A Couple of Louis L'Amour Story Collections

Louis L'Amour is, by far, the most recognized writer of Westerns anywhere. The library maintains a large collection of the writer's works and, to that end, we now present two collections of his stories for our Western-loving readers.

The first is The Man From Battle Flat: A Western Trio. In the title story, Krag Moran is a range rider who becomes entangled in a range war between ranchers and new settlers. This conflict leaves a town divided and, when the first shots are fired and the death toll rises, Krag is going to have to answer to the wrong people. In"Mistakes Can Kill You," Johnny O'Day was a sick child who was taken in and nursed back to health by a young couple. Growing up, he harbored nothing but resentment for their natural child, Sam. When Sam finds himself in a heap of trouble, however, Johnny must stand between him and a pair of gunman.  Finally, in "The Rider of Ruby Hills," twenty-seven-year-old Ross Haney is broke, armed, and ready to settle down. When a feud breaks out between two of the biggest landowners in Ruby Hills, Ross decides to put an end to the fighting that threatens to tear apart his new home. He may have been a loner before, but now he has allies and a plan.

Nine stories make up the second collection titled, Mistakes Can Kill You. These selections highlight some of L'Amours earlier short stories (sometimes written under the pen name Jim Mayo) that demonstrate the ambiguous morality of the best Western writing. For example, in "Black Rock Coffin-Makers," two men who readily kill over ownership of a ranch get more than they bargain for when a stranger gets caught in their crossfire. Other stories include, "The Nester and the Piute"; "Law of the Desert Born"; "Ride, You Tonto Raiders!"plus five more tales. As always, L'Amour's characters come vivaciously to life and the rough-and-tumble spirit of the Wild West leaps from the page.