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4 Counties: The Story of The Last King of Texas
Based on the runaway lifestyle of rodeo cowboy, rancher, and oilman Kenny Wayne Harris. Follow the fast track of Kenny's early life as a star high school athlete, his rodeo career, then his thrilling adventures as head of the iconic Harris Ranches, among the most famous pieces of property in the state: an original Republic of Texas 300,000 acre land grant gifted by Sam Houston to each of his original Texas Rangers. Kenny Wayne inherited his seat as the head of the historical ranch, bet big, and parlayed it into an empire. 4 Counties takes you on the roller coaster ride of a man that went from poor to rich, from bad to good, while we get to watch him find himself in a place as big as Texas.
An early love that goes bad, a later love that is true. Two murder trials that take their toll on Harris-all capped off by an unlikely savior who walks in from his past.
"4 Counties is about chicken fried steak in places like Strawn. Friday night High School Football in places like Comanche. Saturday night rodeos in places like Del Rio. Dice games in places like south Dallas. Chicken fights in places like Beaumont. Truck stop hookers in places like Amarillo. It's about Mexican dope. Its about the oil. It's about high school proms and taking a girl parking while listening to George Strait. It is about ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Wade Bowen and Billy Bob's and The Original Mexican Food on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth writes Long in his Foreword. 4 Counties is a BIG story, about BIG people, and BIG country. It is 100% TEXAS thru and thru"...... Howard Johnson of Black Raven Records.
"James Wayland Long, a 50 year old literary rookie, followed a dream and filled it with historical factuality, character development and a universal depiction of loyalty while sharing his own faith. The reader will lay 4 Counties aside, only when they have turned the last page"...... Sharon Beach NCHA Director and avid horsewoman.
"Long can write a descriptive, believable and riveting story about Texas because he has lived it. James Wayland Long IS Texas. While "educated authors" were busy earning their next diploma and spending a month writing one chapter, Long was busy getting shot at, evading arrest, and LIVING all things TEXAN to the fullest. One would think parts of this book might be about him and I bet we ain't far from wrong. I have had the pleasure of reading a couple of his other works in progress. Put him on your radar now as Long is about to bring Texas to your living room with a bang! And he is bringing Heaven and Hell with him..." Kris Martin, pro-horsewoman and co-owner of "72 Ranches" in Pennsylvania and Texas.
An early love that goes bad, a later love that is true. Two murder trials that take their toll on Harris-all capped off by an unlikely savior who walks in from his past.
"4 Counties is about chicken fried steak in places like Strawn. Friday night High School Football in places like Comanche. Saturday night rodeos in places like Del Rio. Dice games in places like south Dallas. Chicken fights in places like Beaumont. Truck stop hookers in places like Amarillo. It's about Mexican dope. Its about the oil. It's about high school proms and taking a girl parking while listening to George Strait. It is about ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Wade Bowen and Billy Bob's and The Original Mexican Food on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth writes Long in his Foreword. 4 Counties is a BIG story, about BIG people, and BIG country. It is 100% TEXAS thru and thru"...... Howard Johnson of Black Raven Records.
"James Wayland Long, a 50 year old literary rookie, followed a dream and filled it with historical factuality, character development and a universal depiction of loyalty while sharing his own faith. The reader will lay 4 Counties aside, only when they have turned the last page"...... Sharon Beach NCHA Director and avid horsewoman.
"Long can write a descriptive, believable and riveting story about Texas because he has lived it. James Wayland Long IS Texas. While "educated authors" were busy earning their next diploma and spending a month writing one chapter, Long was busy getting shot at, evading arrest, and LIVING all things TEXAN to the fullest. One would think parts of this book might be about him and I bet we ain't far from wrong. I have had the pleasure of reading a couple of his other works in progress. Put him on your radar now as Long is about to bring Texas to your living room with a bang! And he is bringing Heaven and Hell with him..." Kris Martin, pro-horsewoman and co-owner of "72 Ranches" in Pennsylvania and Texas.
149 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2015
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16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 6, 2016
Sorry, this book is not in a format that is of interest to me (perhaps as I am not a native Texan and only arrived in 1968?)?
I do have two made to custom order M. L. Leddy boots and familiar with Cullen Davis, etc. but other wise of no interest to me!
This author, from Decatur in North Texas, fails to detail the El Castile (Waggoner Mansion) and the more renowned Waggoner Ranch instead of that obscure Harris Ranch that he details!
My advice is to ignore this author!
I do have two made to custom order M. L. Leddy boots and familiar with Cullen Davis, etc. but other wise of no interest to me!
This author, from Decatur in North Texas, fails to detail the El Castile (Waggoner Mansion) and the more renowned Waggoner Ranch instead of that obscure Harris Ranch that he details!
My advice is to ignore this author!
March 6, 2016
I enjoyed the book! Places around Texas I am familiar with; feelings and activities so true. Definite Texas ranching & oil. Kenny Harris, a man to remember.
August 17, 2016
Awesome!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews