The Man from Battle Flat: A Western Trio

I have always liked Mr. L'Amour's short stories and short novels better than his longer works. The shorter writing showcases his strengths as a writer - fast action, characters drawn with quick, broad strokes, ample and excellent descriptions of the country, etc. The three stories in this collection are no exceptions. The Rider of the Ruby Hills is about as good as anything I've read by L'Amour. And I have read a lot. This story was made into a black and white movie in 1955 as Treasure of Ruby Hills,, starring Zachary Scott, Carole Mathews and Barton MacLane. Lee van Cleef appears in a supporting role.L'Amour is one of the authors whose work I used to carry around with me to read while traveling and between interviews and interrogations. Written well enough to hold my attention but easy to put down and pickup. I left L'Amour books in police stations and government and private offices all over Mississippi. I'll bet a lot of people were happy to find them. Later, I left about 50 of them scattered across southwestern Finland. During that adventure, I discovered that Mr. L'Amour has quite a following in Finland.I have had a lot of trouble with accuracy in books and stories by many popular modern western authors. I have never had that problem with L'Amour. His history and his descriptions of everything from guns to horses is dependable.There is a pretty decent forward by Jon Tuska in this volume. Particularly good for newcomers to the life and writing of Mr. L'Amour.

Good well told Western tales in the usual L'Amour style. Hard-bitten Western men, hard working, hard riding quick on the draw, straight shooters in all sense of the term. Lonely, attractive woman needing saving. Yada Yada Yads. Like I said, typical.Louis L'Amour has written better, much better, but these were still good-reads just more-of-the-same. Even the pasture in the lava field wasn't new. He used it at least once before, Talon I think.The first story was interesting mainly for the Walch 12-shot Navy and mention of the. 44 Russian. His attention to authentic Western history has always been one of his strengths that set him apart from other Western writers.I've owned most of L'Amour's books, and read a lot of the rest. The least of them were reading once. Many were reading many times.

These stories are really good but you can tell they were written for publication in a magazine. There's a few continuity problems and issues with pronouns shoo you don't know who's speaking sometimes our that they've mounted up and are riding with no indication in the text. But if still recommend them especially for fans of the western.

Pure Louis L'Amour strong men and woman carving out their places in the west. His writing has the feel of one who lived the west he wrote about . like Zane Gray , Great Heart, even Mark Twain before him he captured what's good about the western belief.

L'Amour is always a great read. In this book, a collection of stories (three) tell us a bit about three cowboys. Fast with a gun? Yeah, gotta be. Romance? Nah! Just enough to make out the tale! Can't wait to read the next one!

I think I have read most of L'Amours books over the years. He let's you feel your right there with the characters and the way he describes the country helps me appreciate what it used to look like. I highly recommend his stories.

A trio of fast moving western conflicts of good and evil hard men in disputes over land and power. All have the feminine influence woven into the stories in interesting and subtle ways. Good reading!

Louis L’Amour writes interesting books in the genre of the dime store novel writers of the late 1800s This was three short novels/stores and were well written.

I never get bored of reading any books by Louis L'Amour a writer I rate as the very best western writer,absolutely brilliant. Any book written by this man must be read by any western lover

Told in his inimitable style, like no other. You ride the trail with him ad see exactly what he sees but without the mushy feelings of others. He weaves his stories so realistically.

Another masterpiece from the greatest western writer of all time

I like Louise L'Amour and have read quite a few of his books. And I wanted to like these but truthfully though they are a bit too short and the characters not developed to his usual standard. Worth a read at this price but not really one of his page turners.

Feels like very early Louis lamour,the man definitely had class,I also read a few of Clarence e Milford Hopalong Cassidy books a lot more humour than I would have expected