Three-Ten to Yuma [Mass Market Paperback]

Elmore Leonard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1975

Trust was rare and precious in the wide-open towns that sprung up like weeds on America's frontier—with hustlers and hucksters arriving in droves by horse, coach, wagon, and rail, and gunmen working both sides of the law, all too eager to end a man's life with a well-placed bullet. The New York Times-bestselling Grand Master of suspense deftly displays the other side of his genius, with seven classic western tales of destiny and fatal decision . . . and trust as essential to survival as it is hard-earned.

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Even the earliest of his western yarns show Leonard to be a master storyteller.” (Los Angeles Times )

“Leonard has penned some of the best western fiction ever.” (USA Today ) --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

Elmore Leonard has written more than forty books during his highly successful writing career, including the bestsellers Road Dogs, Up in Honey’s Room, The Hot Kid, Mr. Paradise, Tishomingo Blues, and the critically acclaimed collection of short stories When the Women Come Out to Dance. Many of his books have been made into movies, including Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Be Cool. Justified, the hit series from FX, is based on Leonard’s character Raylan Givens, who appears in Riding the Rap, Pronto, the short story “Fire in the Hole,” and now Raylan. Leonard is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN USA and the Grand Master Award of the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Bloomfield Village, Michigan.

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Harper (December 31, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061449350
• ISBN-13: 978-0061449352
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,978,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elmore Leonard has written more than forty novels, including bestsellers Up in Honey's Room, The Hot Kid, Mr. Paradise, Tishomingo Blues, Pagan Babies, and Glitz. Many of his books have been made into movies, including Get Shorty and Out of Sight. He lives with his wife, Christine, in Bloomfield Village, Michigan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Western Action from Elmore Leonard!, May 14, 2007

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the third collection of Leonard short stories to be culled from his hardcover COMPLETE WESTERN STORIES OF ELMORE LEONARD. The seven stories in this book were published between 1952 to 1956.

To be frank, other reviewers have been more fulsome in their praise of Leonard's western stories. I think his stories are good, sometimes very good but rarely what I would term excellent. They are too short, too lacking in grit to win me over completely.

Having said that, the stories in this collection are nicely done, workmanlike tales of a cowardly cavalryman who winds up winning a Medal of Honor, a hardscrabble farm couple who, working together, triumph over desperados, a search for a Lost Dutchman mine and so on. The longest story - 'The Captives' - is the best in the bunch. Leonard has space to fill out the characters and details, which make for a well-told story.

I bought the book because it contains the story 'Three-Ten to Yuma,' one of my favorite western movies. I wanted to see how the source material compared to the movie. In this case the movie was better since the screenwriter supplied a nice twist at movie's end that elevated the story from a routine oater to something else.

In any case, whether you are a confirmed Leonard fan or not, you will enjoy the tales in this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Great Little Stories, August 23, 2008

By 

Peggy Stone (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this for "3:10 to Yuma," after seeing the most recent version of the film and then the Glenn Ford version (which is now my favorite), and it was interesting to see what a simple story inspired both films, and how the tale grew in the telling (the short story begins at the hotel!). But I ended up enjoying most of these short Western gems and appreciating how well Leonard crafts his tales with grit and humor and the pure desire to entertain.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For those who enjoy western fun, July 29, 2010

By 

Tommy Walters (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three-Ten to Yuma and Other Stories (Mass Market Paperback)

I like the short story format. These short stories are no exception (if you enjoy westerns). A few of these are far better than others, but the book is good on a whole. Surprisingly, one of the weaker stories (but still good) is the title story. The best story in the collection of seven, is the story called "The Captives." This is more than a short story, but less than a novella. It gives the writer a chance to develop some characters and gives more time for the story to evolve. I really ate this story up. I plan on moving onto a full length western novel by Leonard. You may know this name from the GET SHORTY story or movie.