The Cowboy Way

The American cowboy is destined to remain the most easily recognised of all western character types, a knight of the road who, with a large hat, tall boots and a big gun, rode into legend and into the history books. Yet the lives of American cowboys have been both real and mythic; hence our continuing fascination with their history and culture. In this fascinating collection of essays, sixteen scholars explore cowboy music, dress, humour, films and literature in a way that opens up this mythical character to those with an ongoing interest in real cowboy culture. Celebrating the 'cowboy way', this book also comes to grips with false images, the make-believe world that surrounds cowboy culture and the portrayal of the cowboy in Hollywood, leading to a greater understanding of how the modern cowboy lives up to or falsifies the legend of old.