Of Chiles, Cacti, and Fighting Cocks: Notes on the American West

Essays discuss mustangs, Billy the Kid, saguaro cactus, the image of the West, chili, Basque immigrants and cock fighting

This is a book for every East-coast armchair cowboy; every child who grew up in the Old West of the imagination, not reality. Turner muses on the appeal of the cowboy and horses for generations of Americans and Europeans alike. He includes some interesting bits of history and local lore, including an ugly but compelling account of cockfighting. There is a lot of factual information about the Western states, but they're treated as an entity. Easterners may not find this annoying, but westerners will. Still, public libraries collecting regional literature will find this a readable and interesting choice.
- Kath arine Galloway Garstka, Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.