《书目》(Booklist)书评
The word cowboy immediately brings to mind ranches, those fabled institutions where a cowboy's work was performed. During the Old West era, enormous ranches existed, encompassing hundreds of thousands of acres of open range. The cattlemen who developed these almost feudal empires were a fascinating and colorful lot, including Captain Richard King, Charles Goodnight, John Chisum, and Shanghai Pierce. This book is not intended as an encyclopedic compilation of western ranches but, rather, represents the author's arbitrary selection, concentrating on the most notable ranches from that most significant time frame. He does a commendable job presenting the stories behind 55 ranches spread from Kansas to California, with greatest emphasis on those in Texas. Interesting bits of ranch lore are explained in numerous sidebars. Maps of each state help in pinpointing ranch locations, while a key chapter lists those that may be visited today. Fully illustrated throughout with many photographs. A very comprehensive bibliography is also provided. Certainly a valuable and significant addition for collections relating to the history of the American West. --Fred Egloff