Legend of the Tumbleweed

by Kirby Jonas

Legend of the Tumbleweed tells the story of Thomas Jefferson McLean, a somewhat successful but unknown outlaw who is just about to turn forty years old, with four undesired dead men to his name.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891423029
• ISBN13: 9781891423024
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Howling Wolf Publishing
• Length: 269 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The Best Western that I've Read in the Last Year

This is the best western that I've read in the last year, and I have read at least 25 other westerns including books from Leonard, Kelton, Compton, L'Amour, etc., and I've read the classics (although in some instances a second time, e.g. Hombre)This western is so good because it is different. It tells the story of a man on the dodge, Tom McLean, who has committed crimes. But, in spite of that, I developed a feeling for him, that... well, I hoped that he does escape to live his dreams of being free from the life that he made for himself.In spite of his life of crime, Tom does have some redeeming characteristices. He fights for what is right many times in the book, fighting the evil that exists in the group of crooks that he has to join to get away to his dream of freedom. He is a complex character, and you continually wonder why he turned into the person that he did.I found myself not being able to put this book down due to this complexity in the main character and in the beauty of the writing and the plot twists. The descriptions of the country that he travels, the Bighorn mountains of Wyoming are beautiful. Because of this, I'm looking forward to travel there over the summer.Kirby Jonas, keep up the good work. I'm one of your fans.

THE VIRGINIAN says everyone should read this book!

In spite of the fact that my name's already listed above, from the forward I wrote for Legend of the Tumbleweed, I just had to get in here and put another note.To those of you who might remember me, I used to play the Virginian on TV. So I've had lots of experience with different western stories. This is one of the best I've ever read. It's written all in first person, but by several different people. I had never seen that done in a western novel before, but it was extremely effective.I would recommend this book to anyone. It is clean, with no sex, very little cussing, and no graphic violence. But it reads very realistically, all the same, without the offensive material. I can't say enough good about it. They didn't put my entire forward on this site, but if you get a chance to read the book you'll see everything I really think about Kirby Jonas and his books. I don't think he could write a bad book. READ THIS BOOK. YOU'LL THOUROUGHLY ENJOY IT!

I rode with Tom McLean the whole way

I got interested in Kirby Jonas because a friend of mine told me my name was in one of his books. When I read Legend of the Tumbleweed, I was astounded at the clarity and feeling in this book. It's all in first person, but seen through the eyes of a bunch of different people. The main character is an outlaw, but a lot of the other characters who get their chance to talk are in the posse that's chasing him. This book is emotionally charged all the way through, and I can honestly say Kirby Jonas, with this book more than any other, has replaced Louis L'Amour for me. Kirby Jonas is the best writer going, and I hope everyone gets a chance to try him out. Where in the woodwork did Jonas come from so suddenly?

Replacing Louis L'Amour!

I don't know where this Kirby Jonas came from! If you can tell from my email address, Louis L'Amour was always my favorite author. He'll always hold a special place in my heart, but Kirby Jonas is better. He is by far my favorite author, and I wish his name could be in lights. This book, about TOm McLean, the outlaw who wants to go straight, is a sad and melacoly, action-packed, romance-mystery-western-history-plant study book. It's everything rolled into one with such a great storyline and such likeable (and dislikeable) characters that you will never forget it once you've read it. I'm amazed they haven't made this book into a movie!

They can't get any better

Kirby Jonas, the New Louis L'Amour, strikes again! I just loved this book. I was drawn even deeper into the characters than in Death of an Eagle, and I didn't think that was possible. In this book we see the life of outlaw Tom McLean in first person. When we observe the posse or the outlaw woman it is also first person, and what a wonderful, wonderful way to portray the way these people think. Even the bad guys are likeable, and I was disappointed when Jason Shilo did what he did. But it was so real. It just happened. Things got out of control. Man, what a book. I wish there was a law that everyone had to read Kirby Jonas. This guy has literally changed my life! I don't care if I never read another Western author again. And I'm not usually a huge western fan. I like everything. But no matter who you are, you will like this book.