Zane grey, author of riders of the purple sage 1908 and 54 other novels, is one of the best known western writers. This is a list of some notable authors in the western fiction genre. More mustreads by larry mcmurtry leaving cheyenne zeke and ned. Its difficult to quantify the lure of the outlaw, that often. Make offer vintage western paperback books, pick any 3 for just 3.
Spur award winners 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 20 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1. One persons opinion may vary greatly from anothers. The best western novels of the 20th century from the western. Best selling refers to the estimated number of copies sold of all fiction books written or cowritten by an. Nothing, not one thing or activity, can replace the experience of a good read being transported to a different land, a. I am ready to get so much hate for making a definitive list, because of course everyone has their own opinions about mystery authors and what makes a mystery novel good. Jerome one of the funniest english books ever written. They brought together a panel of fiftyfive individuals from twentytwo states and. The best western novels from the western writers of. The american west in popular culture by richard aquila. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. The western writers of america wwa had issued the lists of the best westerns twice before. When i first discovered this top 10 classic western novels of all time post, i faved it and continue to check it out. The best western novels of the 20th century from the.
Leveraction rifles stood in corners, holstered peacemakers hung from pegs, and not a tv was to be found. Theyre organized alphabetically by the authors last name and are written in html and xhtml, which means theyre in an easily readable format. Western novels bullets dont argue a perley gates western. Guy vanderhaeghe was born in saskatchewan, canada in 1951. Some of their bestselling western titles include no good like it is by mckendree long and legend of a gunfighter by robert vaughan. Take a look at the best western books you can read right now. We searched long and hard through the treacherous backend roads of the internet, with the aim of brushing up your knowledge on the best western novels ever written by straightshooting western authors. Mar 30, 2015 fast moving, clean western novels march 30. Fast moving, clean western novels books westerns ask. The first of his books appeared in 1908 and reprints are easily found in bookstores today.
It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage indepth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres, or publishing in a safe, supportive environment. Blood meridian, or the evening redness in the west by cormac mccarthy, lonesome dove by larry mcmurtry, true grit by charles. Listed below are 18 of the best western novels not in any order of distinction. The best philosophy books of all time updated for 2020. In 20, i started managing and writing the western books column for true west. Andrew hilleman, author of the thrilling new western world, chase me down, picks 10 diamonds in the rough. Riders of the purple sage, published in 1912, is definitely the best of the bunch, and is universally found on best western novels lists for a reason. If you yearn for action packed tales that take place in arid, desolate. While finding precise sales numbers for any given author is nearly impossible, the list is based on approximate numbers provided or repeated by reliable sources. However, around the year 2000 the wwa felt it was time to reprise the best western survey they brought together a panel of fiftyfive individuals from twentytwo states and one. Little house on the prairie series by laura ingalls wilder.
Take a look at these popular wester authors and go get their books today. In 1903, not long before her death, calamity jane famously said leave me alone and let me go to hell by my own route. Yes, there is a film with leonardo dicaprio, but that doesnt get you off the hook from reading this perceptive, pitchperfect novel. A good western to me is something like those written by max brand and his pseudonyms, louis lamour including his pseudonyms, bill johnstone not the secret authors after his death, and a bunch of others, even jon messman was pretty good if you overlooked the sex. Jun 22, 2016 clearly western fiction has something special to offer. All the pretty horses 1992 in 1949, facing the pending sale of his grandfathers ranch and an increasingly modernized country, 16yearold john grady cole heads south of the border to pursue a more fulfilling life working on a mexican cattle ranch. Margaret mary is a girl from the irish countryside with a passion for glassblowing, a penchant for. Top 10 western books american cowboy travel people. Using contemporary readers advisory strategies to connect readers with books by stephanie l. Top 10 western books american cowboy western lifestyle. Ive read much of louis lamour and love his books because they move fast and theyre clean. May 31, 2018 today i have given myself the impossible and unfair task of naming the top ten best mystery authors of all time. Lonesome dove by larry mcmurtry, true grit by charles portis, the sisters brothers by patrick dewitt, blood meridian, or the ev. If you find that any site listed is offering content that can.
I consumed dozens of books, and have here narrowed them down to the best 21 that every man should read. Free western fiction ebooks online gizmos freeware. Poetry clair huffakers profiles of the american west. A more complex plot than is often found in westerns, the story follows jane withersteen, and her harassment at the hands of a group of mormon fundamentalists. A family memoir by richard shelton university of arizona press best western contemporary nonfiction.
To that end, this article will cover the three golden rules of the western, along with some advice on how to apply them to your own writing. If you yearn for action packed tales that take place in arid, desolate landscapes, small frontier towns, and. United states marshal western series book 2 randall dale. Best western books greatest western novels and authors of. Authors like louis lamour may be household names, but there are plenty of undertheradar western authors who have contributed much to the history of the genre. The american old west was a time of cowboys, horses and gunslingers, all of which feature prominently in the western genre. Best western books greatest western novels and authors. Discover pick of the month escape into a good book read before. In 2018, western fiction authors and publishers continued to mine the profitable field of ebook publishing and printondemand.
There are so many great ones to choose from and it is all very subjective. The nonwestern books that every student should read leading authors pick international classics that should be on students bookshelves, but are often neglected by universities. If youre looking for help with a personal book recommendation, consult our weekly recommendation thread, suggested reading page, or ask in rsuggestmeabook. Lasso up these classic best western books for your reading rodeo. Feb, 2017 complications arise with a host of bad guys, but the story has as much romance as it does bloody battles. Hilleman picks 10 great western novels youve probably never read. Western authors western fiction authors list ranker. Mar 23, 2020 authorama offers a good selection of free books from a variety of authors, both current and classic. From roxane gay to michelle obama to tanehisi coates, these writers are making an impact.
Nov 26, 2016 leading authors pick international classics that should be on every students bookshelves, but are often neglected by universities. However, if you are western fan like myself, you will surely find some of your favorites on each list. In fact, im sure other authors and their great books will occur to me the instant ive posted this listbut thats the risk you take when you do one. Three thousand books lined the walls of my childhood home.
To qualify for membership, an individual must have contributed significantly to the literature of the west. They publish books in both print and ebook format, relying on platforms like amazon to help distribute the work of their talented authors. Authorama offers a good selection of free books from a variety of authors, both current and classic. Twentieth century western writers, edited by geoff sadler. A directors take on the spaghetti western by alex cox. The assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford. Larry mcmurtry lonesome dove and streets of laredo are two. Dec 11, 2017 in 20, i started managing and writing the western books column for true west. Simon toyne the american old west was a time of cowboys, horses and gunslingers, all of which feature prominently in the western genre. Most books here are featured in english, but there are quite a few german language texts as well. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. In 1903, not long before her death, calamity jane famously said leave me.
One key to being a good writer is to always keep readingand that doesnt stop after youve been published. Based on the uservoted top 100 romance novels on goodreads. The 3 golden rules of writing a western standout books. At western authors, our goal is to make it easier to find all sorts of western books and authors from the 19th century to today. These are available for free download in epub, mobi, pdf and for free reading online. Note that some writers listed below have also written in other genres. My leisure time was spent either gallivanting ahorseback through the rocky mountains surrounding my home, or. My 10 favorite western authors april 19, 2014 october 15, 20 by lee goldberg i love a good western novelbut there are so few writers who can do them well, avoiding the dusty cliches and tropes of the genre to deliver a powerful, memorable, original story with fleshandblood characters. While many of the authors including in this list are bestselling authors, i didnt compile these 22 authors based on their alltime sales. Weve rounded up the all the best and most famous western novel authors. But it turns out that while i probably have around 100 westernthemed books, thats not the assignment and anyway most of my books are part of one series or another. The nonwestern books that every student should read.
Andrew hillemans thrilling western, world, chase me down, re imagines the life of a turnofthe20thcentury kidnapper who committed the first crime of the century. Im only familiar with his detectivecrime fiction, but hes a good writer, so his westerns are probably worth checking out. Digilibraries has 2 free western fiction novels online. There is a separate listing of audiobooks here at gizmos freeware for this genre at free western fiction audiobooks online all of these sites listed have content that is legal for them to distribute and for you to download andor read online. However, around the year 2000 the wwa felt it was time to reprise the best western survey. Cowboys arent much for small talk, so well get to the point. My leisure time was spent either gallivanting ahorseback through the rocky mountains surrounding my home, or buried in a. Including quick summaries for beginners of modern philosophy books, eastern philosophy, western philosophy and more.
But these are the authors i think have gone beyond simply. Mainstream publishers are leery of westerns, so what ends up getting printed is rather good. The best western novels from the western writers of america. We searched long and hard through the treacherous backend roads of the internet, with the aim of brushing up your knowledge on the best western novels ever written by straightshooting western book authors. Western novels bullets dont argue a perley gates western by william w.
The epic life of frank hamer, the man who killed bonnie and clyde by john boessenecker thomas dunne books. Zane grey stands a close second on the list of bestever western authors. Clearly western fiction has something special to offer. In those five years, i have received between 400 and 600 books a year from a broad swath of american and international publishers and authors. Western fiction authors 1 david thompson the tennessee letters, timeline to terror. Jan 29, 2018 three thousand books lined the walls of my childhood home.
So instead i have compiled a list of my favorites, supplemented with some crowdsourcing from other rioters, goodreads, and my husband. During the heyday decades of western books and magazines so many of em were published that im still discovering authors and titles ive missed. A thrilling account of the discovery and homesteading of the last. Introduction this is a listing of 65 sites that legally offer free western fiction ebooks. For many patrons, finding a book that interests them can be timeconsuming. He has thrice won the governor generals award for fiction, has been shortlisted for the booker prize, the. Lonesome dove by larry mcmurtry, true grit by charles. Aug 03, 2017 one key to being a good writer is to always keep readingand that doesnt stop after youve been published. These are links offstie, so download and viewing options vary. Jun 06, 2018 mainstream publishers are leery of westerns, so what ends up getting printed is rather good. The life of an american visionary by joe jackson farrar, straus and giroux finalists. Over the last year or so, ive read through the canon of whats considered to be the cream of the crop for western literature.
John wayne claimed that hondo was the best western novel he had ever read, and if its good enough for the duke more mustreads by louis lamour. Listing the best western books, authors and movies of all time is very difficult. Best, for simplicitys sake, means the best collection of authors for newbie romance readers to get started on and for seasoned romance readers to branch out with. Listen to thousands of best sellers and new releases on your iphone, ipad, or android. On the lists were 83 authors, 112 novels, 122 nonfiction books, 86 films, 64 short stories, 41 television series, and 22 television miniseries. In this category you will find plenty of cowboys, lawmen, bandits, soldiers, settlers and native americans. And more recent writers are even now riding out of the untamed lands. This guide includes the best philosophy books from throughout history.
Dec 11, 2018 5 how to cuss in western and other missives from the high desert by michael p. Apr 19, 2014 i love a good western novelbut there are so few writers who can do them well, avoiding the dusty cliches and tropes of the genre to deliver a powerful, memorable, original story with fleshandblood characters. This is a list of bestselling fiction authors to date, in any language. Jan 25, 2011 the western writers of america wwa had issued the lists of the best westerns twice before. Dec 30, 2018 they publish books in both print and ebook format, relying on platforms like amazon to help distribute the work of their talented authors. Here is our list of the best western books by category. James reasoners deaths head crossing was pretty good. These 10 books need to be on every cowboys bookshelf. So here are my 10 favorite western authors, in no particular order.
By understanding what that is, authors can prepare themselves to write great western stories. A list of the 25 best western novels as chosen by the western writers of america. True west best of the west 2018 western books true west. All quiet on the western front serves as a reminder of the real people on.