Louis L'amour

Rock Bannon, wounded in an Indian attack, is rescued by a wagon train heading to Oregon. He has fully recovered when the train pulls into a fort to stock up on supplies. It is there that the leaders of the train meet Morton Harper, a smooth-talking man who persuades them to take an easier trail that will allow them to escape an attack by Indians. Bannon knows that there will be no escape from attack on that route and that it will lead the train directly onto Hardy Bishop's vast ranching domain. Either way, and probably both, it will mean war--a war the pioneers will undoubtedly lose. Bannon first appeared in Giant Western (Winter 1948) under the title Showdown Trail. L'Amour subsequently reworked and expanded this story into The Tall Stranger, published as an original paperback in 1957. The expanded story was filmed as The Tall Stranger (Allied Artists, 1957), directed by Thomas Carr and starring Joel McCrea and Virginia Mayo.

He was a tough enforcer for a New York gang. But when young Tom Shanaghy made one too many enemies, he skipped town on a fast-moving freight. He landed in a small Kansas town that had big dreams, no name, and the need for an honest lawman. Tom figured that a knuckle-and-skull man from Five Points would be perfect for the job. He didn't know that a high-stakes cattle drive was headed his way and that leading it was a vindictive rancher bent on settling an old score, even if he had to destroy the town to do it. Tom had himself stuck in the middle of the feud before sunset on his first day in town. All he could do was hope that his years on the Bowery had left him with the smarts he needed to keep himself alive.

Louis L'Amour was the most decorated author in the history of American letters and a recipient of the Medal of Freedom. Now collected here in a single book are several of Louis L'Amour's finest Western stories the way Mr. L'Amour wrote them. At the time Louis L'Amour was writing, it was common practice for editors to rewrite the manuscript to fit certain publishing criteria. The text of The Strong Land has been restored, and the stories within it appear as Mr. L'Amour intended for them to be read. Whether you're new to the thrilling frontier fiction of Louis L'Amour or one of his legions of fans, these six short stories will assure you that you are in the hands of a master storyteller. Included here are: "The One for the Mohave Kid,""His Brother's Debt,""A Strong Land Growing,""Lit a Shuck for Texas,""The Nester and the Paiute," and "Barney Takes a Hand."

Tap Duvarney lost his innocence in the War Between the States and then put his skills to the test as a soldier in the frontier army. Now, leaving behind a devoted fianc e, he is trying to make his fortune on the Texas coast, working a ranch as the partner of his old friend Tom Kittery--and finding himself in the middle of a feud between Kittery and the neighboring Munson family. Around Matagorda Island, most people are either backing the Munsons or remaining silent. But the danger from outside Kittery's camp is nothing compared to the threat within, as Tap begins to suspect that Kittery's woman, a Texas-born beauty who misses the glitz and glamour of city life, isn't everything she appears to be. Tap is quickly discovering that he must go to war again. But will it be with the Munsons--or with his closest friend?

There is no story more distinctly American than the western and no writer as great a master of the form as Louis L'Amour. In this seventh volume of L'Amour's collected short stories, you'll find some of his most popular characters, heroes who have become a part of our cultural legacy, as well as the ordinary men and women whose adventures are chronicled with an immediacy no reader can resist-or ever forget. In Louis L' Amour's frontier stories, the American West is the crucible in which character is tested, reputations are won or lost, and life always hangs in the balance. Struggling to survive against the elements, hostile Indians, or outlaws who prey upon the honest and hardworking, the men and women in these tales each come face-to-face with what they're made of-often in moments that explode with the violence of an avalanche or the speed of a drawn gun. Here L'Amour demonstrates the unerring touch for detail and keen insight into human nature that lend these stories the power to thrill, surprise, and entertain readers of every generation. A man driven by his faith in the woman he loves survives war, Indian massacre, and near starvation only to find his homecoming delayed by one last battle-under his own roof. To stop a range war, a ranch foreman stands up to his boss, his men, and conspirators who seem to have both right and might on their side. And in a town where fourteen men have already died under suspicious circumstances, a new sheriff by the name of Utah Blaine patiently sets a trap for a frontier serial killer. Here are stories of honest thieves and crooked lawmen, of dream chasers and treasure hunters, of men and women hoping for a second chance and others down to their last. This rich and varied cast embodies not only the spirit of the West but the timeless struggle of the best and worst in us all, on a stage as big as the frontier itself. Full of suspense, mystery, adventure, this remarkable collection has everything that's earned Louis L'Amour his well-deserved reputation as America's favorite storyteller.

Traversing a vivid landscape, from sunblasted hills and canyons to the nighttime streets of America's greatest cities, some of Louis L'Amour's most compelling fiction was set in his own time. Here are tales of innocents caught in the schemes of criminals, detectives hunting down truths that hide even more lies, gamblers and beauties, wiseguys and cops. Here is a world populated by the kinds of people who risk their lives to right a wrong, make a buck, or save a friend. Brimming with thought-provoking characters and situations--from a man who regains consciousness in a burning house surrounded by a fortune in cash, to an innocent in a seedy diner who meets a vicious killer who is supposed to be long dead--these thrilling, atmospheric stories course with authenticity and bear the mark of a timeless master.

Barnabus Pike is no gunfighter and not much of a street fighter. Eddie Holt is a black boxer in a white man's world. They've both taken their share of hard knocks. Now they're looking to survive a brutal winter in a remote Montana line shack, collect their pay, and settle down for good. Then they cross paths with a hardworking Irish immigrant and his beautiful, spirited sister, who've been burned off their land. It's a fight Pike and Holt don't want, don't need, and don't dare turn their backs on--especially when one of the perpetrators might be one of Pike's old friends. Hunted like animals across the frozen countryside, Pike and Holt will risk everything--including their reputations, their dreams--and their lives.

When Gaylord Riley walked away from the Coburn gang, he had money and a dream. He worked hard and built a cabin, gathered a herd of cattle, and fell in love with Marie Shattuck. But when he is confronted with false accusations of rustling and murder, Riley is forced to defend his new law-abiding way of life. Outnumbered and facing a lynching party, Riley is surprised when his old friends return to lend him a hand. But how can they help him and keep themselves out of jail? With the local marshal already suspicious of Riley, the Coburn gang will have to plan well and move fast. But that shouldn't be a problem. Their reputation was built by doing just that.

The vibrant tales of adventure by Louis L'Amour, one of America's most beloved storytellers, have brought the American West to life. In The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour, Volume 6, Part 1, L'Amour takes us beyond the frontier with gripping stories of crime, sports, and the murky world where the two often meet. These electrifying stories roam from the naked glare of boxing arenas rife with corruption, and freight docks where laborers toil to earn just enough to get by, to the penthouses of the rich and arrogant who calculate the odds of how to get even more. From suspenseful whodunits to rueful tales of fortunes gained and lost, this remarkable collection will enthrall and entertain L'Amour fans old and new.

The stories of Louis L'Amour are built around the dramatic moments when men and women cast their fears, doubts, and pasts behind them and plunge into the unknown--into split-second decisions with life-and-death consequences. Nowhere is that more evident than in this quintessential collection of stories set on the American frontier. Here L'Amour takes us across a bold, beautifully rendered landscape where old scores haunt new lives, the wrong choice leaves unwitting victims, and strangers may come to trust--or kill--one another. Fugitives, visionaries, fortune seekers, drifters, and young women trying to build homes on a lawless frontier, the characters in these pulse-pounding stories are vintage L'Amour. Together in this vivid, rollicking collection, they bring to life the spirit of adventure and confirm Louis L'Amour's place in the pantheon of American writers.

Early in Louis L'Amour's career, he wrote a number of novel-length stories for "pulp" Western magazines. "I lived with my characters so closely that their lives were still as much a part of me as I was of them long after the issues in which they appeared went out of print," he said. "I wanted to tell the reader more about my people and why they did what they did." So he revised and expanded these magazine works to be published again as full-length novels. Here is one of his early creations, which have long been a source of great speculation and curiosity among his fans. A Man Called Trent opens on nester Dick Moffitt lying dead where he was killed by King Bill Hale's riders. His son Jack and adopted daughter Sally, who witnessed the murder, go for safety to a cabin owned by a man called "Trent"--an alias for Kilkenny, who is seeking to escape his reputation as a gunfighter.

Lance Kilkenny's gun is believed to be the fastest in the West, but once the gunfight is over, he disappears. Most folks don't even know what he looks like. Some time back, Mort Davis saved Kilkenny's life after he was shot up. Now Davis needs Kilkenny's help. He has filed a claim on a water hole near Lost Creek in the live oak country. The district is dominated by two wealthy cattlemen, Webb Steele and Chet Lord, each one claiming for himself the water hole that Davis occupies. Beautiful Nita Riordan owns the local saloon, and between her charms and the feuding ranchers, Lance Kilkenny has his work cut out for him. If he doesn't watch his step, he'll pay the debt he owes with his own blood.

Unsurpassed for sheer storytelling excitement, Louis L'Amour's tales of adventure continue in this new paperback series. Whether joining an American captain navigating a cargo ship through pirate-infested Japanese-controlled waters during World War II or marveling at the resourcefulness of a young woman pushed to the limits of endurance as she flees a killer through a primeval forest, these adrenaline-fueled tales of mystery, suspense, murder, and survival will keep your heart pounding long after their final pages. From stories numbering just a few intense pages to novella-length works, the tales in this action-packed anthology bear all the trademarks of the master's touch: the historical accuracy, memorable characters, and timeless themes that have earned L'Amour his unique place among American authors.

The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour, Volume 4, Part 1 kicks off this collection of L'Amour's classic adventures and includes his very first published short story. Here are timeless tales of danger and daring, wanderlust and heroism, filled with ordinary men and women facing often life-threatening challenges with courage, dignity, and honor. The first of two parts, this volume contains breathtaking thrills and dynamic characters: from the down-on-his-luck fortune hunter who risks everything to save a married couple in the wilds of Borneo to the mysterious hero aboard a downed airliner dangling six hundred feet above certain doom. This unique collection is guaranteed to delight readers again and again, proving why Louis L'Amour remains America's favorite storyteller.

In paperback for the first time, this third volume of Louis L'Amour's collected stories gathers twenty-eight timeless tales of the American West. Whether following the exploits of a couple taking refuge in a cabin with a group of outlaws, a drifter who poses as a murdered man to solve a mystery, or the soft-spoken young suitor accused of cowardice who proves his courage when the guns are against him--without firing a shot--these gripping tales all have one thing in common: you won't be able to put them down until the last page. For lovers of great storytelling everywhere, this exciting collection features the unforgettable characters, heart-stopping drama, and careful attention to historical detail that have entertained readers for decades and earned Louis L'Amour a permanent place among our finest American writers.

Colonel Utah Blaine, held captive by the Army of the Revolution, broke out of jail and headed north from Mexico with nothing but the clothes on his back. Then he found new trouble struggling at the end of a noose-and stepped in just in time to save the life of a Texas rancher. The would-be executioners were the rancher's own men, looking to steal his land. Now Utah has a unique proposition: Have the wealthy Texan play dead, introduce himself as the spread's new foreman, and take care of the outlaws one by one. The wage to fight another man's war? A hundred a month plus expenses. The cost of falling in love while he earns that wage? It wasn't exactly part of the original agreement, but Utah will soon find out-unless the bad guys get to him first.

In paperback for the first time, this second volume of Louis L'Amour's collected stories showcases thirty more classic tales of the American frontier. Inside you will find the stories of heroism, honor and sacrifice that L'Amour made uniquely his own: like that of a young man sent out alone into a blizzard to face a deadly stampede, or a lawman who finds the bullet-riddled body of an infamous Mexican bandit and knows duty demands he track down a far more dangerous predator. Featuring L'Amour's signature stories of Texas Ranger Chick Bowdrie, this collection captures men and women at the crossroads of friendship and suspicion, loyalty or betrayal.

Rafe Caradec--gambler, wanderer, soldier of fortune--was as hard a man as the battlefields and waterfronts of Latin America could fashion, but he was as good as his word. As Charles Rodney lay dying in a dank ship's fo'c'sle, Rafe swore to make sure that Rodney's Wyoming ranch went to his daughter, Ann. In Painted Rock, Wyoming, Caradec found land for a man to love, miles of rolling grasslands and towering mountains. He also found that one of the most ruthless men in the territory had set his sights on both Rodney's ranch and his daughter. But Rafe Caradec had given his word, and once he'd looked deep into Ann Rodney's eyes, nothing short of death would stop him from keeping the promise he'd made.

The first graphic novel adaptation of the work of master storyteller Louis L'Amour is a dynamic tale of the Old West that explores the borderlands of loyalty and betrayal with the emotional grittiness of a noir thriller. New Mexico, 1887, a land in the midst of the worst drought anyone can remember. Family histories and loyalties run deep, but when rancher Tom Forrester has his access to the Pecos River cut off by the son of his old partner, he convinces his foreman, Shad Marone, to pay Jud Bowman back for the discourtesy. Yet what starts as a simple act of petty revenge quickly spirals into a cycle of violence that no one can control. Now Marone is on the run, pursued by a sheriff's posse across a rugged desert landscape. Leading the chase is Jesus Lopez, a half-Mexican, half-Apache with a personal stake in bringing Shad to justice. Newly released from jail, trusted by no one, Lopez swears he's the only man who can track Marone down. That may be true. But who will live and who will die and what price will be paid in suffering are open questions. Fate and the Jornada del Muerto desert possess a harsh justice that is all their own. With a propulsive script from Beau L'Amour and Kathy Nolan, adapted by Charles Santino and illustrated in bold black-and-white by Thomas Yeates, Law of the Desert Born captures the dust and blood of Louis L'Amour's West--a world where the difference between a hero and a villain can be as wide as the gap between an act of kindness or brutality or as narrow as a misspoken word. Praise for Law of the Desert Born "This actually may be the story's ideal form, since the author's son Beau came to realize that the core of the tale was the tense relationship between Marone] and Lopez. . . . The graphic novel version provides room to develop this theme. Yeates's black-and-white depiction of the rugged landscape and the hard-bitten characters is superb. The result is stunning and richly textured."--Publishers Weekly" An] interesting tale of range rivalries turned bloody . . . Fans of L'Amour's stories should enjoy this work, adults or teens."--Library Journal "Readers are in for a real treat--with an amazing level of detail and ambience that breathes new life into Louis L'Amour's already stunning story."--Cowboys & Indians "A masterpiece both in story and art that complements the mood."--It's All Comic to Me

Three legendary authors Three classic novels including newly restored material When it comes to Western adventure, no author comes close to the three giants included in this landmark volume. These are the men who created the Western, shaped it, and perfected it. The Golden West collects three of their finest short novels. Max Brand's powerful Jargan is carefully restored to its original, full-length glory, with material never before seen. Tappan's Burro has long been considered one of Zane Grey's masterpieces, but only a shorter, edited version has been in print. The version included here was taken directly from Grey's actual manuscript. Louis L'Amour's The Trail to Crazy Man was rewritten years later as Crossfire Trail, which became the basis for the movie of the same name. Presented here is L'Amour's original version. These authors are the stuff of Western legend, and at last you can read their finest work as they themselves intended.