The perfect guide to contemporary cowboy culture for all of those buckaroo wanna-bes and weekend ranchers. From the different types of saddles, spurs, and boots to what type of cowboy picks out what type of hat, Morris has included interesting basic information on all aspects of ranch life. Prudent "cowboy wisdom" is included at the end of each chapter (e.g., "Don't squat with your spurs on"), as well as basic western rules ("chuck wagon etiquette") and essential vocabulary ("cowboy talk" and "Spanish roots").
reviewed:"Cute book for the novice cowboy and cowgirl--entertaining reading for the "real thing". Well written and technically correct--great pictures and illustrations. Obviously written by one who knows the cowboy way. Highly recommended!"

reviewed:"Cowboys and ranchers in their own words...  This enjoyable book was put together by Darrell Arnold, publisher and editor of Cowboy Magazine. There are 170 quotes on over a dozen different subjects by cowboys and ranchers interviewed by Arnold during 1975-1996, and the book includes more than 120 black-and-white photographs of these men, their families, their horses and gear, and the landscapes that they work in. Topics range across a variety of aspects of cowboy lifestyle as it's lived on ranches throughout the western states from New Mexico to Montana. Among the many working cowboys Arnold interviews are even a few celebrities: Ben Johnson, Wiford Brimley, Rex Allen, Charlie Daniels, and Baxter Black."
Buy it for about $18.00

In February of his forty-fourth year, journalist David McCumber signed on as a hand on rancher Bill Galt's expansive Birch Creek spread in Montana. The Cowboy Way is an enthralling and intensely personal account of his year spent in open country---a book that expertly weaves together past and present into a vibrant and colorful tapestry of a vanishing way of life. At once a celebration of a breathtaking land both dangerous and nourishing, and a clear-eyed appreciation of the men---and women---who work it.
reviewed:"Montana and Cowboying At Its Best!
David McCumber's, The Cowboy Way: Seasons of a Montana Ranch, is nothing short of brilliant. The inconceivably hard life of the modern day cowboy is described with gripping passion and confident ease. Having spent time in Montana made the memoir even more engaging for me. For those who dream of the cowboy life or simply the magic of the Rocky Mountain west, this wonderful account will do little to suppress the inherent desire to act on those dreams."
List price $14.00 ;Buy it for about $11.50

Freedman's careful research and inviting texts have made his nonfiction can't-miss titles in homes and libraries. Here is a sequel to Children of the Wild and the author's other award winners. He has selected over 50 photos from the Library of Congress and state archives to illustrate his chronicles of life on the range.
reviewed:"The life of real cowboys...  Russell's focus is on the realities cowboys had to face between the late 1860s until the 1890s when the era of the open range roundups and long trail drives finally ended. He tells about the background of those cow herders on horseback, describing their clothes, equipment, and roundup work on the open range as well as on the trail drives from Texas to Kansas, Wyoming, Montana, or the Dakotas. "
Buy it for about $10.00

This collection evokes the feeling of the west through images and stories of this incredibly beautiful and rugged landscape, it's flora, horses, cattle and people. Through a decade of photography spanning ten Western states, Stoecklein depicts the modern-day cowboy at work and at play, at sunrise, and sunset, in all kinds of weather.
reviewed:"The first time I laid eyes on David Stoecklein's "Don't Fence Me In", I wanted to quit my job and move to a working ranch in Idaho. This book is full of breathtaking photos of the American Cowboy and the land he works on. Unfortunatly, the art work around the cover is an eyesore and some of the page layouts interfer with the Mr. Stoecklein's fine work. This book is for sure worth the money."
List price $60.00; Buy it for about $40.00

This collection of more than 100 black-and-white photographs from the American West illustrates the work of cowboys at the turn of the previous century. A brief introductory essay by Bob Edgar, curator of the Museum of the Old West at Old Trail Town in Cody, WY, provides an entertaining, though loosely documented, account of actual cowboys and their experiences with stampedes, harsh weather, and hostile natives. Two major themes covered in this book are the roundup, in which roaming cattle were periodically retrieved according to the brand of the owner, and the trail drive, in which herds of cattle were moved across large stretches of territory. An interesting browse with basic content, this is a marginal purchase for most public libraries.
reviewed:"Wonderful collection of historic cowboy photographs... "
List price $24.95; Buy it for about $16.50

reviewed:"An excellent quick reference; Wonderful illustrations...  This book was originally published in the mid seventies; it is nice to have a reprint available. Interiewing old cowboys in the 1950's, the author gained a great deal of primary source material in regards to what types of clothing and equipment were used. A great deal of drawings appear throughout the text. This book depicts the cowboy at his most practical.
List price $17.84; Buy it for about $12.25

Rarely does a book come along of such exceptional quality as Cowboys & the Trappings of the Old West. Every aspect of the life and equipment of the old time cowboy has been painstakingly researched and documented. The book starts off with a touching foreword by the King of the Cowboys himself, Roy Rogers. No matter how many times you pick up this book, you will discover more fascinating information in the fact-laden captions and text. This book is destined to become the definitive book on the subject, and an important one for and cowboy enthusiast or collector of Western Americana.
reviewed:"This is a very good book for those interested in all the various accessories that the cowboy (and cowgirl) used. It is a good reference for old west living history groups that need to authenticate costume articles to a particular time period. The pictures are top quality."

List price $45.00; Buy it for about $30.00

Western gunleather is an icon of American frontier lore. Packing Iron celebrates the artistry and innovation of the craftsmen who designed the gun rigs of the old time cowboys, troopers, lawmen, and Hollywood heroes. This unique art form is fully described and richly illuatrated with more than 300 exciting color photographs and nearly 100 rare historic images. In the pages of Packing Iron you will discover gunleather produced by historic government arsenals, along with the famed frontier craftsmen like Collins, Meanea, Gallatin, and Heiser.
reviewed:"Best in Category... This is far more than a superlative coffee table book; it is an extremely informative guide to an impressive panorama of American holsters and gunleather. The photography is beautifully propped and shot, and the writing, in addition to being eminently readable, shows a wide-ranging knowledge of the field. Even those who hate guns will be fascinated by this book."

List price $45.00; Buy it for about $30.00

Cowboys, we love the legend. But what did they really wear, and what equipment did they use for thewir work?.
reviewed:"A remarkable reference book...A friend shoved this book in front of me during research for a historical novel, and I found it fascinating! It is a comprehensive guide to the real garb and tack of real cowboys in a real frontier, not a Technicolored Hollywood wardrober's fantasy. I found it expertly written and illustrated, detailed and enormously helpful.
List price $19.95; Buy it for about $13.60

Grade 3 Up. Nineteen poems celebrating cowboy (and cowgirl) life ride across the pages of this handsome volume. From coyotes to bear encounters, roping cattle and riding horses, to haying and the smell of rain, this is cowpoke poetry in all its glory. The down-home verses are richly vernacular and, through thoughtful praise and clever rhyme, bring to light the vitality and timelessness that life on the range embraces. Not originally written for children, the selections shine in partnership with Fuchs's expert drawings.
reviewed: From Kirkus Reviews   "A timeless portrait of cowboy (and cowgirl) life emerges from 20 illustrated poems. Some of the selections are humorous, some respectful, some impassioned, but most have the echo of truth that comes from those who know their subject. The poems deal with friendship, hardship, weather, hay, and hungry cows; all speak to a love and respect for the land, animals, open skies, and freedom."
List price $11.00; Buy it for about $9.00

reviewed:"Colorful Cowboy Sayings...  Edgar "Frosty" Potter has put together an excellent compilation cowboy slang. This book is chock full of amusing phrases such as: "He's as slow actin' as wet gunpowder" and "Hot words lead to cold slabs." This book is a MUST, for anyone looking to spice up their written dialog with amusing phrases, or for any fan of the cowboy/western genre in general.

Unlike other books, with the same theme, this is a book of phrases, arranged in a logical concise order. Several amusing illustrations are scattered throughout."
Buy it for about $6.95

Tales of the adventure and influence of a timeless American character.

The cowboy represents how Americans defined themselves at one of the most pivotal periods in the country's history. Decades later, this persona remains a representation of strength and strong character. The cowboy is the law and the outlaw, the problem and the solution. The stories in this book will take you to the unsettled West to show you how it was won.
List price $22.95; Buy it for about $16.00

A classic fictional chronicle of life on the open trail, THE LOG OF A COWBOY has long been considered the best and most reliable account of real cowboy life ever written. In the years following the Civil War, sixteen-year-old Andy Adams left his home in the San Antonio Valley and took to the range. Here he charts his first journey as a bona fide cowboy, from south Texas to Montana along the western trail.
reviewed:"Truer than Lonsesome Dove and just as good!...  I have found this to be one of the best western books ever written. Written 100 years ago it has the feel of life in the late 1800s not glossed or romanticized."
List price $11.00; Buy it for about $8.30