Best Westerns

Those books (fiction and nonfiction) that embody the spirit of the Old West, the heroism, tragedy, and drama of this mythic era of American history.
401

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401

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4.45 avg rating — 310 ratings
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403

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4.04 avg rating — 93 ratings
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404

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4.22 avg rating — 69 ratings
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405

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4.14 avg rating — 426 ratings
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405

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4.23 avg rating — 14,580 ratings
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405

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4.11 avg rating — 239 ratings
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408

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3.90 avg rating — 197 ratings
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408

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 167 ratings
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408

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4.01 avg rating — 7,735 ratings
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408

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4.25 avg rating — 179 ratings
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412

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3.91 avg rating — 2,005 ratings
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412

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4.25 avg rating — 981 ratings
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412

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3.16 avg rating — 5,382 ratings
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412

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3.80 avg rating — 204 ratings
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416

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4.02 avg rating — 1,270 ratings
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416

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4.28 avg rating — 122 ratings
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418

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3.68 avg rating — 147 ratings
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418

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3.89 avg rating — 535 ratings
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418

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3.89 avg rating — 27 ratings
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421

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4.17 avg rating — 2,498 ratings
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421

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3.99 avg rating — 692 ratings
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423

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3.79 avg rating — 5,518 ratings
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423

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3.96 avg rating — 287 ratings
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423

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4.03 avg rating — 12,003 ratings
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426

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4.08 avg rating — 156 ratings
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426

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3.93 avg rating — 227 ratings
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426

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4.21 avg rating — 2,176 ratings
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426

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3.78 avg rating — 775 ratings
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426

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4.28 avg rating — 21,326 ratings
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426

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4.11 avg rating — 26,934 ratings
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426

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4.25 avg rating — 14,387 ratings
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433

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4.39 avg rating — 3,268 ratings
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433

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4.16 avg rating — 90 ratings
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433

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3.79 avg rating — 510 ratings
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436

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3.73 avg rating — 82 ratings
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436

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3.68 avg rating — 34 ratings
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436

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4.13 avg rating — 833 ratings
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439

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4.30 avg rating — 16,656 ratings
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439

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4.09 avg rating — 291 ratings
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439

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3.97 avg rating — 3,691 ratings
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442

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4.10 avg rating — 73,397 ratings
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443

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3.82 avg rating — 1,993 ratings
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443

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4.12 avg rating — 463 ratings
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443

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4.03 avg rating — 356 ratings
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446

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3.39 avg rating — 88 ratings
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446

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3.90 avg rating — 31 ratings
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446

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4.30 avg rating — 21,935 ratings
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446

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liked it 3.00 avg rating — 6 ratings
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450

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3.49 avg rating — 37 ratings
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450

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4.04 avg rating — 47 ratings
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452

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3.76 avg rating — 234 ratings
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452

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3.55 avg rating — 47 ratings
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454

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4.10 avg rating — 514 ratings
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454

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4.17 avg rating — 18 ratings
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454

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4.40 avg rating — 22,263 ratings
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454

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4.29 avg rating — 18,509 ratings
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454

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4.02 avg rating — 3,791 ratings
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459

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4.24 avg rating — 88 ratings
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460

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3.96 avg rating — 85 ratings
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460

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4.30 avg rating — 23,536 ratings
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462

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4.07 avg rating — 520 ratings
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462

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4.15 avg rating — 265 ratings
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462

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3.88 avg rating — 563 ratings
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465

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3.83 avg rating — 16,697 ratings
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466

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3.82 avg rating — 39 ratings
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466

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3.97 avg rating — 3,184 ratings
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468

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3.83 avg rating — 193 ratings
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468

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3.82 avg rating — 3,049 ratings
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468

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4.56 avg rating — 9 ratings
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471

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3.98 avg rating — 757 ratings
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471

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3.68 avg rating — 44 ratings
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471

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4.30 avg rating — 3,060 ratings
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471

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4.43 avg rating — 23 ratings
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475

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4.22 avg rating — 281 ratings
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475

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4.33 avg rating — 289 ratings
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475

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4.24 avg rating — 1,272 ratings
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478

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3.55 avg rating — 47 ratings
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478

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4.29 avg rating — 2,675 ratings
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478

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4.22 avg rating — 23,769 ratings
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481

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4.16 avg rating — 11,855 ratings
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481

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4.05 avg rating — 112 ratings
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481

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3.75 avg rating — 16 ratings
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484

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4.10 avg rating — 2,008 ratings
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484

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3.63 avg rating — 4,484 ratings
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484

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4.35 avg rating — 402 ratings
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484

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4.31 avg rating — 1,019 ratings
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488

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4.05 avg rating — 99 ratings
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488

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3.68 avg rating — 3,027 ratings
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488

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4.02 avg rating — 191 ratings
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488

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3.71 avg rating — 3,568 ratings
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492

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4.17 avg rating — 126 ratings
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492

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3.89 avg rating — 2,857 ratings
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492

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4.01 avg rating — 1,445 ratings
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495

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3.97 avg rating — 967 ratings
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495

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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495

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4.15 avg rating — 4,401 ratings
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498

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4.29 avg rating — 1,548 ratings
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499

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4.28 avg rating — 269 ratings
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499

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3.95 avg rating — 21 ratings
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1,363 books · 1,489 voters · list created December 19th, 2008 by Ann Keller (votes) .
373 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Ann 6841 books
1594 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3384 books
853 friends
Bettie 15668 books
19 friends
Tammy 197 books
1368 friends
Ed 2163 books
5064 friends
Robin 307 books
1109 friends
Arlisa 162 books
220 friends
Marc 635 books
369 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-39 of 39 (39 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Nina (new)

Nina Of course I had to vote for "Unsinkable Molly Brown," as that was the name of our sailboat. nina


message 2: by Roger (new)

Roger Cottrell That's an ecclectic selection of westerns. Like a lot of people, my introduction to westerns has been through movies and this has shaped my taste. Of course, most of my novels and film scripts are in fact westerns, even if they're set in places like Birmingham, the Black Country and Yorkshire mining villages during the strike.


message 3: by [deleted user] (new)

I was very surprised not to see more Elmer Kelton!!!!!


message 4: by Roger (new)

Roger Cottrell I agree
ROGER


message 5: by Robert (new)

Robert Pampel What about Angle of Repose?


message 6: by [deleted user] (new)

deleted user wrote: "I was very surprised not to see more Elmer Kelton!!!!!"

I agree, its amazing!


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Both "Angle of Repose" and a few books by Elmer Kelton are now on the list! :)


message 8: by Seth (new)

Seth Packham Surprised to not see more Cormac McCarthy, especially the Border Trilogy: All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain. Glad to see Blood Meridian is high on the list. McCarthy is the greatest Western writer, in my opinion.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) "All the Pretty Horses" is on the list, too ... (currently #57).


message 10: by Manray9 (last edited Jul 01, 2016 08:37AM) (new)

Manray9 I had to add Elmer Kelton's Hewey Calloway trilogy and Monte Walsh.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) On the Road? The Grapes of Wrath? I can see where there's a case to be made to include Wallace Stegner and Tony Hillerman. But those two books ... and "spirit of the Old West?" Seriously??


message 12: by Martin (new)

Martin Gibbs This list needs more Zane Grey, too :)


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Martin wrote: "This list needs more Zane Grey, too :)"

Everyone can add books -- there's a tab up top next to "all votes."


message 14: by MomToKippy (new)

MomToKippy Cold Mountain is not Western!! It is Appalachia - mid atlantic. Please fix.


message 15: by Robert (new)

Robert Madison Here are some good Westerns Novels.
Site : http://myfivekids.hubpages.com/hub/be...


message 16: by Patricia (new)

Patricia Robinson What about "The Collected Stories of Wallace Stegner"? Many of them are connected and one is a novella.


message 17: by John (new)

John Bishop mountain man needs re-filming; jeremiah johnson didn't do it justice!(john)


message 18: by Shane (new)

Shane Maybe I have misunderstood the purpose of this list, but just because a novel takes place in the west doesn't make it a western.


message 19: by MomToKippy (new)

MomToKippy True, the list is well defined at the top under the title. The owner of the list or a librarian can delete books that don't fit.


message 20: by Shane (new)

Shane Don't get me wrong. I love On the Road, but maybe it doesn't belong in this particular list.


message 21: by Jeff (new)

Jeff Brian wrote: "Don't get me wrong. I love On the Road, but maybe it doesn't belong in this particular list."

I have to agree with you here.


message 22: by Raymond (new)

Raymond White Martin wrote: "This list needs more Zane Grey, too :)"

I agree completely.


message 23: by Energizeddiva (new)

Energizeddiva I am glad to see Westerns making a comeback. There are some really good new authors.


message 24: by Valerie (last edited Jul 01, 2016 08:26AM) (new)


message 25: by Manray9 (new)

Manray9 Valerie wrote: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West is a "Western?""

I consider the term "Western" to mean fiction -- although the list maker didn't specify such. That certainly doesn't apply to Dee Brown's book.


message 26: by Richard (new)

Richard True Grit is entered more than once.


message 27: by MomToKippy (new)

MomToKippy fixed


message 28: by Nina (new)

Nina How about "Plain Song," by Wright Morris?


message 29: by MomToKippy (new)

MomToKippy Nina wrote: "How about "Plain Song," by Wright Morris?" You should add it if you think it fits the list Nina.


message 30: by Richard (new)

Richard MomToKippy wrote: "fixed"

thank you!


message 31: by Lobstergirl (last edited Jul 23, 2017 06:45PM) (new)

Lobstergirl Should Into the Wild be on the list? It's set in Alaska.

On p. 4.


message 32: by Lobstergirl (last edited Jul 23, 2017 06:50PM) (new)

Lobstergirl Earth Abides is sci-fi. Should it be on here?

On p. 6.


message 33: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl One of Ours is set in Nebraska and France. Does that count as a western? On p. 8.


message 34: by Jon (new)

Jon Bergquist Lobstergirl wrote: "Earth Abides is sci-fi. Should it be on here?

On p. 6."


Removed.


message 35: by Shane (new)

Shane Harrison Thanks, I really enjoyed this list. I like the fact that the definition of western is kept broad, so that modern tales with spirit akin to the 'Wild West' are included. I'm still wondering about Steinbeck, though. Into the Wild, for sure; even todays Alaska is in the wild west!


message 36: by Elyse✨ (new)

Elyse✨ I removed #134 Last of the Mohicans. It is an "Eastern", not a "Western". It took place in New York State and thereabouts.


message 37: by Shane (new)

Shane Harrison Yes, but it was 'the West' then. And it ticks the right boxes. The Native and the frontiersmen, the clash, and sometimes harmony, of different civilisations, power exercised by remote eastern rulers, the potential and fragility of the wilderness, good versus evil and so on. Set in the times before the push for American independence, this book forms something of a template for subsequent Westerns. It might be too geographically literal to remove it, though I suppose some criterion of location must apply.


message 38: by Mark (new)

Mark Staples Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales is a set of five novels (available together in a two vol Library of America set) that follows the adventures of the hero, Natty Bumppo, from his youth in the Eastern forests to his final years in '"The Prairie" (published 1827) where he is dealing with Indians on the Central Plains (in his 80s!) and would be a good match for this list geograpically.


message 39: by Richard (new)

Richard Joya This could be helpful.


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