Today is National Day of the Cowboy, and to celebrate, we’re featuring a few classic ebooks that pay tribute to the history and lifestyle of the American West.
The Bold Frontier by John Jakes
A brilliant collection of short stories about the untamed American West by one of today’s most distinguished writers of historical fiction, John Jakes. Jakes’s rousing portrayal of the harsh realities of life on the frontier includes tales of lawmen in the Sierra Nevada, railroad workers in Kansas, and gamblers on the steamboat River Queen. For those who already love Jakes’s epic fiction as well as readers experiencing his work for the first time, The Bold Frontier is a true American classic.
The Return of Little Big Manby Thomas Berger
In this sequel to Thomas Berger’s beloved novel Little Big Man, Jack Crabb—one of literature’s wiliest survivors—continues his breathtaking tall tales of the Old West. Crabb claims to have witnessed most of the great historical events of the western frontier: hiding behind a wagon after a drunken Doc Holliday provokes the shootout at the OK Corral; joining Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley on tour with their international Wild West show; even taking tea with Queen Victoria when she comes out of seclusion after a quarter century. No matter where Crabb lays his hat, he keeps his wizened, wry, and sharp commentary at the ready.
Wondrous Times on the Frontierby Dee Brown
Frontier life, Dee Brown writes, “was hard, unpleasant most of the time,” and “lacking in almost all amenities or creature comforts.” And yet, tall tales were the genre of the day, and humor, both light and dark, was abundant. In this historical account, Brown examines the aspects of the frontier spirit that would come to assume so central a position in American mythology. Split into sections—“Gambling, Violence, and Merriment,” “Lawyers, Newsmen, and Other Professionals,” and “Misunderstood Minorities”—it is a mesmerizing account of an untamed nation and its wild, resilient settlers.
Cavalry Scout by Dee Brown
JohnSingleterry and his partner, Dunreath, are taken captive by two American Indian fighters. One is an old medicine woman, and the other, holding a rifle, is a beautiful mixed-race girl. They tell the scouts about their tribe’s destruction during its forced relocation, and of multiple promises that have been broken—stories that force Singleterry to face difficult questions of love, desertion, and the real meaning of honor. A moving novel of torn loyalties, Dee Brown’s Cavalry Scout gives full-blooded reality to its time, and to both the settlers and natives at the heart of its story.
The Girl from Fort Wickedby Dee Brown
Captain Westcott receives the news that a wagon train has been raided. Two officers have been wounded and four civilians killed—among the dead is the woman who was traveling to the western frontier to become his wife. Authorities believe that the prize was six thousand dollars, and that the local Arapaho Indians are responsible. But it soon becomes apparent that there’s more to this raid than money. Having no time to lose, Westcott promptly sets out to hunt the band of raiders, on a mission that will contain more surprises than he could ever have expected. Alive with suspense, Dee Brown’s novel is a riveting portrayal of America’s rugged frontier landscape, its language, and its unusual characters.