories. Not in his usual western niche.
They involve spies and soldiers of fortune.
Set, during the time of World War two era.

Exotic locations, like the East Indies islands, the Amazon jungles, and Tibet among them.
A few different main characters.
Yet all involve flyers. So some meetings and intrigue on land.
As well as aerial combat in the skies.

Although not all of the main story characters are in the military or spy service.
They all fight, when brought into it. For the good of the allied cause.

A decent trip, into the past. With as usual.
L'amours attention to locations and details. An interesting change of pace.

[Oleta Blaylock · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the short stories I have read in one of the later Collection of short stories that I have recently read. These are all good stories and I am sure that there will be a lot of people that will love them. I do recommend that the big fans of Mr. L'Amour read these short stories. I think that they are a great glimpse into the life he led wondering around the world.

[Bobby H · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. There are writers and then there are story tellers. L'Amour is a story teller and one of the best mens adventure writers I have encountered.
Do not pigeon-hole him as a "cowboy" writer. Night over the Solomons is not a western but beyond being one of the best adventure books I have read it is one of the best collections of short stories I have read.

[Murphy C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough for the ultra pulpy, WWII-era adventure stories that they are, but nothing more. These stories are like episodes of early black and white TV: they are full of action, elaborate plotting, and zero messy characterization. Which is to say, these early L'Amour stories lack (narrative) color.

[Jared · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

Not really my thing. Considering how many Louis L'Amour books I read as a kid, I thought I'd find this one at least nostalgic, but I struggled even with that. This is L'Amour's early pulp fiction before he found his stride, and it shows.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louis L'Amour was a premier storyteller. The way he described the locations and the action makes you feel almost like you are there.
This book has stories of freelance pilots who are also troubleshooters. I found the stories interesting and exciting.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Execellent Book

[Peter Charleston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice collection of his early short stories.

[Tim Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good selection of short stories, most of which feature Turk Madden. A good read.

[Philip S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not some of L'Amour's better work. A set of six short stories filled with technical difficulties and anachronisms.

[Bradhernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. Like the Turk Madden character and the time period. Will definitely read more.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories of Fliers, mostly seaplanes around the world.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

First short story was engrossing and held my interest to the end. The rest of the stories were forgettable. I did want to point out that I really like L'Amour's dialogue, his characters always sound so realistic, like that's how that specific character would really react and talk. His range of characters is good and his treatment of women is above average. Excellent source material for learning how to craft tough alpha males and their tough rivals.

[Robert Lariviere · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good adventure by an outstanding prolific author.

[Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louis l’Amour personal life could be action movie. His worldly experience shows in these short stories. A pleasure to read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsure what to say about my re-read of this book. When I ear read Unbroken and listened to the parts about flying and the islands of the South Pacific, I was reminded of L'Amour's books on the same subjects. I remember really enjoying the adventures and exotic settings in my late teens and early twenties. But time has passed.

The stories in this book are swashbuckling and true to the spirit of the 40s and 50s. That means that the portrayal of other cultures in Asia and South America is troublesome to the more culturally aware me. Savages, primitives, backwards -- even when conceding their humanity and that their beliefs should be respected. I never would have characterized Louis L'Amour as racist or prejudiced but there are some elements of those attitudes in here. Certainly he was of the persuasion that the American way of life and philosophy was superior. Probably more so when he wrote these stories around the time of WWII. It makes me a bit sad about all the books of his I have read and loved over the years, and more inclined to give more consideration to the subtexts and unconscious biases in them.

[Juan Maestas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louis L'Amour wrote these stories before he galloped into writing westerns, and many of these were among his first published work. Night Over the Solomons was a fast paced and action driven. Many of the characters were genre stock, likened to the old movie-house serials of the 30s and 40s. The women, if present, were there to be saved by the hero- or give motivation to hero "do justice!" While the cultural handling of gender and ethnicity are dated and could be construed by some to be offensive, I found many lessons of storytelling by this old master. If you like Indiana Jones, you'd be entertained by these short stories. I admit that I was.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I put it in Westerns to go along with L'Amour's other stuff, but this is actually stories set in the World War II period. Not nearly as good as his western stuff, but they were mostly written pretty early in his career.

[Allen Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different twist from the author. Same formula but with different settings. A lot of airplane action and much more modern settings. Main characters tend to be the wondering mercenaries rather then the lonely cowboy and not a whole lot of the love story backdrop.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine if Indiana Jones was a pilot. I found these short stories of pilot-adventurers all taking place during or shortly after WWII highly entertaining.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic in evoking far-off climes and times