Famous for his western novels, Louis Dearborn L’Amour wrote 105 novels and is one of America’s most beloved authors. L’Amour was born in Jamestown, North Dakota. As a result of financial difficulties, the L’Amours headed south in the winter of 1923. Over the next decade, L’Amour and his family took on many jobs as they traveled the American West. They skinned cattle in west Texas, baled hay in the Pecos Valley of New Mexico, worked in the mines of Arizona, California and Nevada, and in the saw mills and lumber camps of the Pacific Northwest. L’Amour met a variety of people in these colorful places, upon whom he modeled the characters in his novels. Many of these real life characters are Old West personalities who had survived into the 1920s and 30s.

Bookmans Recommends: Louis L'Amour

Early in his career, L’Amour tried his hand at several genres. He had success with poetry, articles on boxing and writing and editing sections of the WPA Guide Book to Oklahoma, but the dozens of short stories he churned out met little acceptance.

L’Amour was a merchant seaman until he joined the United States Army during WWII. His first major writing success came in the 1960s with his books on the Sackett family. Today L’Amour is widely known and read. With over a hundred novels there are sure to be some everyone would enjoy. We asked a guest reviewer to share his thoughts. Taylor at Bookmans Speedway read Education of a Wandering Man. His review expresses how deeply the author touches readers.

“Louis L’Amour sits down to share his autobiography, then gets up, walks out and leaves glowing a space that frames his role as a literary father figure. With the air of a blue collar sophist, L’Amour recounts his scenic visions and speaks fine-toothed as a first-hand historian. L’Amour has a sickness for knowledge and that sickness reveals itself noble by the richness of vision and wisdom it carries. Not only could Education of a Wandering Man be noted as a librarian’s and collector’s reference guide but also a writer’s handbook for aspiring spinners chasing the trick of evocation of the senses. L’Amour clearly lays out that he set out fairly young in a search for education. People of this sort should never go unnoticed. Any man who returns tougher and holds experience as his scepter should be offered a place in our thoughts as a reminder and his words a place in our hearts as a sturdy tiller. At the least we gain insight into a L’Amourian perspective and admire the etiquette of a self made man.”

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