The Life and Legacy of Louis L'Amour

With over 300 million books sold, Louis L'Amour is one of the bestselling authors of all time. All 120 of his books remain in print. But the greatest story L'Amour ever penned was his own. He spent the early part of his life traveling in a circus, working as a lumberjack and miner, circling the world as a seaman, winning over 50 fights as a professional boxer, and serving in WWII.

Today on the show, I talk about both the personal and professional aspects of Louis' life with his son, Beau L'Amour. We discuss some of Louis' adventures and the autodidactic education he gave himself by way of a voracious reading habit. We then turn to how Louis got started as a writer and how he cut his teeth writing for pulp magazines before breaking through as a Western novelist and becoming a blockbuster success in his sixties.

Resources Related to the PodcastLouis L'Amour works mentioned in the show:Education of a Wandering Man: A MemoirHondoYonderingNo Traveller ReturnsThe Walking DrumLast of the BreedLouis L'Amour's Lost Treasures, Volume 1 and Volume 2"Holding Her Down" by Jack LondonAoM Article: How and Why to Become a Lifelong LearnerAoM Article: The Libraries of Famous Men — Louis L’AmourConnect With Beau L'AmourThe Louis L'Amour websiteBeau's website