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The Searchers by John Ford


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Where Eagles Dance: A Saga of Early California


Marian Sepulveda - 2015
    The wagon trains, Indian attacks, a lone survivor, and her tale of life among the Kumeyaay. Parts of this story are factual: the trail blazing Butterfield Overland Mail, the unfolding conflicts in California over the issue of slavery, and the looming Civil War. Woven into this historical fabric are the stories of Abby, a young girl raised by Indians; John Jay Butterfield, scion of the founder of the Overland Mail; Waterman Ormsby, reporter for the New York Herald; and many other compelling personages drawn from fact and fiction. Join author Marian Sepulveda as she guides you through this unique chapter in early California lore.

JL Tate, Texas Ranger


Lou Bradshaw - 2015
    A short time later we find him up to his chin in the embrace of a lovely lady outlaw. He’s able to get himself untangle, only to come face to face with nearly a half ton of stolen Civil War gold, which the great State of Texas has placed a claim on. JL and his Ranger partner, Spade Carson, become involved with the gang seeking to recover the gold and a rival gang seeking to take it, by whatever means necessary. A sweet young lass is right in the middle of the fray, and Tate is of course, in no way immune to the charms of Eve. From Odessa to El Paso, there is no safety for Tate and Carson. Ambushes, night raids, and lust for the yellow gold, keep the two Rangers living on the raw gritty edge. But they must keep going forward because there’s no going back.

Adobe Walls


Robert Vaughan - 1998
    Hank wanders West, until he stumbles on the town of Adobe Walls. Soon the town comes under attack by nearly 400 Cheyenne. Outnumbered and desperately low on ammunition, the town's only chance for survival rests on Hank's impossible long-distance shot to kill the Cheyenne chief.

The Scout


Harry Combs - 1995
    a towering tale of dreams unfettered, of mustangs running free, and of young men riding hell-bent-for-leather into Indian country for no other reason than they were young, brave and wild.By 1900 the Old West was vanishing, but the man many called its fastest gun was still alive.  By then Car Brules had shut himself and his secrets away in a cabin on Colorado's Lone Cone Peak.  Only one person knew his real story, a boy of eleven who became his friend and heard his extraordinary tales in 1909.  The Scout is that unforgettable story, just as young Steven Cartwright heard it, just as Brules told it: hard and gritty, wry with a cowboy's humor, and true to the spirits of all those who loved the west--and died for it--from Custer to Crazy Horse.Many hard, hurting things had driven Cat Brules to become the man he was.  The death of his beloved Shoshone bride, Wild Rose, was one of them.  Months after Brules lost her--brutally and far too soon--Wild Rose still came to him in his dreams.  With a void in his heart and a reckless spirit, Brules signed on as a Scout for General George Crook, whose cavalry was headed into the Badlands. Then, the U.S. Army still didn't know that there were fifteen thousand Sioux and Cheyenne in those Wyoming foothills, and under chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, every one of them was willing to fight to the death to live free.Brules's account of the violence that ensued, told with eyewitness immediacy and chilling authenticity, is one of courage and shame as he rides the trail toward the Little Big Horn and the battles that followed.  Seeing for himself the dying of a way of life, Brules tells a searing truth about America's history: the betrayal of Custer to the Sioux, the hunting of Geronimo, and the U.S. Army's cruel pursuit of Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce.  And here too are the women who loved Brules: White Antelope, the gentle Indian maiden who wanted what Brules felt he could never give again--and Melisande, the saucy Mormon girl who might be too much for even Cat Brules to handle.Debunking the myths of the Old West and the romanticism of movies, renowned Western writer Harry Combs creates a vision at once more complex, magnificent and genuine--from the make of the rifle to the caliber of the bullet that cut Custer down.  A novel unmatched in excitement and adventure, The Scout lets you smell the cordite, feel a man's hard need for a woman, and discover that the real flesh and blood inhabitants of those legendary days were tougher, bolder and more fascinating than we ever dared to imagine.

Matagorda/The First Fast Draw (Bantam Books Western)


Louis L'Amour - 2008
    Now he’s settled on the Texas coast, working a ranch as the partner of his old friend Tom Kittery—and finding himself in the middle of a feud between Kittery and a neighboring family. But the danger from outside is nothing compared to the threat within, as Duvarney suspects Kittery’s woman isn’t all she appears to be. Tap may have to go to war again. But this time will it be with his closest friend?The First Fast DrawEast Texas wasn’t much of a home for Cullen Baker. Few liked him, and some even tried to kill him. Yet after three years of wandering, he’s back to farm the land that is rightfully his. But Cullen’s neighbors have long memories, and his worst adversary has teamed up with a vicious outlaw. With enemies closing in on all sides and threatening the woman he loves, Cullen will have to be faster than lightning—and twice as deadly—just to survive.From the Paperback edition.

Deadly Pursuit (Jess Williams #72)


Robert J. Thomas - 2018
    He tracks Shelly for a short while from the scene, but Shelly is covering his tracks well. That takes him to the town of Holly, where he meets a rich rancher by the name of Orton Ruse. He quickly discovers that Shelly, who had previously worked for the rancher, robbed the stagecoach and took one hundred thousand dollars that belonged to Ruse. Ruse offers Jess a large cash reward to hunt Shelly down and get his money back. Meanwhile, another man, who was inside the stagecoach when Shelly robbed it, decides to go after Shelly himself for the money. Their paths cross several times and Jess is not sure if he’s a friend or foe, but time will tell as the two men hunt for the elusive Hank Shelly.

Lawdog: The Life and Times of Hayden Tilden


J. Lee Butts - 2001
    Lee Butts! Legendary as the meanest, most fearless lawdog of the Old West, Hayden Tilden sometimes blurs the line between U.S. Marshal and hired assassin. His adventures all began with one murderous, cold-blooded bastard: Saginaw Bob Magruder. The depraved killer butchered Tilden’s entire family and hurled the young man into a ruthless, bloody crusade for vengeance and a career as a U. S. Marshal. Tracking down Magruder will be just the beginning of Tilden’s adventures, bringing his own brand of justice to the wild and lawless West. “Lawdog has it all. I couldn’t put it down.” —Jack Ballas, author of A Town Afraid “Lawdog should assume its rightful place beside other Western classics.” —Peter Brandvold, bestselling author of Once Hell Freezes Over About the Author: J. Lee Butts is the author of 22 published books and numerous magazine articles and short works. His book Brotherhood of Blood was runner-up for the Western Writers of America Spur Award in 2005. He’s worn many hats over the years (teacher, administrator, pool manager, IBM supervisor, and western author), and he and his late wife lived everywhere from Los Angeles to Dallas. Currently he’s hanging those hats back in White Hall, Arkansas.

Sudden Strikes Back


Frederick H. Christian - 1971
    Then the Slash 8’s owner was bushwacked, and with its back to the wall, Green’s fighting crew made its declaration; Stay off the Slash 8 range — or stay on it — permanent!Green knew that when a showdown came it would come with blazing guns. He was ready for that. What his embattled riders didn’t know was that down in Texas he was known by another name — Sudden.(A Sudden Western)

Billy the Kid: An Autobiography


Daniel A. Edwards - 2014
    Jesse walked out of prison a free man and disappeared, never to be heard from again. Never, that is, until 1949 when he came out of hiding after almost 60 years to claim his inheritance. In the course of proving his identity to a court Jesse told some amazing stories of his time when he was an outlaw but his biggest revelation of all was that his good friend Billy the Kid was still alive. Jesse led a young lawyer to an old man named not William H. Bonney but William H. Roberts who after some consideration finally agreed to come forward and reveal himself as Billy the Kid only if he would help him obtain a pardon from the Governor before his death so he could die a free man. You see, Billy the Kid was still wanted for murder and was condemned to hang. To come forward and reveal himself was to risk being arrested and put to death. This was a risk that William H. Roberts was willing to take. He sat down with the young lawyer and told his story. That story is the one true autobiography of Billy the Kid and told only one time, to one man. This is his story.

Blood Redemption


A.H. Holt - 2008
    As Red's horse quickens, its legs bunching close to its belly, Wes slams his quirt down with every gallop. The black runs steady, advancing until its nose is even with the palomino's...In the race as in life, cousins Red and Wes are bitter rivals--Wes the spoiled heir of the sprawling White Willow Ranch and Red the son of a humble rancher. In the heat of an argument, Wes is poised to murder an unconscious Red, but, in a panic, kills the onlooking barkeep instead. Red awakens to find himself framed for Wes's crime and is quickly sentenced and sent off to Yuma. Released from his false imprisonment, Red returns home to find Wes forced into hiding, White Willow taken over by a gang of outlaws, and his own prized mustangs stolen. Setting out to retrieve his property and clear his name no matter the challenge, Red's plans begin to unfold. But when the outlaws kidnap Wes's son, Red must forget revenge and join with his enemy to save the innocent child.

The Silver Trail (An O'Brien Western Book 1)


Ben Bridges - 2013
    He’s been everything from lawman to bounty hawk and he’s as tough as they come. Right now he’s riding shotgun for an expedition led by an ex-Army buddy. Their goal: to find a lost canyon of silver down in Mexico. But the way is blocked by gunmen working for a greedy Mexican businessman, and a ghost from O’Brien’s past. To survive, O’Brien must kill or be killed...

Good Men Stand


Dave P. Fisher - 2016
    A year after Charles Sampson was sentenced to prison accusations and rumors that Brian Richards had stolen Sampson’s ranch begin to circulate among smaller local ranchers, who fear that he will do it to them. When the talk turns to threats of burning Richards out, Devon Macleod steps in to back his friend. Driven by a dark secret from the past, outlaw Harper Sloan shows up in Drewsey with his gang to further agitate the ranchers into taking action against Richards. What shadowy purpose lay behind Sloan’s actions is a mystery to them all. When his home is attacked and Sam Raven is found shot in the back, Richards has had enough. Backed by his men, Macleod, and the Parker brothers, he sends a loud and clear message to the Drewsey faction of rancher and outlaw alike, “He wanted a war, now he has one. Tell Harper Sloan that Brian Richards has come out to fight.” Note: Formerly titled "A Man for the Country", published by Bottom of the Hill Publishing. The rewritten and enhanced novel is now published by Double Diamond Books under the title "Good Men Stand".

Storm Warrior XV: Who Am I?


W.L. Cox - 2015
    Charles, George, Gray Wolf, and Swimming Otter travel to Denver to seek the help of his old friend, Hunt-U.S. Marshal to investigate the death of Colonel Hawks.Charles informs Hunt that Gray Wolf has an interest in becoming a U.S. Deputy Marshal, so Hunt makes Gray Wolf a temporary marshal so that he can be evaluated. Hunt assigns Gray Wolf a duty to ride with Dodd, Jason, Dewey, and Bill to stop the wagon train and investigate the death of Colonel Hawks.Charles travels to the ranch to check out his finished home, and is pleased with what he finds. Charles discovers a need for dairy, chicken, and pork products and looks for land to begin a large industrial farm and searches for a building in Denver to establish a warehouse, and a store front to sell his products.While riding to discover new land Charles is bushwhacked by two criminals on the run, and is robbed of his prized personal possessions, and rolled over a cliff and left for dead.Wind Fire returns home without Charles, and a massive manhunt is instigated by Hunt and the other available U.S. Deputy Marshals.Charles is found, and he is near death and is transported to a hospital in New Orleans for head trauma surgery. Charles awakens, but doesn’t know who he is and is surrounded by people that he has no memory of.

Nelson's Wake: Under Admiralty Orders - The Oliver Quintrell Series - Book 6


M.C. Muir - 2020
    

Seven Fingers a' Brazos


Eric H. Heisner - 2018
    When a wagon train of homesteaders is massacred by outlaws, a young male survivor is determined to rescue his stolen siblings. Dragged from his now peaceful existence, former military scout, Holton Lang invests himself in the search for the stolen captives as well as the difficult task of keeping the young man alive. As the search continues across three states, Holton meets old friends and finds new meaning in life as his job of survival embraces a newfound kinship.