Last Stand at Saber River

Leonard isn't the author to go to if you want a deep immersing sense of the Old West, and his dialogue could belong to modern characters. But he's definitely one to go to for a story driven by tension and characters who step off the page with larger-than-life personalities, which is at least one part of the great mythology of the Western. A few of the twists were expected (in Western trope fashion, which I happen to enjoy or I wouldn't keep reading Westerns), but a few of them were unexpected too. I enjoyed this as a typical Leonard read: I got to root for the good guy and anticipate the explosive climax of death for everybody else; I plowed through it fast and sighed with relief on the final page. No doubt I'll read him again.

Last Stand at Saber River by Elmore Leonard is a sold western tale of a confederate soldier coming back to his Arizona ranch with his wife and children only to find it has been taken over by a gang of union sympathizers who have no intention of letting the legal owner take over. Although rather formulaic the book has plenty of tense standoffs and shootouts that keep the pages turning.

Leonard defines his main character, Cabe, by describing the pull between his loving relationship with his wife and children against his hard, unwavering side that will not allow himself to lose his land. The story moves along at a rapid pace with confrontations between Cabe and the two Union brothers that have taken over his land, but it is the shady show more figure of Janroe, a Confederate sympathizer who escalates the disagreement, that seems the most detestable. While most Westerns portray their characters as either the “good guy” or the “bad guy”, Leonard crafts his characters in various shades which enhances the reading experience.

Many of the Western tropes that I enjoy are present in Last Stand at Saber River making this a fun and enjoyable read. show less

Last Stand at Saber River - Elmore Leonard *****

I am fairly new to Leonard and this is only my second book by him, the first being the brilliant Hombre, and I have to say that I was not disappointed. His books are full of action with prose that is short and sharp. Almost in a similar style to the noir genre of the 50’s/60’s detective novels, the pages fly by and at just shy of 200 pages can be read in a sitting or two.

Last Stand is set at the end of the American civil war and Paul Cable (a confederate soldier) has returned home to find a Yankee private army has moved into him home. At first he tries reasoning, when that fails he tries force. How long can he protect both his family and his land from the enemies that surround him? Set show more during a turbulent period of American history, Elmore really captures the mood and uncertainty of the time.

This is really my type of book for when I fancy a quick read without getting too bogged down in details and lengthy passages. These days I will probably be shot down in flames, but I would describe it as a proper mans book with no romance and plenty of action. I will definitely be reading more of his in the future, show less

I'm not much of a western reader but I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and well written with action all the way. It does end abruptly and the hero does not ride off into the sunset.

A quiet haunted man, Paul Cable walked away from a lost cause hoping to pick up where he left off. But things have changed in Arizona since he first rode out to go fight for the Confederacy. Two brothers—Union men—have claimed his spread and they're not about to give it back, leaving Cable and his family no place to settle in peace. It seems this war is not yet over for Paul Cable. But no one's going to take away his land and his future—not with their laws, their lies, or their guns.