Emma Bull’s Territory is set just before the mythic gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881. It’s one of those novels that I characterize as “elastic realism”: alternate history with a little bit of fantasy thrown into the mix. Part of the fun here is having what you thought you knew about all those events undercut. When I finished Territory, I was more than halfway convinced that Bull’s version has as much truth in it as the old legends do, fantasy and all.
If you want to read a novel about the West that has achieved “classic” status, try The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. It explores the theme of mob violence and vigilante justice in the American West. It’s a powerfully drawn account of the events leading up to the lynching of three men accused of murder and stealing cattle in 1885.
About the Author
CLAIR HUFFAKER was a legendary western screenwriter and author. His screenplays include The Comancheros, Hellfighters, and War Wagon starring John Wayne, along with Flaming Star, Seven Ways from Sundown, Rio Conchos, and Posse from Hell. Huffaker also wrote for TV western series such as Bonanza, The Rifleman, The Virginian, and Rawhide, including eighteen episodes of Lawman. Many of his movies were based on his bestselling books. Huffaker was a cowboy, a champion boxer, a part-time smuggler, and a writer for Time, Inc. in New York. He served in the Navy in World War II, studied in Europe, and eventually returned to the US where he began his career as a freelance writer. He wrote short stories, screenplays, and novels at his home in Los Angeles, which was a gathering place for actors, stuntmen, directors, and writers who could regularly be found there shooting pool, playing poker, and exchanging tall tales.
About Nancy Pearl
NANCY PEARL is a librarian and lifelong reader. She regularly comments on books on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. Her books include 2003’s Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Reason, 2005’s More Book Lust: 1,000 New Reading Recommendations for Every Mood, Moment and Reason; Book Crush: For Kids and Teens: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Interest, published in 2007, and 2010’s Book Lust To Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers. Among her many awards and honors are the 2011 Librarian of the Year Award from Library Journal; the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association; the 2010 Margaret E. Monroe Award from the Reference and Users Services Association of the American Library Association; and the 2004 Women’s National Book Association Award, given to “a living American woman who...has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.”
About Book Lust Rediscoveries
BOOK LUST REDISCOVERIES is a series devoted to reprinting some of the best (and now out of print) novels originally published between 1960–2000. Each book is personally selected by Nancy Pearl and includes an introduction by her, as well as discussion questions for book groups and a list of recommended further reading.
The Cowboy and the Cossack (Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Rediscoveries) Page 37
