Customer Reviews

Biting the Dust: The Wild Ride and Dark Romance of the Rodeo Cowboy and the American West

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was blown away by this book for 2 reasons: 1. I have rodeoed before and knew exactly what these guys (and families) go through; and 2) Dirk Johnson did not sugar coat anything, he did not make them out to be something they're not, nor did he "sell out" their stories as real life stories are done so many times in the entertainment industry. It's great to see that people actually take an interest in their lifestyle, profession, job or whatever you choose to call it. I highly recommend this book for the person who doesn't know the 1st thing about rodeo or for a veteran of the sport/profession.

I loved this book! It is funny, sad, tragic and beautiful. If you have ever tried to get inside a cowboy's head but couldn't, read this book. The author follows rodeo athletes you'll see every week on TV and tells stories that make you feel as if you know them. I've read it many times. Wait till you read the story about Willy Everide.

Many years ago, a young man struggling with the decision of whether or not to 'Rodeo' for real in Mesquite, Texas, stopped by. I gave him a copy of 'Biting the Dust.' He opted to join the military, accepting a commission to train in bomb disarmament. Reality doesn't seem to fall far from the tree.

Reading this book has been suggested as a poetical excursion. Likely because Johnson took the time to walk, ride, sit, talk and watch these modern-day cowpokes that Willie Nelson sang so well about.

Catching glimpses of what makes a boy become a man, and what makes a man plumb the depths of his soul to find what he's really made of is worth the journey into this work.

Readers may be cautioned that one young boy doesn't make it to adulthood. The 'Our Father...' finishes that chapter.

This is a true story, with tough as leather riders looking for one more dish to wash, waiting for that next climb into the shoot with an animal that has already shoved their face into the limelit dust, probably just to do it again.

Patience as a virtue is magnified as the reader confronts the reality that every effort blessed will encompass a mere eight seconds.

A book about dedicating your life to eight seconds loses it's absurdity in the face of prophecies that will fulfill in the twinkling of an eye.

From eternity they're all in the past. They're all life-changing events. They're all flashes in time. Care to ride?

TL Farley,
bibleraptureprophecy.com
author,

When Now Becomes Too Late {If we believe Jesus rose again -- The imminence of the Rapture.} Available in print, ebook, and on Kindle.

For the record, I should confess that I am currently in a course taught by Dirk Johnson at Northern Illinois University. My review, however, will not affect my grade (probably.) This is a lovely little book, true in both its telling and in its honest portrayal of rodeo cowboys. You will not want to put it down as you trail several of its featured characters, as they pursue fame and fortune in one year on the rodeo circuit.
Many years ago while seeking my urban fortune in Houston, Texas I attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. There, I watched drugstore cowboys (Rexall Rangers) costumed in expensively hand-tooled ostrich boots and Resistol cowboy hats venture down from their high rise offices in day jobs pursuing oil leases to look at REAL cows and horses. This book is NOT about John Travolta pursuing Debra Winger while clutching a Lone Star longneck.
This is a book for people interested in looking behind the scenes at real modern cowboys, living a hardscrabble hand-to-mouth existence in pursuit of dreams. This is what old time NASCAR used to look like before people started painting their cars and clothing with Tide branding and STP decals. These are real people, flesh and blood characters you will care about and root for, as they launch themselves into a dusty ring, to survive 8 seconds atop a furious 2000 pound beast, intent solely on dislodging the denim-clad interloper perched on its back.
Read this book and you will learn a lot about rodeo, about hard luck athletes pursuing their future using the only skills they know. It is a tale of heartbreak and heroism, competition and camaraderie, full of authentic detail and real life drama.
Even if you don't much care for rodeo, aren't taking an NIU creative non-fiction class or don't know a bronco from a baquette, read this book and hold on for a wild ride. I promise you will find honesty in its pages and learn the story of what it means to live like a real cowboy daredevil. Hat and boots not required.

A BOOK FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE CHUTES AND THOSE WHO LONG TO

I became intrigued with rodeo, 10/93, while dating a PRCA steerwrestler. PRCA cowboys earn less than you or I, get injured beyond repair, with no health insurance to pay the bills...heck..they often die doing what they love. I wanted to know "why" they pursue this lifestyle. So...I searched for anything I could find to get a better understanding. I happened upon Dirk Johnson doing a local TV interview, prior to the Grand Nationals (10/95), and wrote down the name of his book. It's out of print, but, if you can get a copy it's worth it. I now know more about "why" they do what they do, and I've also had the opportunity to chat with the some of the cowboys Dirk followed for his book. They are wonderful and so is this book. I've read it several times, and if I could just get it back from my friend MB, I'll read it again!

This book to me tells of real life, real heartache and real people who struggle in a very competitive and low paying sport. There is no second best in my opion only that gold buckle

I really enjoyed this book. It gave an incredably detailed portayal of the modern cowboy and didn't glorify the job in the slightest. The author simply tells the truth of the log drives and injuries and costs of competing in professional rodeo. Anyone who's interested in professional rodeo will feel a little like a cowboy after reading this book. If you want the stark reality of rodeo life, nothing shows it better. I loved how the author focused on the lives of more than one cowboy and didn't leave any detail out. The reader feels like he knows every person involved by the end.