Catlow
by Louis L'Amour
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Ben Cowan and Bijah Catlow had been bound as friends since childhood. By the time they grew to manhood, Catlow had become a top cowhand with a wild streak. It took just one disastrous confrontation with a band of greedy ranchers to make him an outlaw. And when he crossed that line, it was up to U.S. Marshal Ben Cowan to bring him in alive--if only Catlow would give him the chance....From the Paperback edition.
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There's something very Spencer Tracy-ish about this one! Two boys grow up together as best friends, but as adults find themselves on opposite sides of the law. Ben must stop Bijah from stealing the Mexican gold, but he doesn't want to kill an old friend.
This is the story of two men who have been acquainted with one another for most of their lives. One is Abijah Catlow, a fun loving, outgoing man who is often either just this side of the law, or in the process of breaking it. The other is Deputy United States Marshal Ben Cowan, a quiet, honest man who is very sincere in his feelings about maintaining the law, but never overstepping the boundaries. Both men have a deep respect for the other, and Catlow understands Ben's need to capture him and see that justice is done. When reading this story, you can see that Louis L'Amour truly understands what he is writing about. He is very adept at describing the environment in which the story takes place. He knows about the landscape, the Indians show more who live in the area, survival techniques and tracking, as well as about the clothing and weapons of the era. In fact, L'Amour puts together his story so well, that you never have to question the details. show less
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870+ Works 99,170 Members
Born in Jamestown, North Dakota on March 22, 1908, Louis L'Amour's adventurous life could have been the subject of one of his novels. Striking out on his own in 1923, at age 15, L'Amour began a peripatetic existence, taking whatever jobs were available, from skinning dead cattle to being a sailor. L'Amour knew early in life that he wanted to be a show more writer, and the experiences of those years serve as background for some of his later fiction. During the 1930s he published short stories and poetry; his career was interrupted by army service in World War II. After the war, L'Amour began writing for western pulp magazines and wrote several books in the Hopalong Cassidy series using the pseudonym Tex Burns. His first novel, Westward the Tide (1950), serves as an example of L'Amour's frontier fiction, for it is an action-packed adventure story containing the themes and motifs that he uses throughout his career. His fascination with history and his belief in the inevitability of manifest destiny are clear. Also present and typical of L'Amour's work are the strong, capable, beautiful heroine who is immediately attracted to the equally capable hero; a clear moral split between good and evil; reflections on the Native Americans, whose land and ways of life are being disrupted; and a happy ending. Although his work is somewhat less violent than that of other western writers, L'Amour's novels all contain their fair share of action, usually in the form of gunfights or fistfights. L'Amour's major contribution to the western genre is his attempt to create, in 40 or more books, the stories of three families whose histories intertwine as the generations advance across the American frontier. The novels of the Irish Chantry, English Sackett, and French Talon families are L'Amour's most ambitious project, and sadly were left unfinished at his death. Although L'Amour did not complete all of the novels, enough of the series exists to demonstrate his vision. L'Amour's strongest attribute is his ability to tell a compelling story; readers do not mind if the story is similar to one they have read before, for in the telling, L'Amour adds enough small twists of plot and detail to make it worth the reader's while. L'Amour fans also enjoy the bits of information he includes about everything from wilderness survival skills to finding the right person to marry. These lessons give readers the sense that they are getting their money's worth, that there is more to a L'Amour novel than sheer escapism. With over 200 million copies of his books in print worldwide, L'Amour must be counted as one of the most influential writers of westerns in this century. He died from lung cancer on June 10, 1988. (Bowker Author Biography) Louis L'Amour, truly America's favorite storyteller, was the first fiction writer ever to receive the Congressional Gold Medal from the United States Congress in honor of his life's work, & was also awarded the Medal of Freedom. There are over 260 million copies of his books in print worldwide. (Publisher Provided) show less
Work Relationships
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1962-06
- People/Characters
- Abijah Catlow; Ben Cowan; Nigger Jim; Johnny Caxton; Jack Mercer; Barney Staples (show all 36); Colonel Parkman; Rio Bray; Bob Kelcher; Old Man Merridew; Tonkawa Kid; Bear River Tom Smith; Wild Bill Hickok; Houston Sharkey; Matt Giles; Sam Bass; Cordelia Burton; Moss Burton; Henry C. Hooker; Milton Duffield; Pete Kitchen; Miller; Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada; Diego Martinez de Recalde; Juan Bautista Armijo; Pesquiera; Bill Joiner; Christina Pesquiera; Rafael Vargas; Rosita Calderon; Francisco Vargas; Jake Wilbur; Kentucky; The Greek; Pancho; Drusilla Alvarado
- Important places
- Abilene, Kansas, USA; Piedras Negras, Mexico; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Barrio Libre, Tucson, Arizona, USA; Rancho Tia Juana, Baja California, Mexico; Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico (show all 8); Bisani, Sonora, Mexico; Hacienda Calderon, Fronteras, Sonora, Mexico
- Related movies
- Catlow (1971 | IMDb)
- Epigraph
- [None]
- Dedication
- To TRUMAN DEARBORN
Who rode the old trails through Dakota and Montana - First words
- Wherever buffalo grazed, cattle were rounded up, or mustangs tossed their tails in flight, men talked of Bijah Catlow.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And down Sonora way a boy rides the range whose name is Abijah.
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Statistics
- Members
- 626
- Popularity
- 46,249
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.70)
- Languages
- English, French, German, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 25
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 18
