The Wild West – Novels and Authors

[timmy]

Joaquin Murieta:

Gentlemen, the Hispanic lore of the Old West is quite rich. For instance, Kit Carson, famous fur trapper, scout, and public figure in the Southwest and Mexican-American War married into a Hispanic family and ended his days in her hometown of Taos, NM (which was once my home town, as well).

Joaquin Murieta was a real-life figure in pre-US California who resembles Robin Hood in English literature about whom a lot of writing exists:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquin_Murrieta

Somewhat similar in a Robin Hood mode was Johnston McCulley's fictional "Zorro," featured in books, movies, and a TV series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorro

(Regarding Zorro, I'm still attached to the Zorro movie made by Tyrone Power back in the 30s -- watch it if you can find it, as it is lots of fun!)

Another famous Hispanic real life character of the Old West from my New Mexico was Elfego Baca. Baca was a real, larger than life person who was also featured in a TV series I remember as a boy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfego_Baca

I admit that I tend to be drawn more to true historical figures than to fictional ones. The stories of real individuals (such as Elfego Baca) are every bit as fantastic as those presented by fictional writers. Some of these figures who, I think, could bear some attention in the Old West in the "mountain man" category are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Carson

http://www.coloradohistory.org/kids/wootton.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richens_Lacey_Wootton

http://www.sangres.com/history/uncledick.htm



Finally, and as a bit of digression, I would also mention the histories of figures associated with the "Old West" before it became part of the USA are those from Spanish and Mexican history. Some names you might wish to look up are Francisco "Pancho" Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and Alvaro Obregon (this last man became a president of Mexico) from the times of the Revolution. The story of Don Juan Oñate''s "Entrada" of New Mexico in 1598 is also quite interesting. But the "grand daddy" of all of these stories for me is undoubtedly Bernal Diaz del Castillo's "The Conquest of New Spain," which is an eyewitness account of Cortes and his conquest of Mexico. It blends the stories of Medieval Europe, Native America (at the height of its glory and power), the West, and many other threads into one of the most interesting stories I've read, bar none. Perhaps not the "Old West" strictly, it certainly is one of the most important antecedents of the Old West, as so much of the "Cowboy Culture" was Spanish in origin, like lariats, saddles, rodeos, chaps, etc.

@shooter:

As you are mentioning "Curry Westerns," I'd like to mention another one, but I'm not sure it comes under the heading of a curry western: "Thai Meethu Sathiyam"



I need to watch this one, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Do Kollywood movies count under the heading of curry western? (PS: I also have "Quick Gun Murugan," which I haven't gotten to, either, much to the chagrin of one of our esteemed IFG members! ;^)

[Vikram]

Timmy,

Very interesting links you provided there.Many thanks.

"One often told story says that once when he was practicing law in Albuquerque, Baca received a telegram from a client in El Paso, Texas. "Need you at once," it said, "Have just been charged with murder." To which Baca is supposed to have responded with a telegram saying, "Leaving at once with three eyewitnesses''."

Baca seems to have been a colourful character.

Best-
Vikram

[ckkalyan]

Haven't visited here for a while (my error ), and I now note this fine thread.

Interestingly, the "Sudden" series referenced by ckkalyan seems not to be available in the US or only at a high prices. But there are lots of other excellent westerns avaiable inepensively. Just for the heck of it, got to ebay and input "lot westerns" or "lot vintage westerns" under books. I bought my most recent bunch (7) for about 50 cents (half a dollar) each. Plus postage.

Many great writers around beside Louis L'Amour.

Wow! That's a great buy Steve007. I would admire to hear from you as to who those other great Western writers are! Maybe I could check them out? India is still a great place to pick up used books.

[TRX]

Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey are probably the most famous of the Western writers.

L'Amour's books vary widely in quality. Some of them were short stories written for the "pulp fiction" or "young adult" market, crudely edited and sometimes rewritten by the publisher to sell as "new Louis L'Amour novels" once he got famous.

I found "Hondo" and "Flint" to be quite good.

[kenhypno]

My favourite western writer have read almost all his novels when in school . The Sackett novels hold a special place in my heart !The patriarch of the family, Barnabas Sackett,The family quickly divides into three clans, sired by several of their sons: the "Smoky Mountain Sacketts", "Cumberland Gap Sacketts", and "Clinch Mountain Sacketts". There are also Flatland Sacketts, but are rarely touched upon in the novels. It is the Smoky Mountain Sacketts that produce some of L'Amour's most memorable and beloved characters, including William Tell "Tell" Sackett and his brothers Tyrel and Orrin, of the novel "Sackett" (see below) and others. Orrin was a lawyer, and Tyrel became a respected rancher and lawman, often simply known as the "Mora Gunfighter" after the town he settled in.each character that even after 20 years of leaving school i remember the quote from To the Far Blue Mountains speaking of to be wife his wife Abigail to Tinker his friend replies "she is not a dream she is to be dreamt of"
Of Louis L’amour:

Below listed are all the Sackett stories (IMO the most addictive of his novels) and the best order in which to read them.

Sackett’s Land
To the Far Blue Mountains
The Warrior’s Path
Jubal Sackett
Ride the River
The Daybreakers
The Courting of Griselda (short story in “End of the Drive”)
Lando
Sackett
Booty for a Badman (short story in “War Party”)
Mojave Crossing
The Sackett Brand
The Skyliners
The Lonely Men
Mustang Man
Galloway
Treasure Mountain
Ride the Dark Trail
Lonely on the Mountain

[ckkalyan]

kenhypno - great to know that you have enjoyed the Sackett novels so much so that you are able to quote from memory! Wow!

[Rajat]

Hey! It is good to know that we have another L'Amour lover amongst us! And he seems to be a regular contributor at Wikipedia too:

The patriarch of the family, Barnabas Sackett,The family quickly divides into three clans, sired by several of their sons: the "Smoky Mountain Sacketts", "Cumberland Gap Sacketts", and "Clinch Mountain Sacketts". There are also Flatland Sacketts, but are rarely touched upon in the novels. It is the Smoky Mountain Sacketts that produce some of L'Amour's most memorable and beloved characters, including William Tell "Tell" Sackett and his brothers Tyrel and Orrin, of the novel "Sackett" (see below) and others. Orrin was a lawyer, and Tyrel became a respected rancher and lawman, often simply known as the "Mora Gunfighter" after the town he settled in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sackett

Welcome!

[kenhypno]

yeah i am a bit of a recluse with many aliases ! and i still remember how Baranbas Sackett used reindeer brain to buff his leather ,and Tinker another character used to just sort of stroke peoples abdomens in fights ( thats what it seemed) but gave them fatal knife wounds!and another one of the sharpshooter Logan or Nolan Sacketts wears a hat with a bullet hole!

[Rajat]

[Safarigent]

no one likes wilbur smith?

[xl_target]

I've read a lot of Louis L'Amour, many when I was back in high school. I also read most of the "sudden" books in high school. What was cool was that after I came here, I was able to see some of those places like the Smokies, The Cumberland Gap, etc. Haven't made Texas yet, but I have a friend down there who keeps asking me to come down and see him.

As for Wilbur Smith, he isn't quite 'Wild West' but I've read everything he's written (looking at his biblio, I may have missed his last two or three). One of the most amazingly descriptive writers, you can almost see the story as you read. Unfortunately, when I was in Africa, my passport was stamped: "not vaild for Republic of South Africa and Rhodesia" so I never got to go there.

[kenhypno]

no one likes wilbur smith?

Who can forget The Ballantynes Fuller Ballantyne his son Zouga and daughter Robyn their slave girl Juba! in Men of Men i remember how Zougas muzzle loader was double shoted and it nearly cost him a shoulder he was not told it was double shoted and he brought down an elephant with it just in time to save his life!

[Safarigent]

i love his africa series!!!

[essdee1972]

Well, I find Smith's torture and shooting / death scenes extremely graphic. Granted they are true, but guaranteed to give you bad dreams! But he must be second to none in his descriptions of animals making love

Any Forsyth fans here?

Cheers!

EssDee

[Steve007]

Unfortunately, when I was in Africa, my passport was stamped: "not vaild for Republic of South Africa and Rhodesia" so I never got to go there.

They were glorious countries, xl...once. I've spent 9 months in South Africa (3 trips). The first few, US sanctions were on, so I had to smuggle myself in through Zurich and Weisbaden, West Germany. Beautiful country, fine people, beautiful women. And NOT the way it was portrayed in the media! Sorry you missed it. And delighted that I didn't.