Westward: A Fictional History of the American West [Hardcover]

Dale L. Walker (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2003

The American West. Just as America attracted millions to her shores by building upon a foundation of freedom, democracy, and a new start, the lands beyond the Mississippi would also attract people from all over the world with visions of opportunity and wide open spaces and provide America with legends and myths that have yet to die.

In Westward, the history of the Old American West unfolds in twenty-eight original stories written especially for this unique collection that commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of Western Writers of America. Featuring stories handpicked by four-time Spur Award-winning author Dale L. Walker, Westward is a time capsule of the Old American West, from the first horse ever seen by a North American Indian to a man who escaped from the Alamo, from the massacre at Mountain Meadows to Libbie Custer's great secret, from the Apache wars to the California gold rush. And such luminaries of the West as Crazy Horse, Jim Bridger, Jedediah Smith, King Fisher, Doc Holliday, Belle Starr, John Wesley Hardin, and the one black man to accompany the Lewis and Clark expedition are brought to life in these colorful and dramatic tales.

Here, the ghosts of the Old West, some already there, others lured to that vast and trackless land of the setting sun, will talk to you in this volume of short stories to be treasured.

Includes new short fiction by:

Arthur Winfield Knight
Bill Crider
Bill Gulick
C. F. Eckhardt
Cotton Smith
Dale L. Walker
Dan Aadland
Don Coldsmith
Elaine Long
Emery L. Mehok
Ivon B. Blum
James Reasoner
Janet E. Graebner
John Jakes
John V. Breen
Lenore Carroll
Linda Sandifer
Loren D. Estleman
Matt Braun
Michelle Black
Otis Carney
Richard C. House
Richard S. Wheeler
Riley Froh
Rod Miller
Susan K. Salzer
Troy D. Smith
Win Blevins

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Western Writers of America, an organization dedicated to excellence in the literature of the American West, is celebrating it fiftieth year in 2003. This collection of 28 original short stories by the current masters of the genre presents a unique chronological "history" of the West in fiction. It begins with Don Coldsmith's vision of the first horse ever seen by a Native American and concludes with Loren Estleman's interpretation of a western version of that staple of modern life, the political scam. In between are the last words of the man who shot John Wesley Hardin, Linda Sandifer's take on the subtle revenge of an outlaw's widow, and Matt Braun's account of a lone buffalo hunter. Other familiar contributors include Richard S. Wheeler, John Jakes, Bill Crider, and John V. Breen. The collection reveals both the vitality and the diversity of the western genre as well as the enduring appeal of the short story. This is a must for all fiction collections where westerns are popular. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Born in Illinois, the son of a career army sergeant, Dale L. Walker is a journalism graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso whose 20 books reflect his varied historical interests: military and Western history, 19th century "Golden Age" journalism, biography, and Jack London studies. Among his books are Januarius Macgahan: The Life and Times of an American War Correspondent; Legends and Lies: Great Mysteries of the American West; The Boys of '98; Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders; Bear Flag Rising: The Conquest of California; Pacific Destiny; and Eldorado: The California Gold Rush. He is a four-time winner of the Spur Award from Western Writers of America, the Owen Wister Award for life achievement in the history and literature of the American West, and many other awards, and is a member of the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters.

Walker, who lives in El Paso, Texas, with his wife of 43 years, Alice McCord, has been involved in virtually every aspect of the book business. He has served as a university press director, newspaper book page editor, magazine editor, fiction editor for Forge Books, book columnist and reviewer, and has written historical books, magazine work, and fiction.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (June 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765304511
• ISBN-13: 978-0765304513
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,620,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Troy D. Smith was born in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee in 1968. He has waxed floors, moved furniture, been a lay preacher, and taught high school and college. He writes in a variety of genres, achieving his earliest successes with westerns -his first published short story appeared in 1995 in Louis L'Amour Western Magazine, and he won the Spur Award in 2001 for the novel Bound for the Promise-Land (being a finalist on two other occasions.) He is currently teaching American history at Tennessee Tech, and serving as president of Western Fictioneers -the first national writing organization devoted exclusively to fiction about the Old West.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!, February 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Westward: A Fictional History of the American West (Hardcover)

Particularly enjoyed the short story by Dan Aadland about the Norwegian who encouters a Native American ritual funeral site in a tree on his Montana ranch. An excellent read for us city-bound Easterners who appreciate the feeling of expansiveness and freedom so often unavailable in our daily lives. Highly recommended.