Trailin'

by Max Brand

A Western story as only Max Brand can write, as those who read The Untamed will testify; and from the moment when Anthony Woodbury backs the outlaw stallion in Madison Square Garden until, under the shadow of Two Brother Mountains in the Far West, he stands face to face with a long-dead past and comes to a final great decision. A Western classic from the pages of All-Story Weekly by Frederick Faust AKA Max Brand.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction

Paperback

First published September 1, 1974

About the author

Frederick Schiller Faust (see also Frederick Faust), aka Frank Austin, George Owen Baxter, Walter C. Butler, George Challis, Evin Evan, Evan Evans, Frederick Faust, John Frederick, Frederick Frost, David Manning, Peter Henry Morland, Lee Bolt, Peter Dawson, Martin Dexter, Dennis Lawson, M.B., Hugh Owen, Nicholas Silver

Max Brand, one of America's most popular and prolific novelists and author of such enduring works as Destry Rides Again and the Doctor Kildare stories, died on the Italian front in 1944.

Reviews

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

That era that has inspired people worldwide and motivated literally thousands of books and movies known as the Wild West, only lasted slightly more that a score of years. Before the dawn of the Twentieth Century, the epoch was fading into the past. Thanks to men as Frederick Schiller Faust (1892-1944), aka Max Brand the spirit of the times lives on in their many stories and novels. In Faust’s relative short life (52 years), he managed to have an extremely prolific career as a writer under various pseudonyms. Trailin’ is the story of a man in search of his roots. When a young man is asked about his mother by a stranger, he suddenly realizes that she was the one subject he knew nothing about. He leaves his home and life in New York and goes west, in search of a cabin at the base of twin peaks that just might give him the answers he seeks. It is a moving and emotional story of loves and lives lost in a time of lawlessness and turmoil. In a tradition created by writers like Zane Gray and Louis L’Amour, Frederick Faust, aka Max Brand has created a story to warm your heart and stick in you memory for many years to come. This is a book for the masses!

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent Western, all the way around. Even the villains were tall and strong with only their personality and personal morality to put them on the wrong side of the trail.

Probable Spoiler Next!

The maze of parentage really isn't that difficult to navigate, but the twists reminded me of several of Edgar Rice Burroughs' westerns and other adventure tales. That is not an insult, as ERB's books without Tarzan or John Carter as the protagonist are very underappreciated in my opinion.

Find it and Read it!

[Randal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Brand's second novel, published in 1920. A solid Western with a strong plot. Highly readable 123 years after publication. I was fortunate to be able to read a first edition, courtesy of the UC Berkeley Library (off-campus storage).

[Aravind · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first taste of a Max Brand western and it felt good. The story follows a city boy - a tenderfoot - from the east who travels to the wild west in search of his father's killer. There is a lot of action in this one, with some well built characters.
Though it was predictable, I enjoyed the fun ride a lot!

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western listening 🎧
Due to eye damage and issues from shingles Alexa reads to me
Another will written western adventure by Max Brand. The character are interesting and will developed. The story line is about a man raised in the East going West to find the truth. I would recommend to readers of westerns. Enjoy the adventure of reading. 2021

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serious plot with a feel good ending. A touch of humor in the supporting cast. The cowboys. Excellent read.

Serious plot with a feel good ending. A touch of humor in the supporting cast of characters. An excellent read.

[Sherri-lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poet of the western era

Exquisite writing !A wonderful understanding of complexe émotion and earthly tragedies.Masterful scences and vivid images of nature. He is my favorite storyteller of all time of the western genre

[Adam Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Brand's Finest!!

A true western, full of revenge, saloon fighting, and of course love. The characters are well fleshed out, to the point the reader can easily visualize each gristled ranch hand in the book!

[J.L. Rallios · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, but predictable Western. Loved it, nonetheless. Max Brand is my favorite Western writer.

[JUAN M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the characters created in the book.
A different type of western love story/action western.

[Malcolm · Rating 2 out of 5]

A curious book. Max Brand was a pen name for a very prolific writer yet this novel is not a typical pot boiler. The writer does not seek to challenge his readers with moral dilemmas or problems. His hero does violent things but always takes the moral high ground. The bad guys are just plain bad. Yet there are some literary qualities.
For example the title does sum up the plot. For much of the novel Anthony Bard is on the trail of William Drew or Steve Nash is on the trail of Anthony Bard. We also realise that William Drew had been on the trail of John Bard.
But, above all it is the similes which grab attention. They sometimes reach epic proportions. Many are clever and there are so many of them. This is not the stereotypical writing of the dime novelist although I guess Max Brand was a dime novelist

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rich polo-playing young man from back east surprises and delights the crowd at a cowboy show in the eastern big city, when he comes out of the audience and volunteers to ride the baddest bucking bronco ever. A big, mysterious stranger who watches the scene approaches the rider quietly and asks about the young man's mother... thus begins an adventure of family discovery that throws his whole world upside down.

[Ernest Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tenderfoot's odyssey from a Madison Square Garden Wild West show to the real West where he finds his true identity, and lost fortune, among the cowpunchers. There's romance and melodrama too. Was made into a movie, A HOLY TERROR, with Humphrey Bogart as the villain.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome Max Brand story. And the last one on the ReadCentral website so I won't be able to read any others for awhile.

[Rob Perschau · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Zane Grey book, and I loved it. Good story and so well written. I tried to imagine how the book might sound in present-day language, and I couldn't imagine it being better or even as good.

[Robbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

WESTERN
Jim finished this on 5-7-16 and rated it 4.6 stars.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

read some time in 1990

[Bryan Boswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!!!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is a lover of westerns. Great writing and the story was exquisite.

[John Lietzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Trailin'! by John Lietzke

The story was OK. It a long time to get into the story. It had a good ending. I am trying to get more words.