The Walking Drum

[John Q. Mayhem]

Have any of you here at EN World read Louis Lamour's The Walking Drum? It's an awesome story about a young man traveling all over Europe and the middle east looking for his father. Did you like it? Dislike it? Do you read a lot fo Luis Lamour? Have you never ever heard of him?

 

[Cannibal_Kender]

I thought the book was fabulous. Kerbouchard is one my favorite fictional characters. A great warrior, but also a scholar and explorer. Too bad there was never a sequel. The end was left wide open.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Yeah, I know. In the edition I have, there's a note at the end that promises a sequel, but it never came about. BTW, my brother just bought an autographed 1st edition of The Walking Drum. Very, very cool. It's his favorite book. I just wish that Louis Lamour had written more midieval fiction. G.A. Henty's books are also good reads.

 

[Cannibal_Kender]

G.A. Henty? What are his books like?

 

[Cannibal_Kender]

Of Lamour I also liked Jubal Sackett, The Haunted Mesa, Last of the Breed, and the Quick and the Dead.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I liked the Sackett books, especially the early ones (with swords). I didn't like the Haunted Mesa though. G.A. Henty's stories mostly follow a young man through various (usually military) adventures. They are spread through all time periods, I recall one in ancient Egypt, one in the Civil War, one in Rome-occupied Israel, and many others. They often have fairly strong Christian themes, but if that isn't your thing you can still enjoy them. Also they tend to be a bit male-centric.

 

[trancejeremy]

I quite liked it. It's too bad he died before he could right any sequels. I've pretty much read all his books.

Some of his westerns are a bit formulaic, but still, enjoyable. I really think his style is similar to that of Robert Howards

 

[David Howery]

I read the Walking Drum many years ago, and don't recall a lot of details about it.. except for the Assassins. I like L'Amour in general, although he sometimes got his technology mixed up.... he had repeating flintlock pistols (!) in "Jubal Sackett", and in The Lonesome Gods (set in CA right before and after the Mexican War), he has scenes with characters shoving cartridges into their pistols and rifles (waaaay too early for that technology...)

 

[The_Universe]

My Dad was a Louis L'Amour addict, and as such I have read almost everything he ever wrote. I also wasn't a terribly big fan of the haunted mesa (thought it was a little silly), but Jubal Sackett is a classic. Last of the Breed is only okay, until the end, when the main character sends his enemy a scalp in a box. Awesome. Pretty much all of the Sackett stuff is great, and there's very little in L'Amour that you can't enjoy, even if it's not terribly deep.

Of the non-western stuff, some of the stuff he wrote about Private Detectives and boxing is also pretty good.

To me, all of his books read like a movie...great descriptions, and tough, fun characters. I wish that authors were all truly immortal...he was one of the best.

 

[Dragonblade]

The Walking Drum is one of my favorite books. In fact as I type this its sitting on my shelf next to the computer.

I think I'll grab it and read it again.