Customer Reviews

BOWDRIE

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Chick Bowdrie is the original tough guy with the warm heart that all L'Amour fans love. When things get tough, Bowdrie gets tougher. He always gets his man! I could not put this book down. One short story after another captivated me! Don't miss this book!!

This is a terrific book of short stories using the main character(Bowdrie) as a composite of all the attributes of a Texas Ranger in the old west.
No one writes about the west like Louis L'Amour and in this one its just like you were his sidekick watching all the action.
If you like the old west, Louis L'Amour or just good old adventure yarns then Bowdrie is a great read for you.

Chick Bowdrie is a Texas Ranger, and he is a typical Western hero. Tough as leather, and fast with a gun. And he takes no lip from nobody.

Bowdrie (along with Bowdrie's Law) are collections of short stories from L'Amour starring this great character. These were the first L'Amour books I read (short stories are easier to experiment with) and they kicked off my fandom.

If you like a good adventure story about the frontier, or if you are simply interested in the Texas Ranger modus operandi (L'Amour is famous for his historical accuracy and amount of research that goes into his books), you can do no better than beginning with the tales of Chick Bowdrie.

Bowdrie When you have a vintage Louis L'Amour calendar hanging on your studio wall, it only seems reasonable to set a goal to read the book of the month. So, with Bowdrie coming up and it doubly showing up on my husband's Wish List, I figured, "Why Not?" I myself usually read sf or classic but I've been surprised at how much I've enjoyed the West through Mr. L'Amour's eyes. His hero is believable. Sure, he's got a dozen different talents -- but he's trained well for all of them. He's got a few good friends, but it's obvious why they are loyal to him. And I'm always surprised by how he gets out of this scrape... We take turns reading to each other at the supper table. Try it sometime. No one wolfs down their food and bolts for their own room anymore. They can't wait to see what happens to Bowdrie next.

I have about nine short-story books, and I've checked others out. I think this is the best. All the stories are about Chick Bowdrie. He always gets the bad guys. If you like this, I also reccomend BOWDRIES LAW. This is an exciting book!


William Andrews

Louis L'Amour is well known for over a hundred western novels he wrote. He also wrote dozens of short stories, many of which first appeared in magazines about fifty years ago. "Bowdrie" is a collection of short stories all about the same character, "Chick Bowdrie." Chick is a Texas Ranger. These eight stories are tightly written, with each having a mystery or puzzle that Chick has to resolve.

There is plenty of action. Chick is a young man who is fast with a gun. For awhile Chick was torn between which side of the law he would be on. Another Texas Ranger convinced Chick to work on the side of truth and justice.

Another fun part of this book is a number of short historical notes by Louis L'Amour. Each time in a page or two he describes actual events and people who lived in Texas about the same time these stories were written.

These are great short stories. If you like short story westerns, this is a nice collection to have.

Long before Louis L'Amour began writing and publishing longer western novels he wrote short stories for various magazines of the time, mostly the 1940s, with these magazines being named after the paper they were printed on, that is, pulps. All of the Chick Bowdrie stories come from these earlier pulp western magazines. In BOWDRIE and BOWDRIE'S LAW there are a total of 18 western stories. I am aware of one additional Chick Bowdrie story in a later book beginning on page 89 of the 1998 book MONUMENT ROCK entitled Strawhouse Trail.

I disagree with a few of the reviewers in that I think these stories represent some of the finest material Louis L'Amour ever issued to the reading public. The writing is of a high level and the stories really flow swiftly along, of course, that was essential in the short story market of that time. These stories are much less 'formulaic' than many of Louis L'Amour's later books, exhibiting a bit more dash. Few, if any, of his short story collections can ever eclipse these two books. I've been reading them now for well over 20 years and never tire of the Chick Bowdrie character.

Charles (Chick) Bowdrie was orphaned at age six seeing his parents killed in a Comanche raid, thereafter living with the Comanches for several years before he was adopted out to a non-Comanche family. Learning both German and French in the area he lived he was well suited for all parts of Texas and his later work as a Texas Ranger. The stories in BOWDRIE all take place in Texas except for a couple stories, so Bowdrie is a ranger who does most of his work within the state. As a Texas Ranger he would have had to supply his own horse, pistols, and rifle, with the cartridges supplied by the state. Though he usually works alone he is part of a company of rangers with Rip Coker sometimes working with him. At least one story in Bowdrie finds that to be true.

If you enjoy these stories of Bowdrie an excellent addition to the printed stories are the audio tapes or CDs of these books. To hear these stories dramatized and brought to life only adds to the depth and excitement of the Bowdrie character. If you read Louis L'Amour but have never read the Bowdrie stories great reading enjoyment awaits. I have the entire L'Amour collection of books in hardcover and have read these Bowdrie stories over-and-over. For me there are no finer Louis L'Amour stories available.

Semper Fi.

"Bowdrie" by famed western writer, Louis L'Amour is the second collection of stories about fictional 1880's Texas Ranger Chick Bowdrie. The book contains eight western style mystery stories in which Bowdrie solves crimes and stops outlaws. Interspersed between the stories are historical notes, detailing various events from 1880's Texas history and giving biographies of notable Texas rangers. I suggest that one read, "Bowdrie's Law" first, though is certainly isn't necessary as each of the stories contained in both collections can stand by themselves fairly well.

I've never been huge into westerns, so when this book was suggested to me, I was a bit dubious. Of course, I'm familiar with Louis L'Amour, having read a book in Grade school, and seen a movie or two purported to have been based on his books, so I was willing to give it a try. I was glad I did.

L'Amour's was a great writer. His knowledge of western history shows in his writing as he uses actual places and references real criminals and various events when they apply. He has an even, sometimes terse style that doesn't use more words than it needs to. His stories, in the case of the Bowdrie tales, are generally tightly written with clever and believable plots that don't violate the conventions of good mystery writing ("don't solve the mystery with evidence not previously revealed to the audience").

In some ways the Bowdrie stories are the best of both worlds. They follow a western lawman hunting out criminals, often with a murder involved that he has to solve. There's the reasoning out of the crime and then an eventual showdown, often with a shootout or fight to climax the story. You get a good mystery and the western action to top it off. A great and entertaining combination.

Added to that, Chick Bowdrie is a solid, interesting and likable character. It's no wonder that L'Amour wrote so many stories about him. He's a compelling fellow, an orphan with Apache blood who almost became an outlaw before being saved by the Texas Rangers. He rides a strawberry roan he caught himself that no-one else would dare ride and is too ugly to steal. He's shy with women despite his skill with his guns and he wanders here and there on various duties for the Rangers with no home but where he hangs his hat.

With a great protagonist and the solid supporting characters created to interact with him, Bowdrie is a winner. As a result, this book is an entertaining read. Best of all, unlike a novel, each of the stories can be consumed in one sitting, great for that 30 minutes before bedtime.

Another terrific short story collection. This one features young Chick Bowdrie as the Texas Ranger that always gets his man. A mix of adventure and mystery with Chick in hot pursuit or just waiting for the guys in the black hats to make a mistake. Its a great collection to leave in the car for those short waits we all have from time to time. Definately not LL at his best, but an entertaining read that kept me turning the pages.

I agree with those who like L'Amour's later stuff best. But Bowdrie was a good book anyway, and well worth reading because it's a L'Amour. Everyone is raving about Kirby Jonas, who they call the New Louis L'Amour, and I think they are right about him. But don't miss out on the original Louis either. This book will keep you reading to the last page.