When the West Was Young

by Frederick R. Bechdolt

When the West Was Young By Frederick R. Bechdolt

130 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Bryan Applegate · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read the book for free because it's in the public domain and while some points of view have dated poorly, the book is largely still accessible in the sense of action and adventure! It's really a valuable snapshot overall of the 1880's and wild west - each chapter tells a different story of people and places that were factual. Tombstone and its heyday get a few chapters, but readers who aren't so well versed in the wild west might get some treats in the way of new knowledge.

The book can be too easily dismissed as cliche and that's a pity. FRBechdolt really went above and beyond to bring a lot of writerly creativity and excitement to a time that was just 40 years before publishing this book. It was far from cliche at that point in time. Tomes that romanticize the times came well after his book.

If you like cowboy ethics, moral play, adventure, exploration, the power of nature, power of greed, and grit, this could really hit the spot and may have been the inspiration for other westerns you've already enjoyed.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written (especially for 1922) tales of the Old West, with plenty of wild characters that actually existed. By the way, if you are a fan of the Apaches, this is not the book for you.