Matagorda

by Louis L'Amour

Tap Duvarney fought in the War Between the States, then signed on as an Indian fighter with the frontier army. Now he's settled in Texas, working a ranch as the partner of his old friend Tom Kittery — and in the middle of a blood feud between Kittery and the vicious Munson clan. Around Matagorda, most folks are either on the side of the Munsons — or laying low. With Kittery and the Munsons out to spill each other's blood, and Kittery's woman stirring up trouble between the two uneasy partners, Duvarney knows he's headed for a savage showdown. But will it be with the Munsons, his enemies... or with Kittery, his friend?

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Action, Adult, Historical

167 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

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

[Henry Avila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former Army Major Tappan Duvarney, veteran of the American Civil War, (the War between the States 1861-1865 ) and the Indian fighting , is tired. All he wants and needs of life is a little money so he can marry his fiancee, Jessica Trescott. Finally receiving just $ 7,000 of his wealthy, ship owning father's estate in old Virginia. His family mansion was burnt and their ships gone, destroyed in fact. They were Union supporters from the South, not too popular you can imagine. Unwise investing with an old friend, Tom Kittery ( the cattle business) in lawless Texas. Tappan doesn't know that Tom is waging a bloody feud, with the Munsons. Meeting Mady Coppinger Tom's girlfriend on the ship to Texas, he learns the truth. Arriving at the Lone Star State's dusty town of Indianola, Duvarney is jumped, but you guessed it by a couple of vicious Munsons. Dispatching both quickly with a few well aimed punches that are effective. He soon finds an unfortunate dead man on the street. The deceased was with the Kittery faction, his partner's. Showing great courage if not wise in the hazardous situation, brave Tapppan buries the body against the Munsons wishes. Mady had told him , how to safely contact Kittery . The Captain of the vessel also warned him about the leader of the Munsons , Jackson Huddy a notorious killer that likes to shoot a man, when his back is turned, no gentleman. Reluctantly he joins the fight, more like a brawl after a friend is cowardly murdered. Killings abound and Jessica comes to town unexpectedly. More danger, the nameless 1875 Hurricane hits Matagorda Island. Will the tempest reach the troubles in Indianola. Can the people seeking shelter from the storm, including Jessica and Mady, gather inside the courthouse and be safe ? A fan of Louis L' Amour has a treat in this book, action, romance and a hero to root for. The outcome is never in doubt but the fun part is getting there as one of the masters of the westerns comes through again as the uninitiated will ascertain.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good western by L'Amour as gentleman, after the civil war, makes a business deal raising cattle in Southeast Texas. There is a bitter feud he tries to avoid, a weak, fickle woman, a strong independent woman, a back shooting bad guy, and not least, a hurricane. A very quick read, one afternoon, this does not have the usual L'Amour moralizing.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matagorda Louis L'Amour Good honest Western nothing better to hear about cowboys nearly shoot each other, and then actually shoot each other, then they chase each other around and nearly find each other...this time like the last time...over not much as usual, just good old soap opera time wasting Coronation street cowboy style. Set in the swamps of south Texas, Matagorda Bay, with L'Amour your always guaranteed a good yarn, this time we have the reluctant hero Tap trying to make money for his soon to be wife, he's a former Union soldier who makes an unlikely friendship with a southern Gent he took prisoner during the civil war, what the....kind of weird, anyway Tap partnered up and financed the cattle drive, but he slowly becomes involved in his Friends historic family feud, where many have died, there is a troubled woman well actually when isn't there a troubled woman. Story bounces you along like you got nothing better to do, like a yo-yo that got away.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice solid L'Amour western...nothing better on a cold winter's day with your feet up by the fireplace and an old dog laying on the rug by your feet. That sounds nice to me but I actually read most of this one while on my lunch break, sitting in my car, shivering a bit in the cold weather while my nearly frozen fingers attempted to turn the pages. Yes, I love to read that much.

I'll rank this one among the top 20 of all of the Louis L'Amour westerns I've read...somewhere around 85-90 so far. A good, albeit reluctant hero, a long-standing feud to provide tough bad guys with reputations, a cattle-drive, a pretty girl or two, and lots of gun-play. What's not to love?

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing less than a solidly entertaining, lean adventure story.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of classic westerns, this is a good one. Tap Duvarney has fought in the Civil War and against the Indians in the West. Now he's ready to settle down, marry his sweetheart from the East, and raise cattle. He joins a war buddy in Texas in the cattle business, but when he arrives, he's immediately embroiled in a feud between Tom Kittery and the Munson clan. He takes charge, fights off the Munsons, rounds up the cattle and prepares to drive them to Kansas and the train, only to be stopped by a hurricane. Not to mention the treachery of Kittery's girl. This book is full of the western tropes: gunfights, cattle drives, feuds, good women who save the men they love and bad ones who betray them. And a hurricane. It moves at a brisk pace, and Fliakos instills a real sense of urgency as the danger increases; characters are faithful types; action-packed story line; strong sense of place; classic western dialog and description with engaging style and homespun language; dramatic and ultimately upbeat tone. There are still a lot of Western fans out there, and these excellent recordings from Books on Tape provide another format for sharing L'Amour's storytelling skills.

[Terry Yaceyko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Not one that I remembered from my youth. Not my favorite, but I did like the connection between Tap and Jessica. I love a strong woman that can complement a strong man.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this last night (3/20/2010) and slowly covered the 14 pages of chapter one. I read slowly anyway, but I take my time with Louis - trying to see the picture exactly as he paints it.

Louis will always be my favorite author and so far, Matagorda is pure Louis L'Amour. Vivid characterizations and rich environments take me away from my day-to-day grind and deliver me to another time and place. What more can a reader request?

[Randy Grossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from the Western writer Louis L'Amour. I find it SO interesting that he has SO many stories and finds various ways to keep them interesting. This one had a hurricane that the characters had to live through and then there was a pretty good buildup for a showdown that had a rather surprising ending.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also a good one.

[Peter Charleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tale of what the old west might have been. Tappan Duvarney invests his money on cattle located in Texas and heads that way to help move them to market. Turns out his partner, Tom Kittery, seems to be involved in an old feud and the cattle are not yet ready for the drive. Toss in a little bad weather along with Tappan's fiancé arriving this proves to be an enjoyable reading adventure.

[Isaac Yeates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical fiction was AWESOME! I have never read a Louis L'Amour book I didn't like and this was no different. I would read it again any day. There just my favorite books in my favorite genre. If you have any interest at all in cowboys, the wild west, history, or even action and excitement, I recommend reading this. Only good things to say about this.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the author's characters. Readers follow the life of Tap Duvarney, a man who is a bit lost in life after dealing with war and hardships. If you haven't read a book by this author you are missing out. I love the westerns and how the author makes the characters not only believable, but people you would like to sit around a campfire and have a cup of coffee with,

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this started out an all-too-typical western trail drive book, it turned into a unique story after a while with a hurricane and the introduction of a very interesting and admirable love interest and a unique and interesting bad guy.

[Nicole L Ochoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cattle drive mixed with a land war and a hurricane in Texas. My favorite character shows up toward the end. Another great book by L'Amour.

[Adam Polselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this novel in a day! It's a quick read, and not very deep, but Tap is a bad man! I really liked him as a character.

[Scott Mayfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Another great story. Good store line with a twist from most of Mr L'Amour's other books and of course lots of action. Worth the read.

[Andy Barkus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great lamour book


The girl comes thru at the end as always. This was as good as the sacket brand of books. Thanks

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

About a Southern gentleman who fought with the North in The War Between the States, this story contrasts honor and duplicity, resourcefulness and incompetence, progress and stagnation.

[Casey Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy old western read.

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Nicolae Nicolae Birsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, wasnt expecting much from it at the beginning. However I liked the way it shaped.

One of the best books I have read. Definitley a top 10 LL book.

I liked the main character too. Nicely done and as string character. Cool book!

[Van Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

The usual L’Amour formula, a good-looking guy, a beautiful and strong woman, and a bad guy trying to make trouble for both. This book mixes in a hurricane to make things interesting.

[Ted Cartier · Rating 4 out of 5]

typical Louis L'Amour book. Lots of action, lots of fun.

[Shubes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a bit hard on Louis L'Amour here of late (and with good enough reason, I feel), but this book somewhat redeemed him in my eyes. Instead of a "Superman-wearing-a-Stetson" super-invincible, barely-believable tough guy cowboy, the protagonist in Matagorda seems like a legitimate character, hardened enough by his (very believable) life experiences in the Army and fighting Indians to have survived the trouble that came to him in this particular story.

If I had any particular dislikes or "roll-my-eyes" moments, I don't recall them at all reading this particular story. As I've been on a Louis L'Amour reading kick here of late, it's easy enough for me to know the stories that were just too far-fetched to be feasible. This one was a welcome change. Probably the only thing that I really had a hard time wrapping my head around - and I'm not saying it couldn't happen; just that I can't imagine having to face it myself - was the attempt to herd/drive cattle during a hurricane. Growing up on the coast of Texas, I'm familiar with the storms the author was describing, and can't imagine the misery these guys - and cattle! - would have to endure to drive like this during a storm like that.

The conclusion of the story was very different, completely unexpected, and yet another welcome relief from the predictable finishes of most western novels. Overall, I'll admit that in my later years, I'm getting much more critical of stories...whether read, told, watched, or listened to; some of that cynicism has undoubtedly played a part in my critiquing of L'Amour's books here of late, but this particular story was a very enjoyable read, one that was completely believable and makes you wish you knew the characters personally.

This would have made for an excellent screen rendition; it's a shame this title never got pushed to the big screen. I highly recommend this one.

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sono cresciuto leggendo fumetti western. Tex prima di tutto il resto. E vedendo film western al cinema dopo il catechismo, in un cinema di paese dove tipicamente i film arrivavano in ritardo di un anno e mezzo o due, ma la domenica pomeriggio proiettava film per "ragazzini" a volte vecchi di molti anni.
Questo però è il mio primo romanzo western propriamente detto.
Letto quasi tutto d'un fiato, nell'arco di 24 ore.
Niente da dire: L'Amour scrive molto bene, ha le idee chiare, e in questa faida di fantasia inserisce la storica distruzione della città di Indianola nel 1875. I personaggi sono abbastanza grezzi, a parte praticamente il solo protagonista, ma con pochi tratti riesce a dare bene l'idea di tutti i protagonisti. E delle due protagoniste femminili, che saranno due rivelazioni. Il finale è decisamente un anticlimax ben riuscito.
Credo che se mai mi capiterà, leggerò altro di L'Amour.

[Ward G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in post civil war Texas.

Tap the main character has a dream.
Problems being, when started. He does not have all the facts.

Heading to meet his partner, to drive some cattle for money.
Tap discovers he has walked into the middle of a family feud.
In the vein of Hatfield and MCcoys
His partners side, at this point on the losing end.

Tap tries to keep clear of it. As he and his men are targeted.
They try to make the gather.
Before they can make the drive.
They must all survive, the hurricane coming in.

They say a man needs a good woman to stand by him.
The town at risk, hurricane, final showdowns.
With maybe the woman that loves him. Turning the final twist for victory.

Some different elements than the normal.
Keeps the pages turning.

[Jwt Jan50 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spring of 1973 just prior to commissioning at AOCS ran into a little difficulty with one of the DI's. One of the consequences was my doing 'field day' of all the DI's locker space. Every single one of them had at least 1, and most multiple, paperbacks of L'Amour. That summer at Whiting my class got caught in a backlog where there was no flying for about 6 weeks. Lots of time in the trainers, jogging around the north perimeter and reading. Picked this one up. It's a good read. I can understand why people enjoy them. My one brother in law has read every single one.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louis L'Amour was not one of the most technical or long-winded writers, he was short, succinct, and to the point and had a way that grabs you into the story immediately. The descriptions of the scenery, events, people, and situations made you feel as if you were right there living it side-by-side with his characters.

With Matagorda you have the classic Louis L'Amour situations with the good guy fighting the bad guy, a life-threatening conflict, and the good guy wins.

[Alyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Just wish it was 50+ pages longer. I felt like the plot was in building mode for so long and then all of a sudden there was the climax and a very steep descent to the end.
This left me with many questions. And if not another 50 or so pages, how about a sequel??

But as always any Louis L'Amour story that combines good characters and the cattle business keeps me pretty entertained.