Charles Goodnight: Cowman and Plainsman

by J. Evetts Haley

An exciting story of a Texas Ranger, adventurer, and immigration officer who became a symbol of his age while gambling with death in the wild frontier regions of Texas, Arizona, and Old and New Mexico. Charles Goodnight knew the West of Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Dick Wooton, St. Vrain, and Lucien Maxwell. He ranged a country as vast as Bridger ranged. He rode with the boldness of Fremont, guided by the craft of Carson. His vigorous zest for life enabled him to live intensely and amply, and in this book by J. Evetts Haley, himself no stranger to the West, provides a fully readable and important western biography, vividly told, thrilling, witty, and completely authentic.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Westerns, American History

504 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1981

Reviews

[Janet]

I am not interested

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cattle rancher in the late 1800s, Charles Goodnight helped blaze the Goodnight-Lovong cattle trail from the Texas Panhandle to northern railheads.

[Matt Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodnight’s life is certainly amazing and interesting. I learned a lot and surely this book is a thorough, detailed, and accurate review of an interesting man’s life. It’s well researched and drawn from interview with Goodnight himself. At times, the book was jumbled and sporadic. The author seemed to be forcing together many people’s tales, all of whom related to Goodnight in some way or another. But in doing so, I often read a few opening paragraphs on Goodnight before a hodge pudge of other characters were discussed, the bulk of a chapter being spent on them. What emerged for the majority of the text read like an appendix to an academic paper. Many stories were just stitched together in haphazard fashion. I also could not understand much of the prose and wording the author choose, despite growing up in farming and ranching my whole life. It’s as if the author was trying to demonstrate how “Western” he is to the reader. Sometimes sections were downright incoherent, making it hard and tedious to read. Several typographical errors were also present that the publisher should have caught. Still, if you’re willing to work at it, what lies in this text is a great story about one of Texas’ most memorable fathers. The last two chapters were very artistic and well written, bringing the man to life for me.

[Catherine Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Goodnight’s life seems to be the tale of many men. He accomplished so much in his lifetime, literally blazing trails for the old west. The book’s dated, with language that made me uncontrollable at times, but the material covers his 93 years and a time before settlers transformed Texas. Much of the material’s based on interviews with Goodnight himself. Goodnight literally road to Texas from Illinois at the age of nine on a horse without a saddle, then lived to save the Buffalo from extinction, after scouting for the Texas Rangers, creating trails for innumerable cattle drives, creating ranches in Colorado and Texas, and meeting many of most of the fascinating characters of the West. Reading about Goodnights’s life truly shows how the West was won.

[Denton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a descendant of Goodnight down his brother Elijah’s family line. It was an interesting read not only from a family history aspect, but also fascinating to learn about what life was like as an early frontiersman. The book was somewhat disorganized though, granted it was written in 1936 and there are a lot of things you have to read in that context, and sometimes hard to follow. If it weren’t for the family history involved, I probably wouldn’t have stuck with it.

[CHARLES SCOTT JOHNSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biography of a very interesting man.

The tone and word usage is of a different era, and some may find some passages offensive. Keep in mind you would have heard much worse if you had been a contemporary of Goodnight. The book is well worth the read. Having a good Texas map and a Texas history book at hand are very useful. Having one of the Historic Texas Trails maps is partially useful.

[Adam Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting because I have spent time in the places of Goodnight's history. Language and style of writing felt dated. Maybe it is that the author has a familiarity with the subject matter that doesn't translate seamlessly to the next generation or an outsider. I cannot recommend it to all, but an easy recommendation to fans of Texas history, cowboys & indians, cattle culture, etc.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know what the real west was like and how real Cowboys lived and worked on the range you must read this account.
It’s an intimate look into not only Charles Goodnight’s life but a window into the past to a bygone time that shall never this way pass again.

[Bellamy Oughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amount of research Haley conducted to produce this work is very impressive. The vast experiential array of Goodnight’s life makes for an excellent historical account of Western expansion in Texas.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book. Written 76 years ago. What makes it more interesting to me is the fact that I am from that part of Texas who can relate to the geographical terrain. These were amazing men who accomplished an amazing task.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great account of the man and the cattle business in the Texas Panhandle by someone who actually knew the man and had his full cooperation in the endeavor.

[Jhe888 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Abby Stopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up just out of curiosity. I had never heard of this man before period but it was an interesting retelling of his life.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stuff, but annoyingly organized and too long.

[Kyle Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more interesting characters of the west. The author’s writing style is not great, but the subject matter was awesome. Definitely worth reading.

[R.G. Yoho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Goodnight was one of the most extraordinary men in the history of Texas and the Old West. The man's life is absolutely fascinating. If you're wanting to learn anything about Texas history, cattle drives, and the Texas Rangers, you have to read this book.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granted this book is about a distant relative but I think most people would find the account of his life incredibly interesting. It's amazing he not only survived some of the situations he was in but that he lived well into his 90s. I do wish this book had explored Goodnight's personal relationships in depth, the book completely ignores this aspect of his life and instead focuses on his development of a certain breed of cattle, which gets tedious after awhile.