This curated list covers the gamut of non fiction, from compelling war stories to key feminist texts, to unbelievable struggles for survival, to tales of life in the. If you have an original wild, wild west universerelated work you would like to appear in these pages, we would love to have it here. Similiar to our list of 100 fiction books to read in a lifetime, this list of 50 non fiction books contains recommendations you might actually read if you havent already. The american old west was a time of cowboys, horses and gunslingers, all of which feature prominently in the western genre. It is simply a collection of books about what the old west was really like from the eyes of gun fighters, mountain men, indians and cowboys. Wellknown writers of western fiction include zane grey from the early 20th century and louis lamour from the mid20th century. Tom rea traces the evolution of scientific thought regarding dinosaurs and reveals the deception, hostility, and sometimes outright aggression present in the early years of fossil hunting. In wild, she describes her journey from despair to transcendence with honesty, humor, and heartcracking poignancy. The wild west lasted from 1865 to 1895, but the history of the american west began long before that. In this list i narrowed down the topic a bit by focusing on books within the last 100 years or so, including some very contemporary ones, and i kept just a few genres. Subscribe to history magazines, including wild west. Lonesome dove by larry mcmurtry, the sisters brothers by patrick dewitt, doc by mary doria russell, the son by philipp meyer.
Nonfiction isnt limited to memoirs and biographies, either. Odes to the american cowboy, in the form of the western novel. Any good general nonfiction books about the wild west. A new fave is the wild west of louis lamour by tim champlin, a christmas gift from my daughter. Connells book reads like a novel with what were once erudite facts on military and indian history quickly turning to pageflipping plotdrivers. Son of the morning star is one outstandingly good book. One of my top five favorite books, this nonfiction doesnt pull any punches. The original cowgirl the wild adventures of lucille mulhall. From lost to found on the pacific crest trail is a 2012 memoir by american author cheryl strayed, describing her 1,100mile hike on the pacific crest trail in 1995 as a journey of selfdiscovery. The brave men who rode for wells fargo in the wild west by john boessenecker thomas dunne books awardwinning author of texas ranger. The top one or two books in each category are listed at the beginning of each page. The brave men who rode for wells fargo in the wild west thomas dunne books john boessnecker writes about them all, including wells fargos key role in the growth of virginia city, nevada. To learn more about her titles, find purchase information, read sample chapters, and more, click the genre that you are interested in below. Is it possible to pick 50 of the best nonfiction books ever.
Best nonfiction books for kids some kids prefer true stories history, biography, memoir, science to madeup ones. Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the american old west frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Pages in category non fiction books about outlaws of the american old west the following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total. Its a straightforward tribute to the deserts and wild. From zane grey to cormac mccarthy, western writers have become a staple of american literature. Ghost town at sundown by mary pope osborne and natalie pope boyce and isidre mones. A leavenworth saga book 1 new releases in american old west. When people first began moving there, it was a wilderness with few sheriffs, judges, or courts, and not even many laws. Welcome to the wild west, where lucille mulhall was born to be a rodeo champ, becoming americas 1st.
Sep 18, 2018 here are the best nonfiction books and memoirs of 2018 so far. Land of little rain, by mary austin beyond the hundredth meridian, by wallace stegner desert solitaire, by edward abbey the western trilogy, by bernard devoto assembling california, by. From his acclaimed study of horror films, nightmare movies, kim newman turns his attention to the western. I also find it extremely convenient when traveling with company and they wants to go to bed, while i want to read. And some of his stories seem to be fiction altogether seeing as they. The book was edited and compiled by historian kenneth l. Dec 11, 2017 true west best of the west 2018 western books time of transition. They are also some of the best hit men in the wild west, commissioned to kill a man who possesses a peculiar formula that can reveal the location of gold in riverbeds. The real wild west nonfiction by arapahoeanna a staffcreated list.
Art and photography books bring the vision of the world to your very eyes. I am not a book dealer, i am just selling off my own books for what they cost me. Ghost town at sundown magic tree house r fact tracker paperback january 2, 2018. The man who invented the wild west and millions of other books are. Mary pipher, author of reviving ophelia and seeking peace cheryl strayed is one of. Overview track the facts about cowboys, ghost towns. Books on the wild west im looking to learn more about what the western us was like during the decades of western expansion. He may have a friendly looking face, but he is a cold blooded book killer. He penned essays, novels, and nonfiction works, including desert.
For cheryl strayed, to the pacific crest trail, to figure out what she wants and who she wants to be by putting her body. This category is for articles on history books about the american old west i. Great books about the old west 148 books goodreads. Dec 31, 2017 the 100 best nonfiction books of all time. Discover the best american old west history in best sellers. Listen to thousands of best sellers and new releases on your iphone, ipad, or android.
True west best of the west 2018 western books true west magazine. One of my top five favorite books, this non fiction doesnt pull any punches. Oct 19, 2018 is it possible to pick 50 of the best nonfiction books ever. Looking for a great book that gives the reader general knowledge about the time period, in a sense a introduction to the wild west. Strattonporter was the first american woman to form a movie and production. They are also some of the best hit men in the wild west, commissioned to kill a man. Desert solitaire by edward abbey i could have compiled another completely separate list of non fiction books concerning the west, but that is a.
A history of butch cassidy and the wild bunch charles kelly 1939 carbine and lance. Choose from a wide range of nonfiction books including. No matter what your intentions are, in the wild west, sometimes violence is the only answer. It is a remarkable book in that it consists of primary source, unedited diary entries, letters and other correspondence. Wild, by cheryl strayed when your life collapses and theres nothing left, where do you go.
Westerners international 100 outstanding 20th century nonfiction books on the american west, 19012000 by year. Wild west movies or how the west was found, won, lost, lied about, filmed and forgotten london. Black lamb and grey falcon by rebecca west 1941 a sixweek trip to yugoslavia provides the backbone for this monumental study of balkan history. The american west in popular culture by richard aquila collections fiction and nonfiction shorts. Art is fundamental to the human experience, and just one art book can show you millions of dollars worth of old masters from around the world without the need to leave your couch. Here is a list of 10 of the best non fiction old west books of all time, in no particular order. Popular old west nonfiction books showing 126 of 26 wahtoyah and the taos trail. Call the marshall if see him around your old west books the books on the list are my own personal books. True west best of the west 2018 western books true west. Novels, nonfiction, comics, and more essential reads of the american. Wild wild west fanfiction archive with over 416 stories.
The 3 golden rules of writing a western standout books. I would appreciate any suggestion on nonfiction books about this time period that arent solely focused on specific historical figures or gangs. While the machine age was coming in the east, the west remained wild and untamed. Osullivan photographed many of the mohave indians, including maiman, hired to help the surveyors journey up the wild river. The challenge was to write a story about the characters in either black sheep squadron or the wild wild west and involve a cat or kittens in the plot. Shop our 20 books for 2020 that will help you live the very best shop our 20 for 20. Great books about the old west these are among the nonfiction only, please. Wild bill hickok is one of the most recognizable characters. Covered wagon women is a fascinating nonfiction account of fourteen pioneer women traveling west in the 1840s. Some revisit conflicts that have shaped the modern world, as patrick radden keefe does in. Author erik storey shares his ten favourite books featuring the american west including both historical westerns, and contemporary ones set in the rugged and wild areas that we consider the west. Browse our range of best selling nonfiction books with free uk delivery on orders over.
Part of my interest stems from reading westward expansion, by ray billington and the understanding that the typical description of life in. The history of transportation, mining, law and order and boomtowns remain popular topics for western historians, and in shotguns and stagecoaches. Nov 22, 2019 t he best nonfiction books published in 2019 look to the past in order to better understand the present. History books about the american old west wikipedia. For kids whod rather read about how to code, space exploration, the layers of rock and vegetation in the grand canyon, or the achievements of alexander hamilton than pick up a novel, weve got a great list of titles to check. We always need more readers of the old west and true west maniacs.
The 50 best nonfiction books of the last 100 years book riot. And although the frontiers remaining are few and far between, hundreds of fiction and non fiction authors and books have captured the spirit of the american west and its people, places and stories. From lost to found on the pacific crest trail cheryl strayed. Best of the west, edited by tony hillerman this anthology barely sneaks into the category of nonfiction especially considering its short section of fictional stories. Top 10 western books american cowboy travel people.
The 100 greatest nonfiction books books the guardian. Welcome to the wild west, where lucille mulhall was born to be a rodeo champ, becoming americas 1st cowgirl. The wild west got its name because sometimes it really was wild. Winner, spur award for best contemporary nonfiction western writers of americaa land apart is not just a cultural history of the modern. She also wrote ten natural history books between 1907 and 1925. A reflection in 2018 old west fiction adapts to the marketplace, while old west history is slipping into a subgenre nearly forgotten by most publishers. I read most books on my kindle fire hd, which i cant recommend enough. These 19 wildlife books should be on your reading list. In addition to the top 10 nonfiction books listed above, i have put together more specific book recommendations by category. Nonfiction books best selling nonfiction books waterstones.
The original cowgirl the wild adventures of lucille. The real wild west nonfiction arapahoe libraries bibliocommons. This book details one of the most famousand notoriousdinosaur skeletons ever discovered. If the item is in stock in our store, it will say on our shelves now. December 11, 2017 stuart rosebrook in 20, i started managing and writing the western books column for true wes t. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. In the summer of 1995, at age 26 and feeling at the end of her rope emotionally, strayed resolved to hike solo the pacific crest trail, a 2,663mile wilderness route stretching from the mexican border. Photography books let you see the world as people like ansel adams and fstop fitzgerald. This story was written as part of a story challenge for the sheep pen fan fiction writers group on facebook, of which im the administrator. In 2017, western history and fiction thrived in a dynamic publishing environment. Nonetheless, hillermans sweeping medley of nature writing, letters, court documents, essays, tall tales, and, yes, fiction, is too good to overlook. History has always been a popular form of nonfiction, largely because there are so many different kinds of history.
Young adult novel and the 3 golden rules of writing a science fiction. The single nonfiction old west book that affected me more than any other is joseph kinsey howards strange empire. Westerners international 100 outstanding 20th century non. Or continue down to see a complete list of lauraines books. Against the backdrop of american history, popular mythology and the development. Its also ideal when traveling since it can hold multiple books at once. See more ideas about poster prints, wild west and nonfiction books.
Its part historical account, part western lore, and theres a chapter reserved for each major player in the settling of the west, from pioneers to trappers to the gold rush to cowboys. Poetry clair huffakers profiles of the american west. If you want to order from the book list below, contact me at the places listed above, or klick on the email line at the bottom of the page. Nonfiction books span the gamut of human experience, and some people have done unbelievable things. In this category you will find plenty of cowboys, lawmen, bandits, soldiers, settlers and native americans. Lauraine is a prolific writer of both fiction and nonfiction, with more than four and a half million books in print.