Customer Reviews

Sitka

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

 

 

This novel is thematically a Western although its settings are non -traditional for the genre .Much of the book is set in Alaska when it was owned by Russia and was the focus of a concerted attempt by some US politicians to acquire the territory from its exploitative owners ,A key section takes place in Siberia and at the court of the Czar in St Petersburg .Throw in lenghty sections set a sea , including a rousing sea battle and you have several elements not normally found in the archetypal Western ,Yet ,withal ,a Western it is, with Cossacks standing in for Native Americans and Russian aristocrats as the despoilers and bandits .
The hero is a typical L'Amour protagonist .Jean LaBarge is rugged ,two -fisted and well capable of looking after himself in a fight both armed and unarmed .He wins the hand of a beautiful aristocratic young woman and carves out a niche for himself in the world by dint of energy and vision .
The opening four chapters are essentially a pre-amble to the main story and depict Jean as a young man growing to manhood in the swamps along the Susquehannah ,becoming friends with the bokish Rob Walker who later becomes a prominent political figure with a vision of an American Alaska .They tell of his capture by an outlaw band and how he goes on to be a world traveller ans a moderately prosperous trader .
The novel does not begin to really get going until the action shifts to Alaska ,a land which is Jean's obsession .He falls for the fair Helena , a niece of the Czar and wife to an honourable Russian administrator ,but earns ther enmity of the corrupt and ruthless Zinnovy who seeks to exercise total control over Alaska turning it into his personal fiefdom .
Before events reach their climax in an Alaskan courtroom murder has been done ,a chase has taken place acros place acros the frozen tundra of Siberia and Jean has been flung into prison and condemned to death

There is a lot of plot to get through and now and agian it feels rushed but the pace and vigour of the storytelling compensate and there is -as usual with this writer -some splendid descriptions of the natural beauty of the landscape
This is never dull and I recommend it to lovers of historical romance as well as Western readers

A little different from the usual western cranked out by L'Amour, this novel chronicles the opening of shipping trade routes between San Francisco and Alaska. An adventure-packed, yet romantic, look at history.

Alaska, a fabled land that lures the Yankee traders north to challenge the forbidden territory of Russia where a successful run means untold wealth and failure means a horrible, but certain death.
The brazen men who plied the seas will not rest until they have gained a foothold in the frozen land.
SITKA chronicles this push from the sea to the Czar to the raising of Old Glory above the landscape. Fiction is, of course, a story, but the history is accurate and we have these men to thank for this still partially unexplored state.
SITKA was my first L'Amours and has remained one of my favorites.
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Sitka is not typical of Louis L'Amour's work. He takes us from Louisiana to San Francisco to Alaska to Russia and back to Alaska in a relatively short book. In doing all this traveling with his character, Jean Labarge, we do not get the typical Louis L'Amour descriptions. We do not get a good description of Sitka, Alaska or its inhabitants. We do not even get a good adventure. When Labarge's warehouse with his very valuable wheat is set ablaze by the bad guys, he does not even go after them. Instead, he sends his ship to Alaska on schedule while he heads overland, on a miraculously fast journey, to Oregon where a sufficient quantity of wheat just happens to be available. In my opinion, the whole story is too far-fetched with too many scenes and not enough of the kind of action and adventure Mr. L'Amour has always delivered.

You know with Louis L'Amour that the historical information is going to be acurate. Great adventure story about Sitka an island of Alaska in a time when the Russia government still owned it. Jean LaBarge is a true adventure hero. L'Amour does an excellent job of describing everything in such great detail that you can visualize it. Plus a romance. Don't be scared off by the number of pages, it is worth it.

I bought a book for a friend who was looking for a copy of Sitka. I found a copy in good condition and not too expensive. She is happy and I am too.

I first read this book over five decades ago during the mid fifties when I was a high school student. It was a book that I could not put down I was so engrossed in it. Alaska was my favorite state at that time and I pictured myself living my life in the Alaskan Territory. Alaska still remains my favorite state and Louis L'Amour still remains my favorite western writer.

Next to L'Amour's The Walking Drum and Education of a Wandering Man, I loved Sitka. It kept me reading to the last sentence. I loved the characters and the history and the carefully crafted plot tying all historical events together. I was 'assigned' to read this book for book club and I was delighted that I enjoyed it so much. If you love historical fiction and haven't read The Walking Drum, you must!!

Somewhat grander in scope than most L'Amour novels, this story tells the tale of the United States' acquisition of Alaska. The hero, Jean LaBarge, begins life as a trapper and sailor. He eventually acquires the means to purchase a boat of his own which he uses to sail between Alaska and the West Coast trading grain and manufactured goods for pelts, gold, and other products. Only problem is that Alaska is owned by the Russians and some of them aren't real happy about Jean's cutting into their business. Throw in a beautiful Russian princess, a trip to Moscow to visit the czar, an evil Russian functionary, a few fist fights, and good history lesson about the US acquisition of Russia, and you have another fine L'Amour tale.

This is a fine, if typical, L'Amour tale. Nothing particularly profound, but a light, entertaining read for anyone who likes Westerns. There is a fair bit of geo-politics and historical characters and events throughout the story - usually these tales are a bit smaller in scope. I doubt that this is how the US actually acquired Alaska, but perhaps it should have happened this way!

L'Amour is a master. This book was written in 1957. Authors 45 years ago had a lot more scruples than they do today. Even knowing that, this is a great adventure book. The characters are well written. The descriptions of the scenarios is great.

The basic plot is well worn, but it occurs in Alaska so that adds a new twist to the story.

The time is when Alaska was still owned by the Russians. The Czars were still in power. Alaska was a long way from Moscow and governed by the military who rarely received instruction from Moscow.

It's the story of an orphan that makes his way in the world based on his own skills and intelligence. He has a dream of going to Alaska. He never forgets the dream. On the way, he meets up with several extraordinary people that help him along the way. During his journey, he is involved in much of the history of the exploration of the west. This is a history lesson as well as an adventure.

The pages turn very quickly. It is easy to put down and pick up without missing any of the story. It's a perfect book for vacation or travel reading.