I enjoyed reading this book. The account of George Durham is as blunt and straight forward as the men he came to know and ride with. That is, he speaks of a life that was hard and brutal. He speaks to how poor he was prior to becoming a Ranger, and what it was like for a young man to become a part of a group of men who, while they were in the business of upholding the law, they were in fact similar in many ways to the lawbreakers they sought. Durham makes no excuses for the things the Rangers did (for instance, the fact that they took no prisoners). The Rangers acted as judge, jury and executioner, and to some, they were as low as the outlaws and badmen they went after. Durham's recollections of King Fisher, a well known rustler, rancher and later a lawman, was fascinating in describing how Fisher dressed, acted, and most importantly, how he consistently outsmarted those that sought to end his days.
A main character of the book is Ranger Captain Lee McNelly, who is acclaimed here and elsewhere as a brave and able leader. During his rather short life McNelly participated in some wild and woooly events, and it is our good fortune that Durham was along to witness some of it. It is apparent that Durham had a bit of the hero worship for McNelly, but considering Durham's young age when he joined the Rangers, and his lack of experience in the ways of the West, it is not unusual that Durham would be so inclined.
The reason that I didn't rate this book a five star was because of the near total recall by Durham of the conversations and spoken words attributed to others, many years after the actual events. In my own case it is sometimes hard to remember what someone said a mere month ago, so while I attribute a great deal of accuracy to the events described in the book, I have to wonder about the verbatim conversations. However, this does not unduly detract from the overall favorable experience of reading this book.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
![Taming the Nueces Strip: The Story of McNelly's Rangers (Texas Classics) by [George Durham, Clyde Wantland, Walter Prescott Webb]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51GxzsWf5VL._SY346_.jpg)
| Price | New from | Used from |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| Free with your Audible trial | |
|
Audio CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged
"Please retry" | $18.40 | — |
Customers who read this book also read
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 1, 2020
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 10, 2021
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 14, 2016
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 12, 2018
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 11, 2020
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 6, 2021
Top reviews from other countries
Justin Hazel
Very eye opening to what life was like for 19th century rangers in the wild west days.
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 30, 2021
