The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains (The World's Best Reading)

In this quintessential western novel, the foreman of a large cattle ranch on the Wyoming frontier lives by the honor code of the West, even though it means lynching a friend and possibly losing the woman he loves. Published in 1902, the book became hugely popular for decades, inspiring five movies and a long-running TV series (1962-1971). All the classic elements are here: the handsome cowboy hero; the pretty schoolmarm; the villain who must finally face justice at the end of a gun. In 1977, the Western Writers of America voted this the top western novel of all time. For anyone wondering how the myth of the Western hero came into being, this is the book to read. Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press.