Narration from Hal the nephew of a cattle baron James Brewton who has taken on the government owned land as his own which makes this ranch and rangelaNarration from Hal the nephew of a cattle baron James Brewton who has taken on the government owned land as his own which makes this ranch and rangeland immense. New homesteaders are coming and the Judge is wanting to put James in his place. Men despising each other. James has a very lady like bride coming Lutie. Lutie is a breath of fresh air as the saying goes. Hal meets up with her at the station and instantly taken with her. Life moves on and three children are born. Lutie is escaping on the train for fear of the gossip of her affair with the lawyer. Lutie returns about ten years later, not sure where she went and how she survived or how she never wanted to be a part of her children. The once admired ranch falls into an unkept state with only Hal left to what once was.
Richter's prose is detailed it does bring a very descriptive scene to life in one's mind. His character buildings are norm making it hard to connect to them, except Hal for me. The plight of the homesteaders that are coming to settle on the open range is not that they have money, but the number of the settlers that take over, they want a chance but the rain and water are scare to provide great farm lands of crops. The sea of grassland should have been left alone and not turned into farm fields that turned into a state of dusty fields. Prairie land was gone. Bringing this novella's tragedy to light of the land that clearly was a struggle not worth the endeavor.
The novel was adapted in 1947 as a film of the same name, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy....more
The Eagle's Heart has such vivid images and descriptive phrases of the surrounding countryside as Harold moves through being a sheep rancher or a cattThe Eagle's Heart has such vivid images and descriptive phrases of the surrounding countryside as Harold moves through being a sheep rancher or a cattleman. The vast descending plain upon my left. The near hills purple, the distant peaks flaming silver on the sunward side and shadowed in violet. The western sun sinking lower subdued the silver to steele-blue and the blue to purple. Each ravine was a vertical belt of blue swooping down from the foothills, each ridge between was white with snow. The clouds seemed to rise just above.
Harold grows up fast and has headstrong ideas of his future being a cattleman and a cattle King. He uses this dream for romance and marriage to Mary was his hope, (Garland just recently getting married himself) but life is rough but he struggles with his freckled face chum, Jack's help, through taking advantage of the surrounding circumstances. There is no drudgery in Harolds life and he become Mose Hardluck an indispensable cowhand.
He becomes a Marshall and Black Mose, the most famous dead-shot with that comes the offer of fame and the Wild West Shows. Mary should have never refused his offer. One she regrets, but in the end he offers her a joining of his blanket. The tale never fails. A wonderful western romance. Very well written.
Hamlin Garland, a new author for me writing about the Midwest as a Midwestern writer. He has written over 50 books. A Daughter of the Middle Border gave him his Pulitzer. and he published The Eagle's Heart two years earlier in 1900 than The Virginian which is often thought as the first Western.
(I decided to add this in to my review, about the young man: How he went from Harold a Pastor's son and turned into Mose a well known man for his skills. How he took his learning of being a man seriously. How he broke horses differently, shows you what type of person he was. How he earned his way and how his love endured all the years that went by. It actually ended totally different than I thought it would when I was about midway through)....more
He has been called the Patron Saint of Cowboy Literature, born at a place called Horse Camp, our Author did not swing into the saddle from age 3. InstHe has been called the Patron Saint of Cowboy Literature, born at a place called Horse Camp, our Author did not swing into the saddle from age 3. Instead he was devoted to books and when he wrote his own you know his stories have moral judgments of what is proper even in the cowboy world. Elmer Kelton's style is straight forward and a bit plain for a western story. The hero is "not seven feet tall and invincible" they are very human at "five-eight and nervous."
Dundee out to find the cattle thieves that are rebranding Titus cattle and he is hired to find the one person for all the ill that is happening to John, Blue Roan. He runs across the McCown family that are trying to deal with life. Warren trying to make it happen and have more than a dollar in his pocket. Uncle Ollie is very down to earth and wants a husband for his niece Millie, he is thinking Dundee will do. In the end there is a show down of sorts between Titus and Blue Roan in Runaway but the ending...you need to read it to discover the twist!
Teetering towards 4 Stars
Elmer Kelton is a seven time winner of the Spur Award. A prestigious award for distinguished writing about the American West. ...more
The Ox-Bow Incident was based on a true incident that happened in Montana in the 1880s. It could have happened anywhere in the old West.
In 1885 in BrThe Ox-Bow Incident was based on a true incident that happened in Montana in the 1880s. It could have happened anywhere in the old West.
In 1885 in Bridger's Wells, Nevada, cattle country, some men managed to be elusive and cattle disappeared. The townsmen decide to get together for justice and form a posse to find these thieves. Over a 24 hr period. three men were given no rights, judgment abounds and were brutally treated by intimidated men that made a quick decision. These men did not want to be left out of the majority, doubts or not. They did not want to appear to be timid or cowardish. They are manipulated by the situation of angry men, speeches that want them riled up. Five vote against it and some just sit by and watch it take place though they have a distaste for it.
A story of good, like Martin and evil, like Tetley and how a few regret their decision and it haunts them afterwards, causing some to come to a painful end.
Clark descriptions of every little detail helped paint the scene of characters and settings. He made you think about how people process and put those thoughts into action and once it is put into motion it is simply too crazy to put a stop to it....more
JB Books is at the end of his span of being a legendary Sheriff, a man that shows no fear and that he is not one to mess with he is the true and rightJB Books is at the end of his span of being a legendary Sheriff, a man that shows no fear and that he is not one to mess with he is the true and right justice. Cancer... diagnosed with only a short time to live. Books will read as the sturdiest and strongest there is out there. He decides to reside in a rooming house where he can maintain some dignity or is it bravery, but in the evening it all catches up with him. He howled and screamed in pain as it progresses. "What have I done to deserve this miserable excuse for a cancer!" as he says to God. Which I do not think he believes in. He decides to show chivalry when it comes to dealing with it. The relationship between Ms Rogers and John, she's stern and strict yet funny when around John. He becomes more popular with the town folk as his days wind down. Gillom Ms Rogers son is a trouble maker type teen. He steals and feels nothing. I wish there was a goodbye for Ms Rogers by John but not. The Shootist is extremely well written tale. It is not the stereo typical western. Heartfelt and moving. The novel won the Spur Award in 1975. (4 1/2 Stars: I only wanted more of a relationship with Ms Rogers to make it perfect 5)
I watched the movie a week or so later the film stars John Wayne in his last appearance before his death in 1979, along with Lauren Bacall, Jimmy Stewart and Ronnie Howard. John Wayne was not initially considered due to his health and stamina issues. They used clips from his movies for the opening of this film....more
I picked this up at the Twig Book Store and was intrigued so much I had to read it.
"Black Gun, Silver Star" was a contender for the Spur Award. Based I picked this up at the Twig Book Store and was intrigued so much I had to read it.
"Black Gun, Silver Star" was a contender for the Spur Award. Based on an American Lawman that was the first black Deputy US Marshall. He worked in Oklahoma and Indian Territories which was considered the deadliest location for any US Marshal.
Bass Reeves was born into slavery. He could not read or write as his slave owner stated that would make Bass to powerful. Bass later went with his enslaver George Reeves into the Civil War. He ended up fleeing to the Indian Territory where he lived with the Creek Indians. He gained his true freedman status with the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. Bass worked for a Federal Judge Isaac Parker for almost 3 decades and was Judge Parker's most valuable US Deputy Marshal. While serving Bass brought in some of the most dangerous criminals. "A Good Batch of Prisoners" 9, 13, 16 at a time. One outlaw brought to justice was Billy the Kid who he crossed paths with...well not the infamous Billy the Kid from Mexico, he was dead by than. He also had a shootout similiar to the OK Corral and he survived all these years without serious injury like Earp. He credited himself with arresting more than 3000 felons and killing only 14 people in self-defense which led to him being tried twice for murder. Bass was well known and highly regarded during his lifetime. A giant of a man, quick on the trigger and his memory...that is how he dealt with the warrants. He was a man of bravery and devotion to duty. Bass Reeves died the oldest serving Deputy Marshal under Judge Parker known for his hangings on a weekly basis. Bass died of consumption. He lived to be 71 years old and a father of 11 children with his first wife Nellie.
Author Art T Burton, a history professor, worked for 20 years delving into the Federal Criminal Court cases he located in the National Archives and accounts from Fort Smith which gave him the history of Bass. Burton's account is not a biography so say but more like a story based upon his research. He tells the story in great detail with the background of facts. He sifts through the legend to discover the truth about this outstanding man and peace officer.
Another source stated that Bass died of Bright's Disease.
He was a great-uncle of Paul L. Brady, who became the first black man appointed as a federal administrative law judge in 1972. His great-great-grandson is former National Football League and Canadian Football League player Willard Reaves, while his great-great-great-grandsons are National Hockey League player Ryan Reaves and CFL player Jordan Reaves. Ryan Reaves's grandfather changed the family name from Reeves to Reaves.
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