Cowboys of the Wild West by Russell Freedman

First published: 1985; illustrated

Subjects: Animals, jobs and work, and nature

Type of work: History

Time of work: 1865-1895

Recommended Ages: 10-13

Locale: The Great Plains, from Texas to Montana and the Dakota Territories

Principal Personages:

• Teddy Blue Abbot, a wiry cowboy, loyal to his outfit, who enjoyed the tough, wild life of the range
• James Cook, a cowboy who had a special relationship with his horse
• Hiram Craig, a cowboy during the 1880’s who described the workings of a roundup
• J. M. Grigsby, a cowhand who described the entertainment and songs of the cattle trail
• Jim Herron, a cowboy who discussed the perils of the stampede
• Jim Christian, a line rider on a huge Texas ranch
• Charles Siringo, the author of the first of many cowboy memoirs

Form and Content

Russell Freedman’s Cowboys of the Wild West describes the experience of cowboys during the days of the great cattle drives. These drives brought longhorns from Texas to the ranches and railroads further north, where the cattle were sent on to Chicago and the eastern meat markets. The era of the cattle drive lasted from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to the mid-1890’s, when barbed wire, farms, and a more extensive railway system made the western cattle trail obsolete.

The book is divided into six chapters that explore various aspects of cowboy lore and life. Chapter 1 discusses the history of the cowboy trade from its origins in Mexico. There, in the sixteenth century, Spanish ranchers used skilled horsemen called vaqueros to look after their herds. The vaqueros (from the Spanish word vaca, or “cow”) developed techniques and tools such as lassoing and the lariat.

The next chapter features cowboy clothes and equipment, which emphasized function over style and were a far cry from today’s version of western wear. For example, few cowboys carried loaded pistols when they worked, and vests with deep pockets were a must. Denim did not exist until after the cowboy era. Following these two introductory chapters are fascinating sections describing the roundup on the open range, life on the trail, life on the ranch, and a poignant reflection on the legacy of the cowboy life. The book is rounded out by a useful bibliography for those interested in reading primary sources and an index that would be useful for those using the book as a reference.

Each chapter opens with a verse from a cowboy ballad that immediately illuminates and enlivens the topic to be covered. Freedman provides specific summaries of each topic, punctuated by quotes from cowboy diaries, memoirs, interviews, and references to dime novels. Not a page is turned in the book without graphic documentation in the form of a period photograph, a line drawing, or a map. A series of four photographs displays real cowboys in the process of roping a calf. Other illustrations feature cowboys around a chuck wagon, posing in their best “duds,” showing off their spurs at a roundup camp, breaking a wild bronco, branding cattle, crossing rivers, loading stock cars, and engaging in other typical activities. Other pictures and photographs document the typical environment and living conditions of cowboys: various scenes of the ranch and range, rooms and line camps, and camps on the trail.

One strength of the book is Freedman’s use of primary source material throughout. This documentation gives the book a sense of authenticity, and, despite the third-person narration, readers will feel the immediacy of hearing real cowboys reminisce and describe, with great fondness and feeling, their lives of high adventure and camaraderie.

Critical Context

Russell Freedman, a former journalist, has written dozens of books on topics ranging from animal behavior to the daily lives of various cultural groups and prominent Americans. He is considered one of the foremost contributors to children’s and young adult nonfiction writing.

Cowboys of the Wild West is a solid contribution to historical nonfiction and fills an important niche that is of interest to young adults. Although it did not receive the critical acclaim of many of Freedman’s previous and subsequent efforts, reviews of the book were strong, and it stills enjoys a wide readership and considerable play in school book clubs and other forums.

Freedman’s book Children of the Wild West (1983) won the Western Heritage Award and was selected as an American Library Association (ALA) Notable Book for Children. Cowboys of the Wild West is a sequel that takes a look at a topic of more general interest. Freedman’s subsequent writings continued to be highly distinguished, and he won a Newbery Medal for Lincoln: A Photobiography (1987). His book An Indian Winter (1992), which chronicles the Mandèan experience in the winter of 1833, was cited as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Notable Book for Children, an IRA Teachers Choice, and a notable trade book in the field of social studies. In 1993, Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery won these same awards and was also a Booklist Editors’ Choice and was listed among the School Library Journal Best Books. With Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor (1994), Freedman continued his use of photography and first-person excerpts to create a powerful depiction of the life of child laborers. Cowboys of the Wild West, like the body of Freedman’s nonfiction work, demonstrates that rigorous historical documentaries can be written that are engaging and informative for young adults and that make a significant contribution to an understanding of past eras and ways of life.