Shadow of the Lariat: A Treasury of the Frontier - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 088394099X ISBN 13: 9780883940990

Publisher: Promontory Press, 2006

Synopsis

Collected from the pages of Lariat magazine, these 22 classic tales feature all the beloved subjects and icons—stagecoaches, gold rush towns, and whiskey bars—that represent the romance and excitement of America’s frontier. Authors such as Zane Grey (“The Great Slave”), Max Brand (“Lawman’s Heart”), Luke Short (“Brand of Justice”), and Will Henry (“The Streets of Laredo”) vividly depict the gunslingers, compadres, sheriffs, Indians, and riders of the purple sage that populate this always fascinating world.

About this title

Review

The Western story has always been the finest portrayal of all the romance and tragedy that is America's frontier past, and in this spectacular anthology, the Wild West is celebrated through the talent of the finest writers in the genre. Lariat magazine published select Western stories at the genre's high point, and is now its best tales are collected from its pages for the first time. Lovers of frontier tales will find classic authors like Zane Gray and Max Brand, all published in Lariat, and editor Jon Tuska has added stories from such favorites as Will Henry who grew up reading the magazine. Shadow of the Lariat delivers all the original vitality and brilliance of classic Western fiction to today's avid readers. Among the other great writers represented are Ernest Haycox, Luke Short, Alan Lemay, Walt Coburn, T. T. Flynn, Tom Blackburn, Les Savage, Dan Cushman, Dwight Newton, Frank Bonham, Peter Dawson, Wayne Overholser, Giff Cheshire, Steve Free, Verne Athanas, Lauran Paine, and Lewis Patten. Shadow of the Lariat is a terrific acquisition choice for the community, especially for the older male readership. -- Midwest Book Review

From Booklist

This excellent anthology of western short fiction celebrates both the well known--Max Brand, Zane Grey, Luke Short, and Les Savage, among others--and the obscure or the forgotten. Drawing mainly from the pulp magazines that flourished from the 1920s through the 1950s, editor Tuska, himself a western author and scholar, provides a critical overview of each author's work and an appraisal of his standing in the pantheon of western writers. He also supplies a lengthy and informative introduction in which he traces the evolution of western fiction and identifies its significance in the broader body of American literature. Highlights include Zane Grey's "The Great Slave," in which a Native American confronts both love and destiny, and Jonathan Hurff Glidden's "Colt-Cure for Woolly Fever," in which comedy makes a rare western appearance. Also included are suggestions for further reading. A necessary volume where interest in western fiction is high. Wes Lukowsky

Edition details

• Publisher: Promontory Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 088394099X
• ISBN 13: 9780883940990
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 592
• Editor: Tuska Jon