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Customer Reviews (11)

Long before Gortex and GPSs'...
The George Kennan who authored this book is the Great-Uncle of the much more famous George Kennan, who dominated the American post-Second World War diplomatic scene, by espousing a policy of "containment" of the Soviet Union. Each Kennan's life was strongly intertwined with America's relationship with Russia. Kennan "the Elder," if you will, worked for a period of time, immediately after the American Civil War, for the Russo-American Telegraph Company. The idea was to provide telegraphic service between America and Europe, via the very long land connection over Russia; the only underwater portion would be under the Bering Straits. The project never reached fruition due to the successful trans-Atlantic cable connection that was completed prior to the finishing of the survey portion of the project in the Russian Far East. But there is no question that there was one successful product: Kennan's fascinating book on his two years of work and travels in this most remote area of the world - even still today so very few visit it.

Kennan's account covers both this remote place, as well as a distant time for the modern reader. It is important to keep in mind that there would be another 25 years of fighting the "aborigines," the American Indians, before the frontier would be closed, after Kennan's account of dealing with their "cousins" in the Russian Far East. Part of the book's fascination is the sheer audacity of the undertaking for the time period. Kennan's book can be irreverent, as these youthful men seem to engage in "fraternity house pranks" in their travels. The geographical and sociological aspects are informative as well. The team of explorers arrives at the largest city of the Kamtchatkan (so spelled in the book) Peninsula--Petropavlovski. The peninsula is famous today, as it was then, for its volcanic activity. From here they travel north, its entire length, leaving the sedentary people of the lower half of the peninsula, whose subsistence is largely provided by salmon, and joining the nomad tribes of the north, the Korak, and others, who owe their existence to the reindeer. Along the way, Kennan entertains the reader with the inhabitant's language, music, costumes, and customs. A special chuckle might be reserved for Kennan's explanation of the "anadyrsk bol" the "disease" women contract which is actually an imposition on "male relatives to further some selfish purpose."For sure, since this was written in the 19th century, Kennan is a creature of his times, so allowance must be made for the use of terms like "savages", and a certain patronizing attitude.

A major part of the team's work is to survey the area between the Pacific bay at Anadyrsk and the northern most part of the Sea of Okhotsk, Penzhina Bay. Overall, it is extremely bleak, flat, largely treeless, and since there is impassable permafrost terrain in the summer, the only time to travel is in the winter. Thus, the author describes, in a rather understated way, what is involved in camping and traveling at temperatures of -30 to -60 F. Yet, somehow, amazingly, no one in their party dies. There is an evocative, beautiful passage of the Aurora Borealis, and as Kennan say: trying to describe it is akin to an inexperienced artist trying to reproduce the brilliant coloring of a Turner landscape with a piece of charcoal.

Aside from the book's 19th Century racial tone, I had some other problems. It sure could be accompanied by a map! And Kennan certainly could have provided a much better explanation of their exploratory objectives. As he says on page 302: "We had not been furnished with instruments for making astronomical observations, could not determine with any kind of accuracy our latitude and longitude, and did not know whether we were two hundred miles from the Pacific Coast or five hundred. How can you determine a route for a telegraph line when you don't know where you are? Thankfully Google knows how long a "verst" is; this unit of distance is not explained in the book either. But the biggest unanswered question is: If you can't travel across the permafrost in the summer months, how could you possible repair a telegraph line strung across it, when it takes only one pole to fall... ? Overall, the endeavor itself just seemed far to disorganized to succeed, which perhaps is the reason it did not.

Overall, a fascinating read of a unique time and place, deserving4-stars.

Great great great-- well-written, exciting and informative
I loved this book so much-- my only regret is that I bought it on Kindle so when I wanted to lend it to my mother-in-law I had to buy her another copy!This is such an enjoyable, exhilarating book-- I feel like I learned a lot but never was bored; I found myself taking out maps and reading other historical facts to supplement because I was so excited.Anyone who likes to travel, or likes to let others do the work and enjoy only the pleasures, will enjoy this book.

It really IS an "Incredible Account"
Other reviewers have described the content so I'll not elaborate on that.Kennan and his colleagues endured prolonged hardships that would cause many modern adventure travelers to sound like crybabies and he does it with wit and verve.He's a wonderful writer and some of his passages caused me to laugh out loud from pure delight at his descriptive powers.It's also a fascinating look at an exotic world.One of the most enjoyable books I've ever read.

Highly recommended!!
Excellent read for anyone interested in Russa and Siberia. George Kennan writes in a ingaging style with humor, and I couldn't put the book down! Detailed story about living with the Nomadic Koracks in Siberia,Very readable and enjoyble. Highly recomended!!!!

Memorable
Has to bemy favorite travel book...wish there had been a map....I've recommended this book to many ...camping, winter storms, cold temperatures, vast woodlands, wild shores now resonate differently ..... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent condition
The product was in excellent condition and delivered very timely.A pleasure to use Amazon and to deal with this seller. ... Read more

Product Description
Part One Of Three Parts

A love story, an adventure, an American epic, LONESOME DOVE embraces all the West -- legend and fact, heroes and outlaws, whores and ladies, Indians and settlers -- in a novel that recreates the central American experience, the most enduring of our national myths.

Set in the late 19th century, LONESOME DOVE is the story of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana -- and much more.The drive is a risk, sure, but it's a part of the American Dream, a chance to carve a new life out of the last remaining wilderness.

"Once again, McMurtry spins a yarn about the West -- and also about the nature of friendship, of folly, of responsibility, of moral codes and men and their destinies." (The Wall Street Journal) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cowboys, Indians, Women, and Saloons
This entertaining novel is a wild and adventurous tail of the American frontier.Cowboys and Indians, Saloons and women all wrapped into one.This great story is about an unforgettable cattle drive from Lonesome Dove, TX to the far north Montana going through all the triumphs, trials, and tribulations the west has to offer.With love and violence this book has something for everyone.Gus McCray gives the ideal picture of how a man is supposed to be.After reading this masterpiece, I cannot wait to get my hands on the prequals!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good used book-- Great Value
I left my copy of this book at home. This was a great way to purchase another copy at a inexpensive price and have it shipped directly to me.

The BEST western novel EVER !
I've read Lonesome Dove so many times I know most of it off by heart, yet it keeps me laughing till my cheeks ache and crying floods of tears each time ! A classic ! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Pretty unimpressive
Having read all of Larry McMurtry's books prior to this, I was really looking forward to it, but it's much more akin to Woody Guthrie's song about Charlie Floyd, and is just kind of weak. I first read McMurtry's The LAST PICTURE SHOW : A Novel, soon after the film came out in the early 70's, followed by All My Friends are Going to be Strangers and afterwards read every book by him, both his earlier work, and his later stuff(especially the trilogy begun with Lonesome Dove: A Novel. Since this is the first book I'd read where McMurtry collaborated with Diana Ossana, I really had no expectations....and they weren't met, nor was I impressed by their next work, Zeke and Ned. They did do a fine job on the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition), but I think I'll steer clear of any other books they co-write.
And since I know far more about "Pretty Boy" Charlie Floyd now than when I first read this, I'd have to say that I think this be a better book if it had simply had a different title and different title character. As it is, I'd recommend giving this a miss. If you want to read about the real Pretty Boy Floyd, I highly recommend Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34. If you want to read fiction about an early 20th century folk hero(or anti-hero), try Wallace Stegner's Joe Hill.

Oklahoma Knew Him Well
Yes, I am on a roll in reviewingLarry McMurtry inspired works (this one is co-written with his fellow screenplay writer Diana Ossana), although the subject of this presentation, the tale of Pretty Boy Floyd the Oklahoma dustbowl outlaw from the Depression-era 1930's,has always had a certain personal appeal unlike some previously reviewed McMurtry anti-heroes.The name Pretty Boy Floyd is well known to me from my youth listening to Okalahoma- born Woody Guthrie on a folk music program that I tuned into on the radio in the early 1960's. The tale that Woody told played into (and still plays into) my attraction toward Robin Hood-type figures (whether truly so or not) as part of the American struggle against the old time capitalist bosses and their bankers.Take this line - "Some will rob you with a six-gun, some with a fountain pen". Sound familiar today?

Of course the reality, as the plot in this book makes abundantly clear, is that these so-called heroic figures tend to either have feet of clay or have been glorified through sheer "trade-puffing" publicity agents, voluntary or otherwise. Nor is Pretty Boy alone in that category. On a scholarly level the late British Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawn spent the early part of his professional career investigating these types in his seminal work, Primative Rebels,and in other sociological monograms on the subject of social bandits. But enough of the scholarly because what our two authors have attempted to do here is to take a little away from that heroic notion and tell thetale as it more probably happened- including the boredom and monotony of everyday life even for well-known outlaws.

Pretty Boy's tale is standard 1930's stuff. Nothing doing at home except hard words, hard work, no pay and no adventure on the old homestead. That's 1930's Oklahoma in a nutshell. So off to the big city to learn a trade. The trade being robbing banks. Every profession has its rules and etiquette and as the authors tell this tale we are treated to some insights into those customs. But mainly it is set up the job, avoid getting shot and get away fast. If not, then jail, the hangman or shot down in some dark alley. Of course, this would not be a McMurtry-inspired novel if there was not a ton of sex, longings for sex or exasperations with sex. That, I might add, is true as well for those of us who are not social bandits. This is a decent read from a period that kind of marked off the Old West from the new-Tommy guns and fast cars did not figure in those Old West tales, right?

A Good Read
This is worth the read, "Lonesome Dove" it's not but a different era, different attitudes. I still liked it

An unexpected literary masterpiece
The adventures of a doomed hero that makes Bonnie and Clyde tame and the impostor seem honest
kept me interested.
In the 30's era where poverty in a wealthy nation was common being a hero seemed to involve having the nerve to take what you wanted.
Being a bad boy gangster who robbed banks became a folk hero to the downtrodden.
Our own has rapping gangsters of a different colorand they have become heroes to a new generation of the hopeless.
This book is well written and like "Zoot Suit" makes you feel like you are there
beside the characters.
It was the comparison to Clive Cussler's ersatz hero Dirk Pitt
that made me realize that this was a gem of a historical novel.

Thanks, Diana and Larry
What a breath of fresh air. From the opening scene I was back in McMurtry country (language-wise) - an easy flowing style that is comforting and hypnotic. ... Read more

Product Description
Panhandle Cowboy is the classic description ofcowboy life by master storyteller John Erickson. His observationsabout the Crown Ranch in particular, and the cowboy lifestyle ingeneral, are filled with humor and pathos as Erickson describes theranch, individual cowboys, roundups, wild cattle, andhorses. Panhandle Cowboy is a treasured addition to the literature,life and lore of the American cowboy. The Midwest Book Review, March14, 1999. James A. Cox, Editor.

"Panhandle Cowboy is a sensitive, admirable straight-forwardbook about the texture of modern cowboying in the OklahomaPanhandle. These truthful and affectionate descriptions of life andwork in that severe locale serve to reinforce an old point: thathardship and risk are woven deeply into the appeal of cowboying. Oftenas not the elements themselves provide all the hardship that anyonecould well want.Should the weather happen to be comfortable, animalsor the cattle market will contribute the hardship. In this one regardcowboys resemble desert Arabs; their best qualities are forged byextreme conditions. Enrich or suburbanize a Bedouin or a cowboy andtaste, vigor, and sense of craft are soon lost. Keep them out wherethe winds blow, the sands storm, and the animals resist all reasonableeffort and they remain superb workmen, alert, humorous, and subtle."--Larry McMurtry ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Home on the range

Anyone who still thinks the cowboy life is one of great romance - man and animal working in harmony under a blissful sky in wide open country, free and independent, the epitome of Jeffersonian democracy at work - had better read this honest, eyes-wide-open account of ranch life today. Although cowboyng was never really like the myths made it out to be, for some reason the myths took firm root. John Erickson worked for four years in the 1970s on a ranch in the Oklahoma panhandle, and this is his warts-and-all account of his experiences. Unlike in the myths, herding cattle is hard, sometimes brutal work, made even worse by harsh weather conditions, unpredictable animals, unending routine (read tedious) tasks, and cut-throat business practices (this last might be the cruelest of all). Not to say there aren't good times - close friends, favorite horses, handsome views when the wind lays down and time permits noticing - but Erickson makes clear that these good times are only oases in a Sahara of hardships. Not that he's complaining about that - just making an observation. But even Erickson can't resist the mythologizing and romancing completely, and where the book apparently ends at a livestock auction where he sells his favorite horse to (he assumes) a meat-packing plant, the horse is miraculously saved at the last minute and sent to a ranch in Montana: "I can see him now," Erickson writes, "standing in a green meadow with the Montana mountains blue in the distance." Myths, thank God, do not die easy deaths. A well-written, informative, and honest account of punching cattle on the open range.

Wild cows and dubious horses . . .
This is a solid 5-star book for any reader interested in the day-to-day, season-by-season work of cowboying and running a ranch. The author describes in this well-written book his four years (1974-78) of single-handedly managing a cow-calf operation on 5000 acres of sandy grassland in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The writing is precise and informative, full of love for the life he has chosen, admiration for the hard-working men who are his friends and neighbors, and a deepening understanding of the ranch's four not-always-cooperative horses.

There's also a good deal of humor in the book, much of it owing to the particularly unmanageable nature of the cattle on the ranch. An episode of fruitlessly chasing two wild cows through a series of pasture fences made it into a collection of cowboy humor called "Horsing Around," by Lawrence Clayton and Kenneth Davis. We also read how the author gets a reputation for picking the worst weather for fall roundups. The book ends on a soberer note, as Erickson is told that the ranch is being sold and that he's out of a job. While he's happy enough to clear the ranch of the hateful cattle that have tried his patience, there's a bittersweetness as he parts with the horses that we've come to know so well.

This is the first, and maybe best, of a series of books by the author about his ranching experiences. It was followed by "Cowboy Country" and "LZ Cowboy." As in the others, the text of this book is illustrated with a number of nicely selected black and white photographs. Larry McMurtry has some interesting words to say about cowboys by way of introduction (he's usually not so appreciative). Thanks to the University of Nebraska Press for keeping this fine book in print. Readers will also enjoy Ben K. Green's "Wild Cow Tales" and Thomas McGuane's "Some Horses." ... Read more

Product Description
To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the 1989 CBS debut of the multi-award-winning miniseries Lonesome Dove, UT Press is pleased to issue a commemorative edition of A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove. This edition features a new deluxe dust jacket with new photographs of Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, as well as a specially designed twenty-year commemorative sticker. With 25,000 copies of the regular edition sold, this anniversary edition--which is limited to 5,000 copies--will surely become a collectible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Lonesome Dove
Every fan of Lonesome Dove should have this book.We bought one for ourselves and two for gifts.Great gift for anyone who loves Lonesome Dove.

Legacy Lives On
breath-taking photographs for the Lonesome Dove fan. Most of them I would love to supersize, frame, and hang above the fireplace. Worth every penny!

Great as a gift but give it to a family member so you can enjoy it, too!
I gave this as a Christmas gift to my husband.He's a big "Dove" fan and likes using phrases from the movie.Now he has pictures to go with it.He loves this book and I do, too.The photographs take you back into the story and the text gives you some interesting facts about the movie.It was a hit as a gift!

Lonesome Dove
This book is full of wonderful photos taken as they made Lonesome Dove. It makes a great table top book, that sparks an interest. People can't help but pick it up and look at it. It brings back that great feeling of watching the movie ,and makes you want to see it again. Everyone should have this if your a REAL Lonesome Dove fan! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Save Your Money -- Buy Something Else To Read
I was preparing to give this little effort the benefit of the doubt.It's an innocuous work -- it provides thumbnail sketches of McMurtry's life and books.But, at the very least, it should at strive to be complete. Unfortunately, the description of "It's Always We Rambled: An Essay OnRodeo" is as follows:"Editor's Note:Detailed summaryinformation on this essay is unavailable."This is inexcusable.TheCheckerBee people should have either found a copy to review, or else simplynot included a reference to it.After all, it is a Limited Edition of only300 (signed) hardcover copies; it's really not a "regular" book. In fact, aversion of the essay was originally published in "New YorkMagazine" in 1973.This little hardcover edition is the only completeversion of the essay ever published, and the fact that it was published inhardcover form is a fluke (the publisher was supposed to issue it in wraps,but unilaterally decided to issue it in boards, and at a higherprice).

As an essay, it fits well with the themes first expressed in"In A Narrow Grave: Essays On Texas" (1968), starting off withmemories triggered by the aroma of cow dung from a rodeo being staged inMadison Square Garden.

As far as consistency goes, if CheckerBee is goingto include "Rambled", then it should also include a reference tothe publication McMurtry's eulogy of Irving Lazar -- also a hard-to-findLimited Edition hardcover.(In which case they could dispense with an"Editor's Note" and instead utilize the version that appeared inthe newspapers as a synopsis.) ... Read more

Product Description
Lonesome Dove--Larry McMurtry's epic tale of two aging Texas Rangers who drive a herd of stolen cattle 2,500 miles from the Rio Grande to Montana to found the first ranch there--captured the public imagination and has never let it go. The novel, published in 1985, was a New York Times best seller and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. More than two decades after publication, it still sells tens of thousands of copies every year. The Lonesome Dove miniseries, which first aired on CBS in 1989, lassoed an even wider audience. Twenty-six million households watched the premier episode, and countless millions more have ridden with Gus and Call each time the movie has rerun on TV, video, and DVD. In addition to its popular success, the miniseries has also garnered unanimous critical acclaim. It was nominated for eighteen Emmy Awards and won seven. It also won Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Miniseries and Best Actor; a Peabody Award; the D. W. Griffith Award for Best Television Series; the National Association of Television Critics Award for Program of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Drama; and the Writers' Guild of America Award for Best Teleplay (Bill Wittliff). Now bringing the sweeping visual imagery of the miniseries to the printed page, A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove presents more than one hundred classic images created by Bill Wittliff, the award-winning writer and executive producer (with Suzanne de Passe) of Lonesome Dove and a renowned fine art photographer. Wittliff took these photographs during the filming of the miniseries, but they are worlds apart from ordinary production stills. Reminiscent of the nineteenth-century cowboy photographs of Erwin Smith and the western paintings of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, each Lonesome Dove image stands alone as an evocative work of art, while as a whole, they provide a stunning visual summary of the entire miniseries. Accompanying the photographs are a foreword by Lonesome Dove author Larry McMurtry and an introduction by Stephen Harrigan, who describes the epic-in-itself creative journey that led to the making of the Lonesome Dove novel, miniseries, and book of photographs. In the afterword, Bill Wittliff recalls unforgettable moments--some hilarious, others momentous--from the production of the miniseries. A roster of the cast and crew completes the text. As its enduring popularity proves, Lonesome Dove conveys the spirit of the American West and the freedom of the open plains and sky as few other creative works ever have. For everyone who loves the novel and the movie, A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove provides yet another powerful way of experiencing this mythical, yet wholly real, world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Lonesome Dove Photographs
I'm a huge Lonesome Dove fan and have seen the movie I'm sure at least 100 times or more and seeing this book of photographs brought out more of the character in the movie. If you love Lonsome Dove you will love this book.

Awesome photos from Lonesome Dove!!
This is an inspriation to anyone who loves photography and who loved "Lonesome Dove" which I do both!!!!I found this book at a very pricey shop and was delighted to find it on Amazon for half the price!!!
Thank you!

A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove (Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern and Mexican Photography)
A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove (Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern and Mexican Photography)This is an Awesome Book with many great pictures, and articals.This is a great compliment to your Lonesome Dove DVD movie collection!!

beautiful pictures
I gave this to my son for Christmas and he was so happy to have a book full of beautiful pictures of his favorite movie.

Great Book
This book is amazing and anyone who likes the old west or has seen Lonesome Dove will not be disappointed.The pictures bring back the memories of the movie and you feel like you're in that place and time.It's incredible.It was a gift for my Dad and he couldn't put it down when he first received it.He loves and it's a great gift.The commentaries are wonderful too.
Thanks ... Read more

Product Description
Rare. Out of print. 1966 hardcover. BCE. There are only a few of these offered for sale on the internet. Very good to nearly new condition. The only notable flaw is one very small closed tear at top of spine. Excellent book for your library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Read!!!
This classic by Larry McMurtry was a great coming of age book for us Baby Boomers.Great read! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Liberty Revived
This book takes a critical look at the effect of censorship on American society."[Liberty Denied] cites many cases of the sort of local censorship that is difficult to monitor," Larry McMurtry says in theintroduction.It seeks out the roots of censorship, which may be fear orcultural prejudice.What comes out of these thorough studies is apanoramic view of American culture regarding freedom of information.Theauthor reveals the links of censorship to political control as well asmoral guardianship.Above all, the book is valuable because of its clearstatement of responsibility on the part of the reader, that it takescourage and tremendous energy to keep books, or even words, from beingsuppressed or destroyed.Furthermore, I highly recommend this book toteachers and public librarians who often see themselves as promoters andprotecters of intellectual freedom, in order that they may come to know thedifferent forms of censorship of which they are a participant.This bookdoes not throw blame for blame's sake.It is for the sake ofaccountability and a democracy of ideas. ... Read more