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Home > Bibliographies > Published Bibliographies > Westerns
Content last modified November 2011
Audio
Prolific Authors
Other Authors
Short Story Anthologies
Braille
Prolific Authors
Other Authors
Short Story Anthologies
This bibliography is a guide to selected western titles produced by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) in audio and braille formats. These books are available to eligible NLS patrons through their cooperating network libraries throughout the United States and its territories.
Many people associate western fiction with cowboys, but the genre's range is as varied as the people who populated the West. The figure of the lone cowboy who—like the knight of myth and literature—fends off the forces of evil is just one facet. Settlers also risked illness, hunger, and drought to branch out into unexplored land. American Indians suffered the loss of their territory, traditional culture, and—in many cases—their lives. Ranchers, farmers, and miners played an important role in the West's economic development. Men who laid railroad tracks and set up telegraph lines connected the settlers to the rest of the country with backbreaking labor. These lives were not at all mythic, though they were heroic in the challenges overcome.
Larry McMurtry, who attempted to write critically about the West, told an interviewer for the New York Times, "Whatever truth about the West is printed, the legend is always more potent." Some authors emphasize the archetype. Owen Wister is commonly credited with originating the image of the cowboy as a romantic figure living by his code of honor. This idea shaped the work of generations of writers.
Other writers have drawn on personal experience. Bret Harte, who wrote about the California Gold Rush, visited mining country in 1854. Both A.B. Guthrie and Richard S. Wheeler worked as ranchhands. Louis L'Amour left school at the age of fifteen and traveled west, meeting miners, cowboys, and gunfighters. In his memoir Education of a Wandering Man (DB/RC 31002, BR 8083), L'Amour wrote, "The lone adventurer makes a good story, but the wagons west carried men, women, and children."
This bibliography includes books by pulpfiction journeymen and Pulitzer Prize winners alike. Titles appear under audio and braille headings. The Prolific Authors sections include writers who have more than six audio or more than four braille titles listed. In the Other Authors and Short Story Anthologies sections, books are listed in alphabetical order by author or editor then by title. An exception is books that form a series, which are identified and listed in the order in which the books should be read.
Audio titles are available on digital cartridge, cassette, and the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD), https://nlsbard.loc.gov, which allows registered patrons to download digital talking books and audio magazines. Patrons who wish to use BARD must have a blank cartridge, a USB cord, an NLS or NLS-authorized digital player, and a computer with a high-speed Internet connection. Some digital titles may be available only for download. Braille titles are also available to registered patrons on NLS Web‑Braille at www.loc.gov/nls/braille.
Bull Hunter DB/RC 19950
11 hours 44 minutes
read by Jerry Fordyce
Bull Hunter, while a big kid, feels small in the eyes of his family. In an effort to stand tall, he sets out to get his uncle's murderer, a notorious gunfighter. But fate forges a strange alliance between the enemies, and
Bull learns what it takes to be a real man. 1949.
RC 19950
Riders of the Silences DB/RC 69042
7 hours 26 minutes
read by Dick Hill
Pierre le Rouge, the bastard child of Martin Ryder and his red‑haired mistress, was raised by Canadian friars. When his dying father sends for him, Pierre races to his side, determined to avenge the wounds inflicted on Ryder by the legendary gunman McGurk. Some violence and some strong language. Commercial audiobook. 1920.
RC 69042
Ronicky Doone DB/RC 47346
5 hours 44 minutes
read by Bob Askey
Ronicky Doone helps a new friend, miner Bill Gregg, track Caroline Smith, a girl Bill wants to marry, to New York City. Once there the two westerners discover that Caroline and her friend Ruth Tolliver are employed by a ruthless gangster. Despite overwhelming odds, Doone tries to rescue them. 1921.
RC 47376
Ronicky Doone's Reward DB/RC 42021
7 hours 16 minutes
read by Bob Askey
There is a feud going on in Twin Springs, and Ronicky Doone, who has just ridden into town, finds himself in the middle of it. Years ago, Steve Bennett tried to put Al Jenkins out of business, but Al left town and struck it rich in the Alaska gold fields. Now Al is back. He is putting a
lot of money into the dying town, and he wants his land back from Steve. Most of the town's people back Al, but Ronicky doesn't. Violence and strong language. 1922.
RC 42021
Ronicky Doone's Treasure DB/RC 50122
6 hours 3 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Horse‑breaker, mischief‑maker, and adventurer by instinct, Ronicky Doone loves a good fight—especially on behalf of an underdog. As a reward for helping Hugh Dawn and his daughter escape the savage revenge of gang leader Jack Moon,
Doone is invited to share in Dawn's search for gold. Some violence. 1922.
RC 50122
The Seventh Man DB/RC 51135
8 hours 29 minutes
read by Bob Askey
They said Dan Barry was the man no one could kill, that his dog was a tamed wolf, and that his horse was the fastest in the West. Vic Gregg knew all this: Barry had once saved his life. But now the law tells Vic he must betray Barry—or die. Some violence. 1921.
RC 51135
Trailin' DB/RC 48395
7 hours 39 minutes
read by Jeff Baker
When Long Islander Anthony Woodbury attends a Wild West show in Madison Square Garden, he can't resist a challenge to ride an unbroken horse. That brings him to the attention of William Drew. Soon Anthony's world is turned upside down, and he finds himself looking for a murderer
and the identity of his real parents. 1920.
RC 48395
The next two books should be read in the following order:
The Untamed DB/RC 50459
7 hours 41 minutes
read by Roy Avers
Saddle bum Whistling Dan lives off the land with his wolf dog Black Bart and stallion Satan, even though he was raised on a ranch alongside Kate Cumberland. As they share many adventures, Kate falls in love with Dan but wonders if he will ever settle down. Some violence. 1919.
RC 50459
The Night Horseman DB/RC 53753
10 hours 12 minutes
read by Jim Zeiger
Whistling Dan, a wild spirit of the desert,
has won the heart of Kate Cumberland. Now she struggles to make him settle down, while he still feels the call to adventure with his favorite companions—his stallion Satan and wolf dog Black Bart. Some strong language. 1920.
RC 53753
Betty Zane DB/RC 48134
10 hours 58 minutes
read by Kristin Allison
Recounts the family stories about Betty Zane, the capture of her brother Isaac by an Indian princess, Betty's suitors, the successful defense of Fort Henry against the British in 1782, and Betty's race for her life. Grey's first novel about pioneer days. 1903.
RC48134
Blue Feather and Other Stories DB/RC 55225
7 hours 31 minutes
read by Terence Aselford
Three tales of the Old West. In "Blue Feather" an Indian brave makes choices during a tribal war. A man falsely accused as "The Horse Thief" takes matters into his own hands. Grey fictionalizes his stay in "Quaking‑Asp Cabin" and the legendary tragic events that occurred there. 1961.
RC 55225
The Border Legion DB/RC 54720
12 hours 1 minute
read by Janis Gray
Twenty‑year‑old Joan Randle has always considered herself a daring, self‑reliant horsewoman, familiar with the southern Idaho wilderness. She needs these qualities when she is abducted by a band of desperados, winding up in the clutches of Jack Kells, an educated but menacing gunfighter. 1916.
RC 55225
Camp Robber and Other Stories DB/RC 49196
6 hours 40 minutes
read by Chuck Benson
Collection of six western short stories. In the title story a new ranch hand, Wingfield, is accused when the payroll is missing. Wingfield follows tracks to a remote cabin where he finds not only the stolen money, but also a missing piece of his life.
1949.
RC 49196
The Deer Stalker DB/RC 65059
9 hours 31 minutes
read by Joe Peck
Deer herds in the Grand Canyon National Forest have swelled beyond capacity, and now cattlemen are slaughtering them to reclaim the land for cattle grazing. Ranger Max Brand, Zane Grey
3 Thad Eburne, outraged by the massacre, steps in to defend the deer. 1925.
RC 65059
The Desert of Wheat DB/RC 62182
13 hours 59 minutes
read by Ted Stoddard
1917. As World War I begins, Kurt Dorn's German heritage becomes a problem. Though his Washington ranch supplies grain for American soldiers, a labor union sabotages his harvest. Dorn wants to serve his preferred country, the United States, but he also wants revenge. 1919.
RC 62182
Fighting Caravans DB/RC 21403
11 hours 44 minutes
read by Roy Avers
After the death of his parents, Clint Belmet grows up fast and braves the dangers of Indian country to haul supplies over the Santa Fe trail. However, he has more than Indians to worry about when he plans to
marry pretty May Bell and makes a mortal enemy of renegade Lee Murdock. 1929.
RC 21403
The Heritage of the Desert DB/RC 62314
8 hours 38 minutes
read by L.J. Ganser
Mormon August Naab saves Jack Hare's life and brings him home, where Jack falls in love with half‑Navajo, half‑Spanish Mescal. Others desire her too, including a ruthless cattle rustler and August's son, who wants her as a second wife. When Mescal flees to avoid marriage, Jack looks
for her. 1910.
RC 62314
Knights of the Range DB/RC 62539
8 hours 42 minutes
read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Young Holly Ripple inherits her father's New Mexico cattle empire. To protect her spread from rustlers, headstrong Holly hires the region's most notorious vigilantes—among whom is desperado Renn Frayne. Renn fights for the ranch and for Holly herself, but eventually his past catches up with him. 1936.
RC 62539
The Light of Western Stars:
A Romance DB/RC 62310
14 hours 18 minutes
read by Ken Kliban
New York socialite Madeline Hammond's western adventures begin with her latenight arrival at the train station in El Cajon, New Mexico, where a drunken cowboy tries to marry her. Frontier life and cattlemen appeal to her more than effete Easterners, so she buys a ranch. 1914.
RC 62310
The Lone Star Ranger DB/RC 62538
10 hours 12 minutes
read by L.J. Ganser
Buck Duane becomes a fugitive after killing
a man in self‑defense. Texas Ranger Captain MacNelly, skeptical of Buck's criminal reputation, offers him a pardon. In exchange, Buck must join the Rangers and go undercover to help eliminate outlaw bands along the Rio Grande—beginning with the notorious rustler Cheseldine. 1915.
RC 62538
The Lost Wagon Train DB/RC 65282
11 hours 40 minutes
read by Jim Zeiger
1861. Stephen Latch, a college graduate who fell into a life of crime, leads an attack on a wagon train headed for California. The sole survivor is Cynthia Bowden, Latch's former love. They marry, but questions about Cynthia's significant inheritance remain. 1932.
RC 65282
The Man of the Forest DB/RC 39702
13 hours 49 minutes
read by John Polk
Beasley has always believed Al Auchincloss cheated him out of land and sheep when their partnership ended. Now the dying Auchincloss has sent for his niece Helen, from back East, so he can leave her the land. Beasley plans to see that Helen never arrives to claim it. But Auchincloss's friend Milt Dale proves a tough opponent. 1922.
RC 39702
The Ranger and Other Stories DB/RC 61692
7 hours 20 minutes
read by Richard Davidson
Four westerns. In "The Ranger" a man risks his life to rescue the woman he loves. In "Canyon Walls" a fugitive seeks sanctuary with Mormons. In "Avalanche" a beautiful woman comes between two brothers. In "From Missouri" a schoolteacher travels west to meet her unknown correspondent. 1960.
RC 61692
Rangers of the Lone Star DB/RC 52796
11 hours 37 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Texas Ranger Vaughn Steele and his special assistant Russ Sittell want to stop the outlaws and cattle rustlers in Fairdale, Pecos County. But Mayor Longstreth, a prominent rancher, doesn't like rangers interfering in his territory. Then his daughter and Steele fall in love. Some strong
language. 1997.
RC 52796
The next two books should be read in the following order:
Riders of the Purple Sage DB/RC 49208
11 hours 26 minutes
read by Chuck Benson
Utah, 1871. When Jane Withersteen incurs the wrath of her fellow Mormons for befriending Gentiles, gunman Lassiter comes to her aid and makes a startling personal discovery. Violence. 1912.
RC 49208
The Rainbow Trail: A Romance DB/RC 45242
10 hours 31 minutes
read by Ed Blake
A young clergyman, proven a failure by his congregation, is driven from his calling at the age of twenty‑five. Becoming a wanderer, he sets off on a trail of adventure that leads him to the rescue of a lonely maiden. 1915.
RC 45242
Robbers' Roost DB/RC 61810
10 hours 4 minutes
read by Jim Zeiger
Utah, 1870s. A battle takes place between rival outlaw gangs at Robbers' Roost, a canyon hideout in no‑man's land. The only survivors of the shootout are one man, an Englishwoman—and a fortune in
cash. 1932.
RC 61810
The Spirit of the Border: A Romance of
the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley DB/RC 48142
10 hours 15 minutes
read by Jim Zeiger
This is a version of the 1777 massacre of a small band of Christian Indians who lived in the Village of Peace founded by Moravian missionaries. It pits Lewis Wetzel and Jonathan Zane against Jim Girty. Some violence. 1906.
RC 48142
Thunder Mountain DB/RC 65251
8 hours 48 minutes
read by Jim Zeiger
Three prospecting brothers—Sam, Kalispel, and Jake Emerson—discover a quartz vein packed with gold near Thunder Mountain. Kalispel and Jake set out for funding and supplies, leaving Sam behind to guard the claim. Kalispel returns to find the town transformed by fortune hunters, the mine lost, and Sam missing. 1932.
RC 65251
The Thundering Herd DB/RC 52805
11 hours 29 minutes
read by John Polk
The Great Plains, 1874. Buffalo hunter Tom Doan has faced Comanche raids, stampedes, murder, and treachery in pursuit of the lucrative hide trade. With girlfriend Milly Fayre's help, he comes to believe the mass slaughter is wrong and turns against his fellow hunters. But now Milly is missing. Foreword (1953) by
Loren Grey. 1924.
RC 52805
The Trail Driver DB/RC 64700
10 hours 18 minutes
read by Derald Breneman
1871. Cattleman Adam Brite attempts the largest cattle drive ever up the Chisholm Trail with forty‑five hundred Texas longhorns. With a hodgepodge group of drivers, including outlaw Pan Handle Smith and a tenderfoot from Pennsylvania, Brite encounters rustlers, stampeders, and an orphan with something to hide. Some strong language. 1936.
RC 64700
Under the Tonto Rim DB/RC 65345
10 hours 26 minutes
read by Chuck Young
City girl Lucy Watson leaves home to work for a welfare department bettering the lives of poor frontier families between Cedar Ridge and the Rim Rock. Her kindness and tact soon win over the community and, eventually, even aloof bee‑hunter Edd Denmeade. 1925.
RC 65345
The U.P. Trail DB/RC 43652
16 hours 8 minutes
read by Don Emmick
Depicts the heroic struggle and perseverance involved in the construction and completion of the Union Pacific Railroad. Some strong language. 1918.
RC 43652
The Vanishing American DB/RC 53720
10 hours 44 minutes
read by Chuck Benson
In 1916, young Marian Warner travels west to visit the American Indian warrior Nophaie, who wants Marian to help him use his eighteen years of white man's education to improve his tribe's welfare. Nophaie, however, is torn between the two cultures and the complications of loving a
white woman. 1925.
RC 53720
Western Union DB/RC 68230
9 hours 26 minutes
read by Jim Zeiger
1861. Wayne Cameron leaves Boston to seek his fortune out West. The tenderfoot joins a crew of Western Union workers constructing a telegraph line along the Oregon Trail. Wayne and his friends cross hundreds of miles of mountains and treeless plains full of buffalo, hostile Indians, and other perils. 1939.
RC 68230
The Westerners DB/RC 61887
7 hours 45 minutes
read by Jeremy Gage
A collection of nine short westerns. In "The Ranger" Texas lawman Vaughn Medill searches for a rich Mexican acquaintance's missing daughter and finds himself in her kidnappers' clutches. Other stories include "Lightning," "Of Whales and Men," and the title piece. 2000.
RC 61887
The First Mountain Man: The First Mountain Man, Book 1 DB/RC 57247
10 hours 23 minutes
read by John Polk
Oregon Trail, 1837. East of the Absaroka Range, the mountain man called Preacher encounters an unfriendly band of Arapaho and their terrified captives. Preacher frees the missionaries—two men and two women—and promises them safety, although toting four greenhorns through hostile territory won't be easy. 1991.
RC 57247
Blood on the Divide: The First Mountain
Man, Book 2 DB/RC 53030
10 hours 9 minutes
read by John Polk
1838. The Pardee brothers, along with renegade Indians expelled from various tribes, live by raiding and killing settlers traveling along the Oregon Trail. Mountain man Preacher learns of their schemes and sets out to defeat them. Violence and strong language. 1992.
RC 53030
Absaroka Ambush: The First Mountain Man, Book 3 DB/RC 58395
9 hours 42 minutes
read by John Polk
Preacher and his fellow mountain men
help a detachment of U.S. soldiers escort
some women across the mountains. When cutthroats attack the wagon train and kidnap the women, Preacher launches a rescue. Violence and some strong language.
1993.
RC 58395
Forty Guns West: The First Mountain
Man, Book 4 DB/RC 59220
9 hours 5 minutes
read by John Polk
While visiting family in Ohio, the mountain man called Preacher kills an important, albeit deserving, gentleman. With a high price on his head, Preacher flees back west to the High Lonesome, towing a sick little boy and pursued by a small army of bounty hunters. 1993.
RC 59220
Cheyenne Challenge: The First Mountain
Man, Book 5 DB/RC 59343
10 hours 35 minutes
read by John Polk
Outlaw Ezra Pease returns to settle a score with mountain man Preacher. After escorting some missionaries to safety, Preacher rounds up old friends Beartooth, Nighthawk, and Dupre for a final showdown
with Pease, whose dealings incite an Indian war. Violence. 1995.
RC 59343
Preacher and the Mountain Caesar:
The First Mountain Man, Book 6
DB/RC 59567
10 hours 6 minutes
read by John Polk
Mountain man Preacher encounters a strange army of fanatics calling themselves"citizens" of Nova Roma (New Rome), who intend to conquer the territory. They capture Preacher and his friend, Philadelphia Braddock, and make them train as gladiators. Violence and some
descriptions of sex. 1995.
RC 59567
Blackfoot Messiah: The First Mountain Man, Book 7 DB/RC 57611
9 hours 45 minutes
read by John Polk
Commissioned by the U.S. government to guide an untrained platoon to a Wyoming fort, Preacher sets out with two longtime friends. He discovers a plot by some white men to incite a war leading to total destruction of the Indians. Violence. 1996.
RC 57611
Preacher: The First Mountain Man, Book 8 DB/RC 57278
7 hours 51 minutes
read by John Polk
Long before attaining fame as the mountain man called Preacher, a twelve‑year‑old boy named Arthur leaves his Ohio family in 1813 for adventures westward. Art makes friends and enemies, lives with the Shawnee, and learns to shoot in the U.S. Army—all along the way to becoming a man and a legend. Some
strong language. 2002.
RC 57278
Preacher's Peace: The First Mountain
Man, Book 9 DB/RC 57088
7 hours 36 minutes
read by John Polk
1824. Art, a young mountain man, is betrayed while leading a trapping party up the Missouri River to make peace and is imprisoned by vengeful Blackfeet Indians. But the night before he is about to die, Art wins the respect of his captors, his freedom, and a new name—Preacher. Some violence. 2003.
RC 57088
Preacher's Justice: The First Mountain Man, Book 10 DB/RC 59726
6 hours 54 minutes
read by John Polk
Facing fraud charges, Philadelphia banker Theodore Epson arranges to kill his St. Louis accuser, brothel owner Jennie, the only woman Preacher ever loved. When Preacher finds out he seeks justice. Some violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004.
RC 59726
Preacher's Journey: The First Mountain
Man, Book 11 DB/RC 63068
9 hours 48 minutes
read by John Polk
Preacher saves the Oregon‑bound Galloway family from a band of usually peaceful Arikara Indians. While guiding them back to the nearest settlement, he grows suspicious and uncovers the real reason for the Indian attack. Violence. 2005.
RC 63068
Preacher's Fortune: The First Mountain
Man, Book 12 DB/RC 65078
10 hours 26 minutes
read by John Polk
The legendary frontiersman called Preacher leads a Mexican brother and sister into the mountains of New Mexico to
find a cache of gold, silver, and gems hidden by their ancestor. But rumors of riches have attracted other, more sinister treasure hunters. Violence. 2006.
RC 65078
Preacher's Quest: The First Mountain
Man, Book 13 DB/RC 69516
9 hours 21 minutes
written with J.A. Johnstone
read by John Polk
Preacher turns down an offer to help guide a group of tenderfooted Easterners through the Rockies. But after a deadly attack, Preacher has no choice but to join the expedition, which is pursued by Indians and outlaws. Violence and some strong language. 2007.
RC 69516
Preacher's Showdown: The First
Mountain Man, Book 14 DB 69517
9 hours 15 minutes
written with J.A. Johnstone
read by John Polk
St. Louis. Two cousins hoping to open a trading post hire mountain man Preacher to guide them out west. Preacher, postponing an opportunity for vengeance, joins the expedition. But a beautiful stowaway
brings trouble to the wagon train. Violence
and some strong language. 2008.
RC 69517
Preacher's Pursuit: The First Mountain
Man, Book 15 DB 69706
8 hours 34 minutes
written with J.A. Johnstone
read by John Polk
At a remote Rocky Mountain settlement, Preacher meets newcomer Laura Mallory, who wants to bring railway service to the outpost. While Preacher is distracted by Laura (and outlaws trying to kill him),
Indians backed by foreign agents attack.
Violence and some strong language. 2009.
RC 69706
Brush Country: Two Texas Novels DB/RC 65164
12 hours 7 minutes
read by Ted Stoddard
Two western tales from seven‑time Spur Award winner. In Barbed Wire (1957) Doug Monahan finds his fencing company opposed by a former Confederate officer and his ruthless foreman. In Llano River (1966) a wealthy cattleman hires cowboy Dundee to discover who is rustling his stock. 1966.
RC 65164
The next two books should be read in the following order:
The Buckskin Line DB/RC 50220
10 hours 20 minutes
read by Ted Stoddard
On the Texas frontier in 1840, Comanche
warrior Buffalo Caller claims a red‑haired orphan during a raid that kills many settlers. The boy, Rusty Shannon, is eventually rescued, grows up to become a ranger, and—years later—has another encounter
with Buffalo Caller. 1999.
RC 50220
Badger Boy DB/RC 52321
9 hours 21 minutes
read by Ted Stoddard
As the Civil War is ending in 1865, Texas Ranger Rusty Shannon contends with frontier battles against the Comanches. When Rusty captures a white youth called Badger Boy, raised by Comanches,
Rusty's own past begins to haunt him. Some strong language. 2001.
RC 52321
Buffalo Wagons DB/RC 46101
6 hours 5 minutes
read by Roy Avers
1873. The plains are almost devoid of buffalo. Only one large herd remains, but it is in Comanche territory. Gage Jameson joins a group of skinners desperate enough to venture into the hostile land and risk
their lives. 1956.
RC 46101
Cloudy in the West DB/RC 46448
9 hours 56 minutes
read by Chuck Benson
East Texas, 1885. Twelve‑year‑old Joey Shipman is orphaned. Although he inherited his father's ranch, he is forced to flee when his stepmother and her new husband try to kill him. Joey searches for his drunken cousin Beau in west Texas, but the two are soon on the run after a deadly encounter with Joey's stepfather. 1997.
RC 46448
The Day the Cowboys Quit DB/RC 48755
11 hours 8 minutes
read by Bob Askey
Texas, 1883. Wagon boss Hitch (Hugh
Hitchcock) wants to keep the peace when the cowboys go on strike for personal rights against the large, syndicate‑backed ranchers. But as Hitch's losses mount, he
sides with the cowboys. Some strong language.
1971.
RC 48755
The next two books should be read in the following order:
The Good Old Boys DB/RC 48505
10 hours 51 minutes
read by Don Feldheim
Will easy‑riding, old‑time cowboy Hewey Calloway finally settle down? He realizes that a new era is coming to Texas in the early 1900s, but at the age of thirty‑eight, he doesn't want to change with the times. 1985.
RC 48505
The Smiling Country DB/RC 48506
8 hours 40 minutes
read by Don Feldheim
Texas, 1910. Hewey Calloway settles down and, with his nephew Tommy, runs the Circle W ranch. Hewey is seriously injured trying to prove he can still break a horse. The mishap has one benefit, though;
he gets reacquainted with an old girlfriend.
1998.
RC 48506
Honor at Daybreak: A Novel of One Town's Battle for Justice DB/RC 33383
15 hours 42 minutes
read by George Patterson
When oil is discovered on the rangelands of west Texas in 1923, the sleepy old ranching town of Caprock comes alive. The town is governed by Sheriff Dave Buckalew. He has his hands full with such people as Slim McIntyre, who steps right into a load of trouble; Victor and Elise Underwood, hardworking oil prospectors; and Big Boy Daugherty, who brings a wave of crime. 1991.
RC 33383
Horsehead Crossing DB/RC 31505
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Art Metzler
A man couldn't have a better friend than Milam Haggard—or a worse enemy. Unfortunately for Johnny Fristo and Speck Quitman, Haggard is an enemy, for he holds them responsible for the death of his wife. Even though the law says they are innocent, Haggard tracks them down, and
now they meet at the violently churning
waters of Horsehead Crossing. 1963.
RC 31505
Llano River DB/RC 27574
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Hal Tenny
When Old Man Farrady brought a new son‑in‑law out to the ranch and handed him Dundee's job as foreman, Dundee left. He gambled most of his payoff money in a poker game, rode into Titusville, and took an offer to pull a couple of hot irons out of the fire. 1966.
RC 21574
The Man Who Rode Midnight DB/RC 27406
11 hours 44 minutes
read by Hal Tenny
Seventy‑year‑old rancher Wes Hendricks
is trying to fight off ruthless encroachment
by the powers that be in the little
town of Big River. Hendricks's ranch
stands where the bigwigs want to create
an artificial lake to generate tourism. He
holds steadfast to his land while things
conspire against him, and an unexpected twist resolves the situation. Some strong
language. 1987.
RC 27406
Manhunters DB/RC 45374
10 hours 33 minutes
read by Rick Rohan
Chacho Fernandez, a young Mexican living in Texas, is cheated out of a horse. When the sheriff comes to investigate, the translator makes an error that leads to a misunderstanding that ends in a shooting. Plagued by guilt, Chacho flees, and Texas Rangers Kelly and Florey are soon on his trail. 1974.
RC 45374
Many a River DB/RC 67356
10 hours 2 minutes
read by Robert Sams
1855. Comanches attack the Barfield family, killing both parents and taking Todd captive. Todd is sold to a trader, and his brother Jeffrey, who was hiding, is brought to a homesteading family who have lost a son. The boys survive separately until the Civil War brings a change
of fate. 2008.
RC 67356
The Pumpkin Rollers DB/RC 43160
10 hours 32 minutes
read by Bob Askey
With the Civil War over, young Trey McLean believes the time has come to head west and fulfill his dream of becoming a cattleman. Known at first as a pumpkin roller (a green farmboy with no knowledge of ranching), Trey soon learns the trade. But not without some problems—and a little romance—along the way. Some strong language. 1996.
RC 43160
Six Bits a Day DB/RC 62176
7 hours 51 minutes
read by Ted Stoddard
Western Texas, 1880s. Brothers Hewey and Walter Calloway hire on at C.C. Tarpley's ranch for six bits a day. Walter meets a girl, but to keep him from settling down Hewey volunteers them both for a cattle drive. Meanwhile, a fugitive outlaw stalks Hewey and a range feud ignites.
2005.
RC 67176
The next two books should be read in the following order:
Slaughter DB/RC 38638
17 hours 1 minute
read by Bruce Huntey
By the time the railroad reaches Dodge City, the buffalo herds in the surrounding lands have diminished dramatically. The hunting party's oddest member is Englishman Nigel Smithwick, who is forced to join up after being robbed. Other members fought on opposite sides in the Civil
War, but they all band together when the Comanches protest their presence. Violence and strong language. 1992.
RC 38638
The Far Canyon DB/RC 39434
11 hours 29 minutes
read by Bruce Huntey
Jeff Layne is returning to his southern Texas hometown of Piedras. Accompanying him are newly married Nigel and Arletta Smithwick and Cap Doolittle, who have all soured on their roles in the buffalo massacre. The plan is to raise cattle, but first Layne must deal with Vesper Freed. Freed caused the death of Layne's father, took away the Layne land, and
married Layne's sweetheart. Violence and strong language. 1994.
RC 39434
Texas Showdown: Two Texas Novels DB/RC 65152
11 hours 4 minutes
read by John Polk
Two tales of vengeance by seven‑time Spur Award winner. In Pecos Crossing (1963) a pay dispute between two young cowboys and their boss inadvertently leads to the death of former ranger Milam Haggard's wife, and Milam vows revenge. In Shotgun (1969) rancher Blair Bishop's rivals join forces against him. 1969.
RC 65152
The Time It Never Rained DB/RC 49217
13 hours 42 minutes
read by Chuck Benson
Charlie Flagg, a cantankerous, independent‑minded Texan, fights to save his medium‑sized ranch in Rio Seco during a drought. His problems are compounded by ineffectual federal aid programs and difficulties with Mexican ranch workers. Some strong language. 1984.
RC 49217
Wolf and the Buffalo: Texas Traditions DB/RC 58986
17 hours 0 minutes
read by Michael Russotto
West Texas, post‑Civil War. Released from slavery, Gideon Ledbetter joins the U.S. Cavalry. He clashes with Gray Horse, a Comanche warrior struggling to preserve his tribe's culture against the encroaching settlers. Some strong language. 1980.
RC 58986
Bendigo Shafter DB/RC 13347
11 hours 44 minutes
read by Buckley Kozlow
En route to California in the 1860s when an early winter keeps them from crossing the Sierras, a motley group of twenty‑odd pioneers decides to settle in the Wyoming Territory and build its own town. Eighteen‑year‑old Bendigo Shafter, strong and virtuous, who reads Plutarch and Thoreau in his spare time, pitches in and helps the community through the first rugged winter.
1979.
RC 13347
The Californios DB/RC 33542
5 hours 28 minutes
read by Jack Fox
In 1844 Eileen Mulkerin, her sons Michael and Sean, and an old Indian are the only ones who believe that there is gold in California. The Mulkerins need it badly to keep their ranch in Malibu. With the help of an Indian who has mystical powers—and is willing to help them find the treasure—the family confronts a band of frontier enemies interested in their land and the possibility of gold. Some violence.
1974.
RC 33542
Chancy DB/RC 43804
4 hours 53 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Nineteen‑year‑old Otis Chancy, a drifter without prospects, struggles against corrupt lawmen, ruthless outlaws, and hostile Indians as he makes his way to manhood and forms his own cattle gang. 1968.
RC 43804
The Collected Short Stories of Louis
L'Amour: The Frontier Stories, Volume 1 DB/RC 59711
19 hours 10 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Thirty‑five short western stories in which good triumphs over evil. In "The Gift of Cochise" Angie Lowe defends her children against Apaches and wins the respect of their leader. In "A Husband for Janey" a Texas boy arrives in California goldmining territory and helps a mother and daughter. 2003.
RC 59711
The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour: The Frontier Stories, Volume 2 DB/RC 60143
19 hours 45 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Thirty frontier tales including "More Brains than Bullets," in which Texas
Ranger Chick Bowdrie must solve a murder, a bank robbery, and a frame‑up. In"Trail to Pie Town" wandering cowboy Dusty Barron rescues a woman in trouble.
2004.
RC 60143
The Collected Short Stories of Louis
L'Amour: The Frontier Stories, Volume 3 DB/RC 62320
23 hours 1 minute
read by Nick Sullivan
Features twenty‑eight classic westerns, including tales of a drifter who poses as a murdered man to solve a mystery and a grizzled recluse who protects a runaway from a brutal guardian. 2005.
RC 62320
Comstock Lode DB/RC 58493
17 hours 3 minutes
read by Jim Zeiger
1849. Soon after young Val Trevallion accompanies his family from England to America for a shot at the California gold rush, thieves kill his parents. Orphan Val grows up, becomes a successful miner, and awaits the opportunity for revenge. Some violence and some strong language.
1981.
RC 58493
Crossfire Trail DB/RC 23073
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Ray Foushee
Rafe Caradec, a soldier of fortune hardened by a life among ruthless men who played for high stakes, promises a dying friend that he will save the man's Long Valley ranch for his wife and daughter. But his friend's widow thinks Rafe is moving in for his own gain and plays into the hands of the greedy ranchers plotting to destroy her. 1982.
RC 23073
Dark Canyon DB/RC 12533
5 hours 52 minutes
read by William Wright
Gaylord Riley sets up his cattle range bordering Dark Canyon, a regrettable choice of location. Rustlers use the canyon to drive stolen cattle across the mountains, desperate men skulk in it, and bandits use
it for ambushes. 1977.
RC 12533
The Empty Land DB/RC 15111
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Buckley Kozlow
Gold is discovered in the Utah hills and a boom town soon grows up around the strike. As miners and shopkeepers move in, violence and murder become a way of life until loner Matt Coburn comes in to clean the town up. 1969.
RC 15111
Fallon DB/RC 12993
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Buckley Kozlow
Macon Fallon, down on his luck and itching to get west to San Francisco, devises a scheme to get rich with the unintentional help of a wagon train. 1963.
RC 12993
The First Fast Draw DB/RC 60697
4 hours 55 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Cullen Baker returns to his family's east Texas ranch after the Civil War wanting only to settle down, but Reconstruction soldiers, carpetbaggers, and outlaws have other ideas. When his enemies threaten him and the woman he loves, Cullen makes a stand using a new method of gunfighting—the fast draw. 1985.
RC 60697
Flint DB/RC 36446
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Chuck Benson
Years ago a young man avenged the wrongful death of his friend Flint. Now a successful financier,
James T. Kettleman—with a wife who wants him dead
and a diagnosis of cancer—decides to live
out his days quietly in the ranch country
of his youth as Jim Flint. An ongoing land
swindle and a woman in need, however,
force him back into action. Violence. 1960.
RC 36446
Guns of the Timberlands DB/RC 35998
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Phil Regensdorf
Lumberjacks in Tinkersville can only
mean trouble and, sure enough, they're after rancher Clay Bell's land. Bell has prepared for this possibility but he didn't wager on ruthless Jud Devitt. He also didn't wager on complicating things by falling for Devitt's beautiful fiancee, Colleen Riley. Soon the whole town is taking sides and a vicious battle begins. Violence.
1950.
RC 35998
Hanging Woman Creek DB/RC 16262
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Ed Stoiber
Pronto Pike has known plenty of trouble in his day, but none like that winter on Hanging Woman Creek. He and his partner, as good a man with a rifle as there ever was, are making things tough for the rustlers lifting Bar J cattle. Then Ann Farley comes to stay with her brother and
vigilantes cut them down. Pronto and his partner know they are in real trouble because men who will shoot at a woman will do anything. 1964.
RC 16262
Heller with a Gun DB/RC 66366
4 hours 43 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Gunslinger King Mabry encounters a traveling theatrical troupe heading to Alder Gulch, Montana. Mabry decides to escort them on the journey because he distrusts their unsavory guide Andy Barker, who Mabry believes is after their secret cargo—and because Mabry has fallen in
love with actress Janice Ryan. 1955.
RC 66366
High Lonesome DB/RC 35995
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Phil Regensdorf
Considine has been an outlaw since his best friend became sheriff, married Considine's girl, and ran Considine out of Obaro. Now Considine and his cohorts have a perfect chance to get even—stealing $60,000 from the Obaro bank. So why are they up on High Lonesome Mountain,
risking it all to save a young girl and her pa from a vicious Apache attack? Violence
and some strong language. 1962.
RC 35995
Hondo DB/RC 53457
6 hours 15 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Angie Lowe is raising her son Johnny
on an isolated ranch in Apache country.
Hondo Lane approaches her homestead
on foot to buy a horse. Soon Angie and
Hondo are involved in a tale of love, war,
and honor. 1983.
RC 53457
How the West Was Won DB/RC 12536
10 hours 16 minutes
read by George Guidall‑Shapiro
The epic saga of the men and women who pushed on despite the uncertainties of nature, the wrath of savage enemies, countless dangers, and cruel death to win the rich and untamed West. Based on the screenplay of the same name. 1962.
RC 12536
The Iron Marshal DB/RC 19662
7 hours 20 minutes
read by Jack Fox
Back in New York, young Tom Shanaghy handled everything from a blacksmith's anvil to knuckle‑and‑skull street brawling. Now the reluctant marshal of a small Kansas town, he faces a vengeful trail driver
and a murderous gang of gold thieves who will take more iron than even hanaghy can pack into two fists. 1979.
RC 19662
Passin' Through DB/RC 22997
7 hours 20 minutes
read by Bob Askey
Mr. Passin' Through, a drifter and a
stranger in town, kills a mean‑spirited man in self-defense. The man's brothers leave Mr. Passin' Through strangling in a noose, but an Indian woman and boy whom he
once befriended rescue him. Vengeance then becomes the name of the game. Bestseller.
1985.
RC 22997
The Quick and the Dead DB/RC 62475
5 hours 28 minutes
read by Richard Davidson
Con Vallian encounters Duncan McKaskel and his family heading west and saves Duncan from outlaws. He soon finds himself guiding Duncan, Duncan's beautiful wife Susanna, and their son Tom across the prairie and fighting off rustlers, Huron Indians, and a lion along the way. 1973.
RC 62475
Reilly's Luck DB/RC 19106
8 hours 48 minutes
read by Jack Fox
On a cold, snowy night when Val Darrant was four years old, he was hustled away on a buckboard to be abandoned. But he did not die; he met Willy Reilly—a gentleman, a gambler, and the best rifle shot in
the West. Reilly knew the odds and played them, but what were the odds in taking on a frightened young boy? 1970.
RC 19106
Ride the Dark Trail DB/RC 35030
7 hours 20 minutes
read by Phil Regensdorf
Widow Emily Talon is wearing down. Since the last worker on her Colorado ranch was killed, she has kept a twenty‑four‑hour vigil against Jake Flanner and his men, who are conspiring to take over her ranch. Hearing of the woman's plight, drifter Logan Sackett discovers that, like him, Emily is a Tennessee Sackett. He vows to help her until her wandering sons return and is determined to teach Jake Flanner's men a lesson. Violence
and some strong language. 1972.
RC 35030
Louis L'Amour originally published these four Hopalong Cassidy novels under the pseudonym Tex Burns. They should be read in the following order:
The Rustlers of West Fork: A Hopalong
Cassidy Novel DB/RC 33901
7 hours 17 minutes
read by Bob Askey
Cassidy is on his way to the Circle J ranch to deliver $15,000 to his longtime friend Dick Jordan. When he arrives, he finds that Dick and his daughter Pam are being held by a band of outlaws. Cassidy is determined to free the Jordans, but it will
mean a flight through Apache territory and
a fight with a man who lives by the law of greed. Bestseller. 1951.
RC 33901
The Trail to Seven Pines: A Hopalong
Cassidy Novel DB/RC 36468
6 hours 56 minutes
read by Bob Askey
Hopalong Cassidy is on a leisurely cross‑country trip when he happens upon the aftermath of a stagecoach holdup. One man is dead, the other badly hurt, so Cassidy heads to town for a doctor. Meanwhile, the robbers return to finish off the second man. Feeling responsible, Cassidy
takes a job protecting a local ranch against neighboring rustlers, but his real motive is
to flush out the killers and seek revenge.
Violence. 1951.
RC 36468
The Riders of High Rock: A Hopalong
Cassidy Novel DB/RC 36727
6 hours 15 minutes
read by Bob Askey
Hopalong Cassidy continues his trip to the
Gibson ranch to meet up with his friend
Red Connors. He arrives none too soon—while Gibson is holed up with a broken leg, a band of rustlers are hunting down
Connors in the surrounding hills. Unbeknownst
to the rustlers, Cassidy rescues
Connors, and the two formulate a plan
to expose the rustling scheme. Violence. 1951.
RC 36727
Trouble Shooter: A Hopalong Cassidy
Novel DB/RC 39343
6 hours 43 minutes
read by Bob Askey
Summoned by his old friend Pete Melford,
who willed his ranch to a niece, Cindy
Blair, Cassidy arrives to find that Pete has
been murdered and the ranch is no more.
Hoping to learn something about the area,
Cassidy goes to work at a nearby ranch
and discovers more mystery and a trail of
blood, gold, and danger. 1951.
RC 39343
Shalako DB/RC 15020
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Buckley Kozlow
Shalako, a loner and a gambler riding
down from the Sierra Madre, meets a band
of travelers desperately in need of help to
get through treacherous Apache country.
1962.
RC 15020
Sitka DB/RC 20198
8 hours 48 minutes
read by Hal Tenny
Jean LaBarge, hardened by a childhood in
the dangerous Susquehanna swamp and by
rough‑and‑ready adventures in the West,
now faces the dangers of Russian‑owned
Alaska, where the Russian American
Company will stop at nothing to protect its
interests from the encroaching Americans. 1957.
RC 20198
Son of a Wanted Man DB/RC 62134
6 hours 18 minutes
read by Richard Davidson
Ben Curry wants to turn over his outlaw
kingdom to his adopted son, Mike Bastian.
As treachery emerges among Ben's
riders, a pair of lawmen—Borden Chantry
and Tyrel Sackett—close in on the gang,
and Mike must choose between his loyalty
to Ben or his yearning for a different life.
1984.
RC 62134
To Tame a Land DB/RC 16730
5 hours 52 minutes
read by Jim Walton
As twelve‑year‑old Rye Tyler migrates
west in a wagon train, he sees his father
killed by Indians. By the age of twenty he
has fought and killed ten outlaws and is a
legend in his own time. Then he meets and
falls in love with Liza. When she is kidnapped,
Tyler tracks the outlaw who stole
her from him. 1955.
RC 16730
Westward the Tide DB 68460
6 hours 59 minutes
read by Mark Delgado
Despite warnings, drifter Matt Bardoul
joins a wagon train headed for the Big
Horns in search of gold. Matt signs on
because he is interested in treasure and in
the expedition leader's lovely daughter,
Jacquine. Matt discovers outlaws among
the party—and a brutal conspiracy of
greed, lust, and murder. 1977.
RC 68460
White Indian DB/RC 60134
12 hours 17 minutes
read by Roy Avers
1800s. Ghonka, Great Sachem of the Seneca nation, captures a white infant,
names him Renno, and raises him as his
own. As a young warrior, Renno rescues
sixteen‑year‑old English colonist Deborah
Alwin from Huron abductors. Renno
desires Deborah, but her fate is uncertain. Violence and some descriptions of sex.
1979.
RC 60134
The Renegade DB/RC 60174
12 hours 37 minutes
read by Roy Avers
1690. Conflict escalates between the
French and English for control of the New
World colonies. Twenty‑two‑year‑old
white Seneca warrior Renno travels to
London as an ambassador to enlist King
William III's support. Renno forges an
alliance at court with French Huguenot
Adrienne Bartel. Violence and some
descriptions of sex. 1980.
RC 60174
War Chief DB/RC 60339
11 hours 52 minutes
read by Roy Avers
White Seneca war chief Renno, in Virginia
to facilitate peace between colonists and
Pimlico Indians, finds a wife. The newlyweds
are not together long before Renno
is drawn into a struggle for Florida pitting Seminoles against Spanish pirates. Some
violence and some descriptions of sex.
1980.
RC 60339
The Sachem DB/RC 60363
12 hours 1 minute
read by Roy Avers
1702. White Seneca Renno is elected war
sachem. Meanwhile his father Ghonka and
wife Betsy journey to England to plead the
Indian cause. In their absence Renno faces
challenges as enemy French and Spanish,
with traitorous native allies, plot against
his people. Some violence and some
descriptions of sex. 1981.
RC 60363
Renno DB/RC 60473
11 hours 31 minutes
read by Roy Avers
France and its Indian allies provoke war
among the Iroquois League, threatening
white Seneca sachem Renno and his family.
While attempting to foil a plot against
the American colonies, Renno faces his
daughter's betrayal, son's exile, and
father's murder. Some violence and some
descriptions of sex. 1981.
RC 60473
Tomahawk DB/RC 60476
10 hours 52 minutes
read by Roy Avers
Renno's son, Ja‑gonh, sets out to kill
Huron brave Gray Fox, who murdered
Renno's father. But Gray Fox kidnaps
Ja‑gonh's betrothed and offers her to the
French king, Louis XV, as a mistress.
While Ja‑gonh pursues them, Renno battles
illness at home. Some violence and
some descriptions of sex. 1982.
RC 60476
War Cry DB/RC 60688
9 hours 23 minutes
read by Roy Avers
When Renno, great sachem of the Iroquois
League, rallies his warriors against
the French, his wisdom is challenged by
impetuous grandson Ghonkaba. Ghonkaba's
punishment is exile to Virginia, where
his rebellious ways threaten his family and
possibly the colonies' future. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 1983.
RC 60688
Ambush DB/RC 60704
9 hours 7 minutes
read by Roy Avers
Renno's grandson Ghonkaba, still angry
over a woman's bitter rejection, honors
the Iroquois‑English alliance and travels
to Virginia to rejoin Washington's troops
against the French. He is accompanied by
Toshabe, a beautiful half‑French captive
he is escorting back to her people. Some
violence and some descriptions of sex.
1983.
RC 60704
Seneca DB/RC 60797
9 hours 23 minutes
read by Roy Avers
1770s. As the American Revolution
begins, war chief Ghonkaba, grandson of
white Indian Renno, breaks the Seneca
alliance with the English and joins General
Washington's troops. Ghonkaba helps
orchestrate a daring plan to cross the Delaware
and attack at Trenton, New Jersey.
Some violence and some descriptions of
sex. 1984.
RC 60797
Cherokee DB/RC 60822
9 hours 2 minutes
read by Roy Avers
1780s. As punishment for breaking the Seneca alliance with the British and fighting for the colonists, Ghonkaba, grandson of white Indian Renno, is banished. Leading his family to Cherokee territory,
Ghonkaba also conducts a special mission to stop a ruthless secret agent. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 1984.
RC 60822
Choctaw DB/RC 63081
9 hours 34 minutes
read by Roy Avers
1783. Renno, great‑grandson and namesake of the legendary white Indian, celebrates an alliance between the Seneca, the Cherokee, and the new American republic. But Choctaws led by Rattlesnake, the half‑Indian son of a British spy slain by Renno, plot to disrupt peace. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 1985.
RC 63081
Seminole DB/RC 63082
9 hours 35 minutes
read by Roy Avers
1783. Renno, descendant of the legendary white sachem, facilitates peace between the Senecas, Cherokees, and settlers. Meanwhile the renegade soldier who murdered Renno's father abducts Renno's betrothed and brings her to Spanish Florida. Pursuing, Renno battles pirates, fierce
Seminoles, and Everglade perils. Some
violence and some descriptions of sex. 1986.
RC 63082
War Drums DB/RC 63083
9 hours 48 minutes
read by Roy Avers
Seneca warrior Renno, descendant of the legendary white Indian, joins Captain Andrew Jackson against the Chickasaw and Spanish in a battle that could decide the fate of frontier America. Meanwhile Renno's wife Emily, after giving birth, finds the Indian lifestyle challenging. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 1980.
RC 63083
Apache DB/RC 49866
10 hours 26 minutes
read by Roy Avers
British siblings Beth and William Beaumont travel to New Spain, in America, to find the mine that would save their family
home. They request help from Renno, the
young Seneca chief whose great‑grandfather,
a "white Indian," visited England years ago. Some violence. 1987.
RC 49866
A Ballad for Sallie DB/RC 36916
7 hours 20 minutes
by Judy Alter
read by Virginia Kearns
When widowed Sallie McNutt arrives
in Fort Worth to help her cousin run his
store, she is shocked to find he has been
murdered. An unscrupulous lawyer tries
to convince Sallie that her cousin left no
estate, and the town marshal‑turned‑outlaw
tries to convince her that her cousin's murder was gambling related. The few
people Sallie does trust are a group of
abandoned children—the Acre brats—who
help her ferret out the truth. 1992.
RC 36916
Field of Honor DB/RC 61387
8 hours 29 minutes
by D.L. Birchfield
read by Jim Zeiger
Oklahoma, 1976. After deserting his marine unit in Vietnam, Lance Corporal
Patrick McDaniel, a half‑Choctaw
with a psychiatric condition, discovers a
secret underground Choctaw civilization.
Struggling for his own survival, Patrick
becomes ensnared in politics and romance.
Some violence, some strong language,
and some descriptions of sex. Spur Award.
2004.
RC 61387
Hey, Cowboy, Wanna Get Lucky? DB/RC 42742
7 hours 20 minutes
by Baxter Black
read by Ray Foushee
Two wild cowboys on the rodeo circuit, Cody and Lick, might be far from making the national finals, but they are champions at living the cowboy life. Writing with humor and earthiness, the author, a cowboy poet and large‑animal veterinarian,
promises "sex, violence, intrigue, and
the occasional philosophical observation" in this, his first novel. Violence, strong
language, and some descriptions of sex.
1994.
RC 42742
Buckskin Man DB/RC 57777
5 hours 32 minutes
by Tom W. Blackburn
read by Ray Childs
When his Santa Fe, New Mexico, trading company suspiciously burns to the ground, Jim King vows to collect compensation from his rival, the head of Duval and Company. The desire for revenge takes Jim to St. Louis and back. Meanwhile he must decide how to deal with an impending massacre. 1956.
RC 57777
The next two books should be read in the following order:
Moon Medicine DB/RC 56340
14 hours 59 minutes
by Mike Blakely
read by Chuck Benson
In 1927, ninety‑nine‑year‑old Honoré Greenwood, a.k.a. Moon Medicine, relates his rollicking adventures accompanying the rise and fall of Fort Adobe in Texas.
He recalls his loves and also tells of trading
with the Comanche, fighting battles,
and ransoming children from captivity.
Some violence and some descriptions of
sex. 2001.
RC 56340
Come Sundown DB/RC 64480
20 hours 32 minutes
by Mike Blakely
read by Jim Zeiger
Ninety‑nine‑year‑old Honoré Greenwood relates more frontier adventures.
He recalls the Civil War, during which he joined Kit Carson's First New Mexico Volunteers against the Texans, and his
divided loyalties when the campaign targeted
his adoptive Comanche people.
Some violence and some descriptions of
sex. 2006.
RC 64480
Summer of Pearls DB/RC 56653
8 hours 13 minutes
by Mike Blakely
read by Ray Childs
In 1944 Ben Crowell recalls events of 1874, his fourteenth summer. During the pearl rush in Port Caddo, Texas, Judd Kelso, a local riverboat captain, was murdered, and Ben witnessed greed, was rescued from a steamboat explosion, and fell in love. Some strong language. Spur Award. 2000.
RC 56653
So Wild a Dream DB/RC 61705
13 hours 7 minutes
by Win Blevins
read by Nick Sullivan
1820s. Eighteen‑year‑old Sam Morgan leaves western Pennsylvania seeking adventure and fortune in frontier America. Through his encounters with bandits,
soldiers, fur traders, Indians, and such
historic figures as William Clark, Sam learns the ways of mountain men. Some
violence, some strong language, and some
descriptions of sex. Spur Award. 2003.
RC 61705
False Claims at the Little Stephen
Mine DB/RC 56743
5 hours 44 minutes
by Stephen Bly
read by Jack Fox
Gunmen fire at Stuart Brannon and Englishman Edwin Fletcher while they are expecting their tardy partner Everett
Davis, who's been filing a claim on the gold mine they've discovered. Now Brannon learns firsthand about the greed and violence that accompanies gold prospecting.
1992.
RC 56743
Hard Winter at Broken Arrow Crossing DB/RC 46177
5 hours 47 minutes
by Stephen Bly
read by Brian Conn
Stuart Brannon, lost in a blinding snowstorm, has almost given up finding Broken Arrow Crossing when he senses smoke in the air. He seeks refuge with Everett Davis, who usually stays at the stage station
during the winter, but Everett has
been badly wounded. Then others, including a pregnant Indian girl, straggle into the station seeking shelter. 1991.
RC 46177
Northfield: A Western Story DB/RC 67254
7 hours 45 minutes
by Johnny D. Boggs
read by Jim Zeiger
Fictional account of the 1876 robbery of the First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota, by the James‑Younger gang. The raid unfolds from various perspectives, including those of outlaws Frank and Jesse James, Sheriff James Glispin, the daughter of a murdered teller, and the gun‑toting town residents. Some strong
language. 2007.
RC 67254
Soldier's Farewell: A Western Story DB/RC 69291
6 hours 12 minutes
by Johnny D. Boggs
read by Jack Fox
1860. Young Smith Munro runs a remote
stagecoach station in Soldier's Farewell
and records daily comings and goings in
a diary. As the Civil War brews, Smith's
army‑officer brother Julian unexpectedly
returns, claiming he has new orders. But the arrival of a dubious stranger soon
reveals the truth. 2008.
RC 69291
Spark on the Prairie: A Guns and Gavel
Novel DB/RC 64703
12 hours 48 minutes
by Johnny D. Boggs
read by Derald Breneman
Texas, 1871. General William Tecumseh Sherman brings Kiowa leader Satanta and young brave Big Tree to trial for the murders of seven members of a wagon train. Lawyers Thomas Ball and Joe Woolfolk
attempt to save the men from the death penalty. Some violence and some strong
language. 2003.
RC 64703
Walk Proud, Stand Tall: A Western
Story DB/RC 64408
6 hours 29 minutes
by Johnny D. Boggs
read by Jack Fox
Seventy‑year‑old former Arizona lawman
Lin Garrett learns his nemesis, Ollie Sinclair,
has robbed a train. Garrett and his
onetime deputy Ol' Corb set out after the
outlaw. The aging duo believes Sinclair
is headed for the home of Holly Mossman,
whom both Garrett and Sinclair once
loved. 2006.
RC 64408
The Phantom Bandit: Western Stories DB/RC 62549
8 hours 54 minutes
by Frank Bonham
read by Richard Davidson
Eight short tales published in the 1940s
and 1950s. In "Wanted!" a former army
officer convicted of embezzling escapes
custody and pursues the real culprit. Also
includes "Hell in Dakota" and the title
piece, a fictionalized account of safe robber
and would‑be poet Black Bart. Foreword
by Bill Pronzini. 2005.
RC 62549
Duel in the Sun: A Novel of the Southwest DB/RC 65542
9 hours 53 minutes
by Niven Busch
read by John Polk
Senator Jackson T. McCanles, owner of
the Spanish Bit ranch, takes in beautiful
eighteen‑year‑old Pearl Chavez, his wife's
impoverished distant cousin. Pearl ignites
conflict and lawlessness among family
members and workers when she draws the
attention of three men—Lewt, Sam, and
Jesse—who strive to win her affections.
1944.
RC 65542
Woman Chief DB/RC 58095
6 hours 55 minutes
by Benjamin Capps
read by Jill Ferris
A ten‑year‑old Atsina Indian girl is mistakenly
captured by Antelope Man, a
Crow horse raider who wanted a son.
Refusing to be a typical slave, she learns a
man's skills. After killing three Blackfeet
warriors, she steadily gains respect from
her adopted people. Based on a true story.
1979.
RC 58095
Josey Wales: Two Westerns, Gone to
Texas and The Vengeance Trail of Josey
Wales DB/RC 56451
10 hours 44 minutes
by Forrest Carter
read by Mark Ashby
Two stories about Josey Wales, a Confederate
rebel who doesn't surrender after the
Civil War. The first recounts his exploits
and losses as he heads for Indian territory.
In the second, he appears on "wanted"
posters that offer a reward for his dead
body. Some violence and some strong language.
1976.
RC 56451
Moon of Bitter Cold DB/RC 59067
18 hours 5 minutes
by Frederick J. Chiaventone
read by Jim Zeiger
A novelization of the frontier conflict
known as Red Cloud's War (1866–1868).
Red Cloud—a controversial figure in
Lakota history—watches as settlers
and soldiers flood the West. To drive
them back the warrior forges an alliance
between the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and his
own people—an unprecedented act of
resistance. Strong language and some violence.
Wrangler Award. 2002.
RC 59067
Doc Holliday's Gone: A Western Duo DB/RC 50457
7 hours 50 minutes
by Jane Candia Coleman
read by Terry Hayes Sales
The first of these two fictionalized
accounts describes Mary Katherine
Horony, Doc Holliday's companion. The
second introduces young Viola Howell,
who pleads with New Mexico's governor
to dismiss the cattle-rustling charges
against her father and John Slaughter, the
man she loves. Some violence and some
strong language. 1999.
RC 50457
Hell's Riders DB/RC 61470
10 hours 51 minutes
by Ralph Cotton
read by Ray Childs
Ranger Sam Burrack and prisoner Ted
Riley arrive at Clifton Wells, where scalp
hunters have just attacked. They find Sheriff
Boyd Tackett's betrothed, Greta, dead
and her twelve‑year‑old daughter, Hilda,
missing. Tackett, Burrack, and Riley ride
out to find the killers and save Hilda. Violence
and some strong language. 2004.
RC 61470
The Winning Hand DB/RC 61953
9 hours 8 minutes
by C.K. Crigger
read by Jill Ferris
Washington state, 1893. Caroline Pruett
loses her thoroughbred stallion King to
cowhand Micah Sutton in a poker game.
Caroline accidentally shoots Micah
while stealing King back. Only slightly
wounded, Micah sets out after Caroline to
retrieve the horse, but Micah isn't the only
one after King. Some violence. 2004.
RC 61953
Tallgrass DB/RC 68342
9 hours 47 minutes
by Sandra Dallas
read by Faith Potts
Colorado, 1942. The U.S. government
opens Tallgrass, a wartime Japanese
American internment camp, in thirteenyear‑old
Rennie Stroud's town. Rennie's
father hires internees to work on his farm,
but when a local girl is murdered, suspicion
falls on the newcomers. Rennie and
her family stand up for what is right. Spur
Award. 2007.
RC 68342
Mine Work DB/RC 56730
9 hours 27 minutes
by Jim Davidson
read by David Hartley‑Margolin
After his brother's suicide, Markus Cottin sets out to uncover the family's past, trekking to visit his father, now a hermit living in a mountain hack. Later, at his
grandfather's place in Colorado, Markus
learns about past involvement with Navajo
neighbors. Strong language, some violence,
and some explicit descriptions of
sex. Spur Award. 1999.
RC 56730
The Last Cattle Drive DB/RC 65696
8 hours 58 minutes
by Robert Day
read by Guy Williams
Mid‑twentieth century. To avoid trucking charges, cattleman Spangler Tukle attempts to drive 250 steers over highways,
parking lots, and cloverleafs to the Kansas City stockyards. Aiding him
are his wife Opal, aging ranch hand Jed,
schoolteacher Leo, and Leo's persistent
girlfriend Heather. Strong language and
some descriptions of sex. 1977.
RC 65696
The Happy Man: A Novel of California
Ranch Life DB/RC 57833
5 hours 34 minutes
by Robert Easton
read by Jack Fox
Collection of fictional vignettes describing the men and their life at Thomas Ordway's El Dorado Investment Company in 1930s
California. The ranch hands relate tales of daily events at the stockyard where Ordway turned beef into dollars by buying and feeding cattle to fatten them up for slaughter. 1943.
RC 57833
The Adventures of Johnny Vermillion DB/RC 63722
7 hours 30 minutes
by Loren D. Estleman
read by John Polk
Con artist Johnny Vermillion and the Prairie Rose Repertory Company travel the Wild West putting on plays and robbing banks. The troupe unwittingly runs afoul of Black Jack Brixton's Ace‑in‑the‑Hole
gang, a murderous band intent on eliminating
competition. Meanwhile, dogged
detective Allan Pinkerton pursues both
groups. 2006.
RC 63722
The Best Western Stories of Loren D.
Estleman DB/RC 67823
4 hours 35 minutes
by Loren D. Estleman
read by Roy Avers
Tales of the American frontier by prizewinning western and mystery writer. In"A Web of Books" a stranger introducing himself as an insurance investigator consults a New Mexico bookstore owner, who was formerly a policeman, about a rare‑book thief, who is later found murdered.
1989.
RC 67823
Gun Man DB/RC 24414
7 hours 20 minutes
by Loren D. Estleman
read by Gary Tipton
An accidental death drives John Miller,
a paid killer, out west to join a gang of train and bank robbers. In succession he becomes a lawman, a highwayman, and an assassin. Strong language. 1985.
RC 24414
The Master Executioner DB/RC 55287
8 hours 10 minutes
by Loren D. Estleman
read by Jack Fox
Idaho, 1897. Oscar Stone is a professional hangman traveling throughout the West
practicing his craft. He prides himself
in performing his task efficiently, causing
condemned persons minimal pain.
Then Stone learns a terrible truth from an
encounter with his former wife. 2001.
RC 55287
Faraway Blue DB/RC 65879
8 hours 17 minutes
by Max Evans
read by Jack Fox
Fictionalized account of Sergeant Moses
Williams, son of slaves, Civil War veteran,
and Medal of Honor‑winning Buffalo Soldier.
In 1879 New Mexico, Moses and the
men of the Ninth Cavalry battle Apache raiders. Moses pursues his nemesis—the warrior Nana—sustained by his love for
the beautiful Sheela Jones. Some violence.
2005.
RC 65879
Rounders Three DB/RC 37791
8 hours 43 minutes
by Max Evans
read by Roy Avers
Three tales of the misadventures of two hard‑living cowboys, Dusty Jones and Wrangler Lewis. In "The Rounders" a pesky horse has the last laugh on Dusty. Wrangler is pushed into an engagement in "The Great Wedding." In "The Orange County Cowboys" the two contemplate
what they'll do if their boss, Jim Ed Love, sells the ranch to Japanese business people.
Strong language. 1990.
RC 37791
The Renegade DB/RC 57025
5 hours 26 minutes
by Cliff Farrell
read by Jack Fox
Former army officer‑turned‑prospector Mike McVey feels obliged to help when his friend Esau Solomon, a freed slave, kidnaps an army bride‑to‑be, Nancy, in retaliation for the death of his Cheyenne
wife. While attempting to rescue Nancy
and aid Esau, Mike learns of an Indian plot to ambush the soldiers at a nearby
fort. 1970.
RC 57025
Apache Ransom: A Tall Man Western DB/RC 59906
6 hours 50 minutes
by Clay Fisher
read by John Polk
Ben Allison promises a dying mother that he will escort her son home to his father, the governor of Texas. But Apache warriors capture the boy and demand weapons for his release. Some strong language.
1974.
RC 59906
Seven Legends West DB/RC 61641
9 hours 14 minutes
by Clay Fisher
read by Michael Russotto
Seven tales of the western frontier. In"Pretty Face" trapper Hurd Clinton
encounters a beautiful Sioux maiden and suspects a trap. In "The Chugwater Run" Cheyenne renegades ransom an officer's
daughter for gunpowder. Also includes "The White Man's Road" and others.
Some violence and some descriptions of
sex. 1951.
RC 61641
Sudden Country DB/RC 61971
12 hours 15 minutes
by Karen Fisher
read by Kristin Allison
1847. Frontiersman James MacLaren loses his three children to sickness and his wife to another man. James joins a wagon train as a guide and has an affair with Lucy Mitchell that threatens to destroy her marriage.
Violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex.
PEN/Faulkner Award. 2005.
RC 61971
The Mexican Saddle DB/RC 55936
6 hours 6 minutes
by Bennett Foster
read by Bob Askey
When Jim Barre loans money to Dale Clark, a fellow hand at the K Cross ranch, he receives a beat‑up old Mexican saddle as security. The next day, Clark is found murdered, and the saddle turns out to be valuable for what's hidden inside. 1941.
RC 55936
Graves' Retreat DB/RC 30058
7 hours 20 minutes
by Ed Gorman
read by Jerry Fordyce
It's 1884 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Les Graves—a respectable young man—finds himself handcuffed to a railroad car. Les
has come to town hoping to marry and settle down and perhaps to bask, just a little, in the glory of being the local baseball hero. But then his brother T.Z. comes
to town and changes everything. Some
strong language. 1989.
RC 30058
Wolf River DB/RC 64707
9 hours 2 minutes
by Jill Gregory
read by Kristin Allison
Author Erinn Winters's search for her estranged sister, Devon, leads to Wolf River, Montana. Erinn rents a cabin from Jase Fortune, a cowboy trying to discover who is killing his cattle. Erinn works to restore her relationship with Devon while building one with Jase. Some explicit
descriptions of sex. 2007.
RC 64707
Arfive DB/RC 68730
9 hours 18 minutes
by A.B. Guthrie
read by Jack Fox
Benton Collingsworth and his family take
a stagecoach to Arfive, Montana, where Benton becomes the new high school principal. As he tries to impose his strict, sometimes puritanical standards on teachers
and students, a struggle erupts within a maze of hostilities and misunderstandings.
1970.
RC 68730
The Big Country DB/RC 57772
6 hours 41 minutes
by Donald Hamilton
read by Ray Childs
Baltimore sea captain James McKay travels to Texas to reunite with his bride‑to‑be and purchase a ranch offered by Miss Julie Maragon. Julie's neighbors, however, have other plans for the property. They aren't
afraid to start trouble with a greenhorn, so McKay is forced to prove himself. 1957.
RC 57772
Smoky Valley DB/RC 57758
7 hours 55 minutes
by Donald Hamilton
read by Ray Childs
Peace‑loving John Parrish, a little dude
from the East, is provoked into killing a tough hombre out west where Parrish has been living for three years. He contends with many dangers and woman problems on his way to belonging on a ranch. Some strong language. 1954.
RC 57758
The Two‑Shoot Gun DB/RC 56633
7 hours 13 minutes
by Donald Hamilton
read by Ray Childs
When Easterner Alexander Burdick arrives in Santa Clara, New Mexico Territory, to open a photography business, he carries a double‑barreled, breech‑loading shotgun in his wagon and soon finds himself involved in a local feud. Some strong
language. 1960.
RC 56633
Stories of the Early West: The Luck of
Roaring Camp and Sixteen Other Tales of Mining and Frontier Days DB/RC 21660
13 hours 12 minutes
by Bret Harte
read by Lester Rawlins
Tales of the rough lives of miners, gamblers, and adventurers in nineteenth‑century California. 1964.
RC 21660
The Border Trumpet DB 68487
9 hours 17 minutes
by Ernest Haycox
read by Ted Stoddard
Arizona. After three years at a Boston school for young ladies, Eleanor Warren returns to an army outpost, where she reunites with her beau, Lieutenant Philip Castleton. But Phil is preoccupied with the search for renegade Apache warrior Antone, as is his fellow officer Tom Benteen.
1939.
RC 68487
A Rider of the High Mesa DB/RC 68943
5 hours 52 minutes
by Ernest Haycox
read by John Polk
When cattle rustlers strike, the residents of
Powder suspect Lin Ballou, a loner who left his ranch presumably to seek gold in the high mesa. Lin finds something more valuable, but runs afoul of the true culprits. He tries to dodge trouble while
helping townsfolk, including the judge's
daughter. 1927.
RC 68943
Custer's Last Stand DB/RC 63917
4 hours 32 minutes
by Will Henry
read by Jack Fox
1868. General Custer leads the Seventh Cavalry on a murderous raid against Black Kettle's unsuspecting tribe even though a
peace treaty is in effect. Years later, at the
Battle of the Little Bighorn, warriors Sitting
Bull and Crazy Horse take revenge.
Based on historical documents. Violence.
1966.
RC 63917
The Shape Shifter DB/RC 63562
7 hours 44 minutes
by Tony Hillerman
read by Jim Zeiger
A valuable antique native rug, thought to have been destroyed in a fire that took the
life of a notorious killer, is discovered in
the mansion of Flagstaff millionaire Jason
Delos. Retired Navajo tribal policeman
Joe Leaphorn investigates and finds himself
facing an evil skinwalker. Some violence.
Spur Award. Bestseller. 2006.
RC 63562
Skinwalkers DB/RC 25396
6 hours 42 minutes
by Tony Hillerman
read by Bob Askey
Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the tribal police work with the Navajo people of the
Southwest trying to solve crimes that seem
to resist logic. When an unknown assailant
attempts to kill Chee, Leaphorn must
determine if the incident is related to three
recent murders that he has been struggling
to solve. The trail leads to the mysteries of
Navajo witchcraft. Spur Award. 1986.
RC 25396
Mountains against the Sun: A Western
Story DB/RC 59110
7 hours 50 minutes
by Perry Holmes
read by Eric Synnestvedt
Utah, 1875. Frank Allard learns that
deputy Tom Yeager has been murdered.
Frank's determination to avenge his only
friend leads him to Winona Basin, where
he encounters troubled Joyce Lenifee and
danger. Some violence. 1997.
RC 59110
Ryder of the Hills: A Western Story DB/RC 67286
8 hours 31 minutes
by Robert J. Horton
read by Jim Zeiger
Jess Sneed, leader of a notorious outlaw
gang, is involved in a confrontation
that inadvertently leads to a prospector's
death. Sneed takes the dead man's
fourteen‑year‑old son, Ted Ryder, back to
his ranch and trains him to handle cattle.
Trouble arises when Ted learns the truth
about Sneed's nefarious activities. 1927.
RC 67286
Last Stand: A Novel about George
Armstrong Custer and the Indians of the
Plains DB/RC 60868
8 hours 55 minutes
by Edwin P. Hoyt
read by Robert Sams
The American West, 1876. Fictionized account of Custer's life, character, and military career, portraying him as brilliant
and charming, yet arrogant and cruel. He
twists regulations to personal advantage,
survives a court‑martial, and incurs hatred
of both his enemies and his troops. Violence,
some strong language, and some
explicit descriptions of sex. 1995.
RC 60868
The Best Western Stories of John Jakes DB/RC 33778
11 hours 41 minutes
by John Jakes
read by Bob Askey
Known primarily as a historical novelist,
Jakes is also a prolific writer of western
stories. Included in this collection are
entries first published in western pulp
magazines in the 1950s. The subject matter
ranges from the romance between two
middle‑aged gamblers to a small town's
hatred for a German American family.
Some strong language. 1991.
RC 33778
Something like Love DB/RC 66077
10 hours 23 minutes
by Beverly Jenkins
read by Gail Nelson
Chicago, 1888. Fleeing an arranged marriage,
African American seamstress Olivia
Sterling boards a train for a Kansas town.
She encounters Seminole outlaw Neil July,
who robs the locomotive en route. A year
later Neil reappears and seduces Olivia,
who is now the town's mayor. Some
explicit descriptions of sex. 2005.
RC 66077
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and
A Man Called Horse, Lost Sister, The
Hanging Tree DB/RC 64881
6 hours 10 minutes
by Dorothy M. Johnson
read by Roy Avers
Four classic westerns. In the title piece
Senator Foster attends a funeral and
recalls the deceased's role in an outlaw's
death. In "A Man Called Horse" a Crow
captive achieves status and a chance at
freedom. In "Lost Sister" an old woman
kidnapped by Indians returns home. 1949.
RC 64881
Sioux Dawn: The Fetterman Massacre,
1866; the Plainsmen, Book 1
DB/RC 40639
14 hours 36 minutes
by Terry C. Johnston
read by John Polk
First of a series of historical novels examining
the tragedies that occurred at Fort
Phil Kearny. Through the eyes of Sergeant
Seamus Donegan, Johnston examines the
fate of the Eighteenth Infantry as it battled
the Sioux Indians, led by Red Cloud, during
the Fetterman Massacre of 1866. Violence,
strong language, and descriptions of
sex. 1990.
RC 40639
Red Cloud's Revenge: Showdown on the
Northern Plains, 1867; the Plainsmen,
Book 2 DB/RC 40640
14 hours 19 minutes
by Terry C. Johnston
read by John Polk
Johnston recreates the two battles that took place fewer than twenty‑four hours apart in August 1867. Seven months after
the Fetterman Massacre, Sergeant Seamus Donegan of the Army of the West watches
the proud leaders of natives and whites as
they battle at Hay Field and Wagon Box.
Violence and strong language. 1993.
RC 40640
Stalkers: The Battle of Beecher Island,
1868; the Plainsmen, Book 3
DB/RC 41365
14 hours 23 minutes
by Terry C. Johnston
read by John Polk
Johnston continues his tale of the plainsmen
with an account of the nine‑day battle
that took place on an unnamed prairie riverbed
in Colorado Territory in 1868. Fifty
plainsmen find themselves surrounded
by thousands of Indians, with no means
of escape. Violence and strong language.
1990.
RC 41365
Bad Night at Dry Creek DB/RC 66961
5 hours 49 minutes
by Cameron Judd
read by Jim Zeiger
Colorado. Outlaw Noah Murphy believes
Dry Creek sheriff Charley Hanna knows
the location of a hoard of stolen bank
money. When Charley says he doesn't
know where the money is, Noah and his
brothers threaten to attack the entire town.
1981.
RC 66961
Beggar's Gulch DB/RC 68009
4 hours 35 minutes
by Cameron Judd
read by Jim Zeiger
Facing a lynch mob after avenging his father's murder, nineteen‑year‑old Matt McAllison flees to Montana Territory. He
works as a cowpuncher on Ezra Jernigan's ranch and falls in love with Jernigan's
daughter Melissa. When thugs kidnap
Melissa, Matt tracks them to the notorious
outlaw hideout Beggar's Gulch. 1980.
RC 68009
Caine's Trail DB/RC 67250
5 hours 21 minutes
by Cameron Judd
read by Jim Zeiger
Texas‑Mexico border, after the Civil
War. Fugitive Simon Caine runs afoul of
a crime organization led by Confederate
renegade Neal Seahorn, who kidnaps
Simon's nephew for ransom. While government
agents and a hired killer pursue
him, Simon searches for a way to save his
nephew. 1989.
RC 67250
Cherokee Joe DB/RC 67280
5 hours 43 minutes
by Cameron Judd
read by Jim Zeiger
Half‑Indian outlaw "Cherokee Joe" Wolfkiller returns home to visit his dying
father, who was gunned down by bank
robber Caul Slidell. Seeking revenge,
Joe befriends Will Ax, an elderly Native
American conjurer who himself is on a
quest to find his daughter and pass on his
mystical legacy. 1992.
RC 67280
Timber Creek DB/RC 66779
4 hours 35 minutes
by Cameron Judd
read by Peter Lavezzoli
Dakota Territory. Luke McCan signs on as
a teamster for a freight line running from
Pierre to Deadwood. Along the trail, notorious
outlaw Evan Bridger murders Luke's
friend. Years pass before Luke finally gets
a chance at revenge—only now he's a
deputy and Bridger's a prisoner. 1989.
RC 66779
Willow Field DB/RC 64874
13 hours 1 minute
by William Kittredge
read by Jack Fox
In 1933, Nevada rancher Slivers Flynn
gives fifteen‑year‑old Rossie Benasco an
ultimatum: run horses to Canada or marry
Slivers's daughter. Rossie hits the trail
and falls for Eliza Stevenson. Their union
sees years of change, war, and death.
Strong language, some violence, and some
explicit descriptions of sex. 2006.
RC 64874
Devil Wire DB/RC 42427
10 hours 24 minutes
by Wayne C. Lee
read by Jim Zeiger
As the West is being settled, barbed wire
is changing the way lands are used—a
situation that riles lots of folks. Jim Hartford
arrives in Montana to start afresh
as a rancher but quickly finds himself
embroiled in the bloody battle over "the
devil wire." His future and everything he
and his brother have worked for are at
stake in this wild land. Some violence.
1981.
RC 42427
Painted Ponies DB/RC 59043
8 hours 0 minutes
by Alan LeMay
read by Jim Zeiger
In 1878, Slide Morgan learns that Abner
Cade, brother of the man he killed in
self‑defense, has placed a price on his
head. Morgan hides out among the Cheyenne
Indians until their rebellion against
the whites ends. He then resumes his feud
with the Cades. 1927.
RC 59043
The Searchers DB/RC 69294
8 hours 5 minutes
by Alan LeMay
read by Jack Fox
Comanches attack the Edwards homestead,
killing the family and kidnapping
ten‑year‑old Debbie. Debbie's uncle
Amos, a Civil War veteran, and foster
brother, Martin Pauley, vow to find her.
Years pass, testing the limits of hope and
endurance and revealing Amos's true
motives. Basis for a movie starring John
Wayne. 1954.
RC 69294
The Complete Western Stories of Elmore
Leonard DB/RC 60889
19 hours 43 minutes
by Elmore Leonard
read by Michael Kramer
Collected stories of a suspense writer who
began his career writing pulp westerns for
magazines. Thirty works span Leonard's
career from "Trail of the Apache" (1951)
to "Hurrah for Captain Early!" (1994).
Some violence and some strong language.
2004.
RC 60889
Elmore Leonard's Western Roundup:
The Bounty Hunters, Forty Lashes less
One, Gunsights DB/RC 61682
19 hours 24 minutes
by Elmore Leonard
read by Michael Kramer
Three tales of courage, treachery, and redemption. In The Bounty Hunters a cavalry man‑turned‑scout pursues an Apache
renegade. In Forty Lashes less One convicts
track escaped prisoners. In Gunsights
two friends fight on opposite sides of a
land war. Some violence, some strong
language, and some descriptions of sex.
1953.
RC 61682
Hombre DB/RC 56001
4 hours 19 minutes
by Elmore Leonard
read by Chuck Benson
A stagecoach robbery in 1884 reveals the
true character of the victims—especially
of John Russell, known as Hombre. He
was shunned for his Apache ties by his
travel companions—until they needed his
physical prowess to save them. 1961.
RC 56001
The Buscadero DB/RC 56177
6 hours 24 minutes
by Noel M. Loomis
read by Jack Fox
When ex‑gunslinger Tom Bell arrives in New Mexico in 1887 to take over Doblado's town newspaper, he finds himself wrongly accused of the ambush and murder
of the paper's former editor. Bell stays
not only to clear his name but to fight corruption
and injustice. 1953.
RC 56177
High Line Rider DB/RC 23239
8 hours 48 minutes
by William A. Lucky
read by Jack Fox
Down‑and‑out drifter Holly Bishop stumbles
half‑starved into the small town of
Guffey Creek, where he manages to get
a job and regular meals. His improving
situation is seriously threatened, however,
when he sides with a rancher's family
against Judge Breen and his hired guns.
Some strong language. 1985.
RC 23239
Riddle of Ramrod Ridge DB/RC 57125
7 hours 12 minutes
by William Colt MacDonald
read by Bob Askey
Sharpshooter Nogales Scott and his
companion, Caliper Maxwell, rescue a
Mexican being made to talk under torture
by scoundrel Deacon Trumbull and his
sidekicks. Jiménez knows more than he's
saying about Fred Vincent's riding out of
Ramrod Ridge with $30,000 in gold and
disappearing into thin air. Some strong
language. 1941.
RC 57125
The Border Trilogy
All the Pretty Horses: The Border Trilogy,
Volume 1 DB/RC 34043
10 hours 8 minutes
by Cormac McCarthy
read by David Hartley‑Margolin
Texas 1949. John Grady Cole, sixteen, is
on the threshold of adulthood when his
world turns upside down. His grandfather
has died and his mother has no desire to
keep the 18,000‑acre ranch, which is the
only home and way of life John knows.
With a friend he sets out for Mexico and
finds work on another ranch. But John
falls for the owner's daughter and finds
himself in jail. Violence and strong language.
Bestseller. 1992.
RC 34043
Crossing: The Border Trilogy, Volume 2 DB/RC 39865
15 hours 29 minutes
by Cormac McCarthy
read by David Hartley‑Margolin
In the 1930s, two brothers live on a New
Mexico ranch with their parents. After
trapping a pregnant wolf who wandered
in from Mexico, sixteen‑year‑old Billy
takes her back to her home. He returns to
find the ranch plundered and his younger
brother Boyd all that remains of his family.
The two go back to Mexico and have
life‑changing experiences. Violence and
strong language. Bestseller. 1994.
RC 39865
Cities of the Plain: The Border Trilogy,
Volume 3 DB/RC 46128
9 hours 56 minutes
by Cormac McCarthy
read by David Hartley‑Margolin
In post‑World War II New Mexico, cowboys
like to drift into Mexico to drink and
choose prostitutes. John Grady Cole finds
one of the youngest, who has epilepsy,
especially attractive. Billy Parham and
the others try to dissuade him, but John
Grady is a determined young man. Some
violence and some strong language. Bestseller.
1998.
RC 46128
Blood Meridian; or, The Evening Redness
in the West DB/RC 63028
13 hours 17 minutes
by Cormac McCarthy
read by Gregory Gorton
1850s. A teenager known only as the Kid runs away from his alcoholic father in
Tennessee. The Kid journeys west to the
Texas‑Mexico borderlands, where he
encounters a ruthless paramilitary gang sent
by the government to scalp Indians. Includes
a 2005 introduction by Harold Bloom.
Violence and strong language. 1985.
RC 63028
Hellfire Canyon DB/RC 68047
5 hours 15 minutes
by Max McCoy
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Missouri. Female reporter Frankie Donovan
interviews Jacob Gamble, an old man
known as the outlaw fiddler, who as a boy
knew the notorious murderer Alf Bolin.
Gamble recounts a tale of being forced by
circumstances to join Bolin's gang—but
he may not be telling the complete truth.
Violence. 2007.
RC 68047
Anything for Billy DB/RC 28026
8 hours 48 minutes
by Larry McMurtry
read by Bob Askey
The Pulitzer Prize‑winning novelist deals
with an American Western myth as he
draws upon the facts and legends surrounding
Billy the Kid. Ben Sippy, the
narrator, moves from his uppercrust Philadelphia
home to seek adventure in the
Southwest. After bungling his first train
robbery, Ben teams up with Billy and his
cowboy sidekick and witnesses Billy's
change from a novice outlaw to a wanton
killer. Bestseller. 1988.
RC 28026
Buffalo Girls DB/RC 31992
11 hours 44 minutes
by Larry McMurtry
read by Pam Ward
It's the late 1800s and Calamity Jane, now
drunk most of the time, reminisces by
writing imaginary letters to her daughter
Janey. When Buffalo Bill Cody appears
on the scene, he persuades her and other
well‑knowns of the Old West to join him
in forming his Wild West Show. They go
off to Europe to perform, but when they
return home tragedy strikes and Calamity
Jane makes some startling confessions in
her letters. Some strong language. Bestseller.
1990.
RC 31992
The next two books should be read in the following order:
Dead Man's Walk DB/RC 43928
16 hours 33 minutes
by Larry McMurtry
read by Bob Askey
Young Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call
join the Texas Rangers and set out on an
expedition to Santa Fe. Accompanying the
troops is hefty prostitute Matilda Roberts,
who provides comfort to the men along
the trek. Violence, strong language, and
some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 1995.
RC 43928
Comanche Moon DB/RC 45001
28 hours 20 minutes
by Larry McMurtry
read by Bob Askey
Texas Rangers McCrae and Call face
Comanche raids and attacks by bandits,
aid white settlers in the region, and try to
survive frontier hardships. Violence and
some strong language. Bestseller. 1997.
RC 45001
Telegraph Days DB/RC 63521
9 hours 40 minutes
by Larry McMurtry
read by Faith Potts
1876, Western Territories. Nellie Courtright
and her brother Jackson are all that is
left of their migrating Virginia clan. Nellie
becomes a telegraph operator, Jackson a
deputy in Rita Blanca. Nellie writes about
Jackson killing some outlaws, becomes
Buffalo Bill's manager, and has romantic
adventures. Some strong language. 2006.
RC 63521
A Tale Out of Luck DB/RC 68372
8 hours 35 minutes
by Willie Nelson
read by Roy Avers
A cattle rustler's murder stirs up the past
for retired Texas Ranger Hank Tomlinson,
who runs the Broken Arrow ranch and
founded the local frontier town of Luck,
Texas. The investigation involves Comanche
Indians; Hank's son Jay Blue; and
Flora Barlow, a tavern owner who enjoys
detective work. 2008.
RC 68372
Trouble at Quinn's Crossing DB/RC 54104
4 hours 29 minutes
by Nelson Nye
read by Bruce Huntey
When Horatio Gill rides into Quinn's
Crossing to sell the first barbed wire in the
area, he stirs up hard feelings about fencing
off access to water. Hoping to play the
inhabitants' hostility to his advantage, Gill
winds up in the middle of a heated dispute.
Some strong language. 1971.
RC 54104
Chasing Destiny: A Western Story DB/RC 62015
6 hours 44 minutes
by Stephen Overholser
read by Jeremy Gage
When a prominent Colorado cattleman
is robbed and murdered, gunmen kill the
suspect and identify the mangled body as
that of ne'er‑do‑well Bobby Eckstrum.
Bobby's young daughter, Destiny, believes
her father is alive and sets out to find him.
Destiny's friend Michael joins her on the
trail. Some violence. 2005.
RC 62015
Night Hawk: A Western Story DB/RC 64937
7 hours 26 minutes
by Stephen Overholser
read by Derald Breneman
Coalton, Colorado. Tyler Johnson of the
Circle L Ranch hires an errant teenager as
a daytime wrangler and a "night hawk" for chores after dark. Later, when the
boy becomes a suspect in two murders,
Ty takes his side. Some strong language.
2006.
RC 64937
West of the Moon: A Western Story DB/RC 63226
7 hours 31 minutes
by Stephen Overholser
read by Jeremy Gage
As a Union scout, Colorado rancher Roy
Smith witnessed a clandestine meeting
between a Confederate and a Union general.
He nearly forgets the incident until
he meets historian John Nichols, who
believes the officers, Bowman and Hayes,
were corrupt. When John disappears, Roy
searches for the truth. Some violence.
2004.
RC 63226
The Violent Land DB/RC 60244
10 hours 6 minutes
by Wayne D. Overholser
read by Derald Breneman
To help support his struggling family,
eighteen‑year‑old Daniel Nathan finds
work with mighty Oregon cattle boss Jim
Perrin. But as time passes, Dan finds his
loyalties divided between his land‑hungry
employer and the settlers who are losing
their spreads. 1954.
RC 60244
The next three books should be read in the following order:
Appaloosa DB/RC 60764
4 hours 58 minutes
by Robert B. Parker
read by Titus Welliver
Marshal Virgil Cole and deputy Everett
Hitch convict outlaw rancher Randall
Bragg of murder. Bragg escapes prison
while Cole falls for beautiful but malevolent
Allie. Years later Bragg returns with
a presidential pardon, and Cole is torn
between right and wrong. Violence, strong
language, and descriptions of sex. Commercial
audiobook. 2005.
RC 60764
Resolution DB/RC 68236
5 hours 39 minutes
by Robert B. Parker
read by Jim Zeiger
While serving as a lookout at Amos Wolfson's
Blackfoot Saloon, Everett Hitch battles
hired guns from mine owner Eamon
O'Malley. As O'Malley competes with
Wolfson—and ranchers—for control of
Resolution, Everett's friend, ex‑lawman
Virgil Cole, arrives in time for war. Strong
language and some violence. 2008.
RC 68236
Brimstone DB/RC 69508
5 hours 47 minutes
by Robert B. Parker
read by Ray Foushee
Brimstone, Texas. After Everett Hitch
and Virgil Cole rescue Virgil's sweetheart
Allie from a brothel, they hire on as deputies
to defuse conflict between a corrupt
preacher and an unsavory saloon owner.
They also track a dangerous Indian. Some
violence and some strong language. 2009.
RC 69508
Gunman's Rhapsody DB/RC 53603
5 hours 50 minutes
by Robert B. Parker
read by Chuck Benson
A novel about the Earp brothers and their
womenfolk, beginning in 1879 when they
move to Tombstone, Arizona. Wyatt's falling
in love with the sheriff's lady, Josie, is
the catalyst for his subsequent problems
leading to the shoot‑out at the O.K. Corral.
Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2001.
RC 53603
The Ordeal of Jason Ord DB/RC 58376
5 hours 9 minutes
by Lewis B. Patten
read by John Polk
Wyoming. Kind Jim Hunnicutt hires
sixteen‑year‑old runaway Jason Ord and
wills his ranch to the boy. When Jim is
killed soon after, Jason flees—pursued by
the murderer, by a cattle rustler, and by
a sheriff intent on hanging Jason for the
crime. Some violence and some strong
language. 1973.
RC 58376
The Ruthless Range and Death Rides a
Black Horse DB/RC 59126
10 hours 31 minutes
by Lewis B. Patten
read by Ray Childs
Two novels by Spur Award‑winning western
writer. In The Ruthless Range reluctant
gunfighter Jason Mellor helps defend a
lovely widow's ranch. In Death Rides a
Black Horse fifteen‑year‑old Frank Halliday
stands to inherit his late father's
spread when he comes of age—if he lives
that long. Some violence. 1963.
RC 59126
Trail to Vicksburg DB/RC 61486
8 hours 14 minutes
by Lewis B. Patten
read by Derald Breneman
Two short westerns by multiple Spur
Award winner. In the title piece young
Texan Jeff Hueston yearns to join the
Confederate Army with his brothers but
instead must drive his family's cattle herd
to New Orleans—a city recently occupied
by Union troops. Also contains "The
Golden Magnet." 1997.
RC 61486
The Revenant DB/RC 59088
9 hours 13 minutes
by Michael Punke
read by Ted Stoddard
Missouri River tributaries, 1823. When a trapper is mauled by a grizzly, he is left
behind with two volunteers who soon
abandon him. Deserted, defenseless, and
enraged, he vows to survive—and exact
his revenge. Based on the real life of fur
trapper Hugh Glass. Some violence and
some strong language. 2002.
RC 59088
Leaving Missouri DB/RC 56825
11 hours 40 minutes
by Ellen Recknor
read by Michele Schaeffer
Missouri, late nineteenth century. The
Jukeses are the lowest of the low—inbred
and infamous—and Clutie Mae knows
she is meant for something better than life
on the family farm. After being forced to
marry her cousin, she fights her way to a
new life. Violence, some strong language,
and some descriptions of sex. 1997.
RC 56825
The Rawhide Knot and Other Stories DB/RC 61702
6 hours 58 minutes
by Conrad Richter
read by Jeremy Gage
Pulitzer Prize‑winning author presents
eight tales of pioneers who are ambushed
by love and the challenge of frontier life.
In the title story a group of men bent on
devilment attempt to "hatch up a marriage"
between an old maid and a young
lawyer from back East. 1935.
RC 61702
Champion with a Gun: The Gunsmith DB/RC 42409
4 hours 59 minutes
by J.R. Roberts
read by J.P. Linton
When Clint Adams sprains his ankle on
the trail, he rides to a nearby settlement
for help. He is greeted by men with guns
who think Adams is working for Dave
Peck, a wealthy lumberman who has been
trying to run them off the land. When they
learn that Adams is the renowned gunsmith,
the settlers decide to enlist him on
their side. Violence, strong language, and
explicit descriptions of sex. 1994.
RC 42409
Widow's Watch: The Gunsmith DB/RC 59045
5 hours 2 minutes
by J.R. Roberts
read by L.J. Ganser
Gunslinger Clint Adams hops a train to
Byrne, Kansas, when the pretty widow of
a murdered friend begs him for help. Jennifer's
husband crossed the wrong guy—crooked railroad man Owen Prowler—and
paid the price. Now Prowler is after Jennifer.
Explicit descriptions of sex, some
violence, and some strong language. 2003.
RC 59045
Shane DB/RC 60163
4 hours 55 minutes
by Jack Schaefer
read by John Polk
Wyoming Territory, 1889. A mysterious
stranger named Shane rides into the Starretts'
ranch and learns of trouble between
cattle baron Fletcher and the homesteaders.
Shane decides to stay and help the
family keep its stake. Some violence. For
senior high and older readers. 1949.
RC 60163
The Short Novels of Jack Schaefer DB/RC 60858
21 hours 2 minutes
by Jack Schaefer
read by Jack Fox
Five works depicting life on the western
frontier from the Civil War to the twentieth
century. Homesteaders, Native Americans,
and drifters find courage, tragedy,
and romance in First Blood, The Canyon,
Company of Cowards, The Kean Land,
and the classic Shane. Introduction by
Dorothy M. Johnson. 1949.
RC 60858
Grass Kingdom DB/RC 65178
17 hours 57 minutes
by Jory Sherman
read by John Polk
Prohibition‑era Texas. Tracking stolen
livestock, cattleman Matthew Baron finds
a ranchman murdered and a prize bull
mutilated—the handiwork of Jack Bone, a
ruthless ex‑con after his own empire. Matt
pursues Jack, making enemies and allies
of townspeople and rival ranchers. Violence,
strong language, and some explicit
descriptions of sex. 1994.
RC 65178
Buy the Chief a Cadillac DB/RC 61477
9 hours 12 minutes
by Rick Steber
read by Dan Bloom
Pokey Pitsua is dismayed that the Klamath nation is accepting the U.S. government's
paltry cash settlement for its million‑acre
timber‑rich reservation. And sure enough, the chief buys a Cadillac with his
share of the money. Some strong language. Spur
Award. 2005.
RC 61477
Trail Hand: A Western Story DB/RC 66772
6 hours 8 minutes
by R.W. Stone
read by Dave Corey
A young American cowboy hires on as a scout to drive a herd of twelve hundred horses from Mexico to California.
When his fellow wranglers blame him
for an ambush along the trail, he attempts
to clear his name and return the stolen
animals—or die trying. Some strong language.
2006.
RC 66772
Tough Saddle DB/RC 58090
7 hours 0 minutes
by Matt Stuart
read by Jim Zeiger
Big Five ranch foreman Link Asbell knows that a top hand's fiery death and a neighbor rancher's shooting are no coincidence:
both men had obstructed rival Double Diamond's cattle run. Link fights fire
with lead to save the spread and his future
with its lovely owner, Sue Vincent. 1959.
RC 58090
The Sergeant's Lady DB/RC 58340
10 hours 25 minutes
by Miles Hood Swarthout
read by Gregory Gorton
Arizona Territory, late 1800s. General
Nelson Miles and Sergeant Ammon Swing
of the U.S. Cavalry battle Geronimo
and his band of fierce Apache warriors.
Rancher Jacob Cox and his spunky sister
Martha, who soon finds herself smitten
with the sergeant, are caught in the middle.
Violence. 2003.
RC 58340
Sun Going Down DB/RC 68822
21 hours 29 minutes
by Jack Todd
read by Nick Sullivan
Saga of the Paint family's hardscrabble
life on the plains of Nebraska, Dakota, and
Wyoming. After the Civil War Ebenezer
fathers twin boys Eli and Ezra. The brothers
steal horses until Eli begins ranching.
During the Great Depression, Eli's daughter
Velma falls ill. Violence and strong
language. 2008.
RC 68822
Lucky Billy DB 68643
9 hours 58 minutes
by John Vernon
read by Michael Scherer
When English businessman John Tunstall
is murdered by Irish rivals during New
Mexico's Lincoln County War, Billy the
Kid—John's hired gun—undertakes a
quest for vengeance that leads to his infamous
1881 jailbreak and his killing by Pat
Garrett. Violence, strong language, and
some descriptions of sex. 2008.
RC 68643
The Bounty Trail DB/RC 61912
9 hours 3 minutes
by Richard S. Wheeler
read by Ted Stoddard
Charming down‑and‑out swindler
Claudius Raines wanders into the
once‑booming but now abandoned Nevada
mining town of Pearlygates and introduces
himself to the owner and sole inhabitant,
feisty divorcée MayBelle Haggerty.
Together they concoct a scheme to revive
the town and restore their fortunes by
starting a gold rush. 2004.
RC 61912
Cutthroat Gulch DB/RC 59299
6 hours 56 minutes
by Richard S. Wheeler
read by David Hartley‑Margolin
When sheriff Blue Smith discovers a
bullet‑ridden body at his favorite fishing
hole, he looks for the killer. Another murder
closer to home makes clear that Blue
and his family are targets. Just released
after years in prison, his daughter's former
sweetheart Jack Castle wants Blue to pay
for sending him there. 2003.
RC 59299
Obituary for Major Reno DB/RC 61252
11 hours 36 minutes
by Richard S. Wheeler
read by Ray Childs
1889. Dying of cancer, Marcus Reno—the
man held responsible for Custer's 1876
defeat at the Little Bighorn—grants an
interview to New York Herald correspondent
Joseph Richler in hopes of restoring
his honor. Reno's story of treachery,
scapegoating, and lost love unfolds along‑side his own version of the infamous
battle. 2004.
RC 61252
Trouble in Tombstone DB/RC 60945
8 hours 26 minutes
by Richard S. Wheeler
read by Michael Kramer
Arizona Territory, 1880s. Working undercover
for Wells Fargo while policing
Tombstone, deputy sheriff Wyatt Earp and
his brothers find trouble when they blur
the line between lawmen and lawbreakers.
Before it's over, Wyatt will lose more
than his reputation. Some violence, some
strong language, and some descriptions of
sex. 2004.
RC 60945
Vengeance Valley DB/RC 61386
8 hours 11 minutes
by Richard S. Wheeler
read by Jim Zeiger
Colorado. Will "Hard Luck" Yancey
discovers telluride gold under a hospital
managed by the Sisters of Charity of
Leavenworth. When a ruthless syndicate
run by Alfred Noble—the same man who
swindled Yancey out of his own mining
fortune—plots to steal the sisters' claim,
Yancey vows to help. Spur Award. 2004.
RC 61386
Butcher's Crossing DB/RC 66047
11 hours 25 minutes
by John Williams
read by Jim Zeiger
1870s. After hearing Ralph Waldo Emerson
speak, Will Andrews drops out of Harvard
and heads west to "find himself." He
funds a hunt that spirals into the slaughter
of thousands of buffalo. Andrews returns
from the expedition questioning both his
actions and the value of his experience.
1960.
RC 66047
The West of Owen Wister: Selected Short Stories DB/RC 60860
6 hours 8 minutes
by Owen Wister
read by Ray Foushee
Six stories depicting cowboys, soldiers,
Indians, and priests in various geographic
settings. Includes Wister's first published
western, "Hank's Woman" (1892), as well
as "Little Big Horn Medicine," "The Second
Missouri Compromise," and "Padre
Ignazio." Includes introduction by Robert
L. Hough. 1972.
RC 60860
Mysterious West DB/RC 40434
17 hours 23 minutes
edited by Tony Hillerman
read by John Stratton
These twenty suspenseful short stories are
set in the American West. Authors best
known for westerns are mixed with those
known for mysteries, including Marcia
Muller, Bill Pronzini, Bill Crider, and
Stuart Kaminsky. One character in this
anthology observes that where people
live has an influence on how they live and "who and how they choose to kill." Some
violence and some strong language. 1994.
RC 40434
Best Stories of the American West:
Volume 1 DB/RC 67916
14 hours 5 minutes
edited by Marc Jaffe
read by Jim Zeiger
Twenty short western stories. In Pete
Fromm's "Snow Cave" a father and his
twelve‑year‑old son become stranded on
a hunting trip. Other authors include Max
Evans, Elmer Kelton, William Kittredge,
Valerie Miner, Luis Alberto Urrea, and
Richard S. Wheeler. Some violence, some
strong language, and some descriptions of
sex. 2007.
RC 67916
The Portable Western Reader DB/RC 62673
29 hours 30 minutes
edited by William Kittredge
read by Jim Zeiger
Anthology of stories, poems, essays, and
excerpts exploring the range and evolution
of Western American literature, including
the Native American experience. Features
selections by Louise Erdrich, Lewis
and Clark, Jack London, John Steinbeck,
Ernest Hemingway, Larry McMurtry, Raymond
Carver, W.H. Auden, Ken Kesey,
Barry Lopez, and others. 1997.
RC 62673
Westerns of the '40s: Classics from the
Great Pulps DB/RC 60857
14 hours 30 minutes
edited by Damon Knight
read by John Polk
Compilation of sixteen short western
stories from magazines of the 1940s.
Includes works by John D. MacDonald,
Tom Roan, Roy M. O'Mara, James Shaffer,
Cliff Farrell, and others. Contains
tales of revenge, range wars, roving saddle
bums, and ladies of the night. Some violence.
1977.
RC 60857
Still Wild: Short Fiction of the American
West, 1950 to the Present DB/RC 56187
15 hours 11 minutes
edited by Larry McMurtry
read by John Polk
Twenty tales about the American West
by writers of the late twentieth century,
including Wallace Stegner, Jack Kerouac,
Louise Erdrich, Annie Proulx, and William
H. Gass. These pieces demonstrate
how western stories have evolved since
the 1950s. Some strong language. 2000.
RC 56187
Westward: A Fictional History of the
American West; Twenty‑eight Original
Stories Celebrating the Fiftieth
Anniversary of Western Writers of
America DB/RC 58267
13 hours 37 minutes
edited by Dale L. Walker
read by Bob Askey
Anthology of original western stories captures
the westward legacy from a North
American's first glimpse of a horse in sixteenth‑century
Kansas to a 1913 gun battle
in a Utah copper mine. Authors include
Loren D. Estleman, Don Coldsmith, John
Jakes, and Richard S. Wheeler. Some
strong language. 2003.
RC 58267
Tales of the American West: The Best of
Spur Award‑Winning Authors DB/RC 56372
9 hours 15 minutes
edited by Richard S. Wheeler
read by Lindsay Ellison
Fifteen western short stories spanning the
frontier experience. "The Indian Summer
of Nancy Redwing" by Harry W. Paige
depicts the despair of a reservation woman
at home alone on her thirty‑fifth birthday.
Loren D. Estleman's "The Cat King of
Cochise County" is a comic tale about the
discoverer of chicken wire. 2000.
RC 56372
Max Brand's Best Western Stories
BR 15534
2 volumes
Five stories and a short novel pitting
man against both nature and his human
enemies, written in the 1920s and 1930s.
Includes the classic "Wine on the Desert," "Partners," and Dust across the Range.
Edited with a biographical introduction by
William F. Nolan. 1987.
Max Brand's Best Western Stories,
Volume 2 BR 15474
2 volumes
Five stories of heroic deeds and fabulous adventures that originally appeared in pulp magazines between 1919 and 1935. In "Outcast" a man of mixed heritage fights to overcome prejudice, while in "Cayenne
Charlie" an over-age easterner tries to
manage a ranch in an alien environment.
Some violence. 1985.
The One‑Way Trail BR 12352
2 volumes
Three short novels: Forgotten Treasure,
first published in 1922; Outcast Breed,
published in 1934; and The One‑Way
Trail, 1922. In the title piece a young gunman
known as "the shifter" is arrested
when the sheriff's son disappears after an
encounter with the shifter on a narrow,
one‑way track in the mountains. 1998.
Ronicky Doone BR 11947
2 volumes
Ronicky Doone helps a new friend, miner
Bill Gregg, track Caroline Smith, a girl Bill wants to marry, to New York City.
Once there the two westerners discover
that Caroline and her friend Ruth Tolliver
are employed by a ruthless gangster.
Despite overwhelming odds, Doone tries
to rescue them. 1921.
The Lone Star Ranger BR 9199
3 volumes
After killing a man in self‑defense, Buck
Duane becomes an outlaw and a companion
of criminals, gunfighters, and rustlers
who live along the Texas border. Some
violence and some strong language. 1915.
Raiders of Spanish Peaks BR 9168
3 volumes
Hoping the climate will be better for his
health, John Lindsay has bought a ranch
and moved his family out west. But when
the Lindsays arrive, they find they have
actually bought an old, deserted military
post, where ranchers and cattle rustlers
still battle one another for control of the
land. Strong language. 1938.
Riders of the Purple Sage BR 12559
3 volumes
Utah, 1871. When Jane Withersteen incurs
the wrath of her fellow Mormons for
befriending Gentiles, gunman Lassiter
comes to her aid and makes a startling
personal discovery. Violence. 1912.
Shadow on the Trail BR 13781
3 volumes
In Texas young bank robber Wade Holden
promises his dying mentor that he will go
straight. But with the Rangers after him,
he struggles to find sanctuary. Eventually,
with the help of a young woman and her
family, he turns his life around in Arizona.
Some strong language. 1936.
Tonto Basin: A Western Story BR 15733
3 volumes
Restored version of classic tale serialized
in 1921 as To the Last Man.
At his family cattle ranch in Arizona,
twenty‑four‑year‑old Jean Isbel's father
prepares for a showdown with Lee Jorth's
rustler gang. Jean's unexpected love for
Lee's daughter, Ellen, complicates the
blood feud. 1921.
The Sackett series should be read in the following order:
Sackett's Land BR 9555
2 volumes
The Sackett saga goes back to England and follows Barnabas Sackett from his
struggles in the English countryside and
intrigue in Elizabethan London to the New
World, where he establishes a western
dynasty. Some violence and some strong
language. 1974.
To the Far Blue Mountains BR 13675
3 volumes
Barnabas Sackett sails from England to
the New World, where a pretty girl is waiting
to marry him. Once there he sets off
for the Blue Mountains of Virginia, fighting
Indians and other perils along the way.
1976.
The Warrior's Path BR 16307
2 volumes
1630. When Yance Sackett's sister‑in‑law
and another young woman are kidnapped
by Indians, Yance and his brother Kin
traverse the Warrior's Path from the Carolinas
to Massachusetts Bay colony. Once
the captives are rescued, Kin sails to
Jamaica to find the culprits among pirates,
cutthroats, and ruthless "businessmen." 1980.
Jubal Sackett BR 16494
3 volumes
Seventeenth century. Wily Jubal Sackett
sets out to explore the vast, untamed North
American West. Jubal befriends Keokotah,
a proud Kickapoo brave, and together they
help shield a beautiful Natchez princess
from a vengeful Indian warrior and an
unscrupulous Spanish soldier. 1985.
Ride the River BR 16486
2 volumes
1840s. Sixteen‑year‑old Echo, youngest
of the Sackett line, travels from Tennessee
to Philadelphia to claim her inheritance.
When lawyer James White tries to swindle
her, Echo flees town with the money.
James's thugs and Dorian Chantry, a man
sent to protect Echo, pursue her. 1983.
The Daybreakers BR 16481
2 volumes
1860s. Young brothers Orrin and Tyrel
Sackett leave Tennessee bound for the
frontier town of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
But before Orrin and Tyrel can settle
down, they must bring law and order to
the Wild West. Orrin becomes a marshal
while Tyrel rules without a badge. 1960.
Lando BR 10378
2 volumes
After stewing for six years in a Mexican
prison and becoming a bare‑knuckle prizefighter,
Orlando Sackett of Cumberland
Hills will stop at nothing to get even with
the men who betrayed him. Violence.
1962.
Sackett BR 16712
1 volume
Just south of the Tetons, eldest Sackett
brother William Tell finds a fortune in
gold and an even greater treasure—beautiful Ange Kerry. Tell will do anything to
protect his claim and his sweetheart from
outlaws, but his violent methods could
drive Ange away. Some violence. 1961.
Mojave Crossing BR 13735
1 volume
Late 1870s. Cowboy Tell Sackett has no
problem carrying thirty pounds of gold,
but the hard part is ahead—when he has to
cross the desert. 1964.
The Sackett Brand BR 9571
1 volume
Forty gunslingers from the Lazy A Ranch
plan to hang Tell Sackett if they can catch
him, but the rest of the Sacketts—politicians,
outlaws, cattlemen, bankers, and
tinkers—come to Tell's rescue. Some
strong language and some violence. 1965.
The Sky‑liners BR 9576
2 volumes
Sackett brothers Flagan and Galloway run
into Black Fetchen's gang in town and
a feud develops. The Sacketts are good
fighters but they must contend with the
best gunslingers in the country. Some violence
and some strong language. 1967.
The Lonely Men BR 9572
2 volumes
When Tell Sackett receives an urgent plea
from the wife of his brother, Orrin, to rescue
Orrin's son from the Apaches, Tell has
no idea that the embittered woman is setting
a trap for him. But by the time he and
his comrades have completed their adventure
in the mountainous Arizona Apache
territory, Tell has devised a way to pay her
back. Some violence and some strong language. 1969.
Mustang Man BR 9556
2 volumes
Nolan Sackett, also known as "Mustang
Man," is one tough cowboy. But he can
be softhearted when it comes to women in
distress, so even though he is being chased
across the Southwest by a posse, he stops
to rescue a woman. It takes Sackett time to
figure out that she is not what she seems,
and no sooner does he shoot his way out
of her clutches than he trusts another
woman who spells trouble. 1966.
Galloway BR 9514
2 volumes
Flagan Sackett finds himself a fugitive
in the mountains with only his wits as
defense against the Apache warriors and
hungry wolves stalking him. 1970.
Treasure Mountain BR 16720
2 volumes
New Orleans, 1870s. Brothers Orrin and
Tell Sackett investigate the decades‑old
disappearance of their father, who was
last seen guiding an expedition for hidden
gold. But they are tracked by a dangerous
group that will do anything to keep the
father's fate and the treasure's location
secret. Some violence. 1972.
Ride the Dark Trail BR 9568
2 volumes
Widow Emily Talon is wearing down.
Since the last worker on her Colorado
ranch was killed, she has kept a
twenty‑four‑hour vigil against Jake Flanner
and his men, who are conspiring to
take over her ranch. Hearing of the woman's
plight, drifter Logan Sackett discovers
that, like him, Emily is a Tennessee
Sackett. Vowing to help her until her andering
sons return, Logan is determined
to teach Jake Flanner's men a lesson. Violence
and some strong language. 1972.
Lonely on the Mountain BR 13812
2 volumes
The saga of the Sacketts continues as
Tyrel and Tell help cousin Logan herd
eleven hundred steers across the desolate
Dakota plains to the gold‑mining country
of British Columbia. Bestseller. 1980.
Doubtful Cañon: A Western Story BR 18286
by Johnny D. Boggs
2 volumes
New Mexico. Three twelve‑year‑olds—Jack, Ian, and Jasmine—are playing in an
abandoned mine when they encounter a
frightening stranger named Whitey Grey.
Whitey tells them about a fortune in gold
lost in Doubtful Cañon during an Apache
raid. Despite the dangers, the trio agrees
to help him find the treasure. Spur Award.
2007.
The Ox‑Bow Incident BR 13679
by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
2 volumes
Nevada, 1885. Wrangler Art Croft reluctantly
joins a group of citizens in a small
town who hastily form a posse to catch
murdering cattle rustlers. Three men are
accused of the crime, but there are doubts
about their guilt. Introduction by Wallace
Stegner. Some violence and some strong language. 1940.
The next two books should be read in the following order:
Tallgrass BR 11501
by Don Coldsmith
4 volumes
Seven stories tracing the history of the
Kansas prairie from the first American
Indian encounters with the Spanish to
the early nineteenth century. Each story
includes a historical afterword. Some
descriptions of sex. 1997.
South Wind BR 13415
by Don Coldsmith
4 volumes
Historical vignettes portray the challenges
faced by pro‑slavery and pro‑emancipation
settlers in the Kansas Territory before
the Civil War. The connected episodes
present a saga of westward expansion
through 1876. 1998.
The Chili Queen BR 14986
by Sandra Dallas
2 volumes
On the train to Nalgitas, New Mexico,
brothel owner Addie French meets Emma
Roby, a mail‑order bride. When Emma's
prospective husband fails to show, Addie
takes Emma in at her "boarding house"—the Chili Queen. There Emma meets Welcome, the African American cook, and
Ned, an outlaw. Together, they devise a
moneymaking scheme. Spur Award. 2002.
Billy Gashade BR 11641
by Loren D. Estleman
3 volumes
In 1863 a sixteen‑year‑old boy from a
prominent family is caught up in the New
York City Draft Riots. Fleeing retribution
from the Tammany Hall gang, the
boy becomes Billy Gashade, a musician
in saloons and pleasure houses out West.
Throughout his years wandering from
place to place, Billy meets characters who
become legends: Calamity Jane, Chief
Crazy Horse, and Billy the Kid among
them. Some violence. 1997.
City of Widows BR 10212
by Loren D. Estleman
2 volumes
Page Murdock is tired of being involved
with the law in Montana and is moving to
New Mexico, where he has bought partinterest
in a saloon, the Apache Princess.
Montana judge Harlan Blackthorne suggests
that Murdock get a letter of reference
from New Mexico's governor to pave
the way with Sheriff Baronet. But there is
an ulterior motive behind Blackthorne's
suggestion to befriend Baronet. Strong
language. 1994.
Bitter Trumpet BR 8295
by Fred Grove
2 volumes
When the Civil War ends, Jesse Wilder
returns home to Tennessee. Because he
had joined the Union Army to escape
certain death in a Yankee prison camp,
he is not welcomed back home. Drifting
west, Jesse ends up in El Paso, where he
teams up with Cullen Floyd, who is running
weapons to the Juaristas in Mexico.
As they train troops led by Father Garza,
Jesse again finds himself caught up in the
horrors of war. Some strong language.
1989.
Destiny Valley BR 13729
by Fred Grove
2 volumes
Captain Evan Shelby leaves the Civil War
battlefields after contracting tuberculosis.
Settling in the New Mexico territories, he
regains his health. Though Shelby sides
with the locals when Lucinda Holloway's
cattle company starts buying up rangeland,
he falls for Holloway. Some violence.
2000.
The next three books should be read in the following order:
The Big Sky BR 14920
by A.B. Guthrie
4 volumes
1830s. Seventeen‑year‑old Boone Caudill
leaves Kentucky and heads west after trying
to kill his strict father. Traveling the
Missouri River to the Rockies, Boone
joins other mountain men, takes a native
wife, and becomes as harsh as the wilderness.
Foreword by Wallace Stegner. Some
violence and some strong language. 1947.
The Way West BR 16478
by A.B. Guthrie
3 volumes
1840s. Dick Summers has been to Oregon
before, and now that his wife has died he
decides to return. He will guide a group
of men and women from Missouri on the difficult journey along the Oregon Trail.
Pulitzer Prize. 1949.
Fair Land, Fair Land BR 18356
by A.B. Guthrie
2 volumes
Mid‑nineteenth century. After mountain
man Dick Summers guides a wagon train
to Oregon, he heads to the Rockies to
marry Teal Eye and seek retribution from
ex‑friend Boone Caudill. Some violence,
some strong language, and some descriptions
of sex. 1982.
Bret Hart's Gold Rush: Outcasts of
Poker Flat, The Luck of Roaring Camp, Tennessee's Partner, and Other Favorites BR 14981
by Bret Harte
2 volumes
Fifteen stories set in California during
the 1850s Gold Rush. Archetypal characters—gold‑fevered pioneers, gamblers,
preachers, drunkards, cattle rustlers, and
iron‑willed women—experience twists of
fortune and the realities of frontier life.
Reuben H. Margolin introduces the collection,
which spans the career of Harte—also a poet and literary critic—who died in
1902. 1997.
Deep West BR 9266
by Ernest Haycox
2 volumes
Cattle rustling is happening in Granite
Canyon and ranch foreman Jim Benbow
knows he has big trouble, especially when
the Cattleman's Association range detective
is shot to death. Cash Gore is probably
responsible for both acts, and rumor
has it that Benbow's friend Clay Rand
may be working for Gore. A showdown is
inevitable. Some strong language. 1937.
The Wailing Wind BR 14187
by Tony Hillerman
2 volumes
Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal
Police calls in retired boss Joe Leaphorn
when rookie Bernadette Manuelito discovers
a white man shot in the desert. They
uncover similarities to a haunting older
case: a murderer's wife had disappeared
after her husband's conviction for killing
a swindler. Some strong language. Bestseller.
2002.
Three‑Ten to Yuma and Other Stories BR 17933
by Elmore Leonard
1 volume
Seven tales set in the 1880s Arizona Territory.
In the title entry a deputy marshal
faces the task of escorting a train robber
onto a train without either of them getting
killed. Originally published in the 1950s.
Some violence and some strong language.
2006.
The Tonto Woman and Other Western
Stories BR 12131
by Elmore Leonard
3 volumes
A collection of nineteen westerns. In the
title story, an exiled wife tattooed by Indians
gets her self‑esteem back with the help
of a cattle rustler. In "The Colonel's Lady" a captive woman rescues herself from the
clutches of a lone Apache. Some violence.
1998.
Blood Meridian; or, The Evening Redness
in the West BR 10635
by Cormac McCarthy
3 volumes
The child is pale and thin with only ragged
clothes to wear, his father lies in drink,
and his mother is dead. For the Kid, there
is no reason to stay in Tennessee, so at
fourteen he runs away. The Kid relates his
journey west and the skirmishes with Indians
that took place along the Texas‑Mexico
border in the 1850s. Violence and
strong language. 1985.
Blood Brothers BR 8226
by Gary McCarthy
2 volumes
Ben Pope and Rick Kilbane had grown up
together, been best friends, and become
blood brothers. They were opposites
who had attracted each other—Ben,
hard‑working and awkward; Rick, a wild
troublemaker. Ben's father wanted his
son to follow in his footsteps and work in
the mine, but Ben had other ideas. Rick's
father was a fast gun and a gambler. It as
bound to spell trouble when Ben put on a
sheriff's badge. 1989.
The next three books should be read in the following order:
Dead Man's Walk BR 12567
by Larry McMurtry
4 volumes
Young Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call
join the Texas Rangers and set out on
an expedition to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Accompanying the troops is hefty prostitute
Matilda Roberts, who provides comfort
to the men along the trek. Violence,
strong language, and some descriptions of
sex. Bestseller. 1995.
Comanche Moon BR 12758
by Larry McMurtry
6 volumes
Texas Rangers McCrae and Call aid white
settlers as they face Comanche raids and
attacks by bandits in the struggle to survive
frontier hardships. Some violence and
some strong language. Bestseller. 1997.
Lonesome Dove BR 13696
by Larry McMurtry
8 volumes
A three‑thousand‑mile cattle drive from
the banks of the Rio Grande to Montana's
Big Sky country is the centerpiece of this
vivid epic of the late‑nineteenth‑century
American West and its adventurous inhabitants.
Violence, strong language, and
some descriptions of sex. Pulitzer Prize.
Bestseller. 1985.
Lynching at Broken Butte and Sunblade BR 14974
by Lewis B. Patten
3 volumes
Traveling to pick up a prisoner, U.S. Marshal
August Cragg overnights at Broken
Butte, where someone tries to kill him—and Cragg intends to find out who. In
Sunblade a greedy rancher who has more
enemies than friends winds up dead. Some
violence and some strong language. 1952.
All the Long Years: Western Stories BR 13662
by Bill Pronzini
2 volumes
Fourteen diverse tales of the West. In "Lady One‑Eye" a male‑female team of
detectives investigate a woman gambler
to ensure a fair game. In "Doc Christmas,
Painless Dentist" a medical entrepreneur
collects every fee. Some strong language.
2001.
The Rawhide Knot and Other Stories BR 17308
by Conrad Richter
2 volumes
Pulitzer Prize‑winning author presents
eight tales of pioneers who are ambushed
by love and the challenge of frontier life.
In the title story a group of men bent on
devilment attempt to "hatch up a marriage" between an old maid and a young
lawyer from back East. 1935.
Shane BR 13561
by Jack Schaefer
1 volume
Wyoming Territory, 1889. A mysterious
stranger named Shane rides into the
Starretts' ranch and learns of the trouble
between a cattle baron and the homesteaders.
Shane decides to stay and help the
family keep its stake. Some violence. For
senior high and older readers. 1949.
The Short Novels of Jack Schaefer BR 17305
by Jack Schaefer
5 volumes
Five works depicting life on the western
frontier from the Civil War to the twentieth
century. Homesteaders, American Indians, and drifters find courage, tragedy,
and romance in First Blood, The Canyon,
Company of Cowards, The Kean Land,
and the classic Shane. Introduction by
Dorothy M. Johnson. 1949.
Sanctuary BR 8658
by Gary D. Svee
2 volumes
At age twelve, Judd Medicine Elk knows
intimately the feel of cold and the ache
of hunger in his belly. But on this day in
the 1880s in Sanctuary, Montana, perhaps
his luck will change and someone on the
arriving train will give him a few coins for
carrying their luggage. Judd's luck does
change, and so does the entire town's, for
on the train is Mordecai, a new preacher
who exemplifies love for all mankind.
Some strong language. 1990.
The Virginian: A Horseman of the
Plains BR 16196
by Owen Wister
4 volumes
Centennial edition of the classic western
tale told by an easterner who, while visiting
a Wyoming ranch, is impressed by a
slow‑talking, quick‑witted cowboy known
only as the Virginian. The Virginian falls
for schoolteacher Molly Wood, but a feud
with a ranchhand threatens their courtship.
Some violence. 1902.
The West of Owen Wister: Selected Short
Stories BR 17403
by Owen Wister
2 volumes
Six stories depicting cowboys, soldiers,
Indians, and priests in various geographic
settings. Includes Wister's first published
western, "Hank's Woman" (1892), as well
as "Little Big Horn Medicine," "The Second
Missouri Compromise," and "Padre
Ignazio." With a 1972 introduction by
Robert L. Hough. 1892.
Desperadoes BR 15682
edited by Ed Gorman and
Martin H. Greenberg
2 volumes
A collection of seventeen short westerns
about men in rouble—gamblers, outlaws,
miners, and lawmen—some, victims of
circumstance; others, because of their
own doing. Includes Louis L'Amour's "The Town No Guns Could Tame" as
well as works by Loren D. Estleman, Bill
Pronzini, Bill Gulick, and others. 2001.
Westerns of the '40s: Classics from the
Great Pulps BR 17307
edited by Damon Knight
3 volumes
Compilation of sixteen short western
stories from magazines of the 1940s.
Includes works by John D. MacDonald,
Tom Roan, Roy M. O'Mara, James Shaffer,
Cliff Farrell, and others. Contains
tales of revenge, range wars, roving saddle
bums, and ladies of the night. Some violence.
1977.
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Posted on 2011-11-23