11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOUIS L'AMOUR'S EARLY PULP FICTION REPUBLISHED, January 22, 2009
This review is from: Showdown Trail (Mass Market Paperback)
I have read Louis L'Amour novels for several decades, having most of his novels in the matching Bantam hardcover editions from the 1980s, nearly 110 books. Yet I am glad to see these reprints from Leisure Books as they allow us to read the original stories as they appeared in the pulp magazines. Many of those early stories were later reworked by L'Amour, and I doubt he would be happy to see these appear as they do. However that may be, his edict of the 1980s that only Bantam should publish his work was based on sound contractual business practice, wanting any sales to come through Bantam. But since I surmise these short stories of the pulp years to be in the public domain there is little that Louis or anyone can do to stop their reappearance. Though I admire Louis L'Amour's writing alot, for me he was not the best to ever write a western. Men such as Ernest Haycox, Ray Hogan, Frank O'Rourke, Luke Short, and several others are his equal or better. But no one ever outsold L'Amour, nor will anyone ever in my opinion do so.
Plus, and this is no small thing for western writers, he helped raise the selling price of westerns to be equal with other best selling books. When I started reading westerns in the 1950s and 60s, the cost of a western was normally a third to a half of say a novel by James A. Michener. If Michener was selling for .95 then westerns would be at .35 to .60. As anyone knows who buys westerns today, and that is mainly what I read, the cost per book is now closer to $6.00 or $7.00. This can be directly traced back and attributed to Louis, where his westerns once sold for .75 or .95 cents, those SAME novels are now going for close to $5.00, with these Leisure reprints hovering around $7.00. One of his lasting legacies which all western writers should appreciate, he actively helped push the selling price of all westerns upward to make them the equal of paperbacks in general. As the cost of Louis L'Amour westerns continued to escalate so too did all other western paperbacks. With the latest price for these Leisure reprints being in the $7.00 range.
Now, 20 years after his death, it is becoming less easy to find Louis' books. The WalMart in my area has only had 2 copies from Bantam Books in the last 3 years, and for me they are not as plentiful in the 2nd hand book stores either. So when I see these short stories reprinted by Leisure Books I know that Louis L'Amour's work will be given at least a short time longer before the reading public. His work is well worth preserving, and with the passing of an older generation (such as myself) he may become as Zane Grey or others who are no longer readily available at the local newsstand nor read very much if at all.
This book from March, 2007, only reprints a couple of his stories but it does seem as if Leisure Books will continue publishing his pulp stories, as there are now at least 5 separate books out with more to follow I am sure. The two stories within this book are The Trail To Peach Meadow Canon and Showdown Trail. With Showdown Trail later being reworked into the novel The Tall Stranger.
Some purists may resent what Leisure Books is doing, but I do not. I am happy to see L'Amour's work on any book rack, anywhere, anytime, and 20 years after his death do not really care who does the publishing to put it there. It's the publishing that is crucial to keep Louis L'Amour books before the reading public.
Semper Fi.
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