Classic Western Literature

Written first as a series of stories in the late 19th century and published later as the quintessential Western novel in the early years of the 20th century, The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains by Owen Wister contains elements of breathtaking adventure, courage, grit, conflict, humor, and heartfelt emotions that continue to resonate in the 21st century.

Follow Cade McCall as he rides the Chisholm Trail, crosses raging rivers, faces cattle rustlers, and fights marauding Indians while taking a herd of longhorns north to Kansas. He reaches his destination only to be devastated by the most heinous act he has ever encountered. Driven by a rage-filled determination, Cade begins his search for justice, a search that ends with Cade's Revenge.

"Ranger Bill" is a classic Christian radio adventure series that captivated audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Set in the fictional town of Knotty Pine, the show follows the daring exploits of Ranger Bill Jefferson, a dedicated forest ranger, and his humorous sidekick, Stumpy Jenkins.

Here is a story of a young man of eighteen who wandered for years after an accidental shooting of his brother. He felt as though he was a counterpart of the Biblical killing by Cain of his brother Abel. It was written by Zane Grey, one of the greatest Western novelists. It takes us through a lonely land of prospectors and hermits as it tells of surviving searing Death Valley heat, an area that many consider the deadliest land in the world. Listen now and hear a highly surprising finish.

For much of the 19th century, the boundaries of the United States were in flux. The President is pressured to secure settlement for people to the lands on the north and south borders. This is an action-packed account of the campaign to wrest control of the Pacific Northwest from the British.

The story you’re about to hear took place primarily in what is Southern Utah and has been called the quintessential Western, meaning simply it is a top-notch example of quality. It is composed of an extensive list of ingredients: adventure, action, violence, crisis, suspense, conflict, sentimentalism, and sex - they are all there. This classic of the Western genre was the kind of story the public clamored for, and author Zane Grey had great skill in supplying the desire.

This captures the spirit of the American west: It is a classic tale of heroism and romance, with a struggle to survive in a harsh and unforgiving environment. It has the breezy charm of “Cattleland,” as a young cowboy has a major task of saving his ranch from ruthless cattle rustlers. He has a romance as the fast-moving action makes its way through stampedes, shooting and bronc riding in the midst of the rugged and wild landscape of Wyoming.

This is a rollicking, fast-paced Western setting double-crossing mayhem set against the colorful background of the Yukon gold rush.

Seen through the eyes of a French Catholic missionary, Death Comes for the Archbishop is a tale about the development of the 19th-century American Southwest as the Indians and Spanish deal with each other and the arriving Americans.

Zane Grey is considered the first and best author of "Western" novels. In this book, Lin Sloan's obsession with capturing a wild stallion he called "Wildfire" almost costs him his life. Bostil is a man who loves fast horses and is used to getting what he wants. Throw in a beautiful girl just coming into womanhood, a crazed young man with a grudge against her, a treacherous act, horse thieves and a yearly big race and you have all the elements Zane Gray so ably weaves into a fascinating story packed with action and adventure.

In 1851, Father Jean Marie Latour becomes the Apostolic Vicar to New Mexico. While the area is American by law, it's still Mexican and Indian by custom and belief. During the years that follow, Latour tirelessly but gently spreads his faith while facing external and internal obstacles. Loosely based on the life of Jean-Baptiste Lamy and the construction of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, this novel chronicles the events that occur after the capture of the southwest by American forces during the Mexican-American war.

Ob als scharfer Beobachter, zielstrebiger Spaziergänger, oder als Anekdoten erzählender Flaneur - in diesem Hörbuch nimmt der Autor Fritz Hessel den Hörer mit auf eine Reise in das facettenreiche, sich kolossal zu wandeln beginnende und vor Kontrasten nur so flimmernde Berlin der späten 20er Jahre. Staunend wie ein Kind und sammelnd wie ein Historiker lässt er die verschiedenen Welten und Zeiten dieser einzigartigen europäischen Metropole zusammenfließen ohne dabei grundlos ins Schwärmen zu geraten.

This Raging Bull Publishing Box Set contains four Western books by Charles Alden Seltzer, including: The Boss of the Lazy Y (1915) - Calumet Marston returns to his father's ranch to find it's being run by a young woman who remains in charge until he accepts sundry conditions. Coming of the Law (1912) - A young eastern newspaper man goes West to a small town and takes charge of a run-down newspaper, fights against an association of cattle rustlers for the benefit of the small ranchers, and wins. ’Drag’ Harlan and ’Firebrand’ Trevison are also included.

A collection of 14 western short campfire stories. Bandits, desperadoes, cattle, and bloody shoot-outs are just some of the highlights of these easy to listen to snippets which continued to mimic Andy's life on the cattle trail. Dell and Joel Wells are about to abandon their dead father's claim on Beaver Creek because it won't grow crops. Then unexpected events, and a drover seeking aid, allow them a decent chance in life. The boys develop their own ranch on the Beaver, without capital but with honor. No amount of savvy can entirely prepare them for the risks: cruel winters, rapacious wolf packs, summer droughts, mysterious Texas fever, or the shifting circumstances of the cattle trade.

The Log of a Cowboy: A Narrative of the Old Trail Days, was published in 1903. Even though it is a fictional book, the story is based exclusively on his personal experiences. He gives listeners a daily description of a cattle drive that he made from Texas to Montana. This authentic first-hand account has been described as "literature's best account of life as a cowboy," and is still one of the most treasured publications in the western genre, by both pleasure readers and historians.

Die Fortsetzung des großen Abenteuers - der junge Erzähler ist noch kein Old Shatterhand, besiegt aber trotzdem den edlen Winnetou im Kampf. Die ursprüngliche Version der Geschichte, die später zum zweiten Band des "Winnetou" wurde und von der Elemente auch Eingang in den ersten Band fanden.

So manchem Karl-May-Leser wird die Geschichte vertraut vorkommen und doch wieder nicht. May arbeitete seinen ersten großen Wildwest-Roman (noch vor dem "Schatz im Silbersee" geschrieben) mit deutlichen Veränderungen in den zweiten Teil seines "Winnetou" ein. Die unverfälschte Urfassung galt lange Zeit als verschollen und ist an vielen Stellen logischer und ausführlicher als die endgültige Buchversion.

A raging flood in Missouri took the lives of a married couple who barely got their three-year-old son into a cradle that carried him downstream. The parents were drowned. A kind rancher managed to pull the makeshift device to shore and wound up calling the boy Dave and raising the youngster to manhood without a known family name. The savior didn’t officially adopt the boy but they behaved as a loving father and son in adult life. A scoundrel family discovered the truth and labeled the young man a “nameless nobody.”

In O Pioneers, we meet the Bergsons, a family of farmers in the fictional town of Hanover, Nebraska who have emigrated to America from Sweden. When the family patriarch dies, the running of the farm falls to the eldest daughter, Alexandra, who struggles to make the farm viable and provide for the family. Eventually, the focus turns to the romantic entanglements of Alexandra and her brother as well as touching upon the enormous difficulties of running a farm at the turn of the last century.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and widely considered to be Edna Ferber’s greatest achievement, So Big is a classic novel of turn-of-the-century Chicago. So Big is the unforgettable story of the indomitable Selina Peake DeJong and her struggles to stay afloat and maintain her dignity in the face of a challenging marriage, widowhood, and single parenthood.