One Man's West, New Edition Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The American West of the 1930s and 1940s was still a place of prospectors, cowboys, ranchers, and mountaineers, one that demanded backbreaking, lonely, and dangerous work. Still, midcentury pioneers such as David Lavender remembered “not the cold and the cruel fatigue, but rather the multitude of tiny things which in their sum make up the elemental poetry of rock and ice and snow.” And as the nation exhausted its gold and silver veins, as law reached the boomtowns on the frontier, and as the era of the great cattle ranches and drives came to an end, Lavender felt compelled to document his experiences in rugged southwest Colorado to preserve this rapidly disappearing way of life. One Man’s West is Lavender’s ode to his days on the Continental Divide and the story of his experiences making a living in the not so wild but not yet tamed West. Like stories told around a campfire, One Man’s West is captivating yet conversational, incredible yet realistic, and introduces some of the most charming characters in western literature. This new Bison Books edition features an introduction and afterword by the author’s son that discuss other phases and facets of his father’s remarkable life, as well as a tribute to the author by his grandson. It also includes nine new photographs from the Lavender family archives.
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Bison Books (October 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080326030X
ISBN-13: 978-0803260306
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #845,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #511 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Regional U.S. > West #4482 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Travelers & Explorers #8355 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > United States
It's rare to find a book which is both educating and whose pose is so delectable. Upon reading it I felt I had discovered a treasure. For anyone interested in Western history, mining, or cowboying; this book is a must-read and I expect you will consider it a treasure. The characters (I could use no other word) come alive and the humor they used to transcend the toils of their difficult lives rises to the level of their misery. And, there was a lot of misery. David Lavender was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the reasons for his nomination are clear - this is an excellent read.The new edition doesn't contain any additional writing by the author, but his son and grandson (both David Lavender)add some very interesting perspective along with some welcomed photographs. The book is really a series of short stories, each of which can be read in a sitting. But, I think you will find you will sneak into the next chapter.
I don't have time to give this the proper review I'd like. However, suffice it to say that this book brought the mining and ranching days in 1930's Colorado to vivid life. The writing is fabulous and doesn't lean too much toward the sentimental side. When things were hard, the author spares no words, and when things were grand, his words are sheer poetry. The author displays a clear joie de vivre about his early adult life out on the range and in the mines. I bought the book in Paradox valley while on a hut-to-hut mountain bike ride through the land of Lavender's youth. Reading it while memories of the landscape remained clear made the book even more of a treat.Near the end of the book there are add-ons that were tacked on after the initial publication. It's interesting to note a clear change in Lavender's tone in the latter day writing. When he doesn't like something, he spares no words and his voice is more acerbic than it ever sounded in the book's first two-thirds. Much of what he doesn't like I agree with, such as those who hunt and kill for sheer pleasure, and the immense environmental damage done to the lands by humans. It's no surprise that he became a conservationist later in life.This is one of those rare books that I didn't want to end.
The best work on the area of this grand country.One Man's west is an insightful book into the mountains of Colorado, and the authors experiences that made his life the miricle it became, living here.
David Lavender was a historian of the West. Simply put. But the truth is, he was a man who lived in those times we rarely hear about and that will still ring true to any traveler visiting the southwestern ranch lands and the San Juan mountains of Colorado. Normally this type of book is almost impossible to read because the writing is so poor. Not true with this book. It manages to be both elegant and perfectly down to earth at the same time. We are now on our third copy as we give them to people to read to understand and appreciate the true spirit of the West. We are happy the Lavender family added an bit of perspective and pictures to the new edition. However, David Lavender's words stand on their own and his book stands with Wallace Stegner's books for our family and friends.
This was an enjoyable read. It will be informative to anyone interested in the end of the frontier west and its transistion to more modern times. Also it is informative to anyone interested in Colorado hard rock mining and cattle ranching and the men that made their living at these difficult and dangerous trades.But, most of all, it is an enjoyable and engaging tale of one man's life, how he worked through it and of the characters he met on his life's journey. It is well written and the character portraits presented are entertaining.Good book.
Lavender spins a great yarn, and it's hard to believe he has written a novel. I feel I am right there with the author, closely sharing his experiences. His depiction of his cowboy characters and their colorful turns of phrase are dead on. Great read for those interested in the West.
One Man's West, New Edition Every Man's Battle: Every Man's Guide to Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time (The Every Man Series) Our Indian Summer in the Far West: An Autumn Tour of Fifteen Thousand Miles in Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and the Indian Territory (The ... on Art and Photography of the American West) Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West Swingers of West London: POCKET BOOK SERIES issue 1 & 2 (Swingers of West London (Pocket Edition)) Every Young Man, God's Man: Confident, Courageous, and Completely His (The Every Man Series) The Mountain Man 5 Journey of the Mountain Man (Smoke Jensen the Mountain Man) Four by L'Amour: No Man's Man, Get Out of Town, McQueen of the Tumbling K, Booty for a Bad Man (Louis L'Amour) The West Point History of the Civil War (The West Point History of Warfare Series) West Point Atlas for the American Civil War (The West Point Military History Series) Grizzly West: A Failed Attempt to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears in the Mountain West Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West: A Guide to Identifying, Preparing, and Using Traditional Medicinal Plants Found in the Deserts and Canyons of the West and Southwest West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life Kanye West: Before the Legend - The Rise of Kanye West and the Chicago Rap & R&B Scene - The Early Years Yellowcake Towns - Uranium Mining Communities in the American West (Mining the American West) Sheriff Callie's Wild West Callie Saves the Day! (Sheriff Callie's Wild West Disney Junior) Sheriff Callie's Wild West The Cat Who Tamed the West (Disney Junior Classic Tales) New Zealand: New Zealand Travel Guide: 101 Coolest Things to Do in New Zealand (New Zealand Travel Guide, Backpacking New Zealand, Budget Travel New ... Wellington, Queenstown, Christchurch) One-Block Wonders: One Fabric, One Shape, One-of-a-Kind Quilts The Man Awakened from Dreams: One Man's Life in a North China Village, 1857-1942
