Valley of the Sun

Contains nine short stories that are typical L'Amour fiction- fast moving, full of what life in the early western America may have been like. In "That Slash Seven Kid" a rich ranchers' eastern nephew comes for a stay on the ranch. His bravado turns off the ranch crew and his uncle assumes he is a neophyte and doesn't expect much from him. Unknown to all, he has learned to box in New York, visited shooting galleries and rode horses too.

When he catches a butcher with the hides from three of his Uncle's cattle, he demands the butcher pay for them and beats him to a pulp when the butcher refuses. The crew quickly realize the nephew can take care of himself.

In "Gila Crossing", a ranger is sent out to prevent a range war.

The are eight million stories in the naked west and this is nine of them. Simple entertainment. Big iron. Good guys, bad guys, and a pretty girl (usually with a double barreled shotgun).

The included stories are: We Shaped the Land with Our Guns • West of the Pilot Range • When a Texan Takes Over • No Man's Mesa • Gila Crossing • Medicine Ground • Valley of the Sun • That Slash Seven Kid • In Victorio's Country

I think 'Medicine Ground' was the only story I didn't care for. It features 'The Cactus Kid' who is apparently a recurring character in some of L'Amour's short stories. The initial tone of the story was different than the others. L'Amour is telling the tale with a sort of snarky humor (presumably the Cactus Kid's show more worldview) and there are a few funny lines but the story suffered for it. Other readers may love that one.

All of these stories are great on the descriptions of the landscape and setting, which I can say is L'Amour's real strength. I'm sure anyone who likes L'Amour would enjoy this collection.

I think most or all of these stories appeared in a variety of Western magazines in the 1940's and 1950's (Read in 2019) show less

B

I believe that the short story was the best area to showcase Louis L'Amour's writing talents, and this collection is a good example of what he could write in a couple dozen pages. As I read each tale, I again saw the author's sense of humor displayed, as is not always evident in the Western genre. In one example from this collection, a gambler is caught cheating, and reaches for his gun just as the victim of the crime starts shooting. To quote: "Lead, received in those proportions and with that emphasis and range, is reliably reported to be indigestible."

As usual, these are entertaining stories, with believable characters, and definitely worth a read. Recommended.

Western

From Library Journal A posthumous collection of short stories never before available in book form.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description Cattlemen ride alone across the open range under the deadly aim of roving desperadoes—Gamblers stake their fortunes and their lives on a deck of cards—Strong-willed senoritas seek independence through an enticing combination of beauty, audacity, and spirit—Lawmen and outlaws walk the same dusty streets and speak a common language: Colt, Winchester, Smith & Wesson. Gritty, tough, and unflinchingly authentic, here is the West as it really was: a land where for every friend there is an enemy, for every handshake a fist, for every dispute a resolution--usually in an show more explosive showdown of blood and bullets. In these remarkable tales, Louis L'Amour—like the very heroes he depicts—blazes a trail across the American frontier and takes us on an unforgiving journey into the heart of our western heritage. show less