Louis L'Amour (1908–1988)
Author of Last of the Breed
About the Author
Born in Jamestown, North Dakota on March 22, 1908, Louis L'Amour's adventurous life could have been the subject of one of his novels. Striking out on his own in 1923, at age 15, L'Amour began a peripatetic existence, taking whatever jobs were available, from skinning dead cattle to being a sailor. show more L'Amour knew early in life that he wanted to be a writer, and the experiences of those years serve as background for some of his later fiction. During the 1930s he published short stories and poetry; his career was interrupted by army service in World War II. After the war, L'Amour began writing for western pulp magazines and wrote several books in the Hopalong Cassidy series using the pseudonym Tex Burns. His first novel, Westward the Tide (1950), serves as an example of L'Amour's frontier fiction, for it is an action-packed adventure story containing the themes and motifs that he uses throughout his career. His fascination with history and his belief in the inevitability of manifest destiny are clear. Also present and typical of L'Amour's work are the strong, capable, beautiful heroine who is immediately attracted to the equally capable hero; a clear moral split between good and evil; reflections on the Native Americans, whose land and ways of life are being disrupted; and a happy ending. Although his work is somewhat less violent than that of other western writers, L'Amour's novels all contain their fair share of action, usually in the form of gunfights or fistfights. L'Amour's major contribution to the western genre is his attempt to create, in 40 or more books, the stories of three families whose histories intertwine as the generations advance across the American frontier. The novels of the Irish Chantry, English Sackett, and French Talon families are L'Amour's most ambitious project, and sadly were left unfinished at his death. Although L'Amour did not complete all of the novels, enough of the series exists to demonstrate his vision. L'Amour's strongest attribute is his ability to tell a compelling story; readers do not mind if the story is similar to one they have read before, for in the telling, L'Amour adds enough small twists of plot and detail to make it worth the reader's while. L'Amour fans also enjoy the bits of information he includes about everything from wilderness survival skills to finding the right person to marry. These lessons give readers the sense that they are getting their money's worth, that there is more to a L'Amour novel than sheer escapism. With over 200 million copies of his books in print worldwide, L'Amour must be counted as one of the most influential writers of westerns in this century. He died from lung cancer on June 10, 1988. (Bowker Author Biography) Louis L'Amour, truly America's favorite storyteller, was the first fiction writer ever to receive the Congressional Gold Medal from the United States Congress in honor of his life's work, & was also awarded the Medal of Freedom. There are over 260 million copies of his books in print worldwide. (Publisher Provided) show less
Series
Works by Louis L'Amour
Louis L'Amour: Four Complete Novels (The Tall Stranger, Kilkenny, Hondo, Showdown at Yellow Butte) (1980) 85 copies
Five Complete Novels Series II (Utah Blaine/Crossfire Trail/Heller With a Gun/Last Stand at Papago Wells/To Tame a… (1981) 74 copies
Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures: Volume 1: Unfinished Manuscripts, Mysterious Stories, and Lost Notes from One of the… (2017) 67 copies
Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures: Volume 2: More Mysterious Stories, Unfinished Manuscripts, and Lost Notes from One of… (2019) 35 copies
Big Country, Volume 1: Stories of Louis L'Amour (Ride, You Tonto Raiders; and War Party) (2007) 24 copies
Sackett's Gold 13 copies
The Sacketts Volume One 5-Book Bundle: Sackett's Land, To the Far Blue Mountains, The Warrior's Path, Jubal Sackett,… (2014) 13 copies
Louis L'Amour Trio of Tales: McQueen of the Tumbling K, Big Medicine, and Dutchman's Flat (2008) 7 copies
Long Ride Home: Stories 6 copies
Big Country, Vol. 2: Stories of Louis L'Amour (West of the Tularosa, Home in the Valley, and West Is Where the… (2009) 6 copies
The Hopalong Cassidy Novels 4-Book Bundle: The Rustlers of West Fork, The Trail to Seven Pines, The Riders of High… (2014) 6 copies
THE KILKENNY SAGA 5 copies
Shalako - Son of a Wanted Man - Crossfire Trail - the Sackett Brand - Bowdrie - Fallon (1978) 3 copies
Riding for the Brand/McQueen of the Tumbling K/Law of the Desert Born (Louis L'Amour Collector) (2000) 3 copies
Louis L'Amour - Five Softbound Books: The First Fast Draw, Kid Rodelo, How the West Was Won, The Proving Trail,… (1967) 3 copies
The Hand of Kuan-yin 2 copies
Making It the Hard Way 2 copies
Louis lamour 2 copies
A Gift of Cochise 2 copies
Best of Louis L'Amour: Keep Travelin/Riding for the Brand/Four Card Draw/Desert Death Song (1998) 2 copies
Projekt Makatozi 2 copies
Riders of the Dawn: A Western Duo 2 copies
The Strong Land: A Western Sextet 2 copies
kid rodelo [Paperback] 2 copies
Secret of Silver Springs 2 copies
To the Far Blue Mountains(Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures): A Sackett Novel (Sacketts Book 2) 2 copies
We Shaped the Land with Our Guns [Annotated]: 21 Classic L'Amour Western Short Stories and Novelettes (1995) 2 copies
Time-Life Book Digest: "I" is for Innocent | The Trail to Seven Pines | Who Killed My Daughter? | French Silk (1992) — Contributor — 2 copies
Sackett's Short Stories 2 copies
Louis L'Amour - Five Softbound Books: Dutchman's Flat, Bowdrie's Law, Silver Canyon, Fallon and Shadow… (1975) 2 copies
Down the Long Hills 2 copies
One Night Stand 2 copies
In An Old Temple 2 copies
A Montanha Do Tesouro Livro 1 2 copies
The Defense Of Sentinel 2 copies
il grande solitario 2 copies
Une fille sur la piste 2 copies
Louis L'Amour Short Stories vol 1 2 copies
A Honra dos Sackett 2 copies
La conquista del Oeste 1 copy
Temmers van die Woestyn 1 copy
Begrav de döda 1 copy
Hunted Mesa 1 copy
The Far Mountains 1 copy
Man Alleen 1 copy
Guldfloden 1 copy
The Diamond Of Jehru 1 copy
Net Vriende Bly Leef 1 copy
Hillside Homicide 1 copy
Una donna fuori posto 1 copy
Bloed op die Water 1 copy
The Man Called Moon 1 copy
Fuochi sulle colline 1 copy
Un uomo chiamato Mezzogiorno 1 copy
l'erede del bandito 1 copy
The high graders 1 copy
Fair blows the wind 1 copy
Lonely on the Mountain # 16 1 copy
Sackett # 4 1 copy
Over On AThe Dry Side 1 copy
A Trilha dos fora-da-lei 1 copy
n Graf vir twee 1 copy
Showdown on the Hogback 1 copy
Lost Trails 1 copy
The Broken Gun: A Novel 1 copy
North to the rails 1 copy
The Walking Drum 1 copy
Riders of the Tumbling K 1 copy
Louis L'Amour Collection Two 1 copy
Ghost of Buckskin Run, The 1 copy
The Cherokee Trail 1 copy
LOUIS L'AMOUR COLLECTION - Set Of 6 Books - The Lonely Men - Flint - The Burning Hills - The Lonesome Gods - The… (1981) 1 copy
The Rustlers of West Fork 1 copy
The Lion Hunter and the Lady 1 copy
Um Homem da Pradaria Livro 1 1 copy
Confronto no Deserto Livro 1 1 copy
Louis L'Amour Collection One 1 copy
Valley of The Sun 1 copy
Monument Rock 1 copy
Road to Casas Piedras, The 1 copy
Der ruf des waldes 1 copy
Le canon de la folle 1 copy
Last Stand at Papago Wells, by Louis L'Amour, Fawcett Gold Medal mass market paperback, K1757 1 copy
Down the long hills 1 copy
Kamp på liv og død 1 copy
Bivacco sulla neve 1 copy
The Sacketts (Vol 3) 1 copy
Sackett, O Indomável 1 copy
By Louis L'Amour Law of the Desert Born (The Louis L'Amour Collection) (Louis L'Amour Hardcover… 1 copy
Guns of the Timberland 1 copy
Tales from the Trail 1 copy
Cowboy Stories 1 copy
The Frontier Series Volume 1 1 copy
The Trail To Crazy Land 1 copy
Lunga fuga 1 copy
The Stakes can Kill Ya 1 copy
The Math Teacher 1 copy
A Trail Gone Cold 1 copy
Jacob Sackett 1 copy
Ride or Start Shootin' 1 copy
Lockendes Gold. 1 copy
Kaukana siintävät vuoret 1 copy
all works 1 copy
Reiter auf dunkler Fährte. 1 copy
Manden uden fortid 1 copy
Lines To a Season 1 copy
Hævnens vej 1 copy
Banked Fires 1 copy
North Cape 1 copy
To You, Jeannine 1 copy
Decadence 1 copy
Love Out of Season 1 copy
The Running Hills 1 copy
After Tomorrow 1 copy
Yacodhapura 1 copy
Steppe 1 copy
To Giordano Bruno 1 copy
The Sacketts: To the Far Blue Mountains The Daybreakers Mojave Crossing The Sackett Brand The Lonely Men (1990) 1 copy
Bluff Creek Station 1 copy
Big Man 1 copy
Duffy's Man 1 copy
Hattan's Castle 1 copy
Trail to Squaw Springs 1 copy
Author's Tea 1 copy
A Friend of the General 1 copy
Secret Pass 1 copy
Winter 1 copy
Thicker than Blood 1 copy
Collectors Series 1 copy
The Fighting Four 1 copy
Interlude: Hongkong Harbor 1 copy
Words From a Wanderer 1 copy
To Cleone: In Budapest 1 copy
I'm a Stranger Here 1 copy
A Handful of Stars 1 copy
Without This Land 1 copy
Life 1 copy
Biography in Stone 1 copy
Louis L'Amour Collector's Edition: Desert Death Song / Big Medicine / Dutchman's Flat / His Brother's Debt / Keep… (1999) 1 copy
An Ember in the Dark 1 copy
Nocturne 1 copy
Wings over the Waves 1 copy
The Admiral 1 copy
Glorious! 1 copy
Winter Winds 1 copy
McVey 1 copy
I Came To Create 1 copy
Let Me Forget 1 copy
Rose of Memory 1 copy
To One Without Faith 1 copy
Mutation 1 copy
Rain 1 copy
Then Comes Spring 1 copy
Let It Snow 1 copy
Forest People 1 copy
Twilight 1 copy
Tranquillity 1 copy
The Pioneer 1 copy
The Gladiator 1 copy
Call of the Tropics 1 copy
Picture 1 copy
Old Jerry 1 copy
A Wail From a Pulpeteer 1 copy
Question 1 copy
In Protest 1 copy
Ship Across The Sky 1 copy
In This Is Beauty 1 copy
The Dancing Kate 1 copy
East of Gorontalo 1 copy
Where There's Fighting 1 copy
South of Suez 1 copy
Well of the Unholy Light 1 copy
The House of Qasavara 1 copy
From Here to Banggai 1 copy
On the Road to Amurang 1 copy
The Weary One 1 copy
The Sea Off Vanua Levu 1 copy
Hildebrand 1 copy
Men to Match the Hills 1 copy
Alkali Basin 1 copy
My Three Friends 1 copy
Duel i ørkenen 1 copy
Calloway 1 copy
Louis L'Amour - Five Softbound Books: Under the Sweetwater Rim, Hondo, The Rider of the Ruby Hills (and other… (1970) 1 copy
I Shall Go Back 1 copy
THE CHEROKEE TRAIL, DOWN THE LONG HILLS, LONELY ON THE MOUNTAIN, PASSIN THROUGH, RIDE THE DARK TRAIL, RIVERS WEST. (1900) 1 copy
West of Dry Creek 1 copy
Marshal of Canyon Gap 1 copy
Louis L'Amour - Five Softbound Books: Buckskin Run, Bendigo Shafter, Valley of the Sun, West From Singapore, and Son of… (1981) 1 copy
Home is the Hunter 1 copy
Rain on the Halfmoon 1 copy
Louis L'Amour - Five Softbound Books: North to the Rail, End of the Drive, High Lonesome, Long Ride Home and Off the… (1970) 1 copy
Stage to Willowspring 1 copy
To Hang Me High 1 copy
A Man Named Utah 1 copy
Poetry Society of Oklahoma : State Anthology (Let Me Remember, Interlude: Hong Kong Harbor) (1936) 1 copy
Riches Beyond Dreams 1 copy
Ironwood Station 1 copy
Trail to Pie Town 1 copy
Drama i vildmarken 1 copy
Det blodige opgør 1 copy
Hirtetyn naisen joki 1 copy
La terra dei Sackett 1 copy
Paperback 1 copy
Beyond the Chaparral 1 copy
Let the Cards Decide 1 copy
A Husband for Janey 1 copy
Louis L'Amour Collection - Set of 12 Volumes - Leatherette Hardcover Books (The Louis L'Amour Collection) (1981) 1 copy
The Passing of Rope Nose 1 copy
The Louis Lamour Collection (8 Volumes) Leather Bound Edition (Volumes Included: The Key-Lock Man, West of Dodge,… (1984) 1 copy
To Make a Stand 1 copy
Battle at Burnt Camp 1 copy
The Sackett Saga: Volume 1-5 1 copy
Man nennt mich Hondo / Allein in der Wildnis / Sein Name war Flint. 3 Romane in einem Band. (1991) 1 copy
The Sackett Stories 1 copy
The Cactus Kid 1 copy
The Ghost Fighter 1 copy
Wings over Brazil 1 copy
The Vanished Blonde 1 copy
Noi Sackett 1 copy
By the Waters of San Tadeo 1 copy
Meeting at Falmouth 1 copy
Roundup in Texas 1 copy
Sideshow Champion 1 copy
Crash Landing 1 copy
Under the Hanging Wall 1 copy
Coast Patrol 1 copy
The Gravel Pit 1 copy
The Money Punch 1 copy
Here Ends the Trail 1 copy
Poklad 1 copy
Last Day in Town 1 copy
Louis L'Amour Westerns - Trail to Pie Town, Mistakes Can Kill You, Black Rock Coffin Makers (2000) 1 copy
The Man from the Dead Hills 1 copy
Sackettien perintö 1 copy
Piritetty karjatila 1 copy
The Last Frontier 1 copy
Friend of a Hero 1 copy
Associated Works
A Century of Great Western Stories-An Anthology of Western Fiction (2000) — Contributor — 105 copies
Catlow [1971 film] — Original book — 3 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- LaMoore, Louis Dearborn (birth name)
Burns, Tex
Mayo, Jim - Birthdate
- 1908-03-22
- Date of death
- 1988-06-10
- Burial location
- Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Jamestown, North Dakota, USA
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Cause of death
- cancer (lung)
- Places of residence
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Education
- self-educated
- Occupations
- novelist
gold miner
merchant seaman
professional boxer - Relationships
- L'Amour, Angelique (daughter)
L'Amour, Beau (son) - Organizations
- WPA Writers Project
- Awards and honors
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (1984)
Congressional Gold Medal (1982)
Theodore Roosevelt Roughrider Award (1972)
Saddleman Award (1981)
National Book Award (1979) - Short biography
- Louis Dearborn L'Amour (March 22, 1908 – June 10, 1988) was an American novelist and short-story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels; however, he also wrote historical fiction, science fiction, non-fiction, as well as poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films.
Louis Dearborn L'Amour was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, in 1908. He left home at the age of fifteen and enjoyed a wide variety of jobs. In 1983 Mr. L'Amour became the first novelist to ever to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress in honor of his life's work. In 1984 he was also awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Reagan.
Louis L'Amour died on June 10, 1988.
Members
Discussions
Louis L'Amour 2022 Shared Read Challenge in 75 Books Challenge for 2022 (January 2023)
Louis L'Amour in Westerns (March 2012)
Reviews
The Sackett Companion: The Facts Behind the Fiction by Louis L'Amour
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Statistics
- Works
- 807
- Also by
- 11
- Members
- 84,443
- Popularity
- #132
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 1,094
- ISBNs
- 3,293
- Languages
- 21
- Favorited
- 103