The Day the Cowboys Quit

Name: The Day the Cowboys Quit
Brand: Recorded Books
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Author: Elmer Kelton
ISBN: 9781436116725

Author: Elmer Kelton

Narrator: Pete Bradbury

Unabridged: 9 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 04/11/2008

Categories: Fiction, Western

Synopsis

A different kind of range war erupts between cowboys and ranchers in The Day the Cowboys Quit from seven-time Spur Award–winning author Elmer Kelton.

The time is 1883, the place is the Texas Panhandle. Cowboys refuse to be stigmatized as drinkers and exploited by the wealthy cattle owners who don't pay liveable wages. Those very same ranchers want to take away the cowboys' right to own cattle because this ownership, the ranchers believe, would lead to thieving.

So the dictum is set: If you're a cowboy, you can't own a cow. When rumors of such legislation travel from wagon to wagon, the cowboys decided to rally and fight for their rights—they gather together and strike.

About Elmer Kelton

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was the award-winning author of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Menâ€™s Horses, Texas Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956. Among his awards were seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones. In addition to his novels, Kelton worked as an agricultural journalist for 42 years. He served in the infantry in World War II. He died in 2009.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Alyx

Elmer Kelton. Enough said? Another great one from Kelton. In my humble opinion, I feel like most of his reads make you think. Weigh your options of what you would have done in this situation, what side you would have been on, which character you would have been most like and so on. I found myself fee......more

Goodreads review by Stephen

It's the rare western book that invites a Marxian analysis, but Elmer Kelton, who died recently, was the rare western writer. "The Day the Cowboys Quit," takes place at the intersection of rugged American individualism and the collective efforts of the undercapitalized to improve their lot. The book......more

Goodreads review by HornFan2

Elmer Kelton's a legend in the Western genre, with 'The Day the Cowboys Quit' he takes the reader on a trail drive (If you will), one were his words either flow fast, then they slow down and just like the cattle on a trail drive. One of my favorite parts of the Western genre are the books about Cowb......more

Goodreads review by Jackson

"The Day the Cowboys Quit" tells the story of a group of Texas cattle hands going on strike against the big ranchers in the late 1800's. It's based on a real event. Kelton is a subtle storyteller and this is one Western where you really aren't sure what is going to happen. The book would have gotten......more