Cowboys & Saurians: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Beasts as Seen by the Pioneers

by John LeMay

No, this book is not merely about the Tombstone Pterodactyl and the notorious (possibly nonexistent) Thunderbird photo. This book is in fact about every dinosaurian creature to ever have a rifle pointed at it by a cowpoke along the trail. Courtesy of real newspaper articles collected from the Pioneer Period, you’ll marvel as pterodactyls invade Van Meter, Iowa; a plesiosaur attacks spelunkers in Arkansas; and ghost dinosaurs glide across the Badlands of South Dakota! In the pages ahead you’ll ask yourself: Did Brigham Young really try to catch Utah’s Bear Lake monster? Did a Crow Medicine Man carry an enchanted Meganuera with him to Custer’s Last Stand? Was the first Komodo Dragon discovered in 1910 Indonesia or actually 1883 Indiana? Could the Marfa Lights just be bioluminescent pterodactyls? Did a theropod dinosaur kill a young boy in Crosswicks, Ohio? What was the serpent of San Marcial, New Mexico? And finally, did the Tombstone Pterodactyl live on to terrify Utah in 1903? Courtesy of newspaper reports of yore, uncover the truth of remnant dinosaurs in the Old West…

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2019

Reviews

[Bill Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best things about this book are the verbatim reprints of old press accounts of unlikely meetings with prehistoric beasts, almost certainly press hoaxes by bored reporters who had just read the latest paleontological speculations from distant climes, working with an eye to improve the local tourism. As folklore, these stories reflect the anxieties and aspirations of the day and make an interesting pairing with the American Indian myths recounted in Adrienne Mayor's excellent FOSSIL LEGENDS OF THE FIRST AMERICANS. Unfortunately, the textual glosses are not very good and the author's attempts -- humorous I think -- to determine what actual prehistoric monster was seen become annoying almost immediately. Also there are glaring errors such as the description of a diplodocus as a duck-billed dinosaur. A fun book for the raw material it presents but a smarter approach would make a much better volume.

[Madkropotkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cowboys, check! Dinosaurs, check! Fun and wacky tales, check!

John Lemay brings us great stories "snaik stories" from America's past that gives readers a quick respite form the somber seriousness of the present.

The self deprecating humor presented by Lemay provide the reader fun information while letting each person decide if they believe in anything presented.

I really enjoyed this book, it is a lighthearted road side attraction on the literary highway.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a blast to read. LeMay breaks down all of these stories super well and some of them get pretty wacky.

The only criticism is that some of the articles aren't exactly the most compelling reads in history. Still there was a enough good stuff in this to make it well worth the read.