Newly introduced by Thomas McGuane, "The Log of a Cowboy" offers the truest depiction of a cowboy's life and work as well as a classic adventure of the great American frontier. The book is a fictional chronicle of life on the open trail as told by one of our nation's greatest cowboys. 6 illustrations.
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Newly introduced by Thomas McGuane, "The Log of a Cowboy" offers the truest depiction of a cowboy's life and work as well as a classic adventure of the great American frontier. The book is a fictional chronicle of life on the open trail as told by one of our nation's greatest cowboys. 6 illustrations.
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I bought this book because of it being recommended by J. Frank Dobie. It certainly did not disappoint! It is an excellent account of the hardships endured on long cattle drives from Texas in the last half of the 1800s.
Ron62
Jun 30, 2009
Time Machine to the Old West
If you only read one book about the American cowboy - read this classic. The true experience of driving thousands of head of cattle from south Texas to Montana told so vividly by a young cowboy that a willing reader can actually begin to feel what it was really like.
ChuckElchlepp
Aug 30, 2007
Doubtless one of the Finest Westerns Ever Wrote
I'm here to tell ya folks, this book, hands down, is an amazing journey for a reader willing to live for a heap of pages in the truest original Western way of life on the cattle trails 'tween Mexico and Canada. I mean this is a serious, no malarky or hollywood kind of read.
I immediately went looking for this book, in its original form from 1903 or as close as I could get a printing to that date before I even finished the book that I was reading where this book was mentioned on the back cover. I was reading "Dakota Cowboy", by Ike Blasingame. My goodness gracious, now that's another great, and mighty authentic western book if'n you're really lookin' for some good and REAL stuff to delve into and live for a while. Ike starts his book off by dedicating it to his wife, who, as he states, wrote while he talked.
But back to Log of a Cowboy. It isn't a "log" book like another fantastic journey book that I've read titled "Crossing Antarctica" by Jon Bowermaster and Will Steger, but more so a very well written story of the ride all these cowhands took. You're right there with them the whole time, and you'll find it real hard to set this book down once you get into it. so plan on settin' some time aside and kickin' back for a good read with this epic of a story from days far-too-long-since-past.
It also offers some occasional insight as to the decline of all things good for this truly wonderful country of ours, the U.S. of A. years down the road when they see parts of the west being infected with the disease of emigration of whites. I'm white, but I don't condone for a second what all the whiteys did back then to the indigenous people of this land - and eventually to the land itself. "Founded" by a lost idiot from England - Columbus. What a great way to start a nation. Don't get me wrong, I love the America I grew up in, but that's long gone now. God Help Us All.
So in short, buy this book from Alibris if there are any more available. I'll read my copy doubtless countless more times over the rest of my life. I couldn't recommend it more. It really is a great book. I thoroughly enjoy the ride ya take with these boys, and they're only "boys" in age. Just like Chris LeDoux sang: "It Ain't The Years, It's The Miles." That really applies to this book for sure. Especially for those of us who mainly have only rodeoed out on the ranges of cow outfits we've worked on and not in front of crowds of pilgrims. Thank God for Chris LeDoux though too.
