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First Herd to Abilene
HISTORICALLY SOUND AND HILARIOUSLY FUNNY!
H.H. Lomax meets Wild Bill Hickok in Springfield, Missouri, and is responsible for Hickok’s legendary gunfight with Davis Tutt. Fearing Hickok will hold a grudge, Lomax escapes Springfield and agrees to promote Joseph G. McCoy’s dream of building Abilene into a cattle town, ultimately leading the first herd to Abilene from Texas.
Along the way, he encounters Indians, rabid skunks, flash floods, a stampede and the animosities of some fellow cowboys trying to steal profits from the drive. Lomax is saved by the timely arrival of now U.S. Marshal Hickok, but Lomax uses counterfeit wanted posters to convince Hickok his assailants are wanted felons with rewards on their heads.
Lomax and Wild Bill go their separate ways until they run into each other a decade later in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, where Hickok vows to kill Lomax for getting him fired.
First Herd to Abilene stands as an entertaining mix of historical and hysterical fiction.
H.H. Lomax meets Wild Bill Hickok in Springfield, Missouri, and is responsible for Hickok’s legendary gunfight with Davis Tutt. Fearing Hickok will hold a grudge, Lomax escapes Springfield and agrees to promote Joseph G. McCoy’s dream of building Abilene into a cattle town, ultimately leading the first herd to Abilene from Texas.
Along the way, he encounters Indians, rabid skunks, flash floods, a stampede and the animosities of some fellow cowboys trying to steal profits from the drive. Lomax is saved by the timely arrival of now U.S. Marshal Hickok, but Lomax uses counterfeit wanted posters to convince Hickok his assailants are wanted felons with rewards on their heads.
Lomax and Wild Bill go their separate ways until they run into each other a decade later in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, where Hickok vows to kill Lomax for getting him fired.
First Herd to Abilene stands as an entertaining mix of historical and hysterical fiction.
- GenresWesterns
460 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 5, 2020
102 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Preston Lewis
51 books127 followersPreston Lewis is the award-winning author of more than 50 novels and nonfiction works. His honors include three Spur Awards from Western Writers of America and ten Will Rogers Gold Medallion Awards (six gold, two silver, two bronze) for traditional westerns, western humor, nonfiction articles and short stories.
In 2025 he was named recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Will Rogers Medallion Awards for his contributions to the literature of the American West. In 2021 Lewis was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.
His books have been published by both national and regional publishers. In 2021 he and his wife Harriet Kocher Lewis established Bariso Press and have published ten books. Of those ten books, six have been honored with a WWA Spur, a Spur finalist certificate, a Will Rogers Bronze Medallion Award, a Global Literary Book Award (winner) and three Independent Author Awards (one winner and two finalists).
Lewis is a past president of both Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association, which has designated him a fellow and honored him with three Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas.
Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism. He earned a second master’s degree in history from Angelo State University. He and his wife reside in San Angelo.
In 2025 he was named recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Will Rogers Medallion Awards for his contributions to the literature of the American West. In 2021 Lewis was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.
His books have been published by both national and regional publishers. In 2021 he and his wife Harriet Kocher Lewis established Bariso Press and have published ten books. Of those ten books, six have been honored with a WWA Spur, a Spur finalist certificate, a Will Rogers Bronze Medallion Award, a Global Literary Book Award (winner) and three Independent Author Awards (one winner and two finalists).
Lewis is a past president of both Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association, which has designated him a fellow and honored him with three Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas.
Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism. He earned a second master’s degree in history from Angelo State University. He and his wife reside in San Angelo.
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May 1, 2020First Herd to Abilene will hook and entertain a reader from cover to cover. Even if you don’t typically read westerns, I promise that H.H. Lomax will engage and endear you.
A really good historical fiction novel ~ such as this one ~ will leave a reader guessing where the truth ends and the fiction begins. And with a character like H.H. Lomax, it’s very hard to guess just how tall his tales are.
Lomax is just such a wonderful character for these stories. I can’t get enough of him. His quirks, and especially his luck, just fill the pages with often hilarious entertainment. If Lomax lived today, he’d be the kind of person that could buy a single lottery ticket and win the big one! (But then he’d probably lose the ticket before he could claim the prize.)
This novel has a good assortment of characters, both good and bad, and the way they each relate to Lomax fills the book with some hearty dialogue. Lomax is the kind of character that can have a meaningful conversation with anyone. And speaking of dialogue, I really have to point out that the dialogue in this book is amazing. Preston Lewis did a great job. Of course, Lewis ingeniously included a variety of characters with very diverse vocabularies.
Lomax admits that he’s not very well educated, yet his subtle charm and quick wit are his two greatest assets. Not that they’re perfect, because they can also get him into some pretty sticky situations.
Unlike many adventure novels that have a single climax, this book is really made up of smaller adventures, each with their own climax, that all blend together perfectly. I found that very enjoyable. If you’re not too keen on one of the adventures, no worries; another one is right around the corner.
I must also make note of the pacing. It’s wonderful. Overall, the pace is kind of slow, like Lomax, but each adventure quickens the pace at just the right time. I wasn’t aware of it as I read the story, but it came to light in hindsight.
This story is great entertainment, and I heartily recommend it for your reading pleasure!
A really good historical fiction novel ~ such as this one ~ will leave a reader guessing where the truth ends and the fiction begins. And with a character like H.H. Lomax, it’s very hard to guess just how tall his tales are.
Lomax is just such a wonderful character for these stories. I can’t get enough of him. His quirks, and especially his luck, just fill the pages with often hilarious entertainment. If Lomax lived today, he’d be the kind of person that could buy a single lottery ticket and win the big one! (But then he’d probably lose the ticket before he could claim the prize.)
This novel has a good assortment of characters, both good and bad, and the way they each relate to Lomax fills the book with some hearty dialogue. Lomax is the kind of character that can have a meaningful conversation with anyone. And speaking of dialogue, I really have to point out that the dialogue in this book is amazing. Preston Lewis did a great job. Of course, Lewis ingeniously included a variety of characters with very diverse vocabularies.
Lomax admits that he’s not very well educated, yet his subtle charm and quick wit are his two greatest assets. Not that they’re perfect, because they can also get him into some pretty sticky situations.
Unlike many adventure novels that have a single climax, this book is really made up of smaller adventures, each with their own climax, that all blend together perfectly. I found that very enjoyable. If you’re not too keen on one of the adventures, no worries; another one is right around the corner.
I must also make note of the pacing. It’s wonderful. Overall, the pace is kind of slow, like Lomax, but each adventure quickens the pace at just the right time. I wasn’t aware of it as I read the story, but it came to light in hindsight.
This story is great entertainment, and I heartily recommend it for your reading pleasure!
April 29, 2020
First Herd to Abilene is the fifth book in this series featuring the hilarious exploits of H.H. (Henry Harrison) Lomax, one of the most colorful characters to ever grace the pages of a western novel. If you’ve never read any of the previous entries into the outrageous circumstances and succession of adventures that puts H.H. at the confluence of every major event to ever be recorded about the Old West, don’t worry. Author Preston Lewis revisits those earlier escapades in Chapter One, while at the same time laying the groundwork for what is yet to come.
Lewis contends that he came across Lomax’s memoirs while conducting research at Texas Tech University, and though he “can’t vouch for their veracity,” these tales of encounters with the likes of Billy the Kid, Jessie James, Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, and George Armstrong Custer (to name just a few) are told with such insightful historical detail as well as wit and humor that readers will find themselves totally engaged. “While some may question his credentials as a credible chronicler of the occurrences Lomax claims to have witnessed, no one can doubt his abilities as a humorous story-teller of the first rank.”
“First Herd to Abilene takes Henry Harrison Lomax from the end of the Civil War to three years past the turn of the century and, as in the earlier volumes, allows Lomax to weave another yarn about his encounters with some of the most memorable characters in the history of the Old West, folks such as James Butler ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok, Calamity Jane, Jessie Chisolm and Joseph G. McCoy.”
It begins with Lomax grousing about his disdain for all Texans, “a breed whose stupidity, greed, and depravity was exceeded only by that of politicians and lawyers.” His bitterness is really the result of a later tragedy, but at the outset of the book he begrudges Texans for making a fortune in the cattle industry while he “received nary a cent for all the hard work I put in and all risks I took to chart the course to Kansas.” Additionally, Lomax feels slighted by Joseph G. McCoy, the entrepreneur who had the vision of transporting cattle by rail to Easterners starving for beef, but fails to give Lomax recognition and historical credit for being the first to blaze a trail from Texas to the stockyards and railheads in Abilene. That credit went to Jessie Chisolm, “an old coot who never traversed the route from Kansas to South Texas and back.”
It’s this bitterness that sets the tone for probably the most serious storyline of all the books in the series, with much of its 449 pages describing what it was like to be a part of the great cattle drives that defined this era in history. The arduous challenge of herding longhorn cattle over 700 miles from Texas to Kansas required months of backbreaking monotonous work that pitted cattlemen against the elements, disease, wild animals, hostile terrain, Indian attacks, and rustlers. It meant months of breathing in trail dust as well as the foul odors of the livestock, going without much sleep, eating the same food day-in day-out, no gambling or drinking, and very little human contact except between fellow trail riders… all of which grated on nerves and frequently resulted in the deaths of both man and beast. Preston Lewis certainly intersperses Lomax’s typical humor into this portrayal of a cowhand’s life, but he does so in a manner that doesn’t negate or gloss over the difficulties faced along the way.
Besides Lomax and the iconic historical figures mentioned above, Lewis creates a cast of characters that brings these hardships to life. Madlyn Dillon, an artist who has been spoiled and pampered her entire life, but the first Texan, male or female, to take an interest in Lomax and Joseph G. McCoy’s vision. Colonel Saul Dillon, her father. The Texas cattleman puts his trust in Lomax to get his cattle to Kansas and save his ranch. Ruth, orphaned by the Comanche but taken in and employed by Colonel Dillon. She falls in love with Lomax in an ill-fated relationship. Sainty Spencer, the ranch foreman who is sweet on Madlyn, and as trail boss is trusted to bring back the cash from the sale of the cattle in Abilene. Charlie Bitters, the cook, second in importance only to the trail boss, but whose cooking for the Army of Tennessee during the Civil War is said to have led to its defeat. Jose Munoz and Pedro Ramirez, Mexican hands that will tend to the remuda during the trail drive. Martin Michaels, a sketch artist on the side and the first cowhand hired, and Tom Errun, an Englishman with no experience pared up with Michaels to lead the herd. Silas Banty, a former slave, who looks to the future with optimism and learns to read from Lomax. Toad Beeline, little understood by his fellow trailhands because he tends to mumble when he speaks. He and Silas are assigned to ride flank. Trent Parsons, a former Confederate soldier wounded at Shiloh who spends his spare time with the Good Book, and Jurdon Mark, an affable sort who excels at the game of marbles, will ride swing. Lastly, Harry Dire, a skilled roper but a malcontent, Chuck Muscher, a Yankee troublemaker, and Bartholomew Henry O’Henry, another former slave angry about his past with a mean streak in him, will all be assigned to ride drag which only adds to their alienation and seditious attitudes. Their actions bode ill for the success of the cattle drive.
Bookending this description of the cattle drive and the fate of these characters is the story of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane told as only H.H. Lomax can, again putting himself right smack dab in the middle of the action over a span of years that begins in Springfield, Missouri and ends on that fateful day in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. But what does a “Rattle Jar,” head lice, an illicit game of poker at the library, a stolen gold Waltham watch, cherry pie, an impromptu lynching, counterfeit wanted posters, and the “romance” between Wild Bill and Miss Martha Jane Canary and their final resting place have to do with that narrative? For those insights, you really do need to read the book. In fact, once you do, I highly recommend that you go back and read the entire series. You won’t be disappointed!
Finally, to give a complete review of First Herd to Abilene, I need to mention errors in editing that I had not encountered in Lewis’ previous books. I seldom comment on SPAGs, but readers will undoubtedly come across them in the course of reading the novel. Preston Lewis is a great storyteller and a deserving winner of the Spur Award for western literature, but this book would have benefitted from a final edit before publication.
That said, as someone who once wrote that the “western genre no longer holds the public’s attention as it once did in cinema and published media,” I can definitely say that Preston Lewis’ books are the exception, helping keep western literature alive, vibrant, relevant and entertaining.
Lewis contends that he came across Lomax’s memoirs while conducting research at Texas Tech University, and though he “can’t vouch for their veracity,” these tales of encounters with the likes of Billy the Kid, Jessie James, Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, and George Armstrong Custer (to name just a few) are told with such insightful historical detail as well as wit and humor that readers will find themselves totally engaged. “While some may question his credentials as a credible chronicler of the occurrences Lomax claims to have witnessed, no one can doubt his abilities as a humorous story-teller of the first rank.”
“First Herd to Abilene takes Henry Harrison Lomax from the end of the Civil War to three years past the turn of the century and, as in the earlier volumes, allows Lomax to weave another yarn about his encounters with some of the most memorable characters in the history of the Old West, folks such as James Butler ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok, Calamity Jane, Jessie Chisolm and Joseph G. McCoy.”
It begins with Lomax grousing about his disdain for all Texans, “a breed whose stupidity, greed, and depravity was exceeded only by that of politicians and lawyers.” His bitterness is really the result of a later tragedy, but at the outset of the book he begrudges Texans for making a fortune in the cattle industry while he “received nary a cent for all the hard work I put in and all risks I took to chart the course to Kansas.” Additionally, Lomax feels slighted by Joseph G. McCoy, the entrepreneur who had the vision of transporting cattle by rail to Easterners starving for beef, but fails to give Lomax recognition and historical credit for being the first to blaze a trail from Texas to the stockyards and railheads in Abilene. That credit went to Jessie Chisolm, “an old coot who never traversed the route from Kansas to South Texas and back.”
It’s this bitterness that sets the tone for probably the most serious storyline of all the books in the series, with much of its 449 pages describing what it was like to be a part of the great cattle drives that defined this era in history. The arduous challenge of herding longhorn cattle over 700 miles from Texas to Kansas required months of backbreaking monotonous work that pitted cattlemen against the elements, disease, wild animals, hostile terrain, Indian attacks, and rustlers. It meant months of breathing in trail dust as well as the foul odors of the livestock, going without much sleep, eating the same food day-in day-out, no gambling or drinking, and very little human contact except between fellow trail riders… all of which grated on nerves and frequently resulted in the deaths of both man and beast. Preston Lewis certainly intersperses Lomax’s typical humor into this portrayal of a cowhand’s life, but he does so in a manner that doesn’t negate or gloss over the difficulties faced along the way.
Besides Lomax and the iconic historical figures mentioned above, Lewis creates a cast of characters that brings these hardships to life. Madlyn Dillon, an artist who has been spoiled and pampered her entire life, but the first Texan, male or female, to take an interest in Lomax and Joseph G. McCoy’s vision. Colonel Saul Dillon, her father. The Texas cattleman puts his trust in Lomax to get his cattle to Kansas and save his ranch. Ruth, orphaned by the Comanche but taken in and employed by Colonel Dillon. She falls in love with Lomax in an ill-fated relationship. Sainty Spencer, the ranch foreman who is sweet on Madlyn, and as trail boss is trusted to bring back the cash from the sale of the cattle in Abilene. Charlie Bitters, the cook, second in importance only to the trail boss, but whose cooking for the Army of Tennessee during the Civil War is said to have led to its defeat. Jose Munoz and Pedro Ramirez, Mexican hands that will tend to the remuda during the trail drive. Martin Michaels, a sketch artist on the side and the first cowhand hired, and Tom Errun, an Englishman with no experience pared up with Michaels to lead the herd. Silas Banty, a former slave, who looks to the future with optimism and learns to read from Lomax. Toad Beeline, little understood by his fellow trailhands because he tends to mumble when he speaks. He and Silas are assigned to ride flank. Trent Parsons, a former Confederate soldier wounded at Shiloh who spends his spare time with the Good Book, and Jurdon Mark, an affable sort who excels at the game of marbles, will ride swing. Lastly, Harry Dire, a skilled roper but a malcontent, Chuck Muscher, a Yankee troublemaker, and Bartholomew Henry O’Henry, another former slave angry about his past with a mean streak in him, will all be assigned to ride drag which only adds to their alienation and seditious attitudes. Their actions bode ill for the success of the cattle drive.
Bookending this description of the cattle drive and the fate of these characters is the story of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane told as only H.H. Lomax can, again putting himself right smack dab in the middle of the action over a span of years that begins in Springfield, Missouri and ends on that fateful day in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. But what does a “Rattle Jar,” head lice, an illicit game of poker at the library, a stolen gold Waltham watch, cherry pie, an impromptu lynching, counterfeit wanted posters, and the “romance” between Wild Bill and Miss Martha Jane Canary and their final resting place have to do with that narrative? For those insights, you really do need to read the book. In fact, once you do, I highly recommend that you go back and read the entire series. You won’t be disappointed!
Finally, to give a complete review of First Herd to Abilene, I need to mention errors in editing that I had not encountered in Lewis’ previous books. I seldom comment on SPAGs, but readers will undoubtedly come across them in the course of reading the novel. Preston Lewis is a great storyteller and a deserving winner of the Spur Award for western literature, but this book would have benefitted from a final edit before publication.
That said, as someone who once wrote that the “western genre no longer holds the public’s attention as it once did in cinema and published media,” I can definitely say that Preston Lewis’ books are the exception, helping keep western literature alive, vibrant, relevant and entertaining.
May 7, 2020
Pop over to my blog to ENTER TO WIN!
https://booksandbroomsticks.blogspot....
Hey, Y’all! How’s quarantine life going? Truth be told (since I’m a hermit) not much is different for me, except I cannot make a dash into the store when I wanna. *Le Sigh* I’m seriously missing the dollar store, at the moment.
Most of y’all know that I’m an author who lurves writing about alien invasions in Small Town, Texas. But I’m also an Instructional Designer with my own boutique firm called Star eLearning. (If you happen to know someone who needs Instructional Design services, send ‘em my way, yo!) Therefore, I work from home 24/7. So, I’m still mostly just doing what I usually do, except for wearing a ninja mask once a week on a short trek to town. This makes me feel uppity and ninja-like in all my masked glory.
But I digress…
In betwixt designing elearning modules for clients and writing on my current WIP (no, I ain’t gonna give y’all any deets on that), I’ve been luxuriating in reading A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. Right when the plot is getting all juicy and vampirey (I just made that word up), here comes Kristine, all sneaky like, with FIRST HERD TO ABILENE by Preston Lewis.
She strokes the lush cover of Lewis’ western (knowing full-well that I’m a complete history nerd), and says “trust in me…just in me…open your eyes…and trust in me…”
Well, not really like that, but she somehow (in her mystical book siren way) knew that this book would be a good fit for moi and my penchant for history. I minored in history at UH, ya see. Albeit with a study in Viking history, but how different are cowboys from Vikings, really? Basically, one shouts “vallhallah!” whilst the other calls out “yeehaw!” Well, there are one or two other differences, but we’ll move on. I know, I know, I always make y’all listen to me yammer instead of coming on out with the review. Dang! I’m gittin’ to it! Hold yer horses (or mules, donkeys, camels, etc.)!
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about FIRST HERD TO ABILENE, to be honest. It just didn’t sound like it had any UFOs or aliens in it, I guess. But not many books do, these days. But I lurve me some Texas (and cowboys ain’t bad, either.) So, I turned on my Kindle and commenced to read.
Aha…there it was. The hook. Right away. Lewis had the confounded nerve to straight up tell me in the Introduction that he’s writing about an actual historical figure who he’s been researching for many years.
“Well, heck,” I says to myself. “How am I supposed to put this book down now?” I huffed as I continued reading. “I hope Lewis is happy!” My nostrils flared as I took a big ole gulp of coffee and dug on into the story.
Before I knew it, I had slipped into the skin of H. H. Lomax, a man who knew the likes of Wild Bill Hickock and Calmity Jane.
Ya see, Lewis has a way with spinning a yarn. I’d thought this particular TYPE of storytelling had become a lost art. But I was dead wrong.
This book is penned in such a way that the reader has no choice but to become part of the story. This is the type of book that nerds yearn for. If one wants to get lost from reality, then I recommend grabbing a copy of FIRST HERD TO ABILENE by Preston Lewis. Reading this book is akin to taking a vacation from life.
And, given that we’ve all been in a dadgum pandemic, we can all use a little bit of escape right now.
Though I’ve featured Preston Lewis here on Books & Broomsticks in the past, this is the first of his books that I’ve read. But, I assure y’all that it won’t be the last. I sorely needed that break from modern day (pandemic riddled murder hornet) life, and Lewis took me on a wild west adventure far away from my worries and troubles.
Lewis’ writing is witty, timeless, and intelligent. FIRST HERD TO ABILENE won a place in my Texas lovin’ pea pickin’ heart!
And that’s why I’m granting
FIRST HERD TO ABILENE
By Preston Lewis
5 Fantastical Brooms!
https://booksandbroomsticks.blogspot....
Hey, Y’all! How’s quarantine life going? Truth be told (since I’m a hermit) not much is different for me, except I cannot make a dash into the store when I wanna. *Le Sigh* I’m seriously missing the dollar store, at the moment.
Most of y’all know that I’m an author who lurves writing about alien invasions in Small Town, Texas. But I’m also an Instructional Designer with my own boutique firm called Star eLearning. (If you happen to know someone who needs Instructional Design services, send ‘em my way, yo!) Therefore, I work from home 24/7. So, I’m still mostly just doing what I usually do, except for wearing a ninja mask once a week on a short trek to town. This makes me feel uppity and ninja-like in all my masked glory.
But I digress…
In betwixt designing elearning modules for clients and writing on my current WIP (no, I ain’t gonna give y’all any deets on that), I’ve been luxuriating in reading A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. Right when the plot is getting all juicy and vampirey (I just made that word up), here comes Kristine, all sneaky like, with FIRST HERD TO ABILENE by Preston Lewis.
She strokes the lush cover of Lewis’ western (knowing full-well that I’m a complete history nerd), and says “trust in me…just in me…open your eyes…and trust in me…”
Well, not really like that, but she somehow (in her mystical book siren way) knew that this book would be a good fit for moi and my penchant for history. I minored in history at UH, ya see. Albeit with a study in Viking history, but how different are cowboys from Vikings, really? Basically, one shouts “vallhallah!” whilst the other calls out “yeehaw!” Well, there are one or two other differences, but we’ll move on. I know, I know, I always make y’all listen to me yammer instead of coming on out with the review. Dang! I’m gittin’ to it! Hold yer horses (or mules, donkeys, camels, etc.)!
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about FIRST HERD TO ABILENE, to be honest. It just didn’t sound like it had any UFOs or aliens in it, I guess. But not many books do, these days. But I lurve me some Texas (and cowboys ain’t bad, either.) So, I turned on my Kindle and commenced to read.
Aha…there it was. The hook. Right away. Lewis had the confounded nerve to straight up tell me in the Introduction that he’s writing about an actual historical figure who he’s been researching for many years.
“Well, heck,” I says to myself. “How am I supposed to put this book down now?” I huffed as I continued reading. “I hope Lewis is happy!” My nostrils flared as I took a big ole gulp of coffee and dug on into the story.
Before I knew it, I had slipped into the skin of H. H. Lomax, a man who knew the likes of Wild Bill Hickock and Calmity Jane.
Ya see, Lewis has a way with spinning a yarn. I’d thought this particular TYPE of storytelling had become a lost art. But I was dead wrong.
This book is penned in such a way that the reader has no choice but to become part of the story. This is the type of book that nerds yearn for. If one wants to get lost from reality, then I recommend grabbing a copy of FIRST HERD TO ABILENE by Preston Lewis. Reading this book is akin to taking a vacation from life.
And, given that we’ve all been in a dadgum pandemic, we can all use a little bit of escape right now.
Though I’ve featured Preston Lewis here on Books & Broomsticks in the past, this is the first of his books that I’ve read. But, I assure y’all that it won’t be the last. I sorely needed that break from modern day (pandemic riddled murder hornet) life, and Lewis took me on a wild west adventure far away from my worries and troubles.
Lewis’ writing is witty, timeless, and intelligent. FIRST HERD TO ABILENE won a place in my Texas lovin’ pea pickin’ heart!
And that’s why I’m granting
FIRST HERD TO ABILENE
By Preston Lewis
5 Fantastical Brooms!
February 5, 2020
Preston Lewis – HH Lomax Western – First Herd to Abilene – Reviewed 1/23/20 – Read 1/18-19/20
Indians, flash floods, stampede, onry cowboys, add humor and Wild Bill Hickok on Lomax first trail drive to Abilene.
HH Lomax leaves Arkansas to begin his life, after a run-in with his neighbors that decided that he should have fought in the war, even though he was too young. Arriving in Missouri he meets Wild Bill Hickok and ends up as his unusual friend, this ends up in Hickok being jailed. Not wanting to be involved in more problems, he takes his leave through the back way. After many different adventures that he was not happy with, he ends up in Abilene only to meet Joseph G McCoy. McCoy has a huge dream of building Abilene into a cattle town. After some convincing and promising him a bonus, Lomax agrees to promote his dream and he is off to Texas to roundup a cattle herd to be driven back to Abilene. He assures Lomax that the building of the hotel, stockyards and such will be done by the time he returns. Lomax has his doubts but he takes the job anyway. On his round trip from Abilene to Texas, and back, he finds Indians, flash floods, deadly skunks, mean and cantankerous cowboys, and even a friend or two. Many of the situations turn into humorous events that he will never forget. The author regales us with his historical knowledge of the times, and the adventures of HH Lomax with him blazing the trail for the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas.
What did I like? It is rare to find totally humorous westerns. This is not the case when you read this hilarious adventure of HH Lomax. The character of Lomax is delightful and interesting. The situations that he finds himself in are so unusual and will tickle your backbone.
What will you like? Besides all the humor, you will find this an awesome western tale, that will take you from Arkansas to the wilds of Missouri, over to Kansas, down to Texas and back to Abilene, Kansas. The details and descriptions are numerous and will pick you up from the twenty-first century, and plop you down in the nineteenth ready to begin on your first cattle drive. The historical events will keep you moving and the characters will delight you, even the cantankerous ones. An excellent read for everyone!
• File Size: 3092 KB
• Print Length: 490 Pages
• Release Date: February 5, 2020
• Genre: General Humorous Fiction, Western
Indians, flash floods, stampede, onry cowboys, add humor and Wild Bill Hickok on Lomax first trail drive to Abilene.
HH Lomax leaves Arkansas to begin his life, after a run-in with his neighbors that decided that he should have fought in the war, even though he was too young. Arriving in Missouri he meets Wild Bill Hickok and ends up as his unusual friend, this ends up in Hickok being jailed. Not wanting to be involved in more problems, he takes his leave through the back way. After many different adventures that he was not happy with, he ends up in Abilene only to meet Joseph G McCoy. McCoy has a huge dream of building Abilene into a cattle town. After some convincing and promising him a bonus, Lomax agrees to promote his dream and he is off to Texas to roundup a cattle herd to be driven back to Abilene. He assures Lomax that the building of the hotel, stockyards and such will be done by the time he returns. Lomax has his doubts but he takes the job anyway. On his round trip from Abilene to Texas, and back, he finds Indians, flash floods, deadly skunks, mean and cantankerous cowboys, and even a friend or two. Many of the situations turn into humorous events that he will never forget. The author regales us with his historical knowledge of the times, and the adventures of HH Lomax with him blazing the trail for the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas.
What did I like? It is rare to find totally humorous westerns. This is not the case when you read this hilarious adventure of HH Lomax. The character of Lomax is delightful and interesting. The situations that he finds himself in are so unusual and will tickle your backbone.
What will you like? Besides all the humor, you will find this an awesome western tale, that will take you from Arkansas to the wilds of Missouri, over to Kansas, down to Texas and back to Abilene, Kansas. The details and descriptions are numerous and will pick you up from the twenty-first century, and plop you down in the nineteenth ready to begin on your first cattle drive. The historical events will keep you moving and the characters will delight you, even the cantankerous ones. An excellent read for everyone!
• File Size: 3092 KB
• Print Length: 490 Pages
• Release Date: February 5, 2020
• Genre: General Humorous Fiction, Western
May 4, 2020
"Words are like tools...You don't need to own every one as long as you have enough to build what you need."
First Herd to Abilene by Preston Lewis is quite the Wild West journey that will have you both laughing and pondering H.H. Lomax’s ability to always land on his feet. If you are not familiar with Preston’s Lomax stories, you are in for a treat. Lomax drifts around and continually lands in hot water and jumps out again just as quickly. He is a likable enough fellow, but his good luck is almost too good to be true. Of course, not everything comes up roses for Lomax in First Herd to Abilene, but I’ll leave that bit of bad luck for you to read about for yourself.
The overall story about driving that first herd of Longhorns from Texas to Abilene, Kansas, (I thought the herd was going to be Abilene, Texas, but that would have been a short cattle drive) is book ended by Lomax’s hilarious encounters with none other than Wild Bill Hickok. Their tenuous relationship quickly becomes a powder keg, exploding all over the place in spectacular fashion at the end. The bulk of the story is the cattle drive to Abilene and all its foibles, crazy characters, and enough beans and bacon to incite a stampede.
Preston Lewis never ceases to entertain and delight in all his stories. First Herd to Abilene does hint at a few of Lomax’s other adventures, but this story can stand alone and still be just as enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and dive into Preston's other Lomax stories, such as Bluster’s Last Stand, because they are absolutely hilarious! While the pacing in First Herd to Abilene is quick at the beginning and the end, the middle slows down quite a bit as the cattle drive stretches out, perhaps mimicking those long days and nights on the trail. Preston Lewis peppers the cattle drive with great characterization and funny incidents, so this long stretch of story line will keep you in stitches and provide some food for thought on the folly of greed and malcontent that permeates the cattle drive. I did mention that Lomax always lands on his feet, so he definitely makes it to Abilene, but at what cost? And how does Hickok, Calamity Jane, and cherry pie factor into all this? Read First Herd to Abilene and find out.
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
First Herd to Abilene by Preston Lewis is quite the Wild West journey that will have you both laughing and pondering H.H. Lomax’s ability to always land on his feet. If you are not familiar with Preston’s Lomax stories, you are in for a treat. Lomax drifts around and continually lands in hot water and jumps out again just as quickly. He is a likable enough fellow, but his good luck is almost too good to be true. Of course, not everything comes up roses for Lomax in First Herd to Abilene, but I’ll leave that bit of bad luck for you to read about for yourself.
The overall story about driving that first herd of Longhorns from Texas to Abilene, Kansas, (I thought the herd was going to be Abilene, Texas, but that would have been a short cattle drive) is book ended by Lomax’s hilarious encounters with none other than Wild Bill Hickok. Their tenuous relationship quickly becomes a powder keg, exploding all over the place in spectacular fashion at the end. The bulk of the story is the cattle drive to Abilene and all its foibles, crazy characters, and enough beans and bacon to incite a stampede.
Preston Lewis never ceases to entertain and delight in all his stories. First Herd to Abilene does hint at a few of Lomax’s other adventures, but this story can stand alone and still be just as enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and dive into Preston's other Lomax stories, such as Bluster’s Last Stand, because they are absolutely hilarious! While the pacing in First Herd to Abilene is quick at the beginning and the end, the middle slows down quite a bit as the cattle drive stretches out, perhaps mimicking those long days and nights on the trail. Preston Lewis peppers the cattle drive with great characterization and funny incidents, so this long stretch of story line will keep you in stitches and provide some food for thought on the folly of greed and malcontent that permeates the cattle drive. I did mention that Lomax always lands on his feet, so he definitely makes it to Abilene, but at what cost? And how does Hickok, Calamity Jane, and cherry pie factor into all this? Read First Herd to Abilene and find out.
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
February 6, 2020
An Extremely Enjoyable Refreshing Approach to a Western
It's so refreshing to read a western that breaks the traditional stereotypical approach of topics like a town bully holding everyone at bay, or good guy going after bad guys, etc.! Lewis not only takes readers on a different trail but does so in the most clever and humorous manner with a variety of historical facts to create graphic scenes and images!
It's so refreshing to read a western that breaks the traditional stereotypical approach of topics like a town bully holding everyone at bay, or good guy going after bad guys, etc.! Lewis not only takes readers on a different trail but does so in the most clever and humorous manner with a variety of historical facts to create graphic scenes and images!
February 16, 2020
Good four star!
An interesting book written by Preston Lewis, a good author is a good read. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to you. The authors style is different an gave me some chuckles.
An interesting book written by Preston Lewis, a good author is a good read. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to you. The authors style is different an gave me some chuckles.
March 1, 2020
Hilarious Western Adventure
Preston LEWIS tells us a story of the old west as we would like to remember it... It reminds me of the Mark Twain novels of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, both classics, and their humorous 19th century adventures. RECOMMENDED.
Preston LEWIS tells us a story of the old west as we would like to remember it... It reminds me of the Mark Twain novels of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, both classics, and their humorous 19th century adventures. RECOMMENDED.
May 20, 2020
Long Live H.H.Lomax
I have read the previous four books. They were all fun to read this one was too . But this the first one thAt had me in tears. I hope there will be more books in the Lomax saga.
I have read the previous four books. They were all fun to read this one was too . But this the first one thAt had me in tears. I hope there will be more books in the Lomax saga.
May 9, 2020
Featured on Lone Star Book Blog Tours. Lone Star Blogger Team average rating: 4.6 stars.
November 10, 2020
Outstanding
A very interesting and enjoyable tale which is well written and edited. A very good Author of fine Western stories.
A very interesting and enjoyable tale which is well written and edited. A very good Author of fine Western stories.
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