Rating: 
Summary: Read Other L'amour Books First
Review: First, let me say I am a big fan of Louis L'Amour and have read most of his books. Perhaps that is the reason I found this book to be one of his weaker efforts. Many times when I read a book by this author, I have trouble putting it down because it is enjoyable. This time I found myself in a hurry to get finished. I thought the plot really struggled. He failed to give enough details of that time period. The crossing of Russia in order to deliver Helena to the Tsar needed more effort. Of course he was writing about a time and a place which would be difficult to give accurate details. If you are a big fan of L'Amour, you will naturally want to read it, but if this is your first effort at reading one of his books, start with something different.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Fiction Based On Some Really Interesting History
Review: I really liked this L'Amour epic. In fact, it is probably one of my favorites. Now some of the reviewers have complained that the scope of the book was too broad and the plot stretched too thin...well first of all let me remind everyone that this is a book of fiction. All fiction has a little improbability at the heart of it. The heros are larger than life, and they accomplish more than humanly possible. It is true in all fiction, and it is the case here. But that doesn't keep the character, Jean LaBarge, from being completely intriguing and very likable. The character reflects some of L'Amours best qualities: integrity, courage and determination. And he is developed well enough to make you empathize with his struggles and cheer for him in the fight scenes. The scope of the book is no less facinating. And I do not think it covers so much ground as to be unfollowable. The book takes you from Jean's boyhood home, across the wilderness of America, and through the frozen lands of Alaska and Russia. But if you consider the history that L'Amour is weaving his tale around, he almost has to include all these places. Alaska was owned by the Csar of Russia, hence it makes sense to bring Russia into the plot. There was also a great debate over the purchase of Russia in Washinton - thus LaBarge's washinton based friend Rob. All of these places and characters tie in beautifully with the history of that particular time and place. I think that you will find this book as fascinating as I did. It has a great plot, some rough and tumble action and a lot of really interesting history!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Fiction Based On Some Really Interesting History
Review: I really liked this L'Amour epic. In fact, it is probably one of my favorites. Now some of the reviewers have complained that the scope of the book was too broad and the plot stretched too thin...well first of all let me remind everyone that this is a book of fiction. All fiction has a little improbability at the heart of it. The heros are larger than life, and they accomplish more than humanly possible. It is true in all fiction, and it is the case here. But that doesn't keep the character, Jean LaBarge, from being completely intriguing and very likable. The character reflects some of L'Amours best qualities: integrity, courage and determination. And he is developed well enough to make you empathize with his struggles and cheer for him in the fight scenes. The scope of the book is no less facinating. And I do not think it covers so much ground as to be unfollowable. The book takes you from Jean's boyhood home, across the wilderness of America, and through the frozen lands of Alaska and Russia. But if you consider the history that L'Amour is weaving his tale around, he almost has to include all these places. Alaska was owned by the Csar of Russia, hence it makes sense to bring Russia into the plot. There was also a great debate over the purchase of Russia in Washinton - thus LaBarge's washinton based friend Rob. All of these places and characters tie in beautifully with the history of that particular time and place. I think that you will find this book as fascinating as I did. It has a great plot, some rough and tumble action and a lot of really interesting history!
Rating: 
Summary: Alaskan Adventure
Review: L'Amour is a master. This book was written in 1957. Authors 45 years ago had a lot more scruples than they do today. Even knowing that, this is a great adventure book. The characters are well written. The descriptions of the scenarios is great. The basic plot is well worn, but it occurs in Alaska so that adds a new twist to the story. The time is when Alaska was still owned by the Russians. The Czars were still in power. Alaska was a long way from Moscow and governed by the military who rarely received instruction from Moscow. It's the story of an orphan that makes his way in the world based on his own skills and intelligence. He has a dream of going to Alaska. He never forgets the dream. On the way, he meets up with several extraordinary people that help him along the way. During his journey, he is involved in much of the history of the exploration of the west. This is a history lesson as well as an adventure. The pages turn very quickly. It is easy to put down and pick up without missing any of the story. It's a perfect book for vacation or travel reading.
Rating:
Summary: Slightly variant heroic Alaskan western
Review: Perhaps most interesting as a study in what L'amour defines as heroic and worthwhile. Sure, it's meant to be larger than life and a page-turner, but the values probably left a more abiding impression for me than the ride. Nothing really surprising I suppose: an American hero can fight better than anyone else, turn pretty girls' heads, and make lots of money - there is seen to be great virtue in being able to amass wealth: poverty is in a real sense disreputable.
I've only read a couple of L'amours that I recall, and both pick up on the closeness of Alaska to Russia. Our hearts are meant to surge with nationalistic pride at the visionaries who aim to win Alaska for America. One odd variation in the story is that the standard babe heroine (who is partly won by what would now be mere sexual harassment) is married to a respectable older gent, so our love interests must curb their passions until he has the grace to die.
Borderline - it's not terrible, but there's better average books around. At least it's not an utterly colour by numbers Western - he's tried to include a few different locations.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Saturday-afternoon Matinee B-movie...er, book
Review: Poverty-stricken beginnings, climbing to wealth, mountain men, sailing, naval adventures, a princess, prison, politics, good Indians, bad Russians, and the great Alaskan frontier. What more could you want from a swashbuckling quick summer read? L'Amour gives us what we've come to want from him: quick, hearty fare that's not too complicated but will get you through the night.
Rating: 
Summary: Give me a break!
Review: Reading Louis L'Amour should be fun--not embarassing. This book covers so much ground (in addition to Alaska we have a transcontinental sleigh rides across Siberia, sea voyages to China and a court appearance in Moscow) and is so improbable (a minor character from Virginia becomes a US senator from Mississippi who is the true catalyst of the Alaskan purchase (and what about the Civil War?)) that the usual L'Amour bravery, romance, and high drama--which is indeed here--is lost in the shuffle. What was he thinking?
Rating:
Summary: Fur trappin' in Alaska
Review: Sitka is a story of a man who has lived in wild places his entire life, and is pulled to Alaska for the danger, fur, and untraveled land. This man is the mountain man Jean LaBarge. To help a political friend trying to secure Alaska, and a young woman who is a niece of the Czar, Jean plays cat and mouse in coastal Alaskan waters with a Russian naval officer intent on destroying him,then journey's through wild parts of Russia on his way to St. Petersburg, where a meeting is arranged with the Czar over selling Alaska to the U.S. Jean then travels back to Alaska, where he continues to fight for this untamed land. I think this book would have been better if Jean had been fighting more for Alaska, and less for a woman.
Rating:
Summary: Too broad
Review: Sitka is not typical of Louis L'Amour's work. He takes us from Louisiana to San Francisco to Alaska to Russia and back to Alaska in a relatively short book. In doing all this traveling with his character, Jean Labarge, we do not get the typical Louis L'Amour descriptions. We do not get a good description of Sitka, Alaska or its inhabitants. We do not even get a good adventure. When Labarge's warehouse with his very valuable wheat is set ablaze by the bad guys, he does not even go after them. Instead, he sends his ship to Alaska on schedule while he heads overland, on a miraculously fast journey, to Oregon where a sufficient quantity of wheat just happens to be available. In my opinion, the whole story is too far-fetched with too many scenes and not enough of the kind of action and adventure Mr. L'Amour has always delivered.
Rating:
Summary: Too broad
Review: Sitka is not typical of Louis L'Amour's work. He takes us from Louisiana to San Francisco to Alaska to Russia and back to Alaska in a relatively short book. In doing all this traveling with his character, Jean Labarge, we do not get the typical Louis L'Amour descriptions. We do not get a good description of Sitka, Alaska or its inhabitants. We do not even get a good adventure. When Labarge's warehouse with his very valuable wheat is set ablaze by the bad guys, he does not even go after them. Instead, he sends his ship to Alaska on schedule while he heads overland, on a miraculously fast journey, to Oregon where a sufficient quantity of wheat just happens to be available. In my opinion, the whole story is too far-fetched with too many scenes and not enough of the kind of action and adventure Mr. L'Amour has always delivered.
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