Borrachón: A Prequel to Rio Bravo

by Kevin Cullen

This prequel to the Rio Bravo story and film provides the complete background leading up to the classic tale. The book gives rich backstories to Sherriff John T. Chance, his deputies, Dude and Stumpy, as well as introduces new, colorful characters worthy of Western writers like Larry McMurtry, Louis L'Amour, and Zane Grey. The novel is filled with excitement, humor and intrigue and will leave the reader with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Rio Bravo story itself.

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2016

About the author

Kevin Cullen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has written for the Boston Globe since 1985, was the first to raise questions about Whitey Bulger's relationship with the FBI. A frequent commentator on NPR and the BBC, Cullen has won major journalism prizes including the Goldsmith Prize, the George Polk Award, and the Selden Ring Award.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The classic western starring John Wayne, Dean Martin and Walter Brennan just got better after reading Kevin Cullen's "Borrachón, a prequel to Rio Bravo".  While the book was easy reading, it did not lack depth in it's character development and plot. It revealed Stumpy's true good nature during and after unimaginable loss, exposed the reasons for Dude's descent into drunkenness after being the best of the best, and it laid bare the brutal reality of the 1880's western frontier. It was an excellent, well written story that, for me, brought new life to this classic flick.

[Chris Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book easy to read and entertaining. However, there were a few mistakes that, while probably pedantic, did stand out to me. The 2 biggest were:

1. John Wayne did not carry a pearl handled Colt. The grips were made of aged ivory.

2. I've never heard of a Scofield rifle but there is a Schofield break-top revolver. Maybe the author meant the Spencer rifle or carbine that was used in the Civil War and was carried by the Cavalry during the Indian Wars.

Overall, I thought the book was good and recommend it to fans of the movie Rio Bravo.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story and the ending really explains how dude ended up so destroyed. Rio Bravo has been one of my favourite movies for a long time and dude my favourite character, and this story gives meaning to how far he went so quickly.

I found the writing style and having so many names in the groups out with the cattle to be confusing about who was at who's side, and overall to tell what exactly was happening but overall an accurate portrayal of the movies characters

[Frank Marzano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling story providing the back stories for the main characters (Chance, Dude, and Stumpy) of the film "Rio Bravo". Their depictions in this book are consistent with their behavior in the film. Cullen also manages to weave in some new characters, as well as a subplot involving a cattle drive. The details of life in the Old West are depicted in lurid detail, making for a quick read.