The Cozy Corner

Western
Book Store

Copyright © 2004-7
by Lin Stone

A Painting done in Crayon by Don Marco.
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Westerns have been a worldwide staple ever since Ned Buntline rode the range.  Known first as "dime novels", westerns were still only a quarter each when I was a kid.  Then ACE came out with something called a Double Western, which was two shorter westerns printed back to back, and sold for thirty five cents.  Of course, that was the same price as seven small candy bars back then so maybe ain't nothing but the money changed that much after all.

I loved any westerns long ago.  Now I only love the best ones.  I've read everything from Amazing Ranch Romance magazines to Zane Grey novels.  Growing up Indian I naturally favored stories (like those by Edgar Rice Burroughs) where the Indians had a fighting chance or at least got in a few good licks before getting the daylights whipped out of them.  These days of course, the cowboys and the Indians are on the same side most of the time.

Here are some really good books about Indians which dig deep down into reality.

 Stone Song by Win Blevins is a novel of the life of Crazy Horse.  Win came by my site before I knew him.  He wrote and said as we were both writing about Indians that perhaps we had met somewhere, or would meet.  He provided a list of his published books and Stone Song was the only one available at the local library.  This is the kind of book you know even as you read it that you will come back thrice.  Win has this incredible gift of being able to tell a story.  Where most authors can only tell about a story Win can bring the spirit alive. It came to me that Win had another name in that time long ago before we were born, Ah Tiin -- Spirit Maker.  If you have any desire to immerse yourself in this alien reality Stone Song is the book to make the trip with.  These days Win lives in the Four Corners area, far, far from civilization.  His wife writes also.

Gone the Dreams and Dancing by Douglas C. Jones is about the best western I've ever read.  It won the Golden Spur Award for best Western Historical Novel.  If you can find the book in some old used book rack, grab it.

Once They Wore the Gray comes in pretty close.  Written by Johnny D. Boggs it too is a historical novel.  But first and foremost it is an ADVENTURE novel.

MAXIMUM RANGE is a Double D Western by John Reese.  It too is decidedly good.  

Guide to the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma by Muriel H. Wright

The Indians in Oklahoma by Renard Strickland

Tales of the Tepee by Edward Everett Dale.  This is a wonderful reprint of the 1920 classic.  See the lodge bonfires in this book covering territorial days and early statehood.  Dale rode, hunted and visited the Kiowas, Commanche, and Wichitas.  Later he taught Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Sac and Fox, and Delaware at the state university.

Indians gaLore
History    Humor   Wildlife   Politics   Guides   Cooking   Culture
  Sports   Fiction   Laws & Regulations   Music   Art 

Now that I've had you on the Indian's side awhile, I invite you to pull up a chair, kick off your boots, and pick out a good book to read from among the thousands of westerns available.  And know thou this -- when you find an author able to please you there are two duties laid flat out before you.  One is to tell others about the author, and the second duty is to find out what else that author has produced.  Isn't responsibility awful?

Other Western Books by
A Dozen Authors

My thought is that nobody writes a better western than Richard S. Wheeler  (Dark Passage, Going Home, etc.) in his later days.  After comparing the earlier books (like his 1979 book Ambush) and Richard's latest books the major difference I see is that now he takes extreme care to first make his main characters real, and three dimensional.  Then he makes the challenges and quirks of fate real.  You never know from one minute to the next when all bets will be off and tragedy strike. 

Now, I've never read any of the westerns by Florence B. Smith, but I like the titles, and the log lines seem pretty good.

Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara is the story of Gettysburg, a fascinating classic that won the Pulitzer Prize.  I believe it was well earned.  This novel reveals more about the Battle of Gettysburg than any piece of learned nonfiction on the same subject. Michael Shaara's account of the three most important days of the Civil War features deft characterizations of all of the main actors, including Lee, Longstreet, Pickett, Buford, and Hancock. The most inspiring figure in the book, however, is Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, whose 20th Maine regiment of volunteers held the Union's left flank on the second day of the battle. This unit's bravery at Little Round Top helped turned the tide of the war against the rebels.

The author's son, Jeff Shaara then wrote Gods and Generals, and The Last Full Measure -- the PREquel and SEquel to Killer Angels.  In my opinion, the the father was able to pass on most of the writing craft he knew, and and Jeff has gone one step beyond better.

If you like any of the books I've picked out here
I'd love to hear about the good books you've read lately.
  Please drop a line.

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