Riding for the Brand

"Pass me that line." he said, this always sticks out to me when I read this book, weird. This story is intriguing to me as I wonder how many times it did happen in the West. I can definitely see it happening, how many people pretended to be someone else? How many took another's name, property, home? This was a time of action of creating a new world, new cities, businesses and how many got their start this way? Anyway, the main story in this book is intriguing, and the statement Riding for the Brand, means a lot especially in our world today where loyalty to a company is hard to find, let alone someone risking their life for yours. I think everyone could learn a lot from this book as well as being entertained by the stories inside.

I like Louis L'Amour. His descriptions and conversations are top notch. However, his plots are predictable so I really am grading this on a curve. I am also rating the audio version of this book which is interesting because it is told by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash. It was quite enjoyable to hear the four of these men work together - they were all quite good, especially Kristofferson and Nelson. This audio edition has features that most don't, including special effects and a music soundtrack that was sometimes reminescent of Clint Eastwood's Spaghetti Westerns and sometimes reminescent of "Silverado." The inclusion of the special effects did speed the plot along (you don't have to describe that people are knocking on the door or riding horses, etc.) but sometimes they are distracting (one scene in particular had an overly loud clock ticking over the top of everyone's voices).

This set contains two now out of print audio books: "Four Card Draw" and "The Turkey Feather Riders." All three are well done with a great cast of characters and special effects. The audio is crisp and clear, easily heard in an automobile's noisy environment.Four Card Draw. Louis L'Amour starts this audio volume with a short discourse on period books about the old west. "Four Card Draw" is told first person by Allen Ring, a gambler who wins the Red Rock Ranch in Arizona. He is told the ranch is haunted by someone who was murdered there. That someone was one of the three Haslet brothers, owners of a neighboring ranch, who are out for revenge. Allen walks right into the middle of a frying pan and ends up fighting for his life!Riding For The Brand. Jed Asberry wins a poker game only to find himself robbed by the angry losers. They dump him in the desert with no clothes, left to die. Days later, on his last legs, he stumbles across three recently killed people (two men and a woman)... in the middle of the desert. Taking clothes, guns, and papers from one of the men, Jed becomes Micheal Latch. Micheal was on his way to inherit a ranch, so Jed decides to assume this role. He finds himself up to his neck in serious shooting trouble as someone else is willing to murder to get the property!The Turkey Feather Riders. Louis L'Amour starts this story by giving a short discourse on cowboys and the cattle business as it was in the 1860's through 1880's (and now). Jim Sandefer is the forman for a New Mexico ranch. His boss, Grey Bowen, makes a sudden visit (after years of being away) with his daughter, Elaine, and some new guests: Rose and Lee Martin. Grey wants to marry Rose, but Jim discovers that she and her son are up to something that doesn't smell right! Then the shooting begins!Well worth the purchase price. Run Time: 180 minutes.