Started by Louis L’Amour in the 1930s and finished by his son Beau after Louis’ death is different than you’re used to seeing from L’Amour.

Set on a ship the stories of the men working there are intertwined and each chapter told by each man adds to the next.

Not my favorite but decent enough.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

The SS <i>Lichenfield </i>is carrying a cargo of highly explosive naphtha across the Pacific. Every crewman knows how dangerous such a cargo is, and that one accidental spark could kill them all. Travelling with such cargo has each crew member reflecting on what's important in their lives. Some have family that they don't see enough. Some are running away from a past, and others are running toward something still unseen.

This novel is an early, and unfinished work by master storyteller, Louis L'Amour. It has been completed by his son, Beau, who maintains the Louis L'Amour estate and has been editing and publishing much of Louis' unfinished works as a "Lost Treasures" series. Not too long ago I read and reviewed <em>Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures Volume 2</em> which I enjoyed. Seeing the rough starts and rewrites, and notes on characters is a really interesting peek inside the methods of a popular writer. This book, being a completed novel, doesn't have that same appeal and really must be read and reviewed as a completed novel. And in that sense, this just doesn't work.

We can see that this is an early attempt, and a rather clumsy one at that.

This is sort of a "Love Boat" for the working class. We get to know many of the ship's workers. We get a glimpse of the diaries and a glimpse of their off-ship lives, and maybe, if we're lucky, their path will cross one another off ship, but for the most part, we get separate stories which are weakly tied together in an attempt to make it a cohesive story. But the characters are too many to follow each of them satisfactorily. Just as we get in to one man's story, we turn and get in to another man's story. And then another's, and possibly more, before we get back to the first story. I felt I was constantly being pulled away from the story rather than being brought into more story and the effect for me was that it was taking too long without getting results.

As a character study, this is quite fascinating. We get a good glimpse at some character traits that L'Amour used over and over again - the tough guy who would walk through steam to save a soul - but I found myself more interested in a character type that I don't remember seeing often in L'Amour's books (and I haven't read them all, so perhaps this character <em>is</em> present in the L'Amour canon) - the dedicated and respected worker who, because of an 'obvious flaw' (in this case, a stutter) doesn't fit in with the rest of the macho men, but still manages to be necessary and come through in a pinch. I'd definitely like to see more of this type of character in L'Amour.

Looking for a good book? <em>No Traveller Returns</em> by Louis' L'Amour is an interesting read from the perspective of this being an early work (in a different genre) of a literary icon, but is not worthy of recommending to those not already familiar with or fans of Louis L'Amour's work.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I like L'Amour's writing--it's nothing grand, but it's solid stories. And I love interconnected short stories. And these are good--just not quite good enough to keep me hooked more than a story at a time. I kept setting it aside and reading other things. I may eventually finish it, but not this year.

NO TRAVELLER RETURNS

This was really good. I love books about the sea and those that travel it.

Initially written by Louis L'Amour in the 1930s but never published, his son Beau L'Amour has extensively researched and completed this novel, creating something thoroughly enjoyable.

It is the story of the SS Lichenfield, a transport tanker carrying 80,000 barrels of highly flammable naphtha from SanPedro to Manila. And its crew.

The crew. Of course this is what gives the story it's heart. Where they came from, how they ended up on this ship, their hopes and dreams and disappointments. And a few unusual links between some of them.

It is written with subtlety and depth of feeling, it feels real. The rough exterior of the seamen and the tenderness and doubt within combine into this fascinating and enjoyable story.

Blueprint drawings of the Lichenfield, explanation of ship's personal, and a glossary of terms also add pleasure and clarity.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Louis and Beau L'Amour, and Bantam Books of Penguin Random House LLC for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I didn't review this book on time due to two months of acute mono and a couple of more months to its aftermath. I have since read that this book was not written by Louis L'Amour but by his son, which I had missed, so I won't be making any effort to read it. Sorry about that, but I will simply clear this from my NG shelf. If this had truly been written by Louis L'Amour, I would have proceeded differently.

Each time I think I can’t become more enamored with Louis L’amour’s writing, I get proved wrong. No Traveller Returns was a sensational gift to fans and newcomers as it now has the distinction of being the first novel the author wrote and a change of pace from his usual writing style. Beau L’Amour did an excellent job of cleaning and refining this unpublished work for reader consumption. It is indeed a Lost Treasure and I am heartily glad Beau released it.

No Traveller Returns is in a different style. It reminded me of the classic works of Jack London or Joseph Conrad. It’s a seafaring adventure story about the men who sailed on a dangerous tanker around the time before WWII. L’Amour wrote this having years of living and working in just such a life as he depicted. This was not just one story, but several collected together and tied together because they eventually all became the crews of the SS Lichenfield. Having this many narrators to the story gave it color and depth that a single or dual point of view couldn’t give it. It could have been confusing with that many voices, but it wasn’t. Not all are likeable or necessarily good, but all chose the sea and ships. Between each chapter introducing the men are the journal entries of the second mate, John Harlan who acts as the glue tying all the others together.

In the beginning, the reader is made privy to a disgruntled, bitter man doing an important job and not doing it well just before the Lichenfield tanker puts to sea. Because of this, I had a dread suspicion of what was coming. The suspense built for me as I got to know and care about all those men working and living on that ship. There is a mystery in the end and an ending that left me not quite satisfied though it wasn’t bad. Much about this book including the various stories will stick with me for a bit, I think.

So, all in all, I am thrilled to have read this one and it will be a prize among my many favorite L’Amour books. Those who enjoy a character-based seafaring adventure set just before WWII should give this a go.

I want to thank Ballentine books & Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review "No Traveler Retirns" by
Louis L'amour And Beau L'Amour.
Although,the book is not my usual genre I ennjoyed reading about the workings of the ship and the men who.inhabited it.
This story was based loosely on Louis L'Amour's earlier life and the manuscript was not discovered until well after his death.
The characters are very colorful and you will learn a tremendous amount about the life of a sailor in the twenties and thirties.
Anyone who has ever enjoyed a Louis L,'Amour book will enjoy this departure from his many others.
This was reviewed on 11/25/2018.

One the last novels by Mr. Louis L’Amour. This story started off as kind of slow but it had a nice build up. Id never read a #louislamour book before now but I have watched a few of his book into film adaptations, and loved them. So I decided to take a chance and request a galley. I’m glad I did. This book is set on a ship and the story is surrounding the crew. The preface by Beau L’Amour gives you some details as to why and how. While this wasn’t one of my favorites, it had some great parts. I’ll not spoil those for you. 😉 #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookdragon #readinglife #bookstagram #bookshelf #bookish #bookworm #bookaholic #bookhoarder #booknerd #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstack #booklovers

A Sea Shanty

One cannot look at a collaboration with a legend in quite the same manner as a co-written book. In the first place, the original author's contribution is now static, limited to what was already written plus any notes; and in the second the voice must of necessity change, no matter how slightly, to one informed by current events, slang, politics, political correctness and any number of nuances simply not present at the time the original work was started. Nonetheless, the concept for the novel remains a relevant kernel around which to create, so my approach to reading and enjoying it was for its own sake and on its own merits.

All that said, this is an intriguing story told from a number of points of view and skipping back and forth in time to some extent. I found that a bit confusing at first but quickly caught on that the background of each protagonist was being presented so as to put his actions in proper context. The feel and style of earlier novelists was sufficiently consistent and seamless that I was swept rapidly into noir nostalgia and the various tales being interwoven into the shipboard community. Son Beau has done a credible job of preserving and enhancing father Louis' works and reputation as we travel across the sea with the crew and cargo of the SS Lichenfield. This is a solid adventure!

This book by the author is not one of his westerns for which he is famous. The book details the crew of a doomed ship due to it's cargo. The book chapters alternate between the diary of the second mate which is used to set up a more detailed following chapter about one of the ship's crew. I will warn any readers that it is a somewhat depressing book.

This may not be your cup of tea if you are a fan of Louis L'Amour's westerns, but I found it to be an interesting read.

I received a free Kindle copy of No Traveller Returns by Louis and Beau L'Amour courtesy of Net Galley  and Random House, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I was looking for something different and had not read anything written by the author.

“The average man travels in the same world in which the adventurer lives; but if he goes to China he carries St. Paul, Waukegan, Macon or Pawhuska right with him.”

The crew of the SS Lichenfield knows there is danger in what they do – going out to see carrying a flammable liquid. Yet, they have each done the journey before, some many times, and have all come back. Each has his own motivations – money, getting away from home, seeing the world, finding long-lost family members. Yet, they all feel the call to the sea and feel anxious if they are on land for too long. In No Traveller Returns, Louis L’Amour’s son makes one of his early manuscripts come to life, along with the reason why it was most likely written, as the reader learns about each man aboard the ship.

I was able to get an advanced copy of No Traveller Returns through NetGalley. It is available on Nov. 20, 2018. I had recently read Louis L’Amour’s Lost Treasures, which are short stories or parts of manuscripts put together by L’Amour’s son. I have the second volume on my to-read list. I have only read one other full-length L’Amour novel, Sitka, and really enjoyed it. My grandfather read every L’Amour book, and some of them twice. I want to read 1-2 L’Amour books every year.

No Traveller Returns goes through each crew member’s story by having a different person tell every chapter, except for excerpts from the captain’s nightly journal. There is a foreboding as the book starts with a maintenance step not being performed completely. In the prologue, L’Amour’s son talks about finding out his father had almost been hired on a boat that disappeared with only a lifesaver found. L’Amour spent some time in the Merchant Marines, so writing of life at sea is probably based on what he knew. The book is easy to follow and the characters came alive for me fairly quickly. I can’t give too much away, but I did enjoy the journey of getting to know the men on the boat and all their motivations for being at sea.

I think this would be a different book for most L’Amour lovers as its almost entirely set at sea. However, the writing is good and his son did a good job keeping his dad’s voice throughout the entire book. I would recommend this for a good fiction read. For more information on the work Beau L’Amour is doing, visit www.louislamourslosttreasures.com.

Louis L'Amour writes very much in the mold or Jack London and Ernest Hemingway. While L'Amour is most remembered for writing western novels he is comfortable writing about the world he is familiar with. 'No Traveller Returns' is a story revolving around a ship carrying volitile naptha cargo and her crew. An author like L'Amour is quite capable of developing characters to where they are much more than the characature of the salty seaman. Very enjoyable.

I’m probably not the target audience for a L’Amour novel, but when I saw that this book was one of his earliest novels and completed by his son, I knew it was one I wanted to read.

I’ll be honest, the day to day of a ship’s crew is not really that interesting to me. In the beginning, as I began reading about the crew, I wasn’t very invested in the story. But like so many other novels, once the characters are introduced and their personalities come alive, things start to come together.

As the ship travels deeper into the journey, tensions mount and there is the sense that things will not end well. By the last quarter of the book, I could not put it down. I also loved reading the acknowledgements at the end of the story. All in all, I think Louis L’Amour would be proud to share the authorship of this book with his son, Beau.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

"No Traveller Returns" is Louis L'Amour's first novel. It was written between 1938 and 1942. It was a "rough" manuscript lovingly reconstructed and polished by son Beau L'Amour and is now in print for the first time. Louis served as a merchant seaman for a few years and considered himself to be "a self-educated yet blue collar adventurer and world traveler...the sea and the places it took him became his university".

In this novel, the SS Lichenfield, a tanker carrying 80,000 barrels of naphtha left San Pedro bound for Manila. Thirty three crewmen, men of different ethnicities and temperaments, would have to work together in the confined space aboard the tanker. The year was 1939.

Why did men go to sea? David Jones was a fugitive. By traveling with hobos and jumping a train, his life forever changed. Tex Worden was the sole survivor of a sea disaster. "The motives of men are a continual puzzle". Take John Harlan. Harlan kept a private log. He loved fine books. Peter Brouwer, a most capable seaman, just wanted to save enough money for passage back to Amsterdam.

The call of the sea was strong. Why would a man leave everything behind to drift, literally homeless, to no apparent destination? Life aboard the SS Lichfield with its cargo of naphtha was precarious. Despite ventilation and seals, a spark or lit cigarette could ignite the cargo.

"No Traveller Returns" by Louis L'Amour and Beau L'Amour is an excellent character study of the men that populated the SS Lichfield. The in-depth portrayal of the principal protagonists was very impressive. A full description of the jobs aboard the vessel as well as a glossary of seafaring terms added to the beauty of the novel. Having been familiar with only Louis L'Amour Westerns, this reader found this nautical novel to be amazing!

Beau L'Amour has compiled Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures Volumes One and Two. Many manuscripts unpublished prior to Louis's death in 1988 are contained in these volumes.

www.louislamourslosttreasures.com

Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "No Traveller Returns (Lost Treasures)".

Not my usual genre, but have a huge group that reads mt L'Amour, truly enjoyed this book! Will be purchasing for the patrons of the Library!

When Louis L'amour is the author, most readers expect a western. I've read many of L'amour's non westerns so was curious when I saw this one set just before WWII. L'amour has always been an excellent story teller, able to pull a reader into the story. This book was written before Louis L"amour was famous and edited by his son, Beau, after his death. Even in his early writings you can feel the characters and hear the action. Suspense is built as the characters develop leaving the reader anticipating the next page. While not a western, this is definitely a L'amour book.

No Traveller Returns, by Louis L'Amour and Beau L'Amour, an interesting read and insight into some of the earlier and harder to publish works that L'Amour had. As a fan of L'Amour some of them were very familiar but put together into this work was an interesting experience for me. I also enjoyed reading the parts from Beau about finding, editing and releasing them, very insightful.

It has been ages since I’ve read any westerns by Louis L’Amour, but when I saw this book come up I quickly requested it, I was not disappointed. This is an awesome read. As explained in the Preface, this story was most likely Louis’s first book, it was never completely finished nor published and his son Beau finished the book for us now, years later. I couldn’t tell the difference of what was written by whom, but the entire book was a wonderful read. It covers the early years of Louis while he was a Merchant Seaman, though fictional it reads as a true story.
The chapters go between several different crew members on the SS Lichenfield, a tanker ship carrying fuel, they tell a little bit of their own life story, they might include where they came from, how they first came to be seaman, and maybe a little of their lives and loves. Then we see how they all intertwine as crewman. I found this style to be most interesting and enjoyable, the book held my complete interest all the way thru. There are very few books that I make the decision to read more than once, this will be one of them. It is written so well, it’s hard to believe it was not one of his later works. My Kindle read this book to me via Bluetooth, and there were several times, I stopped just to go back and read it again because I didn’t want to miss anything.
This is the second book I’ve read on Merchant Seaman and the dedication and sacrifice they gave during the war should always be remembered. The descriptions are so good, you can feel the water spray over the bow of the boat, you can see the docks, and picture how they are dressed to accommodate the weather on the ship. Surprisingly it truly covers the feelings of a man and his thoughts toward his family when he is required to be away from home for so long. That was one of the best parts of the book.
I highly recommend!!! This book certainly shows us why Louie went on to become a great author.
I was very pleased to have been given the opportunity to receive this book from Random House Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets a high 5*****’s.

As to be expected from the long-established and greatly-revered L'Amour family name, this tale captures the imagination from the very beginning with great story-telling and superb characters with whom empathy is nearly immediate. Never one to give away the plot, suffice to say I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional trip! It's one of those books where your goal is to get a few chapters in before turning out the light, and before you know it, it's dawn. Great turns of phrase, and palpable tension. Highly recommended!

The review I posted on the earlier volume of lost short stories of Louis L'Amour could be mostly reprinted for this novel. It's a very early effort by an immature writer, derivative and overly emotional. Its value is to collectors and biographers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1KNRHJO8NMBLQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B06X6DB72C

I received a review copy of "No Traveller Returns (Lost Treasures)" by Louis L'Amour, edited by Beau L'Amour (Random House Ballantine) through NetGalley.com.