Last Stand at Papago Wells [Mass Market Paperback]

Louis L'Amour (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 1998

It was the only water for miles in a vast, sun-blasted desert where water meant survival. So Logan Cates naturally headed for Papago Wells. But he wasn’t the only one. Fleeing the fierce Churupati and his Apache warriors, other travelers had come there too. And when the Apaches found them, they began a siege as relentless and unforgiving as the barren land…and just as inescapable.

The last thing Cates wanted was to be responsible for the lives of thirteen desperate strangers and a shipment of gold. But he knew that if they were to survive, he was their last chance. He also knew that some in the party were willing to die—or kill—to get their hands on the money. If he couldn’t get them to work together, it wouldn’t be the desert or even the Apaches that would do them in—it would be the greed of the very people he was trying to save.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Logan Cates knew the many ways the Arizona desert could kill a man. He had ridden the sunblasted dunes, tracked the Apache over barren lava beds, sheltered in the dry washes of this forbidding land. Above all, he knew a man needed water to survive. Cates rode to Papago Wells a few miles ahead of an Apache war party led by the vicious Churupati. There he met a dozen desert wanderers whom chance had led to the only water between Yuma and hell. There they came under siege by the Indians. And there they would make their stand--with little hope of living beyond the next day and only a hard man named Logan Cates to show them how to conquer their true enemy: fear.

From the Inside Flap

Logan Cates knew the many ways the Arizona desert could kill a man.  He had ridden the sunblasted dunes, tracked the Apache over barren lava beds, sheltered in the dry washes of this forbidding land.  Above all, he knew a man needed water to survive.  Cates rode to Papago Wells a few miles ahead of an Apache war party led by the vicious Churupati.  There he met a dozen desert wanderers whom chance had led to the only water between Yuma and hell.  There they came under siege by the Indians.  And there they would make their stand--with little hope of living beyond the next day and only a hard man named Logan Cates to show them how to conquer their true enemy: fear.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books (May 4, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553258079
• ISBN-13: 978-0553258073
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.5 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid Western adventure, January 6, 2002

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Stand at Papago Wells (Mass Market Paperback)

"Last Stand at Papago Wells," by Louis L'Amour, takes place in the western Arizona desert not long after the end of the American Civil War. As the story unfolds, a diverse group of individuals converge on the reservoir of the book's title, where they face the fury of an Indian force led by a half-Yaqui, half-Apache bandit.

I have been aware of Louis L'Amour's position as a literary phenomenon for some time; according to the author bio at the end of this book, he wrote more than 100 books (his first full-length novel being published in 1953). "Last Stand" is the first L'Amour book I have read.

"Last Stand" is a solid adventure. L'Amour fills the narrative with intriguing details, and creates a powerful portrait of the land itself. I really got a sense of the danger posed both by the harsh environment and the equally harsh human beings who populate the region. One might say that the ancient, unforgiving desert is the most significant "character" in the book.

The characters include Logan Cates, an archetypal rugged hero ("a man without illusions, without wealth, place or destination"); Grant Kimbrough, a former Confederate colonel who has become a dissolute gambler; Jennifer Fair, the rebellious daughter of an important rancher; Timothy Sheehan, "leather-hard and leather tough," an immigrant and veteran soldier; and others.

There is plenty of action and suspense. Yes, some of the dialogue is corny, and some of the plot is predictable. The story has the overall feel of a morality fable. All in all, a compelling tale of greed and adventure.

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty novel of survival in the desert, August 20, 2010

By 

New England Pat (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Stand at Papago Wells (Mass Market Paperback)

Diverse parties of white men and women converge at an isolated water hole in the Arizona desert and battle Apaches, the elements, thirst and each other. Hero Logan Cates takes charge of the small band of whites who bicker among themselves between Indian attacks and his leadership is what keeps them alive through the tortuous days and nights as they are pinned down by an unseen but determined enemy. The characters are detailed and the author gives them their own personalities and strange quirks that make the story believable. A good, quick read by Louis L'Amour.

5.0 out of 5 stars book purchase, April 27, 2009

By 

Murleen Goodrich (Alamosa, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Last Stand at Papago Wells (Hardcover)

I was very pleased with my recent purchase; the book was in even better shape than described. Thank you.