From Publishers Weekly
Last year, Bantam published what was then thought to be the fourth and final posthumous collection of short stories by L'Amour (1908-1988), With These Hands. Yet as the author's son explains in an afterword, the family soon discovered a few more stragglers. These 12 stories, a mix of westerns, crime, sports and spy yarns drawn from L'Amour's prolific career as a genre writer for pulp magazines, are every bit as entertaining as those in the last few collections. Typically, the tales of revenge and honor are punctuated with gunfights, fistfights and sports action. In "Sand Trap," a man being framed for robbery and murder leads his tormentors into the inhospitable desert of Death Valley, where he has a few tricks in store for them. "Moran of the Tigers" follows pro football player Flash Moran, who tries to save his disintegrating team from vicious gamblers and inside-the-huddle treachery. WWII spy adventure stories were favorites of L'Amour's, and his hard-boiled soldier-of-fortune pilot, Turk Madden, appears in several of these stories. In "Flight to the North," Turk uncovers an Axis spy and a secret Japanese airbase hidden in the frozen wasteland of Siberia. Best among these yarns is the title story, a western about a wounded outlaw desperately trying to hold off his pursuers until he can finish writing a special letter to his young son. Filled with grit and gun smoke, this collection is a fine coda to the legendary author's achievements. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Last year's With These Hands [BKL Ap15 02] was intended to be the last posthumous L'Amour collection. But Louis' son, Beau, and a dedicated team of researchers have continued to unearth more manuscripts. This one contains L'Amour's first and last short stories, two World War II adventures, four westerns, two football stories, and two crime capers. Some of the stories are dated--especially the football pieces--but all are generally enjoyable. L'Amour was a straightforward storyteller: there's an identifiable beginning, middle, and, most important, a satisfying conclusion to each tale. Typically the protagonist also faces and resolves some sort of moral dilemma. Among the highlights are "Anything for a Pal," the author's first short story, and "Sand Trap," in which a victim turns the tables on his opponents and uses the desert as a weapon. Even the passing of time doesn't seem to diminish L'Amour's remarkable appeal. Expect this collection to circulate well with his well-established audience. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"Filled with grit and gun smoke, this collection is a fine coda to the legendary author’s achievements."
--Publishers Weekly




From the Hardcover edition.


Review
"Filled with grit and gun smoke, this collection is a fine coda to the legendary author?s achievements."
--Publishers Weekly




From the Hardcover edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In peerless fiction spanning five decades and as many continents, Louis L’Amour has proven himself the preeminent storyteller of the American experience. Whether set aboard a ship trapped in enemy seas or amidst a showdown in the deserts of Death Valley, his stories brilliantly capture the heroic and indomitable spirit of our great land.
From The Listening Hills
The twelve stories in this collection-appearing for the first time in one complete volume-run the spectrum of human emotions as they transport us from the fading majesty of the Old West to a small-town football field to the lonely canyons of one man’s mind. These classic tales of adventure, mystery, mysticism, and suspense epitomize the uniquely American yearning for connection and roots, justice and love, as only L’Amour can. Here is a diverse group of heroes and traitors, outlaws and lawmen, the innocent, the guilty, and those who operate in the shadowy territory outside the reach of justice.
The wastelands of Death Valley form the backdrop for the tale of a desperate man who leads his pursuers into a desert trap-where heat and thirst are his only weapons. A rodeo rider framed for a crime he didn’t commit takes a wild ride on a legendary bronco that may help him catch the real killers. An American pilot flies Russian and British agents into the labyrinthine forests of Asiatic Russia-only to discover that one of them is a traitor. A hit man discovers the fatal limits of friendship; and a quest for revenge becomes a frantic race to find a cache of gold hidden in the drifting sands of the Southwest. And in a powerful and moving parable, an Indian boy must lead his family across adrought-ravaged land with nothing to guide him but his faith.
The gripping title story counts down the final hours of a wounded man struggling to fend off his enemies and certain death. Before time runs out, he must finish the most important task of his life: a letter to his unborn son that will vindicate the family name.Filled with a special brand of passion and drama, From the Listening Hills is an exemplary collection that showcases the enduring talents of one of America’s most beloved authors.
From the Hardcover edition.

Author Biography: Louis L’Amour is the only novelist in history to receive both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He has published ninety novels; twenty-six short-story collections; two works of nonfiction; a memoir, Education of a Wandering Man; and a volume of poetry, Smoke From This Altar. There are more than 270 million copies of his books in print.
From the Hardcover edition.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Last year, Bantam published what was then thought to be the fourth and final posthumous collection of short stories by L'Amour (1908-1988), With These Hands. Yet as the author's son explains in an afterword, the family soon discovered a few more stragglers. These 12 stories, a mix of westerns, crime, sports and spy yarns drawn from L'Amour's prolific career as a genre writer for pulp magazines, are every bit as entertaining as those in the last few collections. Typically, the tales of revenge and honor are punctuated with gunfights, fistfights and sports action. In "Sand Trap," a man being framed for robbery and murder leads his tormentors into the inhospitable desert of Death Valley, where he has a few tricks in store for them. "Moran of the Tigers" follows pro football player Flash Moran, who tries to save his disintegrating team from vicious gamblers and inside-the-huddle treachery. WWII spy adventure stories were favorites of L'Amour's, and his hard-boiled soldier-of-fortune pilot, Turk Madden, appears in several of these stories. In "Flight to the North," Turk uncovers an Axis spy and a secret Japanese airbase hidden in the frozen wasteland of Siberia. Best among these yarns is the title story, a western about a wounded outlaw desperately trying to hold off his pursuers until he can finish writing a special letter to his young son. Filled with grit and gun smoke, this collection is a fine coda to the legendary author's achievements. (May 6) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews