Reading lists/favorite books

[ChipProf]

I thought it might be interesting for us to exchange reading lists - our favorite western books.

 

Personally, I gravitate toward nonfiction; I enjoy learning as I read, not merely being entertained.  There are some works of fiction, though, that would have to go on my list.

 

It might be helpful to indicate which kind you're listing - fiction or nonfiction.

 

Could be fun, eh?

 

Michael

Professor of Chipology

[Arizona Mommy]

Yes, I like reading accurately correct historical information as well. I think the Son's of Texas actually confused me a bit as I was having a discussion with someone regarding the Republic of Texas and the Spanish rule, followed by Mexican, etc. Sometimes I tend to blur information.

I live in Arizona and I've been trying to locate some books about Homesteading in Arizona from the old days. I'm almost done reading one about Homesteading in the 1930's-1940's in New River which is where I live now but it gives some info back a bit further. Very interesting.

[Jon Hovis]

While I enjoy a good novel, I seem to remember the non-fiction books most. I guess it's a mixture of enjoying history and enjoying learning something new that sticks with me. One of my passions right now is ancient Indian cultures in the Southwest and specifically the Anasazi which I am researching for my next novel. I recently purchased In Search Of The Old Ones by David Roberts and found it well written and enjoyable to read---highly recommended.

Also, librarything.com is a great site for book lovers to list their personal collections and share them with others.

Jon.

[Arizona Mommy]

As I said, I sometimes get confused when reading historical fiction. I was reading a book on Geronimo that I really thought was written by his grandson. (I had read a book written by a descendent of Pochaontas years ago so I figured it was the same type of thing). Well, apparantly it is historical fiction. I could only imagine getting that one goofed up and giving someone else some misinformation.

I have an account on goodreads.com that I started to keep track of books read that I have totally lapsed on now. I truly enjoy reading and really want to get my kids to have that same love for reading as well.

So strange John, so many places out here in Arizona have the name Anasazi. My medical center does. Az has many Indian and Mexican names because of it's rich Mexican and Indian heritage.

Blessings,
Bethany

[ChipProf]

This is gettin' interesting! Thanks for the replies. Maybe this will encourage some more.

Here's my stab at a favorites/recommended list, alphabetically by author:

FICTION:
Thomas Berger, Little Big Man
Thomas Berger, The Return of Little Big Man
A. B. Guthrie, Jr., The Big Sky
William Dale Jennings, The Cowboys
Dorothy M. Johnson, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Elmore Leonard, The Complete Western Stories
Larry McMurtry, Dead Man's Walk
Larry McMurtry, Comanche Moon
Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove
Larry McMurtry, Streets of Laredo
Owen Wister, The Virginian

NONFICTION:
Teddy Blue Abbott and Helena Huntington Smith, We Pointed Them North
Andy Adams, The Log of a Cowboy
Win Blevins, Give your Heart to the Hawks
Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Dee Brown, The Fetterman Massacre
Robert K. DeArment, Knights of the Green Cloth
Robert R. Dykstra, The Cattle Towns
Chris Enss, The Lady Was a Gambler
Richard Erdoes, Saloons of the Old West
Andrew Garcia, Tough Trip Through Paradise
C. B. Glasscock, The War of the Copper Kings
Mari Grana, Frontier Doctor
Helen Jackson, A Century of Dishonor
Dorothy M. Johnson, The Bloody Bozeman
Lindmier and Mount, I See By Your Outfit
Joseph Medicine Crow, From the Heart of the Crow Country
Leon C. Metz, John Wesley Hardin
Milner and O'Connor, As Big As The West
Sherry Monahan, The Wicked West
Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy
Joseph Rosa, Wild Bill Hickok: The Man and the Myth
Michael Rutter, Upstairs Girls
Hampton Sides, Blood and Thunder
Mark Twain, Roughing It
Lawrence M. Woods, British Gentlemen in the Wild West
(Little Big Horn):
Brust, Pohanka and Barnard, Where Custer Fell
Evan S. Connell, Son of the Morning Star
James Donovan, A Terrible Glory
Richard A. Fox, Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle
(The Johnson County War):
Robert K. DeArment, Alias Frank Canton
Helena Huntington Smith, The War on Powder River
Bill O'Neal, The Johnson County War
(Wyatt):
Allan Barra, Inventing Wyatt Earp
Casey Tefertiller, Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend

Michael
Professor of Chipology

[Arizona Mommy]

Wow, you gave me a big ole list of books to choose from. I did just check out Roughing It from the library. Haven't made it that far because I'm currently reading several other books as well. I tend to read several at a time because it always depends upon the mood I"m in as to which I feel like reading at the time.

I have been reading some personal homesteading stories in Arizona that I find fascinating. I like them because they are factual but also because they are personal and you get to know the people, what they went through, their daily living, etc. And I apparantly don't know many authors off hand either as I have never paid much attention except to the classics.

Blessings,
Bethany

[ChipProf]

Bethany,

Sounds like you'd love Grana's Frontier Doctor, and you might also want to check out two I didn't list above:
Nannie Alderson and Helena Huntington Smith, A Bride Goes West
Stewart Udall, The Forgotten Founders.

Good reading!

Michael
Professor of Chipology

[ChipProf]

A couple of additions! I really enjoyed Ed Harris' Apaloosa with Viggo Mortensen and picked up the two followup books by Robert B. Parker: Resolution and Brimstone. They're excellent! There's now a third followup released just after Parker passed away in January. Blue-Eyed Devil, I think is the title, but the bookstore didn't have a copy.

Parker writes just like Apaloosa played - spare dialog and both are very quick reads. Parker reminds me of Hemingway, in a sense - he uses very few words, unlike many modern writers who seem to think that more words means a better story, but the stories keep moving rapidly.

Once you've seen Apaloosa, you won't be able to read a Parker western without seeing and hearing Harris and Mortensen as Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. Try 'em - I think you'll like 'em!

Michael
Professor of Chipology

[3krcynyujeux8]

Some of the books you listed, both fiction and non-fiction. would be percieved of as classics.  At the present time, I have very little time to sit and read completely for pleasure, so my current reading basically is non-fiction that co-insides with whatever specific project is currently  occupying my mind and my time.  Enjoy!  I/m affraid to ask what Chipology is.

[Becky Coffield]

Two fabulous nonfiction books are "Death in the Desert" and "Death on the Plains," both by Paul Wellman. This gentleman writes Western history like no one else I've ever read...well, Howard Zinn does a damn fine job but he's not strictly Western.

I prefer historical Westerns overall. A reader gets entertained and learns something at the same time, that's why I think Elmer Kelton has to be among the best with some of his titles. Two Westerns we've published by Jere D. James are "historical fiction" although a bit more fiction than historical...still, James makes great great points about Native Americans and skirts with the early Mormon issues also, particularly in "Saving Tom Black." But, of course, I'm biased! James' "Apache" is outstanding on the early Indian issues. Absolutely outstanding.

We'll be publishing J.R. Sanders' new book, "Some Gave All," a study of 12 lawmen in the Old West who died in the line of duty. It's fantastic!

[Becky Coffield]

I don't mean to brag about our publications so openly, but we are VERY proud of them. People LOVE these books. We're producing only one more title this year, then next year I have 3 slated...possibly 4. We only do Westerns nowadays. It's great fun and as a result we have to do a lot research to check on the accuracy of the information in the books. My husband is a Western history buff, so he does a lot of the historical research. And, as it turns out, the editor I use (she lives in Colorado) is a total Western aficionado. Between the two of them they catch most mistakes that happen along.

Have you read any Matt Braun? He sure walks the line when it comes to the "traditional" Western book. I love it. Only a man could get away with that though.

OH! Be sure to read "Last Man Standing" by Zane Grey. It's fantastic! Of course, Grey gets heavy on the setting description, but it's just the best Western!!

[Arizona Mommy]

Hey Becky, what do you mean by "traditional" Western book?

[ChipProf]

This has turned out to be a great discussion. You've all given me lots of ideas for new reading material, and I appreciate it!

Let's keep it going!

Michael
Professor of Chipology