Customer Reviews

The West That Was: From Texas to Montana

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I had this book on the shelf for years before I finally picked it up to read. It didn't take long once I started. This is the type of first-person history that we should have more of. It is the story of the life of a man who witnessed much that was worth preserving and it was written with the assistance of someone who knew how to bring that story to life. The story is that of a man named John Leaky who becomes important to the reader but it is what he bears witness to that is important for everyone. It is the story of the life of a cowboy. It starts in Texas before the Civil War. Mr. Leaky shares with us the history his grandfather shared with him and we get an interesting glimpse of early settlements in the Lone Star State. Comanches, Texas Rangers, cattle rustling, border incidents, etc fill the first third of the book.

As the author becomes a young man, he takes a trip north herding cattle and eventually ends up in the western Dakota/eastern Montana area where he spends the rest of his life. Since this is the area I've lived in for the last 23 years, I found this part of particular interest. It can be of interest to anyone else who enjoys the history of the US cowboy. For those familiar with this part of the country, Mr. Leaky tosses out a lot of names of people he knew and worked with or for. That adds a great deal value to geneologists and local historians. As I was reading this at the local gym, I was able to go over and show someone the name of his father and grandfather.

This is a very engaging work of history and can help answer the question, what ever happened to the cowboys of the Old West?

Reading the book, "The West that Was" was absolutely wonderful! Mr. Leakey tells his life story of being a real cowboy and all the experiences he had in trying to make a living. It tells of encounters with Indians and cattle drives. It is absolutely fabulous in my opinion, if the reader is interested in real Western history accounts. I'm very glad that I chose to purchase it and I will treasure it. We don't have people living who are like Mr. Leakey any more. I wish I would have had the pleasure of meeting him before he died. He had so much to tell! Reading this book makes one realize what a hard life the cowboy actually had, but how they loved it!