Wild Cow Tales

by Ben K. Green, Lorence F. Bjorklund (Illustrator)

In thirteen stories full of rope burns and brush scratches, the author of the classic Horse Tradin’ tells of the days when he made a specialty of catching wild cows.

 

Ben K. Green calls himself a “stove-up old cowboy,” and readers of this book will learn soon enough where the broken bones came from. Green tells of his adventures with wild steers, sharing with readers the years he worked in thorny brush and canyon country delivering those animals that were too wily or too wild for the normal roundup. Finding them was hard, even dangerous, work. Few cowboys looked for such chores. Green declares, “I got real good at it, but of course in those days I didn’t know any better.”

Genres: Westerns, History, Nonfiction

314 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 1969

Reviews

[William]

I've never read anything like this, and enjoyed it a lot. This is what the Texas prairie and adjacent geography was like in the first half of the 2oth Century. Green has very plain and rustic prose, which sets the mood. There is a lot of detail on how rounding up wild cattle was done (sometimes too much which is what keeps me from five stars). It was challenging, lonely and dangerous.

Green was very creative in his work, and it is interesting to see him outsmart the animals. The reader also gets a sense of a lot of the details on this lifestyle -- the food, the towns with their dirt roads, clothing etc. And the drawings are wonderful.

I quite enjoyed reading this and recommend it highly.

[Sam]

Fascinating tales of the old west, cowboying, and working rank cattle with great ingenuity

Ben Green’s tales come directly from the old timers and bragging rights around a potbelly stove or from a front porch rocking chair, complete with whittling sticks. These are an outstanding addition to the folklore of the old west and deserve to be read again and again for pure pleasure. It was a time when tough horses, savvy men, mean cattle, contrary weather, and dense brush delivered a amazing mix of danger and a truly unique way of life along with plenty of scrapes and bruises to go around. Well worth the time.

[Bruce Whitmore]

Fun easy storybook to read especially appreciated by those of us who have actually handled beef cattle that were not tame. A lot of good stories about particular events or cattle round ups, ropin' or ridin' that Ben did.

Written in cowboy vernacular so don't expect correctly spelled words or perfect grammar. Written toward the end of the open range and cattle driving era.

[Coleen]

The writer is a character. Pretty much self raised (I think) he only mentions his family a couple of times. It sounds like he forged his own path; It was a good one of very hard work,ingenuity and good will. He had to outsmart the ornery cattle . It was a dangerous thankless endeavor that he was made for. People could learn a lot on how to fill their lives from this man.

[Bruce]

Fun easy storybook to read especially appreciated by those of us who have actually handled beef cattle that were not tame. A lot of good stories about particular events or cattle round ups, ropin' or ridin' that Ben did.

Written in cowboy vernacular so don't expect correctly spelled words or perfect grammar. Written toward the end of the open range and cattle driving era.

[Vince Pillig]

Quite an interesting read!

I really enjoyed this book it was an interesting read because I had buckarooed some in my younger days. As I read this book I reminisced and had quite a few chuckles about the same problems great book 0

[Matthew a zupanik]

Great read

Good book. Great stories frum a sure nuff cowboy. Had similar xperience . I jis love the character. The good olé days

[William C. Miller]

Liked this book a lot. I think the author really lived the life. Nothing polished, just the tough story of how people once lived.

[Michael Allen grant]

Another good read

Old stories that make you wish for a time gone by. I’m jealous of being born to late to get to be a part of it.

[Linda]

Quite interesting.

[Megan Smith]

A great book with even greater stories! Always a treat reading these short stories from ‘ole cowpokes back in the day.

[Cws]

W Gre

[Maggie]

Loved this book, too. It is one of the set of four my Dad gave me before he passed away. He remembered some of this life. :)

[Ron]

Read my review at my blog.

[Coldfeet22]

Gave this book a fifth star because of the awesomeness of the pencil sketches. Lorence F. Bjorklund is the illustrator. If pencil sketches are your thing, this book is worth a look-see.

[Zia]

A favorite of mine