Western
Re-Enactment In The United Kingdom
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Western Books:
Popular fiction has always played an integral role in our fascination with the Old West. Even during the times of the "Wild West", there were writers who would bring the stories back East to the more "civilized" towns like New York and Boston. Dime novels, and so-called true accounts of gunfighters and Native Americans were extremely popular, and offered the escapism without the actual danger of living on the frontier.
Today it seems like movies and tv shows have the best share of our attention, or do they? There are so many great books out there that cover the Old West (and before), that there's enough literature to keep you busy for months, years, a lifetime. Here are some books that I've found both extremely entertaining *and* as far from the Hollywood stereotype as possible. Click on the book covers to learn more, or even buy one of them via the link.
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Gold Dust & Gunsmoke:
This is a great reference book, it covers the gold rush period in California around 1849 onwards. The author has collected a wealth of evidence and accounts from old newspapers of the time, as well as first hand accounts.Dead Man's Walk:
Larry McMurtry wrote this as well as Comanche Moon as prequels to Lonesome Dove. The story finds Call and Gus before they joined the Texas Rangers, and during their first tours. The parts written from the Native American viewpoint are some of the most fascinating. All the characters are superbly crafted and their adventures are memorable.Comanche Moon:
Larry McMurtry's second prequel to Lonesome Dove, taking place after Dead Man's Walk. The story finds Gus and Call much older, but still Texas Rangers - with a man to save and a woman to avoid! The book is the perfect follow on from Dead Man's Walk and is great fun!Lonesome Dove:
Lonesome Dove won Larry McMurtry a Pulitzer prize, and it's obvious why. This book has to be one of the best Westerns ever written. The characters aren't flashy or ridiculously heroic, they're real people in dramatic circumstances. Set against the backdrop of a cattle drive from South Texas all the way to Northern Montana, the story unfolds with moments of horror, excitement, suspense and downright humour. If you had only one Western to read, hell if you had only one book to read, read this.Age Of The Gunfighter:
Joseph G Rosa presents a collection of superb photo's of the Old West. Page upon page of high quality photo's of the weapons and equipment used by gunfighters, lawmen and ranchers is what you'll find. This type of photo reference is a must-have for any Western library collection.Packing Iron:
This is one of the best looking references of gun leather that I've yet seen. The book is filled with amazing pictures and fascinating information, and has been the reference book of choice for many authentic belt and holster craftsmen and women today. The perfect companion book for Age Of The Gunfighter.GunMart:
This is a monthly magazine covering most shooting sports in the UK. The magazine has a most noteworthy section on Western re-enactment written by the honourable Mr Steven J.C. Forber of the Arizona Rangers group. Covering UK shooting sports and listing more related shops than you can shake a stick at (if you were inclined to such madness), it's a good read.
IF YOU HAVE ANY BOOKS THAT ARE "MUST-READS" - LET ME KNOW!
