Louis L'amour must reads?

[loneguitar]

Just needing some help in book selection. I have read The Lonesome Gods and To Tame A Land. Both incredible books IMHO. I know you guys can help me out here. Other author recommendations would be great too. I have read Appaloosa  by Robert Parker, but that is about it for western novels.

[Tensleep]

Any of the Sackett novels are good.

My favorite L'amour book is Reilly's Luck  

[Will Ketchum]

Reilly's Luck  is one of my favorites to.  You might try some of Lewis B Patten's books.  They are all very good.  Also Ed Gorman and TC Olson.  Johnny Boggs is an up and coming Western writer.  I really like his books.  and  I would be remiss if I didn't mention Elmer Kelton who writes about Texas.  Anything he wrote is good.

Will Ketchum

[Advertising]

[Bow View Haymaker]

You just can['t go wrong with anyhthing Louis L'amour wrote.
 The sacketts are good also the talon books are good reaads.  If you want something longer then Jubal Sackett, the Walking Drum, The last of a breed or the Haunted Mesa are some that are in differnent time periods.  I have a hard tiime picking a favorite. 
If yuo like somthing a bit edgier then look up Ralph Compton's books.  there are several series books of his that are good.
I wish I had more time to read them all.  And don't forget, you can't beet a good Zane Grey.

[St. George]

Read:

Elmore Leonard - Start with 'the Tonto Woman' and go from there.

Jack Schaefer's - 'Monte Walsh' is far different from the movie versions - the Selleck being an homage to the one by Lee Marvin.

Loren D. Estleman - anything

Lauren Paine - wrote 'The Open Range Men' - later filmed as 'Open Range'.

J. Frank Dobie - 'Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver'

Clarence E. Mulford - wrote the original 'Hopalong Cassidy' novels - 'Hoppy' was wildly different from the way the movies showed him...

There are too many to list, but you can't go wrong with these and the above selections...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Angel_Eyes]

Loneguitar, ALL the L'Amour novels are a must read!!

I have 98 of his books and still looking for the rest to complete the collection, and I just keep reading them-around and around, time after time.
I also have the majority of Zane Grey's, inherited from my uncle,,, Craig 'Slim' Baxter, a would-be cowboy who indoctrinated me at the age of 8 years. First 'cowboy' I ever read was 'Riders of The Purple Sage'.

Nuff said, Vaya Con Dios, AE

[Delmonico]

Louis L'amour's best book ain't really a western, but it is fantastic, set in more modern times, The Cold War.  "The Last of His Breed."

[Stillwater]

If you want a good Louis L'Amoure novel to read, although it's not a western, it's one of Louis L'Amour's best novels, read "The Walking Drum."

Bill

[Bow View Haymaker]

If you want a good Louis L'Amoure novel to read, although it's not a western, it's on of Louis L'Amour's best novels, read "The Walking Drum."

Bill

I second that. 
One of my favorites of his. 
There are also some great short story collections by L.L.  Some western, some not.  All good.

[Stillwater]

Louis L'amour's best book ain't really a western, but it is fantastic, set in more modern times, The Cold War.  "The Last of His Breed."

Excellent book. I have it in a hard cover copy.

Bill

[Delmonico]

Excellent book. I have it in a hard cover copy.

Bill

Would make a fantastic movie if Hollywood didn't mess it up.  A 30 year old Charles Bronson type would be perfect for the lead role, naw, they'd mess the whole thing up to much.

[Fingers McGee]

As was said before - All of Louis L'Amour's books are must reads.  'The Walking Drum' and 'Last of The Breed' (not the last of his breed)are magnificent books and would make spectacular movies - depending on the producer/director.

I've got all of his books in hard back & reread them all the time.  I especially like his between the wars Far East adventure short stories.

FM

[Forty Rod]

If you like The Walking Drum you should enjoy Fair Blows The Wind.

I have all but nine (I think) of the ones put up by Bantam in the Leatherette series.  I'm re-reading them for about the fifth time.

[PABLO DEL NORTE]

  I AGREE WITH YA'LL.  ANYTHING BY LA'MOUR, WILL HENRY, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE(ESPECIALLY "THE LAST MOUNTAIN MAN" SERIES), ELMER KELTON, J. FRANK DOBIE, MICHAEL McGARRITY(SET IN THE MODERN ERA), & THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS WHO PUT PRETTY GOOD STUFF ALSO. JUST HAFTA LOOK AROUND SOME.

HOW 'BOUT "LAST OF THE BREED" W/ LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS IN THE LEAD?

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Louis L'amour's best book ain't really a western, but it is fantastic, set in more modern times, The Cold War.  "The Last of His Breed."

That would be Last Of The Breed, and you're absolutely correct.  I've worn out two copies already, and finally got a hardbound one so it would tolerate the use.

L'Amour wrote several contemporary books, including a few "modern Westerns".  Haunted Mesa, for example, is set in the present, and continues the development of an idea and concept -- sort of an inter-dimensional rift -- that he first put forward in one of his regular Westerns (the title escapes me at the moment).  He also wrote several non-Westerns that fictionalized some of his world-wide wanderings

[Stillwater]

Would make a fantastic movie if Hollywood didn't mess it up.  A 30 year old Charles Bronson type would be perfect for the lead role, naw, they'd mess the whole thing up to much.

I would like the movie to show the scene where the Russian hunters scalp is handed over.

Bill

[Don Nix]

I have read Lamours books,most all of them but I am not a fan. They are allright  but I highly reccomend Elmer Keltons works. He passed away recently  and his passing will be sorely missed. His books are a lot more true to life and factual than almost any "western" aurhor that I have read.
I had the pleasure to get to know Mr. Kelton several years ago  and his knowledge of Texas history was unvelievable. I have amost all of his books, several he signed for me.
 His style of writing was based of people that he knew and his knowledge of Texas Agriculture and cowboys from the beginning up to present day.
 'The Man who rode Midnight", "The time it never rained""The Good Ole Boys""The day the Cowboys Quit"  "Stand Proud" are classics that contain characters like folks i know and have worked with and family over the years so the stories ring true.
 Over the years he always attended the National Cowboy Gathering and Symposium in Lubbock in September each year. I always had an opportunity to drink a cup of coffee with him  and Tuffy Cooper(Member Cowboy Hall of Fame) Henry Torres ,NT (Hef) Hefner and many others  of the old timers. Sadly , thier ranks are growing thin and we'll not see their like again. Men who still remembered gathering cattle without pens and were raised in dug outs and adobe.
 If you want to know what its like to live the cowboy life in Texas,read Elmer Keltons Books.They are not great shoot'em ups but closer to folks that are real.You will not be disappointed.

[Will Ketchum]

As I mentioned before check out Johnny Boggs, who is a contemporary Western writer.  I have read most of everything he has written and he just keeps getting better.  He is also a NCOWS member and has been a past contributer to our magazine "The Shootist". I believe he has a web site.  If you put his name in your search engine you will probably find it.

Will Ketchum

[mestiza letty]

My vote gets 40 Rod in the runnin' 
Letty

[Forty Rod]

Letty, I think I love you.

(Hope my wife doesn't find out.)