Customer Reviews

The Cowboy: An Unconventional History of Civilization on the Old-Time Cattle Range

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I smiled and finally laughed out loud reading this wonderful book by Princeton-educated historian Philip Ashton Rollins (1869-1950), who grew up in the West and knew early cowboys firsthand. He organizes his encyclopedic knowledge of cowboys into 18 chapters covering such topics as cowboy character, what the cowboy wore, equipment and furnishings, diversions and recreations, the day's work, branding and round-up. At 383 pages in its 1936 edition, there's a lot of reading here for the Western enthusiast.

The subtitle of the book, "an unconventional history," alludes to the less than objective, tongue in cheek tone that Rollins often assumes. He obviously admires cowboys but also sees the latent humor and ironies in a hyper-male culture, where men on the open range bonded into a fierce fraternity of individuals. I laughed out loud at the point where he describes the boredom that led cowboys to memorize the labels on canned products (condensed milk, peaches) and then recite them in unison for amazed outsiders.

For readers fascinated by the minute details of the cowboy's daily life, his beliefs and customs, values and attitudes, habits, quirks, and prejudices, this book is a gem. You learn how cowboys wore their Stetsons differently in different regions of the West. Because Rollins is fascinated by language, you learn a great deal about cowboy lingo and how it also varied regionally. He also gets as close as he can to describing the particularly florid and inventive cursing of cowboys. You learn that cowboys wore vests but not denim. You learn the received method of one-handed cigarette rolling and lighting a match on the seat of one's pants. You learn how guns were worn and used. You learn plenty.

I'm happy to recommend this book on cowboy culture to anyone with an interest in the old west and the life of cowboys as it was actually lived. It was written and published in 1922, then revised in 1936, and is a classic that belongs on anyone's bookshelf of western literature.

This book is absolutely outstanding in its explanation of the cowboy period. It is the unvarnished truth about the twenty-odd year period we think of as the cowboy era. Yet while it is historically accurate regarding the nature and life of the cowboy it is also very readable and not at all like a dry history book. Anyone that wants to go beyond western movies and fiction to discover what being a cowboy was really all about should read this book.

If you're looking for a facts on what cowboys were and were not, this book certainly has them. If you're looking to be carried along by silken prose, you'd be better served looking elsewhere.

What I liked about the book: lots of information. I enjoyed reading about a cowboy's relationship with his horse, and reading actual examples of tombstone inscriptions that were placed on those few horses that made such an impact in life that in death they deserved not only burial but a marker with an inscription. I enjoyed reading the story about the traveler at the train depot hearing good news, and how a nearby group of cowboys - upon overhearing the man's good news - suddenly raised a ruckus simply to help the man celebrate. I enjoyed reading how important a cowboy's hat and saddle were, the detailed descriptions of his gear, his gait, and the physical deformities he suffered from a lifetime riding a horse - even riding a horse, rather than walking, when no more than 200 yards separated the cowboy from his destination.

What I did not like about the book: Most of it reads like this (or worse): "Associated with these men, obedient to their leadership, taking color from them, and so also a factor in formulating the social and political system of the Range were such of the cowboy's fellow employees as, not being cowboys, were therefore of a station more humble than he was." Sentences are unnecessarily cumbersome, and frequently I had to stop and re-read sentences or entire paragraphs in order to get it. I understand the book was written 80 years ago, but I'm not accustomed to reading this style of writing. The author also used quotes excessively. He often made sentences using the words of the time, but he quoted every word which I found very distracting being that it occurred page after page, chapter after chapter. In addition, there's no story here, no evolution of learning, no sense of being carried through time or of having a picture of cowboy life magically painted before your eyes. It read more like a shopping list: Cowboy gear was: item 1, item 2, item 3. Cowboy personality was: item 1, item 2, item 3. And so on.

The bottom line for me was that it was good information but, to be quite honest, I often found it hard to stay awake and generally could only manage half a chapter before I had to put it down and do something else. I felt like I was supposed to be memorizing multiple choice items for a test. It just isn't a thrilling read.

This book is essential to everyones "Cowboy" Library. Entertaining, thorough and just a great read.

As much as I enjoy reading, I was anticipating that this book would deliver the goods on the origins of the Cowboy. However, after owning it for a couple of months, I find that I am forcing myself to read it. I just cant seem to get into this intense history (I love history) as there really isnt anything that I have found to keep this story moving along. It almost feels like I have an obligation to keep reading, since I purchased it. I cant really recommend this book, and will say that the best thing about it is the cover photo.