Poverty Bill, SASS# 45790 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Howdy, have a nice book for sale. "The American Cowboy" by Harold McCracken A popular history with full-color paintings and drawings by famous artist of the old West "Glamorous incidents in the human pageant of history, as they slip farther and farther into limbo of the past, sometimes take into the limbo of the past, sometimes take on an aura that seems more folklore than fact...Using historical characters and background, (writers) exaggerate the sensational at the expense of the more credible. This has been particularly true in the case of the American cowboy. It is also an example of the old metaphorical adage that fact can sometimes be more interesting than fiction. The American Cowboy is a celebration of not only that unique group of men but of the very special world that created and inhabited. With sympathy and impeccable authority, Harold McCarcken records here the origins, development, and achievements of a group of authentic American heroes and pays tribute to their particular place in our national heritage. Dr. McCracken's book is also in part an informal history of the western cattle industry. He traces the introduction of the cow and horse in America, a byproduct of the Spanish Conquest of the New World, and describes the import role of the Texas longhorn in the development of the fledgling industry. The original designation of "cowboy", says the author, referred to those Texas adolescents who were forced to take over stock-handling chores of the home ranch when their older brothers and fathers left for the Civil War. The conflict ended but the skill remained, to help implement the first hazardous longhorn cattle drives up through Indian territory into the Central Plains, region and gateways to the meat-buying East. Here is the tale of how that territory was opened, by way of trails including the Chisholm and the Santa Fe, to bring about the birth of such wild and wooly cow towns as Wichita, Abilene, and Dodge City. Mr. McCracken describes in detail the original longhorn cattle and the reasons why the shorthorns eventually replaced them, the exact duties of "swing-riders" and "endriders," the struggle of the Indians to protect their hunting grounds against "that splendid juggernaul rolling on with splendid desolation." He tells of how the spread of railroads and the population pressures forced the cattle industry to undeveloped regions of the Northwest, and how empires of cattle barons first burgeoned and the ended as homesteaders invaded the free range. The American Cowboy memorializes that breed of tough, dedicated men with a demanding mission; now, "the dark curtain of an ever-changing history" has descended, and the voice of the cowboy - sometimes profane, often gentle - is heard mainly in books like this." copyright 1973 First Edition after the limited edition of 300 copies 9 1/8" x 12 1/2" tall 192 pages book is in near excellent condition dust jacket is good with some shelf wear clear mylar jacket protector SOLD $26.00 shipped to you (media rate) in the U.S.A. If you are interested or need more info. please post here on the wire. Thankx for look'n Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie Dog Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 This is a really great book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinto Being, SASS #4476 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Reckon I'll take it, Bill. Let me know the particulars. Pinto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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