When Cowboys Die

by Patrick Dearen

Book Overview

A man either chases his dreams, or he dies. Present-day ranch hand Charlie Lyles longs for an era before mechanization, when a cowboy's greatest ally was his horse. He remembers stories of cattle drives and stampedes and shallow graves in lonesome country. Society has pushed Charlie toward a conformity that he hates, but he is about to change the rules. At a remote line shack in West Texas, he steals a horse, leaving a perfectly good pickup behind...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0875658202
• ISBN13: 9780875658209
• Release Date: August 2022
• Publisher: Texas Christian University Press
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Spur Award Finalist for Best Western Novel of 1994!

"This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's list of Best Western Novels." -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America."Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's `The Brave Cowboy' . . . . Excellent." -- Dallas Morning News."The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel." -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News."Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law." -- Publishers Weekly."A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy." -- San Angelo Standard-Times."Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality." -- Books of the Southwest."The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago . . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas . . . . Presumably a `western,' this novel surprising grows into mainstream fiction." -- Review of Texas Books."Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range." -- West Texas Historical Association Yearbook."Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth." -- Texas Books in Review."A modern chase novel that pits cutting-edge technology against a lone cowboy. It sounds like a complete mismatch--and it is, though not in exactly the way one might think." -- recommended reading list, What Do I Read Next?, 1995 edition."The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns." -- Austin American-Statesman."Patrick Dearen . . . is of the [Elmer] Kelton School . . . . The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931." -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning-News."If you're a western fan and have only $20 to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, `Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us.'" -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

Media Reviews

"This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's list of Best Western Novels." -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America."Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's `The Brave Cowboy' . . . Excellent." -- Dallas Morning News."The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel." -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News."Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law." -- Publishers Weekly, July 18, 1994."A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy." -- San Angelo Standard-Times."Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality." -- Books of the Southwest."The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago. . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas. . . . Presumably a `Western,' this novel surprisingly grows into mainstream fiction." -- Review of Texas Books."Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range." West Texas Historical Association Yearbook."Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth." -- Texas Books in Review."The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns." -- Austin American-Statesman."Patrick Dearen . . . is of the [Elmer] Kelton School. . . . The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931." -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning News. "If you're a western fan and have only [$] to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, `Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us.'" -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

Media Reviews

This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's lists of Best Western Novels. -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America.Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's "The Brave Cowboy" . . . Excellent. -- Dallas Morning News.Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law. -- Publishers Weekly, July 18, 1994.The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel. -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News. A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy. -- San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times.Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality. -- Books of the Southwest.The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago. . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas. -- Review of Texas Books.Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range. -- West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931. -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning News.Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth. -- Texas Books in Review.The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns. -- Austin American-Statesman.If you're a western fan and have only [a little money] to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, "Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us." -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

Spur Award Finalist for Best Western Novel of 1995

Media Reviews: "This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's list of Best Western Novels." -- Doris R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America. "Departs intriguingly from classic western form. . . . Tells a tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law." -- Publishers Weekly, July 18, 1994. "Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's `The Brave Cowboy' . . . Excellent." -- Dallas Morning News. "The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel." -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News. "A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy." -- San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times. "Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality." -- Books of the Southwest. "The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago. . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas." -- Review of Texas Books. "Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range." -- West Texas Historical Association Year Book. "Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth." -- Texas Books in Review. "The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931." -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning News. "The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns." -- Jennifer Soldano, Austin American-Statesman. "If you're a western fan and have [money] to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, `Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us.'" -- Amarillo (Texas) Sunday Globe-News.