Larry Bjornson, Wide Open (2012), about the son of a cattleman in Abilene, Kansas, a town roiling with conflict between ranchers and farmers in 1871 when Wild Bill Hickok is brought in to keep order. Tamera Alexander, Within My Heart (2009), historical romance about a young widow running a ranch in the Colorado Territory who must decide which of two men to marry Christian message currently available in audio format only.Īmelia Bean, The Feud (1959), about a feud between cattlemen and sheepherders in Arizona.Īmelia Bean, Time for Outrage (1967), about the “Lincoln County War” between some ranchers and a the owners of a general store in New Mexico Billy the Kid appears as a minor character. Purchase from the Book Depository, Amazon or Powell's BooksĬlifton Adams, Tragg's Choice, a traditional Western 1969 Spur Award winner.Ĭlifton Adams, The Last Days of Wolf Garnett, about a man seeking vengeance on the outlaw who killed his wife 1970 Spur Award winner. The 'Native Americans' section also includes novels about Indian wars and about European and African Americans who lived with various tribes.

Some of the most dramatic events in the history of the Old West included the 1849 California Gold Rush, the 1835 Texas Revolution, and the 1845 U.S-Mexican War which resulted in a broad swathe of the Southwest being transferred from Mexico to the U.S.Ĭategories overlap, so if you don't find what you're looking for in one category, try another. Native American authors have been among the most distinguished contributors to Western literature. Native Americans have been portrayed with more sympathy in recent decades and, increasingly, as complex individuals who are neither vilified nor idealized. Classic 'Westerns' by writers like Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour in the early to mid-twentieth century generally retained this romanticized approach, but most modern writers present a more realistic view of Western history.

The vast literature of the American Old West evolved from dime novels of the late 1800s which portrayed life on the frontier as an idealized clash pitting virtuous cowboys and lawmen against 'savage' Indians or outlaw gunfighters.

The Southwest, Texas and the Texas Revolution Ranchers, Gunslingers, Lawmen and OutlawsĬalifornia, the Gold Rush, and Western Mining Towns Old West Novels: Historical Novels of the American Old Westįor news on the latest additions to this website, see the blog.

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