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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Westerns
This is Larry McMurtry's ballad in prose: his heartfelt tribute to
a bygone era of the American West. Larry McMurtry has done more
than any other living writer to shape our literary imagination of
the American West. With The Last Kind Words Saloon, he returns to
the vivid and unsparing portrait of the nineteenth-century and
cowboy lifestyle made so memorable in his classic Lonesome Dove.
Evoking the greatest characters and legends of the Old Wild West,
McMurtry tells the story of the closing of the American frontier
through the travails of two of its most immortal figures: Wyatt
Earp and Doc Holliday. Long Grass, Texas. Once hailed as heroes for
their days of subduing drunks in Abilene and Dodge - more often
with a mean look than a pistol - the taciturn Wyatt now idles away
his time between bottles, while the dentist-turned-gunslinger Doc
is more adept at poker than extracting teeth. With the buffalo
herds gone, the Comanche defeated, and vast swaths of the Great
Plains enclosed by cattle ranches, Wyatt and Doc live on, even as
the storied West that forged their myths disappears. McMurtry
traces the rich and varied friendship of the heroic pair from the
town of Long Grass to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in Denver, then
to Mobetie, Texas, and finally to Tombstone, Arizona, culminating
with the famed gunfight at the O.K. Corral, rendered here in
McMurtry's stark and peerless prose. As harsh and beautiful, and as
brutal and captivating as the open range it depicts, The Last Kind
Words Saloon celebrates the genius of one of the most original
American writers.
The critically acclaimed, bestselling author of News of the World
and Enemy Women returns to Texas in this atmospheric story, set at
the end of the Civil War, about an itinerant fiddle player, a
ragtag band of musicians with whom he travels trying to make a
living, and the charming young Irish lass who steals his heart. In
March 1865, the long and bitter War between the States is winding
down. Till now, twenty-three-year-old Simon Boudlin has evaded
military duty thanks to his slight stature, youthful appearance,
and utter lack of compunction about bending the truth. But
following a barroom brawl in Victoria, Texas, Simon finds himself
conscripted, however belatedly, into the Confederate Army. Luckily
his talent with a fiddle gets him a comparatively easy position in
a regimental band. Weeks later, on the eve of the Confederate
surrender, Simon and his bandmates are called to play for officers
and their families from both sides of the conflict. There the
quick-thinking, audacious fiddler can't help but notice the lovely
Doris Mary Dillon, an indentured girl from Ireland, who is
governess to a Union colonel's daughter. After the surrender, Simon
and Doris go their separate ways. He will travel around Texas
seeking fame and fortune as a musician. She must accompany the
colonel's family to finish her three years of service. But Simon
cannot forget the fair Irish maiden, and vows that someday he will
find her again. Incandescent in its beauty, told in Paulette
Jiles's trademark spare yet lilting style, Simon the Fiddler is a
captivating, bittersweet tale of the chances a devoted man will
take, and the lengths he will go to fulfill his heart's yearning.
"Jiles' sparse but lyrical writing is a joy to read. . . . Lose
yourself in this entertaining tale." - Associated Press
Lynn Taylor and his kid brother Frank may not be angels, but
they're not devils, either. They're just a couple of
men--two-fisted Texans who have landed on the wrong side of a
corrupt lawman. And like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,
they're up to their necks in trouble.
Young Frank's been framed for robbery, rustling and murder, and if
Lynn doesn't think fast, his brother's going to end up the guest of
dishonor at a hanging party. Lynn cooks up a daring plan to clear
his brother's name and rope in the real outlaw.
But it means Lynn will have to turn outlaw himself, and if he's
caught, it'll be his neck on the line--and in the noose.
Hailing from the western states of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Montana,
Hubbard grew up surrounded by grizzled frontiersmen and
leather-tough cowboys. When he chose to write stories of the Old
West, Hubbard didn't have to go far to do his research, drawing on
his own memories of a youth steeped in the life and legends of the
American frontier.
Also includes the Western adventures, Ride 'Em Cowboy, the story of
a man and woman's rodeo rivalry that leads to romance, and Boss of
the Lazy B, in which a lady gets swindled--and the swindler
ultimately gets justice.
""Rough and tumble action with a twist, and all are a great read."
"--True West magazine
* International Book Awards Finalist for best Western fiction 2012
Ever since the day he was deployed to fight in WWI, Daren Lane
dreamed of the day that he returned home. Feeling that it had been
several years since he left, Daren finally returns home to America,
but soon realizes that it is not the home he remembers. Others have
been able to move on from the war, causing Daren to question if his
sacrifice of service was even worth it. Though he is attached to
the ideals and behavior popular during the Victorian era, the rest
of American society have moved on to the frivolous and fun attitude
of the roaring twenties. When Daren notices that his younger sister
is participating in this culture, drinking underage, gambling, and
taking drugs, Daren is repulsed. Feeling that it is immoral and
irreverent, he vows to put a stop to it. While organizing a way to
combat his community's declining morals, the young soldier receives
a troubling diagnosis due to an injury that he sustained during the
war. While coming to terms with this discovery, Daren decides to
dedicate his time to mentoring the youth, attempting to reform
their behavior. With themes of cultural and generational divides,
The Day of the Beast by Zane Grey is a somber and intriguing
narrative that depicts a soldier's complicated integration back
into civilian life. Written with descriptive and moving prose, The
Day of the Beast is emotional and provides a unique and rare
perspective on the cultural change of the roaring twenties. Adding
to the fascinating discussions of this historic period, this Zane
Grey masterpiece is captivating and relevant to a modern audience.
This edition of The Day of the Beast by Zane Grey now features a
new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a font that is
both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition
of The Day of the Beast crafts an accessible and pleasant reading
experience for modern audiences while restoring the original drama
and depth of Zane Grey's work.
Jill G. Hall, bestselling author of The Black Velvet Coat and The
Silver Shoes brings readers another dual tale of two vibrant women
from different eras trying to discover their true identities. Anne
McFarland, a modern-day, thirty-something San Francisco artist in
search of spiritual guidance, buys a corset in a Flagstaff resale
boutique-a purchase that results in her having to make a decision
that will change her life forever. One hundred and thirty-five
years earlier, in 1885, naive Sally Sue Sullivan, a young woman
from the Midwest, is kidnapped on a train by a handsome but
dangerous bank robber. Held prisoner on a homestead in Northern
Arizona's Wild West, Sally Sue discovers her own spunk and grit as
she plots her escape. Ultimately, both Anne and Sally Sue face
their fears and find the strength to journey down their designated
paths and learn the true meaning of love and family . . . with a
little push from the same green lace corset.
"Deeply, deeply disturbing, hard to put down, not recommended
reading after dark." - Stephen King After having travelled west for
weeks, the party of pioneers comes to a crossroads. It is time for
their leader, George Donner, to make a choice. They face two
diverging paths which lead to the same destination. One is
well-documented - the other untested, but rumoured to be shorter.
Donner's decision will shape the lives of everyone travelling with
him. The searing heat of the desert gives way to biting winds and a
bitter cold that freezes the cattle where they stand. Driven to the
brink of madness, the ill-fated group struggles to survive and
minor disagreements turn into violent confrontations. Then the
children begin to disappear. As the survivors turn against each
other, a few begin to realise that the threat they face reaches
beyond the fury of the natural elements, to something more primal
and far more deadly. Based on the true story of The Donner Party,
The Hunger is an eerie, shiver-inducing exploration of human
nature, pushed to its breaking point.
Union army officer Cameron Scott is used to being obeyed, but
nothing about this journey to Lake Tahoe has gone as expected. He's
come to fetch his daughter and nephew, and seek revenge on the
people who killed his brother. Instead he finds himself trapped by
a blizzard with two children who are terrified of him and stubborn
but beautiful Gwen Harkness, who he worries may be trying to keep
the children. When danger descends on the cabin where they're
huddled, Cam is hurt trying to protect everyone and now finds Gwen
caring for him too. He soon realizes why the kids love her so much
and wonders if it might be best for him to move on without them.
When she sees his broken heart, Gwen decides to help him win back
their affection--and in the process he might just win her heart as
well.
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Extinction
(Paperback)
Bradley Somer
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R280
R256
Discovery Miles 2 560
Save R24 (9%)
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In a lonely valley, deep in the mountains, a ranger watches over
the last surviving grizzly bear. With the natural world exhausted
and in tatters, Ben has dedicated himself to protecting this single
fragment of the wild. One night, he hears voices in the valley -
poachers, come to hunt his bear. A heart-pounding chase begins,
crossing forests and mountainsides, passing centuries of human
ruins. Sometimes hunter, sometimes prey - Ben must choose the
bear's fate and his own. Is he willing to lay down his life for a
dying breed? Is he willing to kill for it?
Long fascinated with the Mexican Revolution and the vicious border
wars of the early twentieth century, Winston Groom brings to life
this period of history in a saga of heroism, injustice and love. El
Paso pits the legendary outlaw and revolutionary Pancho Villa,
against a thrill-seeking railway tycoon known as the Colonel whose
fading fortune is tied up in a colossal ranch in Chihuahua. When
Villa kidnaps the Colonel's grandchildren in the midst of a cattle
drive and absconds into the Sierra Madre, the patriarch and his
adopted son head to El Paso, looking for a group of cowboys brave
enough to hunt the Generalissimo down. Replete with gunfights,
daring escapes and an unforgettable bullfight, El Paso, with its
blend of history and legend, is an indelible portrait of the
American Southwest in the waning days of the frontier.
When Jack Kells kidnaps the beautiful Joan Randle, he takes her to
an isolated canyon where his legion are plotting to acquire a gold
fortune. The woman becomes an unexpected accomplice to an intricate
robbery. Jack Kells is the cold-hearted leader of a group of
mountain bandits. Despite his rough exterior, he develops a soft
spot for their latest victim-Miss Joan Randle. She was captured by
the men and taken to their hideout where she encounters one
surprise after another. Joan spots her boyfriend, Jim Cleve, among
the group but hides their intimate connection. While Kells plans a
major gold heist, he is distracted by his complicated feelings.
Zane Grey presents another compelling western drama with The Border
Legion. This captivating story blurs the lines of good and bad,
focusing on the nuance of each character. It is an intriguing
narrative that delivers on all fronts. With an eye-catching new
cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The
Border Legion is both modern and readable.
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