Some authors I recommend for Old West fiction...

[jimbobborg]

Movie Hopalong is nothing like old book Hoppy.  L'Amour Hoppy was originally more like old Hoppy, but editors made him more like movie Hoppy.

Confusing... 

--TK

And to his death bed, L'Amour denied writing the four books that he did write. 

[Octagonal Barrel]

In "Blood Meridian" McCarthy wrote deliberately in a Melvillian style. It's a western version of Moby Dick, in which a group of men set out on a crazy quest that ends up destroying them all. The language and imagery are taken from Melville, as are the shifting points of view and frequent digressions. It's there right from the first line. Moby Dick opens with the most famous first line in American literature: "Call me Ishmael."  The first line of "Blood Meridian" is: "See the child." Both are three-word imperative sentences. It goes on from there. The monstrous character of the Judge is Ahab and Moby Dick combined. Not to everyone's taste, to be sure, but an amazing achievement. McCarthy's descriptions of landscapes are classic as well.

Thanks for the explanation.  I'll have to work through Moby Dick again (it's been years), and then re-attempt Blood Meridian.  I thought the Judge a strange literary spectacle, and had trouble taking my (figurative) "eyes" off him.  His oddness was entrancing.  One of the things that kept me at the book.  The thought he is two titanic characters in one begins to explain it.  Thanks again for the input.

[jimbobborg]

Anyone ever look at the Gutenberg Project?  Lots of old books, free, including these http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=mulford

[Darto]

I bumped the old thread to comment on what was last before mine: the free stuff at Gutenberg project.

Yes, a very good source for free stuff but another is LibriVox. LibriVox are audio .mp3 files. The readers are all volunteers (so we may hear some of you Pards reading there)! (Not me, so far).

Here is for instance Zane Grey:

https://librivox.org/author/965?primary_key=965&search_category=author&search_page=1&search_form=get_results

These of course have to be old books, and out of copyright law. So no William Jonstone etc.

EDIT: Octagonal Barrel mentioned Grey's The Plainsman, it's there on LibriVox

[Skeeter Lewis]

I'm going to follow Forty Rod's example by shamelessly hijacking this thread to plug my own western novel, 'Sand River'.

https://www.amazon.com/Sand-River-James-Vaughan-ebook/dp/B01N5RNDTZ/ref=la_B075VGSFPH_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524554523&sr=1-1

[nagantino]

I feel I have to defend "Blood Meridian". It is a terrific novel. We have talked a lot about historical accuracy but once you commit to this course of accuracy a writer will have donned a straight jacket of his own making. To continue the analogy, accuracy must be a light summer jacket , hardly noticed by the reader but just enough to prevent the " hey that's not right" moment.  Trying to please and not offend a tiny group of people who are sitting on your shoulder looking for historical mistakes can't be a creative place. In True Grit we are introduced to the Colt Dragoon but it's more than a revolver. It represents the nerve of a young girl taking on the huge task of avenging her fathers murder. Le Boeufs Sharps carbine can be seen as a representation of the Texas Rangers overblown sense of himself. It's a device pointing to some thing else. Dwelling too much on historical accuracy can be as bad lack of knowledge.......it jars the flow of the story and inhibits reader.

[Jack Straw]

Might I suggest a series of Western novels by a real top gun, Bruce Thorstadt, whose alias is Paydirt.   He won End Of Trail way back in the eighties.   I met him when I shot SASS matches in the 90's in California.  He's a very nice fellow.

Bruce has quite a few novels.  I've read and enjoyed a bunch of them. 

Check Amazon;  https://www.amazon.com/Gents-Bruce-H-Thorstad/dp/0759236844?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffsb-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0759236844

[greyhawk]

Might I suggest a series of Western novels by a real top gun, Bruce Thorstadt, whose alias is Paydirt.   He won End Of Trail way back in the eighties.   I met him when I shot SASS matches in the 90's in California.  He's a very nice fellow.

Bruce has quite a few novels.  I've read and enjoyed a bunch of them. 

Check Amazon;  https://www.amazon.com/Gents-Bruce-H-Thorstad/dp/0759236844?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffsb-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0759236844

can I add one ?   "Road To Socorro also published as The Hell Bent Kid" Charles O Locke (I think)

Also someone reads this might help me find one
Read this as a youngster in the '60's - its a story about a long chase - the central character has a good mare he called Molly Malone and the bad dudes run him down by riding relays - someone out there will have read this - I would appreciate a lead on it.   

[Coal Creek Griff]

 "Road To Socorro also published as The Hell Bent Kid" Charles O Locke

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XV8A3QY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

CC Griff

[greyhawk]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XV8A3QY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

CC Griff

Griff
Thanks for the lead -- I was not clear when I wrote my post - The Hell Bent Kid I have a copy - would not part with it no how .

I was after a lead on a second book referencing that horseback chase - the "Molly Malone" tag I am clear about - the rest of it ? Could that be Locke's other book "Taste of Infamy" ? --- its over fifty years ago I read the story - so am a bit sketchy on it.

[Coal Creek Griff]

Ah, I understand now.  Rats--I thought that I'd found it for you.

CC Griff

[greyhawk]

Ah, I understand now.  Rats--I thought that I'd found it for you.

CC Griff

You might have yet - gave me some tracks to foller anyhow - If I find it I will pass the info back - at the time I thought is was as good a story as Hell Bent Kid - but I was /am a bit of a horse crank.

Some others may be of interest here - there is a series by John Byrne Cook - starts with one called "Snowblind Moon" - but they are three day books,  "Pipe Carriers " is part of it too.  More on the Indian side of things from memory .

Thanks for the lead.