Sackett's Land

The Sacketts #1

by Louis L'Amour

After discovering six gold Roman coins buried in the mud of the Devil’s Dyke, Barnabas Sackett enthusiastically invests in goods that he will offer for trade in America. But Sackett has a powerful enemy: Rupert Genester, nephew of an earl, wants him dead. A battlefield promise made to Sackett’s father threatens Genester’s inheritance. So on the eve of his departure for America, Sackett is attacked and thrown into the hold of a pirate ship. Genester’s orders are for him to disappear into the waters of the Atlantic. But after managing to escape, Sackett makes his way to the Carolina coast. He sees in the raw, abundant land the promise of a bright future. But before that dream can be realized, he must first return to England and discover the secret of his father’s legacy.

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Historical, Classics, Audiobook

185 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Louis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".

Reviews

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recall the fuss and hubbub amongst the intelligentsia when Ronald Reagan presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to L’Amour back in 1984. Akin to the nature that led me to walk through the picket lines surrounding the film Last Temptation of Christ, I checked out a book to see for myself. I am not even sure why I picked this one up; I may have just seen his name on the book cover and started reading.

What I found at first was surprising: not a Western in the clearest sense, but rather a setting in seventeenth century England. This was the far beginning of the Sackett family’s immigration to America and their very humble beginnings.

Secondly, I was surprised by the quality of the narrative. Certainly, this is not highbrow literature, but neither is it pulp fiction. L’Amour was clearly a talented writer and a consummate storyteller.

Sackett’s Land begins a great American adventure that would highlight his storied career.

[Jeb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read every Louis L'Amour book he wrote. That's something like 125 stories. I have them in a box in my garage...just in case I need to have a two hour western read.

I'm not sure you can say that Louis L'Amour was a great writer..in fact, I'm pretty sure that would be a hard to defend statement.

But, I can confidently say that Louis L'Amour was an important writer.

For better or worse, I used his stereotype of a man as a model for how I wanted to approach the world and other people. As a 12, 13, and 14 year old reading these stories, they had a greater impact on my life and future development than anything else other than my family.

I don't recommend reading all of his novels because they're all very similar stories. But, I think that everyone should read the Sackett series. The characters are literary archetypes and the stories unfold an idealized view of the West during US expansion that, though, unlikely to be entirely accurate, is, at least the way you wish it had been.

[Henry Avila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farmer Barnabas Sackett in 1599 England, is walking on the muddy ground you can't call this a road. But not for long, he takes a hard tumble and falls on his face, getting up from his humiliating spill luckily nobody sees this, Mr. Sackett feels something in his rough hand. An old...ancient a better word, a coin that looks Roman. This time a thorough search around the place, he finds a bag with a few more metals . The poor man is not that anymore, knows some strange people will give Barnabas a lot of English money, for his accidental discovery. Selling the coins to Mr. Hasling, an antiquarian whatever that means. Traveling home Sackett gets into a fight with a silly nobleman if the description fits, Genester, for giving some very appropriate cold delicious water, ( a good deed is rewarded not well changing his life badly),
to a thirsty, lovely lady in a carriage. Bad decision for a good Samaritan the jealous, arrogant gentleman tries to kill Barnabas. Nevertheless being the son of a famous soldier who taught him well, the farmer soon has Genester in the mud where he belongs. Still in that era, Mr. Sackett has to get out of England quickly if he wants to live to a ripe old age. A voyage to America in the New World and seek his fortune there, would be highly advisable. But Sackett is always getting into trouble, through no fault of his own. Shanghaied on the orders of the contemptible Genester, by a virtual pirate Captain Bardle his constant lust for treasure has no end. Reaching the coast of America somehow in one piece, Mr. Sackett and two of his new friends escape the ship into the unknown wilderness, the first permanent English colony will not be built until Jamestown in 1607 in the future Virginia. The Indians are not friendly why would they be? Invaders from across the sea stealing their country, if only they can survive and get back to good old England. Maybe Barnabas and his companions will be able to trade with the natives, make a nice profit and go home again. T here is a gentlewoman, daughter of Captain Tempany he has just met (foolish dreams), besides this land looks surprisingly good. A fine action -packed swashbuckler, one of only nine non- westerns from the gifted Louis L' Amour (he could write well in any genre). The first of the many Sackett's novels, about the origins of that tough, durable family and the great amount of history they made.

[Andy Marr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I always wanted to read a book by Louis L'Amour. Now, I can say I have.

I can also say I will never read another.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first ever Louis L'Amour book, and what a fast-paced rollicking romp this is! The first of his Sackett series, I had no idea this series went back to the very beginning. Yes, it is set in 1599 and features Barnabas Sackett who is forced to flee England and make his way to America, but prior to leaving he is laywaid and put on a pirate vessel that is also heading to America. This book is only 190 pages long is is filled with non-stop action. If you are looking for great literary work, this is not your book, but if you like action, adventure and just a fun read then by all means this is a great book for you and is the first of over 15 books in the Sackett series and one that totally surprised me in terms of its setting, characters and plot. A rousing good read!!
To read my full review, follow me at www.viewsonbooks.com

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We are all us, it has been said, the children of immigrants and foreigners - even the American Indian, although he arrived a little earlier."

So begins the preface of the first book in Louis L'Amour's Sackett's series and it struck a chord due to the xenophobic paranoia in the current administration in Washington D.C. and the conduct of I.C.E. For those familiar with L'Amour this is a departure from the Western genre he was famous for. It is the first book in the series but not the first written chronologically. As I recall from reading other books in this series they mostly took place in the Four Corners region of the United States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah) and California. This is the story of the first Sackett to come to America.

Barnabas Sackett, farmer, finds six gold Roman coins buried in the mud of the Devil’s Dyke. He is intelligent and industrious and decides to invest his new found treasure in goods which he will offer for trade in America. The year is 1599. But Sackett has a powerful enemy. Rupert Genester, nephew of an earl, wants him dead. Sackett embarrassed Genester in front of a lady but there is more than Genester's pride involved. Sackett's father once saved the Earl in a battle and a promise was made that could threaten Genester’s inheritance. As Barnabas is about to depart for America he is captured and thrown into the hold of a pirate ship with orders that he is to be thrown into the Atlantic ocean between England and America.

But it would be a short story and there would be no series if it were to end there. Ever resourceful, Barnabas manages to escape and makes his way to the Carolina coast. There he sees a land that is raw and abundant and the promise of a bright future. But he will have to return to England to deal with Genester and his father's legacy. This is not great literature and L'Amour never won a Pulitzer but he had a gift to tell a story.

"History is not only made by kings and parliaments, presidents, wars, and generals. It is the story of people, of their love, honor, faith, hope and suffering, of birth and death, of hunger, thirst and cold, of loneliness and sorrow."

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book back in 1985. I was looking for a western novel to read when I decided to re-read the beginning of the Sackett series. One can never go wrong reading a L’Amour book.

In this book we follow Barnabas Sackett ’s life in England and his migration to America with a few key friends. They explore the unexplored areas of what will become the State of North Carolina. There is action not only on the sea but also on land. One of the things I like about L’Amour’s writing is he works history of the era and place into the story as well as accurate geography. He is a master storyteller. This is a good historical novel.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is five hours and fourteen minutes. John Curless does a good job narrating the book. Curless is an English born actor. He has won two Earphone Awards for his audiobook narrations.

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 3 out of 5]

My boys read lots of L’amour and reading this makes me happy they did. I enjoyed it in a light summer way. But I am curious to find out what happens to the Sacketts. Maybe I will pick up the next one….

[Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although most readers automatically associate Louis L'Amour with the Western genre –fiction set in the American West from roughly 1840-1900, and involving action adventure associated with outlaws, Indian warfare (or other wars of the period) or the physical challenges of cowboy/cattle-ranch life-- he also wrote a goodly amount of action-oriented fiction, much of it historical, set in other milieus. This novel, which opens in southeastern England in 1599, is a prime example. First published in 1974, it's generally characterized as the first book (in terms of internal chronology, though not the first to be written) of his “Sackett series.” As he explains in his brief Preface here, he'd had the idea of writing a multi-generational corpus of over 40 novels about three fictional families of pioneers (the Sacketts, the Talons, and the Chantrys, whose paths cross at times), through whose experiences he could depict the true-to-life epic saga of the westward movement, from sea to sea, of the settlers of what is today the U.S. But this body of fiction is not exactly a unified, single series. Generations in each family may be widely separated in time; the books themselves were written over a long period, and not necessarily as part of a predetermined plan, and those that I've read can mostly be read as stand-alones. In this particular book, the author commences the tale of Barnabas Sackett, the first member of his family to come to America.

It's well to say at the outset that the Goodreads description for this edition summarizes a lot of the plot that's better left for readers to discover on their own. And while it's much shorter at three sentences, the over-sensationalized cover copy manages to incorporate no less than three significant inaccuracies. My advice is to skip both. Suffice it to say that our hero is a young man (as I recall, his exact age isn't ever specified; I'd say it's perhaps 21-22) who hails from the fen country of Cambridgeshire (just west of Norfolk and Suffolk). His now-dead father was a mercenary soldier who earned a small freehold by his military service; he left it to his son, and also taught the boy both how to read and how to handle a sword. Like the fen folk in general, Barnabas is also good with a bow, and savvy about the outdoors; he's smart, intellectually curious, sober and steady, determined, and gifted with a strong sense of honor and loyalty. Alone in the world, he supplements his subsistence farming and fishing by working as an occasional day laborer; but he has an ambition to better himself, imbibing something of the spirit of an age, on the cusp of the 17th century, when the iron bands of the rigid English class system are starting to weaken, allowing some social mobility, and there's increasing talk of a vast new land across the sea. (England has no colonies there yet, but already a handful of sea captains venture there to trade with the natives for furs, and/or to bring back potash.) With an unusual but believable chance discovery of some ancient Roman coins, he acquires the wherewithal to invest in a trading voyage of his own; but on the same day, through no fault of his own, he also acquires a malevolent enemy from the gentry class. From that beginning, L'Amour spins a tale of dangerous adventure on land and sea, intrigue, physical and moral challenges, a plot twist that's almost Dickensian, and a clean romance. “I always said,” Barnabas observes at one point, “that I wanted a woman to walk beside me, not behind me.” (And there's a young lady here who can do it.... :-) )

Though the individuals here are fictional, there really was a Sackett family in this era, living in the fen country around Ely. L'Amour incorporates this and other period detail very well into the narrative; his research was solid. Barnabas' narrative voice, and the dialogue in general, has a slightly archaic flavor for verisimilitude (just not as archaic as actual Elizabethan speech would have been). Pacing is steady, and the prose style brisk, in good Realist style, with enough description to allow vivid visualization, but not enough to slow the narrative. (At 185 pages, this is a quick read.) Characterizations are strong, the author handles action scenes well, and there are very few anachronisms or editorial issues. Bad language is minimal, and there's no sexual content. (Native Americans are depicted realistically, but fairly.) If you like action-oriented historical fiction, I can give this tale a high recommendation!

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this long ago and I have it (in an omnibus edition with several other L'Amour books...I have a few other omnibus editions). This will not appeal to some of you, it will not appeal to some who have liked other books we agree on. But I like it. I was introduced to L'Amour's books at a time when I had limited access to books. I found that in general I like his work.

Louis L'Amour is probably best know for his westerns and his best known westerns are probably the ones that have to do with the Sacketts. This book isn't strictly speaking a western as it takes place in the "frontier era" of the United States. It sets up all the stories that come later. It gives us the background of the Sackett family, where they "come from" and how they ended up in America. Later in the more overtly "western" books we see the family in the Eastern mountains of Tennessee and how they move west. This is a well done story and snatches the interest very quickly.

Those who tend to look down on L'Amour without actually reading him ought to try his work. He is actually a talented writer who traveled and gathered up a wealth of experience which later he used in his writing.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure exactly what I expected with this, but I was entertained, at any rate. As the start of the dynastic family L'Amour leveraged throughout his career, I supposed I should have expected more or less what I got. Barnabas Sackett is, indeed, a kind of ur-Sackett in that he embodies most of those qualities I vaguely recall from my childhood. He's assertive, competent, honorable, makes friends as easily as enemies, and is always working towards peace, family, and home.

Interestingly, I find the allure of that strong man of peace as engaging as I remember when I was very much younger. L'Amour owns that central contradiction of the warrior pacifist and makes his characters the embodiment of an ideal that transcends jaded reality and messy everyday compromises.

It was interesting having more sword than gunplay. And as interesting having an adventure that ranges from London to the new world (and back again). L'Amour cheats a bit by using accurate prediction of future developments as signifiers or markers of wise men and he comes close to winking at the audience with near-misses with known celebrities (mostly Shakespeare and the Queen), but I found I didn't really mind either one much. Barnabas kept my attention firmly on his story so I found I didn't mind the flirting with history bits.

In the end, this was a fun adventure story and a decent primer for the Sackett tales. If my memory of them holds up, at any rate. I think I really will take on some of the others for a bit and see if I can't discover some long-lost friends along the way.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: The first of the novels in the Sacketts saga, Sackett's Land tells of Barnabas Sackett, a man who travels to the "New World" of the Americas in the 1600s. His journey is a treacherous one; will he survive it?

My Review: I'm largely unfamiliar with the world of Louis L'Amour or westerns in general, but, I found this one to be mostly enjoyable, if a bit short. I hope that Mr. L'Amour fleshed out the later stories in the series more than he did this one. Still, as an introduction to a long narrative, this works.

Content Concerns:

Sex: None. 5/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: A few uses of the d-word and h-word, and name-calling, i.e., "fool". 4/5
Violence: Some weapons are used, and people are killed, but it is all done in "PG"-level detail. 3.75/5
Drugs: People drink a time or two. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: Perilous sequences abound. 2.5/5

Score: 4/5

[James Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical adventure makes you feel like you are right there with Sackett as he battles enemies from all walks of life. One of Louis L'Amour's best novels ever!

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sackett’s Land (#1 in the Sacketts Saga)

Oh! Barnabas! As a man of the Fenlands* he proves himself to be full of derring-do, spontaneous lunges and a strict belief in first impressions.

(*fens . . . the fens or fenlands is a marshy wet lands in eastern England. Swampy and with waterways Kya from “Where the Crawdads Sing” would long to see if she could schedule a swamp themed vacation tour. In 756 months of life I cannot ever remember hearing of such a place existing in England and in the last twelve have randomly picked up and read books that featured fens. There’s a little moment of oddness from my life – a gift to you, dear Reader.)

The Sacketts' stories started rolling forth in the 60’s, and the last seems to have been done in 1997. This one says it is #1 in the Sackett’s Saga, but that first book, “The Daybreakers” published in February 1960 is not this one. . . this appears to be a good idea expanded to a great one! Way back in high school, I took a class (2, in fact) entitled “Wild West Literature, Part 1” and its partner “WW Lit, Pt. 2” and the book “Lando” was featured. Seeing this on the list of Sackett books is the first time I am making the connection that I have read Louis L’Amour before! (Along with “Hondo”, too. What’s with the “do” at the end of a name?)

Barnabas himself is impetuous, very egalitarian for someone from his time and space, is conveniently uber-lucky - I mean who just stops mid-swamp plunging hands in muck and pulls up Roman gold coins - seems rather contrived (but I suspend my disbelief), makes friends easily, has connections (Shakespeare is his Kevin Bacon), for a water guy has mad sword skills and is a Man With A Plan. I liked him. A lot.

LL's writing is manly and clear, full of action and dialogue my uncles tossed around (well, not the sword talk), western tough guy banter. It makes me homesick for them. I will continue on the LL path to scratch that itch.

A very easy, non-challenging read. So 3 stars. But they are fun stars, mind you.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know what I was absolutely not expecting this book to be? A swashbuckler. But that's what it is! Complete with swordfights, shipboard fights, chases and escapes and various other thrilling heroics. It's absolutely smashing.

Barnabas Sackett falls afoul of a pampered nobleman by, well, laughing at him. And then failing to be easy to beat up. The nobleman vows revenge and keeps trying to find Barnabas and wreak his vengeance, but Barnabas just keeps getting wind of his attempts, or slipping through his fingers, or beating him in various ways.

Barnabas, meanwhile, never makes any secret of the fact that, basically, he's on his way to America. It's the early 1600s, he's living in England and wanting to start life fresh somewhere bigger and wilder, and America sounds like the perfect spot.

It's just a roaring good yarn, I tell you. And when was the last time you read a Louis L'Amour book that involved going to see a performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at the Globe Theater in London... with William Shakespeare as one of the actors? I mean, how cool is that?

[Jayna Baas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thumping good adventure in the classic storytelling style. Buried treasure, pirate ships, fights with alligators, the works. Robinson Crusoe came to mind once or twice. Not your typical western, to be sure, given that it’s set in England in 1699, but it’s a great foundation for what brought the Sackett clan to the frontier. I’ve not read much L’Amour to date, but this one has me excited to continue the series. A time or two, I sensed the author’s voice and thoughts coming through the character’s dialogue, but I didn’t mind because it was all good stuff. I also appreciated the preface, which revealed the careful historical research L’Amour did to establish the Sackett backstory. Some language, but otherwise a great story with lots of fight scenes (very little graphic detail), a touch of romance (almost no detail at all), and plenty of heroic action. Storytelling at its finest!

[James Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the thousands of books written by L'Amour, this is the first I have read. I'm not a fan of westerns, but this tickled my interest because it's the first book in a historical saga series about the founding and colonisation of America.
The writing is fine, but the story is laughable. Sackett, the hero, is the luckiest and best-at-everything man in the universe. The story starts with him tripping over a bag of ancient gold coins that finance his future plans, and then he defeats a gang of soldiers single-handed, and so it goes on....
As an adventure book, it's okayish. Otherwise, the characters are shallow and the plot predictable.
I shan't continue to follow the series, there are too many other tantalising books on my To Read list.

[Mystie Winckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible. Listened because Brandy mentioned it as a Schole Everyday pick.

Matt and I listened to this on a car trip. It was a rollicking great story to pass the time. The first in the series, Sackett's Land is a hero's tale, in the very best sense.

[Mr. Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barnabas Sackett doesn't look for trouble, but trouble finds him. After finding (and selling) some old Roman gold coins, Barnabas is feeling good. He goes into town and sells the coins to an antiquarian. Afterwards he has a spring in his step and a few extra coins in his pocket. When a pretty young woman in a carriage asks him for water, Barnabas jumps to help her. Unfortunately he attracts the ire of the young woman's gentry suitor.

The confrontation between Barnabas and the young dandy leads Sackett from one adventure to the next, ultimately heading to the New World. Along his way he meets all sorts of interesting characters - native chieftains, a moor, pirates, rogues, traders and more. And through it all Sackett doesn't just succeed, he thrives. He overcomes every obstacle, every threat placed in his way.

And therein lies my problem with Sackett's story. It is too linear and too predictable. I want my protagonists to struggle. I want them to face serious challenges and overcome them. Sackett's success was pre-ordained. When he escapes the pirated and gets stranded on the coast of Virginia, of course he gets rescued. And of course it is the very ship that he originally intended to join. Ugh. Really? And the book is filled with improbable incidents like that. It is too much for me to believe.

Three stars out of five. Too unbelievable at times for me, but still fun. I enjoy the historical perspective of the books learning about the initial settlement of North America by the English. Pretty cool from that point of view.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first L'Amour book I read was very much what I expected. A cowboy, good but 'bad', conquers all. It was a fun read.

After that first venture into L'Amour-land, I asked for some advice and was steered toward the Sackett series.
Imagine my surprise when I picked up this book and found myself in England! I guess it only makes sense that a saga about a family in the New World would begin at the beginning, but I hadn't thought through that.

As 'old time England' books are much closer to my standard genre, I was tickled (a word I stole from my mother). I enjoyed the rough and tumble adventures and can't wait to find out what happens next.

The style of the writing just lets you accept without question that that well bred woman would fall for that guy without even much conversation between them. Of COURSE she would, right?

I really enjoyed the read and am already a Barnabas fan.

[Adrianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just can't get past the apparent conceitedness of his characters- the too-good-to-be-true hero and the way things always seem to fall into place perfectly for him. In this book at the end, the girl is telling him she wants to come to America with him despite the fact that she will often be alone. Then she says, "But not for long. If you are half the man you appear to be, I will have a family soon." Are you serious?!! *barf* The story is usually good, but I just can't swallow the shallow characters.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Sackett novel. Barnabas Sackett and n this swashbuckling yarn leaves the fens of England to the New World. He goes to escape from an angry aristocrat he bested in a scuffle in front of a lady.

The story involves friendship, Abigail the future Mrs Sackett, fighting pirates, trading with Indians and some exciting sword fights. Barnabas is in the end a choice of a life in England wealthy and comfortable or the unknown, risky New World. No guessing which option he chooses.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story had loads of potential, but Louis L'Amour wasn't the sort of writer to do it justice. SACKETT'S LAND cries out to be a historical epic in the vein of James Michener or James Clavell, but in L'Amour's hands it feels like something serialized for a pulp adventure magazine.
This book has two things going for it. First, L'Amour is brilliant at describing the land. If novels were about trees, rocks, mountains, valleys, deserts, and rivers, instead of people, then Louis L'Amour would be the Charles Dickens of his generation. Unfortunately though, SACKETT'S LAND is populated by one-dimensional characters whose behavior and speech always feels off-key and/or phony. And don't even get me started on the romance. L'Amour is the only author I know who can make Edgar Rice Burroughs look like Nicholas Sparks.
The second thing I like about SACKETT'S LAND is that it isn't the stereotypical Western novel you'd expect from L'Amour. Sure, it's still loaded with cliches, but at least the setting is different. Surprisingly, most of the book takes place in England, although the characters still sound American.
Despite my best efforts to enjoy SACKETT'S LAND for the pulp adventure it was, it nevertheless failed to engage me. The writing is often so sparse that I have difficulty picturing what's going on. At one point, I was surprised to see the main character arriving in London, since I wasn't aware that he'd ever left the States.
But my biggest problem with the book is how contrived everything feels. Life just doesn't work the way this novel depicts. All the main character's ambitions come to fruition, and he survives each and every battle without a single scratch. Which would be OK in a cheesy pulp novel, but doesn't work for the first volume in a multi-generational epic saga.

[*Stani* · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I begin this journey to the Sackett saga....

The first book was a bit all over the place for me, but overall a good start to the series.

I like Louis L'Amour, but he tends to wander off topic and then not finish his thoughts, ending them abruptly, making it somehow confusing and at time frustrating read. He is not the only writer guilty of this. I run into this conundrum of half formed ideas that go seemingly nowhere, but shockingly make it into the final book, rather quite often.

That being said, the Sackett's Land is well thought out start of the saga, learning about Barnabas Sackett, his upbringing, his education, his life in rural England and life in England of the 1500's was intriguing and well researched, as is expected of L'Amour's books.

Few things that irked me: Barnabas complaining that a young man of no 'proper' education and no
'right connections in the right places' can't make it on his own in the world. And then when he gets the chance of making his name in England due to his father's wealthy friend, who was part of the gentry, he suddenly turns it down, which made zero sense to me. Why make the character complain about a specific thing and then when he has the chance to get it, he is like "Nah, thanks, I am going to far off land and make a name for myself there." What? Why?

I understand for the story to progress, he needs to have an opposition, which came in the shape of the royal warrant for his arrest (as somebody told the Queen that he found a royal treasure and is keeping it to himself). And this served as an excellent catalyst at the end of the book. So why muddle it up with nonsense plot line? I guess we will never know.

Overall good writing, intriguing beginning of the series, some irksome plot inconsistencies, but still enjoyable enough for me to continue with the next one.

[Jenessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

next time you take a roadtrip, do yourself and your fellow passengers a favor - buy as many of the sackett books as you can find at truck stops and read them aloud. maybe not super intellectually stimulating, but wonderful stories of frontier-style adventure.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently the Sackett books are THE L'Amour series...he wrote like twenty of these books and I happily got them all for like 15 bucks at my local used bookstore. Anyway, they apparently follow the story of the Sackett dynasty (henceforth referred to as House Sackett) over at least a hundred and fifty years. Relatively ambitious stuff, and probably not what one would expect from L'Amour, whose massive bibliography is mostly standalone novels. That said, these are not bloated historical ruminations on class or anything like that--they're still just fun adventure stories. This one follows Barnabas Sackett (L'Amour so far has shown an alarming lack of badassery in his names in this series), a dude living in the swampy fens of England. Barnabas gets it into his head to visit the New World and see if a life can be made there and he promptly does so, getting into some trouble with the local douchey nobleman as well as mixing it up with the odd pirate. This book is pure entertainment--when Barnabas isn't sailing or exploring he's swordfighting some ruffian. Not kidding, there's like ten swordfights in this 120-page book--not what you'd really expect from L'Amour! Yes, the old boy still has his surprises.

L'Amour's England is convincing and clearly well-researched. If he doesn't reach the vivid, earthy heights of Bernard Cornwell or Sharon Kay Penman he will at least surprise you with its authentic feeling. It certainly doesn't feel like a western story crudely welded to a middle ages setting, which was something I was a bit worried about. Barnabas' explorations of the eastern coast of the current US is also rendered fantastically, giving a bit of the thrill that these men and women surely felt when they were out there. As usual, the man's love for history and geography shine through and it's a very nice experience, if not the most challenging or deep. The characters aren't great. They're clearly here for L'Amour to just have fun and move the story forward with, which he does admirably--but yeah, pretty bland if likable people in these pages. Again, no surprises here and probably nothing to turn a L'Amour fan off. You can certainly call L'Amour "vanilla" but you need vanilla! It's the workhorse of the flavors, the foundation.

Overall another reliably fun and possibly educational entry from this insanely prolific author. Don't expect the world and you'll be pleasantly surprised. L'Amour's prose, settings and plot are all consistently entertaining and the story moves quick enough in its short length to really minimize any potential boredom the reader might feel, which is probably gonna be nil. I certainly can see it being a good choice for the uninitiated as well. It's easy to see why the man is so popular in the States, particularly my own; it's just accessible and simple but filling storytelling. I have no idea why these people would be reading my often immature and profane reviews but people who are not into the grim and grit of many modern historical novels will be comfortable with this author. The romantic relationships are limited to relatively chaste kisses and while at least ten to fifteen dudes get stabbed or shot to death per L'Amour novel it's pretty bloodless stuff. I'm kind of afraid I'm underselling L'Amour here but there really is something to be said for a writer who put out a ton of consistently good stuff and consistently showed clear devotion to his subjects in his writing. I will undoubtedly continue with the story of House Sackett in the near future.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The husband wanted to read some crap westerns. I told him if you are going to read westerns we will start with L'Amour :) He is the favorite author of my dad and all the hunting land kin below him. So we golf... that doesn't mean we can't read westerns!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ✨

Historical Fiction/ Adventure

“History is not made only by kings and parliaments, presidents, wars, and generals. It is the story of people, of their love, honor, faith, hope and suffering; of birth and death, of hunger, thirst and cold, of loneliness and sorrow.”

A few years back I was gifted a whole box of Louis L’Amour books and I’m just now getting around to combing through them. I looked up what a good starting point would be, and this series was the one recommended.

Sacketts Land is just beginning of a tale of the Sackett Family told over time and 14 more books. This one is takes place in 1599 and features a farmer Barnabas Sackett who is forced to flee England and head toward America . I really enjoyed this book it’s a short story only around 200 pages, but full of interesting history, pirates, Indians, and non stop action. I love the way the author portrayed this time in history and uses a common farmer to tell a tale of his beginnings in the West. I haven’t read many books told from a perspective like this. I can tell L’Amour did his research, because there were tons of things to learn as you read from journeying new lands and sailing. The main character was likable and so were the friends he finds along the way. I know this only the set up and beginning - looking forward to reading more from this author.

Content ⚠️
- sword and bow fighting, mild violence

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good swashbuckling frontier tale that highlights the best of L'Amour and the worst of L'Amour. The best: he knows how to write manly tales of action. The worst: he preaches at his audience about what makes a man of good character, over and over and over. This is why I consider Elmer Kelton the truly best writer of western fiction. His characters don't moralize, they just do what is necessary. Recommended to L'Amour fans.

[Kate Sherrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

You've got to admire, or at least smile at, this founding document of the fictional Sackett dynasty, not only for its main character's, Barnabas Sackett's* minute consciousness of the fact that he is a founder of a dynasty, but for how he (again, very consciously) goes about doing so. For while, as his companion Jubain tells him early in the story "some of the great families of the world were founded with nothing but a sword and a strong right arm," Barnabas is all about establishing something other than just another coat of arms for his descendants to polish and admire and lord it over the neighbors over in Britain.

He knows there's more out there in the newly discovered Americas. And he's going to do something about that.

But first! I love that what really starts Barnabas moving towards Illustrious Ancestor status is the discovery of a small cache of ancient coins, which leads to the discovery of a small cadre of people who are devoted to acquiring and studying them. So thus L'Amour's fictional exploration of where the settlers who took over and exploited the American West came from is starting with people who are interested in exploring where they came from, all the way back to the pre-Roman Iceni.

I'm reminded a bit of Edward Rutherford, in a way, he of the 10,000 year story-line. But that's not really what L'Amour is up to. He, like Barnabas, is chiefly interested in the past as a springboard into the future; those coins Barnabas finds are worth a life-changing amount of money, which would make for a pretty interesting story right there, but it wouldn't really make for a L'Amour story, would it?

For a real plot-propeller, L'Amour turns to the good old angry aristocrat. The day Barnabas brings his coins to a local antiquarian enthusiast also winds up being the day he witnesses one doing something dumb in front of a pretty lady, and if there's one thing such types hate more than the Laughter of Women, its having witnesses when they provoke it. The fact that said aristocrat already has reason to hate Barnabas (unknown to Barnabas at the time) doesn't help.

Barnabas has to Get Out of Dodge. Which he does, though not in the way that he planned.

What I like best about Barnabas, and this first Sackett novel, is that this Big Damn Hero could very plainly accomplish his goals by following in his mercenary father's footsteps; Barnabas is "as strong as two men" and his father taught him every sword-fighting trick in the book.

But Barnabas is determined to succeed by his wits instead. Even if sometimes it seems a bit perverse of him to do so.

It's as if Jayne Cobb decided to knuckle down and master business administration. Who wouldn't want to read that? And who wouldn't want to know what happens next?

*And as a matter of fact, no, I was not, in fact, able to stop thinking of Barnabas Collins through this, and yes, kept expecting him to meet a vampire on his journeys. Why do you ask?