Texas Cowboy; or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony [Paperback]

Charles A. Siringo (Author), J. Frank Dobie (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1979

Charlie Siringo punched cattle for Shanghai Pierce, “rid the Chisholm trail, “ once roped a buffalo, and joined in the chase for Billy the Kid. His chronicle of his years as itchy-footed boy, cowhand, range detective, and adventurer was originally published in 1885.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press; Later printing edition (June 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803291116
• ISBN-13: 978-0803291119
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,155,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Dobie's Favorites, October 14, 1999

By 

Fred Rhodes (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Texas Cowboy: or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony, Taken From Real Life (American Biography Series) (Library Binding)

The most authentic book ever written about the Texas cowboy. J. Frank Dobie said that "no record of cowboy life has supplanted this rollicky, reckless, realistic chronicle" and that it is "the most-real, non-fiction book on cowboy life." Siringo worked as a cowboy for Shanghai Pearce, rode with a posse of Texas cowboys to New Mexico to track down Billy the Kid and took part in numerous cattle drives. A Texas history classic.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful tales of true cowboy life, July 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Texas Cowboy; or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony (Paperback)

Ok. At this point in your life you're pretty far away from watching Bonanza, Gunsmoke, etc. with your family on that old black & white Zenith. You no longer have the toy six-shooter and cowboy hat that were the joy of a long ago Christmas or birthday. You've forgotten whether you preferred to play the sheriff or the outlaw, but you probably remember the name of your imaginary horse. Read this book. Not because it's great literature (the writing is merely serviceable) but because it reminds you why the image of the cowboy era is so powerful and enduring. And it's all true. Wonderful read

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine First Person Account - Most Interesting, January 27, 2012

By 

Clifford B. Farris "Cliff and Ann the Chefs" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Texas Cowboy; or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. Charlie Siringo sure seems like a typical irresponsible cowboy that you read about. One is struck as the scrapes he gets into, how he gets out, how he survives, and his absolute innocence. He lays it out up front: "I wrote this book to make a lot of money". I don't know about the money but he sure wrote a great book. I love the window into the people of the late 1800's, yes even Billy the Kid, and how the world worked then.

He was not a professional writer at that time, and his writing is fresher because of it. He is especially not a "modern" writer with all the psychobable, self interest, and narcissim.

You will live a bit of the real old west with Charlie. I highy recommend this book. I plan to read his Pinkerton Detective years, and others.