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The Sacketts #7
Lando
In Lando, Louis L’Amour has created an unforgettable portrait of a unique American hero.For six long years Orlando Sackett survived the horrors of a brutal Mexican prison. He survived by using his skills as a boxer and by making three vows. The first was to exact revenge on the hired killers who framed him. The second was to return to his father. And the third was to find Gin Locklear. But the world has changed a lot since Lando left it. His father is missing. The woman he loves is married. And the killers want him dead. Hardened physically and emotionally, Lando must begin an epic journey to resolve his past, even if it costs him his life.From the Paperback edition.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1962
679 people are currently reading
1622 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
996 books3,479 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 228 reviews
December 20, 2019
Another pretty good L'Amour read. Five foot nine and hugely muscled Lando, another of the Sackett clan sets out from the Tennessee mountains to start a new life. His mother dead his father missing Lando has his troubles. "Pa", Falcon Sackett left a neighbor with 3 sacks of gold for the raising and schooling of his son Lando, but once it seemed clear that something had happened to Falcon and he wasn't coming back the neighbor stole the money, bought land and schooled his own son with the money meant for Lando. Treated like a servant Lando finally had enough and thrashed the "boy" getting his schooling and the "lit out" before the boys "pa" and "ma" could take revenge. In his father and mother's old cabin he lived on his own... Now along with an enigmatic traveling peddler and worker "The Tinker" he's going west to make his fortune.
The book has action and once it gets started it rolls along at a good clip with under-handed dealing, bandits, horse racing, prize fighting...and gun fighting. If some books are "brain candy" this might be "brain jerky" as it's a western. Maybe not what would be called "great literature" but pure adventure and a good read. 3.5 if we had half stars. Enjoy.
The book has action and once it gets started it rolls along at a good clip with under-handed dealing, bandits, horse racing, prize fighting...and gun fighting. If some books are "brain candy" this might be "brain jerky" as it's a western. Maybe not what would be called "great literature" but pure adventure and a good read. 3.5 if we had half stars. Enjoy.
February 15, 2015
What illiterate wrote these summaries? Do yourself a favor and don't read any of them. They're awful! For one, they all concentrate on the least interesting pieces of the story.
Not that the story is that great, sadly. Lando isn't terribly interesting, really. Indeed, the real story is with his father's past. Which means I couldn't help feeling that we missed all the most interesting bits sticking with Lando rather than stepping back twenty years and following Falco from the beginning.
Anyway, bad marketing, awful copywriting, and a story that's barely coherent made this a less-than-satisfying read. Toss in that this is the first in the Sackett stories with no love interest whatsoever and you have an almost complete wash.
And yes, that means this one takes the title of weakest in the series from Sackett. Tell was a much better hero and his story was more coherent than this one. Which is sad because Lando had a great premise (following in a father's footsteps, finding trouble along the way). It just felt like a shadow of the much bigger, better story that we didn't actually get to see...
Not that the story is that great, sadly. Lando isn't terribly interesting, really. Indeed, the real story is with his father's past. Which means I couldn't help feeling that we missed all the most interesting bits sticking with Lando rather than stepping back twenty years and following Falco from the beginning.
Anyway, bad marketing, awful copywriting, and a story that's barely coherent made this a less-than-satisfying read. Toss in that this is the first in the Sackett stories with no love interest whatsoever and you have an almost complete wash.
And yes, that means this one takes the title of weakest in the series from Sackett. Tell was a much better hero and his story was more coherent than this one. Which is sad because Lando had a great premise (following in a father's footsteps, finding trouble along the way). It just felt like a shadow of the much bigger, better story that we didn't actually get to see...
January 12, 2012
Entertaing book but not quite up to par with the other books in the "Sackett" series. It's obvious that there was no birth control in the 1870's because if I can just find one more Sackett brother we'll be able to field a marching band.
December 11, 2019
Lando Louis L'Amour a well tested formula good cowboys bad cowboys, gold, a wild shootout a fist fight here and there and a pretty woman. Pure escapism in the wild west days happy days abound, my western fix is abated my heart is cheered.
July 7, 2016
Lando is even better the second time!
Having read all of the Sackett Series Books several years ago, I decided to read them again. Lando is very much like old Barnabas Sackett, in the description of his body build and his forgiving disposition. In fact, these are two of my favorite characters in the series. When beginning a new book in the series, if these same characters are not mentioned, I miss them as if a long, lost friend has left me forever.
If you have not read any of the Sackett books or watched the t.v. series, Barnabas is basically the beginning of the line. I say this because he was an only child living in the Fins in England prior to boarding a ship to come to, what is now, the United States of America. His father taught him to wrestle, fist fight and how to use a sword. Barnabas passed these skills along to his own sons and they have continued the traditional teachings.
This series is not just for the guys! It is an awesome story of a family line who sets their roots in the new world and how they manage to live off the land and to survive during brutal times. It is a story of love of the land, freedom and then the great love a person has for their spouse. You will want to read and read again over and over this great series of books.
Louis L'Amour has written a tremendous number of books about the land, the people and the sheer determination to survive in a world that was uncivilized when they arrived. What an awesome writer of books! He traveled to the places he has written about and it is evident.
Having read all of the Sackett Series Books several years ago, I decided to read them again. Lando is very much like old Barnabas Sackett, in the description of his body build and his forgiving disposition. In fact, these are two of my favorite characters in the series. When beginning a new book in the series, if these same characters are not mentioned, I miss them as if a long, lost friend has left me forever.
If you have not read any of the Sackett books or watched the t.v. series, Barnabas is basically the beginning of the line. I say this because he was an only child living in the Fins in England prior to boarding a ship to come to, what is now, the United States of America. His father taught him to wrestle, fist fight and how to use a sword. Barnabas passed these skills along to his own sons and they have continued the traditional teachings.
This series is not just for the guys! It is an awesome story of a family line who sets their roots in the new world and how they manage to live off the land and to survive during brutal times. It is a story of love of the land, freedom and then the great love a person has for their spouse. You will want to read and read again over and over this great series of books.
Louis L'Amour has written a tremendous number of books about the land, the people and the sheer determination to survive in a world that was uncivilized when they arrived. What an awesome writer of books! He traveled to the places he has written about and it is evident.
October 13, 2015
The blurb on the back of this book is the most awful blurb I've ever read. I spent half the story wondering if the publisher put a blurb for another book on the cover. But then, halfway in, everything the blurb says starts to unfold but not in the context that the blurb suggests. And I think I would've preferred the story that the blurb suggests.
This has been my least favorite story about the Sackett family; everything interesting happens before the start of this book and the attempt to work in the backstory is convoluted. Then, just as the story gets interesting - right before Lando is thrown into Mexican prison - the narrative breaks, those six years of prison skipped, so the end of the book feels like the start of a new story.
I was glad to finish this one and hope I don't see a repeat in the rest of the series.
This has been my least favorite story about the Sackett family; everything interesting happens before the start of this book and the attempt to work in the backstory is convoluted. Then, just as the story gets interesting - right before Lando is thrown into Mexican prison - the narrative breaks, those six years of prison skipped, so the end of the book feels like the start of a new story.
I was glad to finish this one and hope I don't see a repeat in the rest of the series.
August 4, 2021
This book, after the first two of the Sackett series, is one of my least favorites out of this series. It's not bad, but it just could be better. (Also I have to say, I really hate this cover. It's probably one of my least favorite covers ever.) The plot itself is really good, but I feel like it starts to go downhill towards the end of the novel. The story begins to rush through the years so quickly that, as Lando changes, the reader can't quite keep up, and it feels like you don't really know him anymore. It's kind of a shame, because you felt as though you knew him really well in the beginning, but by the end of the novel you just don't. But the majority of the novel is pretty good, it's only the last 30 pages or so that change his personality, so overall, it's not a bad book.
January 23, 2020
This story of Orlando, Lando Sackett.
His story is more “brutal” and on the wilder side than the Sackett books I’ve read up to this point.
His mother dead and his father gone, Lando had to fend for himself since an early age. His father left Lando with his old “friend”, who was asked to give Lando a proper education. This was to be insured by giving his “friend” a large sack of gold.
Then his father left and disappeared.
Of course the money was never spent on Lando, but on the man’s own son, his wife and for purchasing a large cattle ranch.
Lando ran away from the abusive family into the mountains where he built a mill. On day a goods peddler shows up on Lando’s doorstep and offers him to accompany him to a distant land.
By this time, three brothers who have connection with Lando’s father got the wind of him and are after to him to find out what happened to his father and the missing gold.
As Lando travels, he gets into more and more trouble over his father and his “cursed” gold.
Sure, Lando makes plenty of bad choices, all stemming from the notion of easy and fast riches, instead of going with his intuition and his heart of making it as a cattle rancher.
And when he gets ambushed on the border with Mexico, he sees his friends get killed and he gets thrown into a secret prison, where he is tortured for informing about the treasure.
After years of imprisonment, he is saved only by a chance by Texas rangers, who were accidentally at the wrong place.
He travels with them back and swears to start anew without any treasure. But the past is fast on his heels, as more people want to know what had happened to his father and where is the location of the hidden gold.
Like I said, this was much “rougher” story than all the other Sacketts so far. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I wish the characters were a bit more developed and that we got a bit more back story for the main characters.
All in all OK Sackett story, if rather a forgettable one.
His story is more “brutal” and on the wilder side than the Sackett books I’ve read up to this point.
His mother dead and his father gone, Lando had to fend for himself since an early age. His father left Lando with his old “friend”, who was asked to give Lando a proper education. This was to be insured by giving his “friend” a large sack of gold.
Then his father left and disappeared.
Of course the money was never spent on Lando, but on the man’s own son, his wife and for purchasing a large cattle ranch.
Lando ran away from the abusive family into the mountains where he built a mill. On day a goods peddler shows up on Lando’s doorstep and offers him to accompany him to a distant land.
By this time, three brothers who have connection with Lando’s father got the wind of him and are after to him to find out what happened to his father and the missing gold.
As Lando travels, he gets into more and more trouble over his father and his “cursed” gold.
Sure, Lando makes plenty of bad choices, all stemming from the notion of easy and fast riches, instead of going with his intuition and his heart of making it as a cattle rancher.
And when he gets ambushed on the border with Mexico, he sees his friends get killed and he gets thrown into a secret prison, where he is tortured for informing about the treasure.
After years of imprisonment, he is saved only by a chance by Texas rangers, who were accidentally at the wrong place.
He travels with them back and swears to start anew without any treasure. But the past is fast on his heels, as more people want to know what had happened to his father and where is the location of the hidden gold.
Like I said, this was much “rougher” story than all the other Sacketts so far. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I wish the characters were a bit more developed and that we got a bit more back story for the main characters.
All in all OK Sackett story, if rather a forgettable one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2025
7.43/10
Just ok, if it were not for the scenery and the tiny bit of pirate stuff, this would be much lower
Their syntax is awful, and the plot is just not enough to push it through, luckily this was less than 200pgs
Just ok, if it were not for the scenery and the tiny bit of pirate stuff, this would be much lower
Their syntax is awful, and the plot is just not enough to push it through, luckily this was less than 200pgs
November 28, 2020
Another winner. Lando travels to Mexico encountering adventure. Is his father still alive? Is there a treasure? Can he trust the tinker? I liked the flow of this story and the journey towards a horse race with a mule and if the Tinkers boxing lessons were worth it.
June 30, 2023
My least favorite of the Sackett series so far, "Lando" contained too much violence and betrayal for my tastes. It was, however, a perfect illustration of how gold fever and greed affected the lives of men. I put off reading this one at first, due to the description, but since Lando was mentioned in a later book, I decided to check out his story. I also miss having each successive book connected to the earlier ones. There are vague references to ancestors, but no names or direct links.
May 6, 2023
This was not my favorite Louise L’Amour book. It wrapped up too quickly and neatly.
June 13, 2012
Not my favorite one. Lando's personality was a little vague, as was the storyline. After finishing, I couldn't really tell you much about him, other than, that's he's big through the shoulders. Kind of a break from the others where the Sackett became like a close friend by the time the story was over.
The hunting for treasure that they never really did get and then the revenge on men that was sort of confused about why they made him angry...it was just all a little thrown together.
But Louis sure does a good fight scene. In this book it was boxing, and he just writes them so vividly, they come to life in my mind.
The hunting for treasure that they never really did get and then the revenge on men that was sort of confused about why they made him angry...it was just all a little thrown together.
But Louis sure does a good fight scene. In this book it was boxing, and he just writes them so vividly, they come to life in my mind.
July 18, 2007
I'm not really into westerns. This was the first one I had read. (I was bored, it was sitting there, so I read it.) It was about like I expected a western to be- stoic protagonist, grizzled heartless bad guys, knock-em sock-em fist fights, a few gun fights, a girl or two, horses... In the end it was entertaining and mostly forgettable.
September 27, 2012
Read most of Louis Lamour's books when I was in my late teens and early twenties. They are important to me as they were some of the first books that got me into the reading habit. For that I shall be forever grateful
December 23, 2008
A very good novel of the Sacketts. There sure were a bunch of them.
February 24, 2025
A tale from a different branch of the Sackett family that Louis L’Amour made famous. I would agree with some others I’ve read reviews from that a book on Lando’s father Falco would have been far more interesting.
This book moves from a lad leaving the home where he has no family left with the mysterious Tinker he doesn’t fully trust. There are snippets of a story of Lando’s father leavjng him in the care of a stranger (who robbed him of strange gold Falco left for his schooling) and three uncles from his dear-departed mother hunting him to kill him.
A story on Falco could have created a much more suspense and actually filled in the stories that tended to be skeletons without much meat on the bones.
This book moves from a lad leaving the home where he has no family left with the mysterious Tinker he doesn’t fully trust. There are snippets of a story of Lando’s father leavjng him in the care of a stranger (who robbed him of strange gold Falco left for his schooling) and three uncles from his dear-departed mother hunting him to kill him.
A story on Falco could have created a much more suspense and actually filled in the stories that tended to be skeletons without much meat on the bones.
July 26, 2023
Now, that's what I call a rousing good adventure story! I especially love how Lando just remains a good-hearted, sensible, nice man through it all. Honestly, this book just kind of trots along from one adventure to the next, all of which are tied together by that search for pirate gold, which Lando himself is not really all that interested in, but which people around him keep dragging him toward. I could have trotted along beside Lando for another couple hundred pages. This is probably going to end up being one of my favorites of the Sackett books.
December 29, 2023
Not quite as good as the other Sackett series. It felt very unfinished. You had the climax and then…it was over. Even the language and idioms were simplistic and seemed like placeholders compared to the others in the series.
Worthwhile to read nevertheless as provides background into the characters.
For audible, the narration was jarring compared to Curliss and, especially, Straitairn, but I managed to acclimate to his style. His voice impressions were quite weak.
Worthwhile to read nevertheless as provides background into the characters.
For audible, the narration was jarring compared to Curliss and, especially, Straitairn, but I managed to acclimate to his style. His voice impressions were quite weak.
February 6, 2020
"Lando" is another exciting story in the Sacketts series. The hero, Orlando Sackett, is a likeable man who gets caught in the middle of a family feud and a search for pirate gold. Although this isn't my favorite of the Sackett books, it's a gripping story that's hard to put down.
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March 21, 2022“From time to time I’d seen fighting done, but not a man killed before, and it seemed there ought to be more to it. One moment he was coming at us blustering and confident, and the next he was dying in the trail mud.”, p. 29
April 29, 2020
Lando Sackett goes west to southwest Texas with the tinker. While there hye learns of gold found by his father. His father escapes from a Mexican jail. They get the gold. Lando is arrested and serves six years in a Mexican jail. He gets out then faces the bad guys.It is a beautiful trip through southwest Texas. It ias another tale in the Sackett series.
June 1, 2020
It has been a while since I have read one of Louis L'Amour's westerns, it was quite enjoyable. It was more intense than some of the others that I have read. I also felt that the character arc and theme were deeper than most of his other works. I particularly enjoyed Lando as a character, he was capable and intelligent but still kind and not driven by hatred.
4.0-4.5
4.0-4.5
January 20, 2022
Louis L' Amour puts more story into a short book than most authors do in their very long ones! Fun rollicking adventure tale.
October 3, 2023
Just a good ole fashioned Louis L’Amour western. An easy read and enjoyable if you like Westerns/the Sackett’s.
January 21, 2023
This was a feisty one.
February 27, 2014
ISBN from 1980 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Reviewed before https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Grieving his wife, Falcon "Three heavy sacks of gold he passed over to Caffrey .. Care for him well, and every third coin is your own" p 270. But "too much for his principles to bear" p 271. Greedy wife whispers to kill narrator Orlando 11, who punches out their bullying son Duncan, and runs home at 12.
Lando lives five years on own, till arrival of roaming gypsy Tinker, famed for steel knives, coincides with "one-eyed spavined mare" p 274, get of famed racer, in heat. He sneaks the mare in to mate with Caffrey's fast stallion, and leaves pregnant mare with Mexican Manuel.
Alongside tradition "no Sackett ever turned a man from his fire", he can yarn "started .. west .. preacher .. talked so much about sin that I got right interested" p 283. Generosity is rewarded. Outlaw Cullen Baker gives him fine 1859 "Walch Navy .. twelve-shots .. two triggers" p 284. Lando later scares threats by this advice and coffee compliment implying close bond with terror.
Snippy Marsha Deckrow 14 snubs the dusty pair. Uncle Jonas Locklear invites them to dine, recognizes Tinker as Cosmo Lengro. Finally, Lando learns how the three met in 1868, found 1816 from pirate Jean Lafitte, "not a million dollars - a million" gold Spanish coins, worth much more p 295, and Captain Elam Kurbishaw finds out.
Three Kurbishaw brothers try to stop their sister from marrying Falcon, before names connect. Lando falls for Jonas's sister Virginia "might have been twenty-four, and had the kind of figure that no dress can conceal, and well she knew it" p 291. Marsha's father, Jonas's brother-in-law Franklyn, has tried to take over the estate by devious paperwork.
Each book is self-contained. Names may recur later, but always explained enough. Cattle-buyer Doc Halloran stakes him now p 348, reimbursed, returns favor to Nolan in Mustang Man https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Despite referee Captain McNelly and his Texas Rangers, the bout is dirty p 362. Like his boxing books, L'Amour blocks fights blow by blow, every duck, dodge, whomp and oomph.
Reviewed before https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Grieving his wife, Falcon "Three heavy sacks of gold he passed over to Caffrey .. Care for him well, and every third coin is your own" p 270. But "too much for his principles to bear" p 271. Greedy wife whispers to kill narrator Orlando 11, who punches out their bullying son Duncan, and runs home at 12.
Lando lives five years on own, till arrival of roaming gypsy Tinker, famed for steel knives, coincides with "one-eyed spavined mare" p 274, get of famed racer, in heat. He sneaks the mare in to mate with Caffrey's fast stallion, and leaves pregnant mare with Mexican Manuel.
Alongside tradition "no Sackett ever turned a man from his fire", he can yarn "started .. west .. preacher .. talked so much about sin that I got right interested" p 283. Generosity is rewarded. Outlaw Cullen Baker gives him fine 1859 "Walch Navy .. twelve-shots .. two triggers" p 284. Lando later scares threats by this advice and coffee compliment implying close bond with terror.
Snippy Marsha Deckrow 14 snubs the dusty pair. Uncle Jonas Locklear invites them to dine, recognizes Tinker as Cosmo Lengro. Finally, Lando learns how the three met in 1868, found 1816 from pirate Jean Lafitte, "not a million dollars - a million" gold Spanish coins, worth much more p 295, and Captain Elam Kurbishaw finds out.
Three Kurbishaw brothers try to stop their sister from marrying Falcon, before names connect. Lando falls for Jonas's sister Virginia "might have been twenty-four, and had the kind of figure that no dress can conceal, and well she knew it" p 291. Marsha's father, Jonas's brother-in-law Franklyn, has tried to take over the estate by devious paperwork.
Each book is self-contained. Names may recur later, but always explained enough. Cattle-buyer Doc Halloran stakes him now p 348, reimbursed, returns favor to Nolan in Mustang Man https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Despite referee Captain McNelly and his Texas Rangers, the bout is dirty p 362. Like his boxing books, L'Amour blocks fights blow by blow, every duck, dodge, whomp and oomph.
December 3, 2014
Really enjoyed Louie L'Amour's newest character, Orlando. I was a little skeptical about how he would develop. Thought he was a little one-dimensional at first. But L'Amour developed him into a believable and likeable character. There's a sympathy and nobility he creates within Orlando. Taking him from the mountainous shack of Tennessee out into the wilds of Texas with only a Tinker for a friend and pregnant mare, L'Amour leads his character on the path to riches, and maybe a reunion with his long, lost father. The tale is beautiful, and includes the rich history of the west. There's a strength in each of L'Amour's characters, and Orlando is no exception. The fondness I found for Orlando mirrors what I had for Barnabas and Tyrel. Looking forward to continuing with the Sackett series.
August 31, 2016
A little bit of a mystery in a Western. Our hero does not know any of the back story that led to his father's disappearance and a trail of friends and enemies. There is buried gold and warfare and prison, from which are hero emerges strong and powerful and able to beat the best boxer in the territory, who turns out to be a man he beat as a youth. Just one of many improbable developments in this tale, that wraps up neatly with the return of the father, gold riches for all the good guys, and the bad guys shot down in the last paragraph.
Just the sort of book to read on a cross-country flight when you don't feel like undertaking something weighty.
Just the sort of book to read on a cross-country flight when you don't feel like undertaking something weighty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2021
While in the Sackett series, this book did not really feel like a Sackett story. I felt that the main character lacked the wit and keen intuition of previous Sackett characters. This was likely due to the fact that it was written before the first books in the series and the characters were not yet fully developed. I did think that the book summary is rather misleading as it speaks of Lando's imprisonment in a Mexican jail. This event did not even happen until 3/4 of the way through the book and is not the main focus of the book. However, the story line itself was good and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews