Saddle up and ride! Like the stirring historical terms knight and pirate, the word cowboy pulses with life, and resonates with all the splendid imagery of a lost, legendary era. The Old West of America offered challenges aplenty for those who sought opportunity there—ranchers, farmers, homesteaders, businessmen, miners, and other entrepreneurial types. Yet the one occupation that set fire to the country’s collective imagination was that of the humble stockman on horseback. Join the American cowboy on his evolution from hard-working ranch hand and cattle drover, to one of the most recognized archetypal folk figures the country has ever produced.

What was it about these men that enthralled the population? Discover the answers in this comprehensive history of the cowboy, which begins with the earliest explorers of the New World, takes in the westward migration of settlers, and examines the origins of the vast, sprawling cattle ranches of Texas. Uncover the vigorous ranch economy that sprang up across the Great Plains of the continent and share the trails and the travails of the cattle drovers. Walk the streets of boomtowns and cow towns where ranch hands sported on Saturday nights, and meet the larger- than-life figures who imprinted themselves into American culture—outlaws, lawmen, showmen, rule-breaking ladies, Mexican vaqueros, black cowboys, native American warriors—even a future president.

Discover how the traditional cowboy fares in the modern age, and marvel at the major, enduring influences that the colorful cowboy life has had on cinema, art, literature, music, and couture in America— and the world.