Due West

‘Cowboy: The Illustrated History’ - Slatta, Richard W. 

Writing with scholarship and passion, Richard W. Slatta, Ph.D., presents an exciting and authentic account of cowboy life around the world. Stirring pictures by award-winning photographer Elan Penn and hundreds of evocative archival images take you on the trail with the cowboys of the old West and international figures of independence and bravado, from Argentina’s gauchos to France’s gardians. Whether it’s the types of horses they rode or the clothes they wore, you’ll come to understand what made cowboys from every country unique.

‘Violence Over the Land: Indians and Empires in the Early American West’ 

Blackhawk, Ned

Blackhawk (history & American Indian studies, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison) begins with the premise that too many histories written about the United States downplay the violence perpetrated by its citizens on native peoples. Through his study of the experiences of the various Ute, Paiute, and Shoshone groups residing in what is now Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and California (the Great Basin), Blackhawk vividly demonstrates the importance of illuminating the consequences of that violence, which continue to reverberate today. It should be noted that Blackhawk, a Western Shoshone himself, does not portray the natives as victims. Instead, he demonstrates that their perseverance and ability to adapt to changing conditions over the last two centuries allowed them to help shape the world around them. This exceptional monograph is one of the finest studies available on the native peoples of the Great Basin region.

 Biting the dust : the wild ride and dark romance of the rodeo cowboy and the American West  

Johnson, Dirk   

For those of you attending the Red Desert Roundup Rodeo this weekend in Rock Springs, Johnson’s book will be of interest. Exploring the life of the modern rodeo cowboy through observational vignettes, the author paints a depressing picture of the circuit: low pay, high expenses, continuous travel, and the constant threat of injury, illness, and death. In this microcosmic look at a facet of rural American culture, Johnson raises awareness of the modern cowboy’s lifestyle and dilemmas. However, the specter of animal cruelty and a warped sense of what is important in life is never far from the personalities Johnson writes about. Readers who find rodeo enthralling as both a sport and a connection to the old West may find some enjoyment here. Others, like animal rights activists, will have their grievances confirmed and won’t feel any sympathy for the rodeo lifestyle’

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