About Author
Louis L'Amour, a renowned author and true storyteller, embraced the oral tradition of sharing tales around a campfire. He saw himself as a troubadour, captivating his audience with his vivid narratives. Louis Dearborn L'Amour not only possessed the ability to fill the shoes of the rugged characters he crafted, but he also traversed the very landscapes his characters treaded.
Born of French-Irish ancestry, L'Amour's family roots in North America can be traced back to the early 1600s. Growing up in Jamestown, North Dakota, he immersed himself in his family's frontier heritage, even hearing tales of his great-grandfather's encounter with Sioux warriors, where he was scalped. This deep connection to his roots laid the foundation for his profound understanding of people, events, and the challenges faced on the American frontier.
Driven by an insatiable curiosity and a desire to expand his horizons, L'Amour embarked on a journey of self-discovery at just fifteen years old. He embraced a multitude of jobs, from seaman to lumberjack, elephant handler to cattle skinner, miner to officer in the transportation corps during World War II. L'Amour's "yondering" days led him on a global adventure, from circling the world on a freighter to navigating a dhow on the Red Sea. His resilience was put to the test when he was shipwrecked in the West Indies and stranded in the Mojave Desert. Even in the ring, L'Amour emerged victorious, winning fifty-one out of fifty-nine professional boxing matches. Alongside his adventures, he also dedicated himself to reading and collecting rare books, amassing a personal library with a staggering 17,000 volumes.
L'Amour's lifelong ambition to write took flight, captivating a wide audience with his frontier and adventure stories published in fiction magazines. In 1953, he released his first full-length novel, "Hondo," in the United States. The success that followed was unparalleled, with every single one of his 120 books remaining in print and over 300 million copies sold worldwide. L'Amour's work has been translated into twenty languages, and many of his stories have been adapted into feature films and television movies.
With his literary achievements, L'Amour received abundant recognition and accolades. In 1983, he became the first novelist to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress. A year later, President Reagan presented him with the Medal of Freedom, solidifying his legacy as a literary giant who left an indelible mark on the world.
Although Louis L'Amour passed away on June 10, 1988, his wife Kathy, and their children Beau and Angelique, carry on his publishing legacy. They continue to release new books written by L'Amour during his lifetime, ensuring that his captivating stories live on through generations to come.
