"Education of a Wandering Man: A Memoir by Louis L'Amour," (New York: Bantam Books; 1989) 232 pages. ISBN: 978-0553286526
Louis L'Amour had an excellent education to prepare him for his very successful career as a writer, demonstrated by his prodigious lifetime output of 89 novels, over 250 short stories, and two works of non-fiction. Don't think this book is L'Amour's recollections of his education at a distinguished university such as Yale or Harvard. You would be dead wrong if you did. L'Amour didn't go to those colleges; he didn't even finish high school. His education was earned the old way at the "school of hard knocks." This book summarizes this practical and informal education, and shows what a fascinating and exciting education it was. To L'Amour, formal schooling got in the way of his education. While he remains a great supporter of education, formal schooling was not for him. He left school at an early age to work, and continued his education through books he bought, borrowed or accessed in libraries.
This range of jobs he took was remarkable: itinerant laborer, merchant seaman, mine assessor and professional boxer. He followed the harvests, worked in mines, sailed to Asia and Europe, always reading in his spare time, always listening to the stories of the people he met on his travels. The constant through out these various jobs is his devotion to self-improvement through reading quality books. His devotion to learning is woven through the narrative. He recalls with great detail where he was when he read a particular book, and what he learned from it. This book also includes a list of the books he read from 1930 to 1935, and 1937. In most years, the list of books read was in excess of 100.
This book is a fine account of the self- education of a popular and successful writer. Its outstanding feature is its depiction of an unusual education predominantly self-taught in the school of hard knocks. It is also a testament to the idea that true education (rather than modern university-based vocational training) does not require a degree. To L'Amour, all it takes is the ability to read, along with the natural ability to reflect on books in a way to try to better your life. L'Amour's Education of A Wandering Man, written shortly before his death, is also a fine portrayal of life in during the Great Depression, and of the life of the nomadic, itinerant worker. The life of the hobo (as distinguished from the lay-about non-working bum) has largely disappeared. L'Amour's book is a witness to this disappeared way of life. This excellent and readable book should appeal to a wide audience. It will specifically appeal to fans of L'Amour, and perhaps to readers interested in the lives of successful authors. It will also be of interest to those curious about life in the American west during the Great Depression, and of first hand accounts of itinerant workers during that time.
