Cullen Baker has just returned to his childhood home in Bowie County, Texas after years of living in the wild frontier of American's western territories. The old homeplace lies in a dense jungle of swamp that has nearly eroded Baker's small farm. But, his biggest threat comes by way of the Reconstruction, an aggressive movement by the Union to regulate and reestablish the Southern states after America's bloody Civil War. Baker, a former Confederate soldier, left the War prematurely after disagreements with the leadership and nature of the South's tactics.
Trying to turn the homeplace back into a farm comes with many obstacles including the aggressive regulators, bullies from Baker's past, and a hard-headed land grabber named Barlow. But, Baker also finds love in the arms of a woman named Katy, who draws a number of fast gunmen wishing to court her.
After taking a number of beatings Baker eventually begins practicing a fast draw day and night. His smooth lightning prowess with a gun may be his only advantage against the overwhelming odds forcing him into a fight. Thankfully, Baker finds a few allies that join his side for the fight. L'Amour throws in a series of tumbles including numerous gunfights, a jailbreak, an attempted hanging, and lots of dialogue about this unusual time in American history.
The First Fast Draw is drawn loosely from the life of real outlaw “Wild” Bill Longley. L'Amour's storytelling, although often repetitive, is brimming over with details about the outdoors, this swampy area of Texas, U.S. History, and the details concerning a handful of characters. My only real problem with the book was the number of characters. I had a difficult time remembering which side some of the characters were on. Beyond that, The First Fast Draw is a breezy and enjoyable reading experience. Get it HERE.
It's been years since I read The First Fast Draw, but as I remember it was loosely based on real life outlaw Cullen Baker, who popped up as a character in a couple different L' Amour novels.
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