Riding for the Brand
by Louis L'Amour
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BLOOD IN THE DUSTThe open West was a land where wanderers could find themselves a home—a home to fight for, to be changed by, sometimes to die for. Jed Asbury was one such journeyman, taking on the identity of a dead man. Allen Ring was another: He’d won his plot of land in a card game only to find he had to win again with a gun. From a has-been boxer to a ranch hand taking on his bosses’ troubles, the characters in these classic Louis L’Amour short stories are all “riding for show more the brand”—staying loyal to what matters, staking the West with their courage and their blood.
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This is one of my favorite collections of L'Amour's short stories. There's a forward by the author, and notes prior to each story. This book includes tales of cattle rustling, homesteading, man-hunting, and even one of someone taking the name and reputation of a murdered man. Good reads.
Excellent collection of short fiction. L’Amour was generally at his best with this type.
As I have said elsewhere, I tent to prefer L'aMour's short stories to his novels.
Product Description
The open West was a land where wanderers could find themselves a home--a home to fight for, to be changed by, sometimes to die for. Jed Ashbury was one such journeyman, taking on the identity of a dead man. Allen Ring was another: he'd won his plot of land in a card game only to find he had to win again with a gun. From a has-been boxer to a ranch hand taking on his bosses' troubles, the characters in these classic Louis L'Amour short stories are all "riding for the brand"-staying loyal to what matters, staking the West with their courage and their blood.
From the Publisher
The open West was a land where wanderers could find themselves a home--a home to fight for, to be changed by, sometimes to die for. Jed Ashbury show more was one such journeyman, taking on the identity of a dead man. Allen Ring was another: he'd won his plot of land in a card game only to find he had to win again with a gun. From a has-been boxer to a ranch hand taking on his bosses' troubles, the characters in these classic Louis L'Amour short stories are all "riding for the brand"-staying loyal to what matters, staking the West with their courage and their blood. show less
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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
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Riding for the Brand
- Original title
- Riding for the Brand
- Original publication date
- 1986-03
- People/Characters
- Jed Asbury aka Michael Latch; Tony Costa; Walt Seever; Carol Arden James; Edgar Poe; Jem Mace (show all 21); Michael Latch; George Baca; Thomas Latch; Harry Strykes; Gin Feeley; Arden; Maria; Pat Flood; Jim Pardo; Frank Besovi; Clark; Quimby; Buck Stanton; Randy Kenner; May Kenner
- Important places
- Rancho Casa Grande, California, USA
- Important events
- Jed finds a wagon, papers and two guns.; Jed sends the Bar O cattle home from Fall Valey.; A showdown with Walt in town.
- First words
- He had been watching the covered wagons for more than an hour
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He smiled. :What would Costa do without me?"
- Disambiguation notice
- This is a short story from the collection of short stories named "Riding for the Brand." It is not the book of the same name.
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Statistics
- Members
- 515
- Popularity
- 57,867
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.66)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 26
- ASINs
- 3
