Daniel Boorstin, former Librarian of Congress, wrote the introduction to Education of a Wandering Man, and I do suggest starting with the introduction. I don’t always. I like introductions that introduce; I don’t much care for being told what I’m supposed to think about a book or an author before I read the book.

Boorstin was a close friend of L’Amour. So he’s able to tell us something about the man before we read what L’Amour himself is willing and ready to reveal. For example, there’s this little nugget from the introduction:

“For the bookshelves that Louis designed were much like the man himself. Each tall row of shelves made a kind of book-covered door that could be swung open to reveal another sixteen foot set of book-filled shelves fixed to the wall behind. Louis was a modest man, slow to reveal what he really knew.”

Doesn’t that sound like a beautiful plan for a library? I’m always looking for a way to shelve more books in less space. Stacking the books on the floor in leaning towers probably says something about my character–or my finances–and I think it’s fascinating that Boorstin saw a reflection of Louis L’Amour’s personality in the design of his bookshelves.

In the book, L’Amour does come across as a modest man with a rather Biblical view of himself: the Bible cautions us, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment. (Romans 12:3 NASB) L’Amour is neither pretentious nor falsely humble. He’s had enough experience of life and people and books to exhibit sound judgment concerning all three. And he does slowly reveal some of what he knew in Education of a Wandering Man.