The Mustangs [Hardcover]

J. Frank Dobie (Author), Charles Banks Wilson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1999

J. Frank Dobie, master storyteller of the American Southwest, here tells the tale of the wild and free mustangs that once roamed the western ranges. This is the story, too, of the white men and the Indians, no less wild and free, who captured them, gentled them, rode them, and annihilated them. An American classic, The Mustangs is a thoughtful and carefully crafted book by one of this country's literary greats. "This is a magnificent book, so packed with lore and legend that one is not conscious of the fact that it is history, too. Frank Dobie tells the story of the mustangs . . . the story too of the men, and the way of life the mustang brought into being." --New York Herald Tribune "Mr. Dobie brings together all his findings in a single book of solid scholarship, documented to the hilt, and inspired by his unflagging enthusiasm for the wild free creatures of the West. The Mustangs will probably remain the standard work on the subject." --New York Times "Not alone from stodgy tomes and rare pamphlets of cloistered libraries of a continent, but from widely scattered remudas and firsthand experiences of salty wranglers, have come the color, flavor and vitality to this beautiful book." --Dallas Times Herald

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a magnificent book, so packed with lore and legend that one is not conscious of the fact that it is history, too. Frank Dobie tells the story of the mustangs . . . The story too of the men, and the way of life the mustang brought into being."—New York Herald Tribune

(New York Herald Tribune )

"Mr. Dobie brings together all his findings in a single book of solid scholarship, documented to the hilt, and inspired by his unflagging enthusiasm for the wild free creatures of the West. The Mustangs will probably remain the standard work on the subject."—New York Times

(New York Times ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

J. Frank Dobie (1888–1964) was for many years secretary-editor of the Texas Folklore Society, taught at universities in Texas and Oklahoma as well as in England, Germany, and Austria, and wrote seventeen books on Texas and southwestern life, including The Voice of the Coyote, available in a Bison Books edition. Dayton O. Hyde is a rancher, conservationist, photographer, and author of many books, including Don Coyote: The Good Times and Bad Times of a Much Maligned American Original and Island of the Loons. He is the founder of the Institute of Range and the American Mustang, which creates sanctuaries for wild horses in South Dakota.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Book Sales (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785811311
• ISBN-13: 978-0785811312
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,393,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Summary of Impact of Horses on the West, September 9, 1999

By 

Andrew Czernek (Mukilteo, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mustangs (Hardcover)

Dobie tells the story of the impact that the introduction of the horse had on life in the Americas, with an emphasis on the American West. His historical research is good, citing a number of written sources (and even giving new perspective on Fremont or Pike).

But the real color of the book comes from his anecdotes, many of which come from discussions with cowboys and mustangers who lived through the final days of the open range in the American West. Great color, great stories throughout!

Highly entertaining, yet with good research and historical value. Wonderful insight into the character of horses.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow., August 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mustangs (Hardcover)

What would the Old West have been without the Mustang? Frank Dobie regales the reader with tales ranging from the legendary Pacing White Mustang to more obscure but nonetheless fascinating legends such as Blue Streak and Starface, to insight into the mysterious origins of the breed.

I read this book for the first time years ago, and I still can't get enough of it! This book is must-read for any horse lover or Wild West enthusiast!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn a little Spanish and a lot about some special horses, January 7, 2005

By 

Kenneth G. Ramey (Paso Robles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mustangs (Hardcover)

My major was "Spanish North American History," and my wife and I developed a ranch and bred horses for more than ten years. So, this book was down my alley. In fact, it was a book of assigned reading in a course I took. It is primarily about the Spanish BARB that the Spaniards brought to America, and that became the root stock of Mustangs that still run wild in many western states. They have bred into themselves qualities that make them special, especially as cow ponies, and explain why they are sometimes referred to as "rock horses," because they do not need to be shod. Dobie is as much a story teller as he is a historian with a style most becoming. He was born in the 1800s and knew the people and the times of which he speaks. Mexicans were most familiar with Mustangs, but the Plains Indians learned to handle them and became great riders in their own right, as when on the hunt. The Mustang was essential to the time in which they existed, and were the catalyst for the life-style of their day. Wealth was counted in the number of horses a brave had, and horse stealing was the avocation that pitted tribe against tribe at the expense of human life as well as horse flesh, much of which was eaten. Whites ate them, too, usually when either they or their horses played out. Times have changed, but there is another book that as a sequel to this one expresses the way in which it changed. I refer to A BEAUTIFUL, CRUEL COUNTRY, by Eva Antonia Wilber-Cruce who was born about the turn of the 20th century, and raised in Southern Arizona. The rock horses played a significant role in their lives when horses were still essential in such a rough land. I recommend The Musangs be read first, then Eva's book, for those who even yet have a fondness for horses. If I were still raising horses, I would, after reading these books, look seriously for a rock horse I could call my own. I cannot believe how much I learned from reading Dobie's book. Little is left to the imagination.