The Last of the Plainsmen (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

By Zane Grey

Published in 1909, this riveting account of Grey's travels in the West with the famed Western hunter and guide C. T. "Buffalo" Jones in pursuit of mountain lions, buffalo, and mustang has all the drama and action of one of his novels. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Release date: Feb 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781411435810

Zane Grey

Zane Grey (1872–1939) was an American writer best known for western literature. Born and raised in Ohio, Grey was one of five children from an English Quaker family. As a youth, he developed an interest in sports, history and eventually writing. He attended University of Pennsylvania where he studied dentistry, while balancing his creative endeavors. One of his first published pieces was the article “A Day on the Delaware" (1902), followed by the novels Betty Zane (1903) and The Spirit of the Border (1906). His career spanned several decades and was often inspired by real-life settings and events.

Reviews for The Last of the Plainsmen (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

[citizenjoyce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Zane Gray I've read and I'm amazed at his ability to convey a love of the west - its scenery, animals and people. His depiction of animals does not really jibe with my sentiments. I'm a vegetarian and a dog lover and respecter of life in the wild. His Plainsman firmly believes in his god given right to dominion over animals. He trains his dogs by whipping them or shooting them with fine buckshot, he "civilizes" bears (so that campers will be safe in their territory) by tying them up and beating them with a stick, especially the females who will then civilize all their future cubs. He has no compunction about killing mother animals so he can "save" their offspring. But he shows a respect for and understanding of animals that could have saved the American Bison from eradication had enough others shared the view. The depiction of the eventual capture of a cougar made me cringe, that this proud, able wild animal was to be added to his menagerie, but he certainly works for his acquisitions. This book is not a one sided view of wild animals, but it's an eye opener for people wanting to know what the west was like before people turned it into one barren city after another.