Lawrence Clayton – författare

Herding cattle from horseback has been a tradition in northern Mexico and the American West since the Spanish colonial era. The first mounted herders were the Mexican vaqueros, expert horsemen who developed the skills to work cattle in the brush country and deserts of the Southwestern borderlands. From them, Texas cowboys learned the trade, evolving their own unique culture that spread across the Southwest and Great Plains. The buckaroos of the Great Basin west of the Rockies trace their origin to the vaqueros, with influence along the way from the cowboys, though they, too, have ways and customs distinctly their own.In this book, three long-time students of the American West describe the history, working practices, and folk culture of vaqueros, cowboys, and buckaroos. They draw on historical records, contemporary interviews, and numerous photographs to show what makes each group of mounted herders distinctive in terms of working methods, gear, dress, customs, and speech. They also highlight the many common traits of all three groups.This comparative look at vaqueros, cowboys, and buckaroos brings the mythical image of the American cowboy into focus and detail and honors the regional and national variations. It will be an essential resource for anyone who would know or portray the cowboy-readers, writers, songwriters, and actors among them.

In a state as big as Texas, the various regions differ widely in their histories and identities, which makes the cultivation of regional history essential. This collection of stories recounts the colorful past of the Clear Fork country—the land along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in present-day Shackelford and Throckmorton counties. The editors focus first on the area's military past—Camp Cooper, Fort Griffin, and the society they spawned. The second focus is on the pioneers—the people who made the Clear Fork country their home and helped to establish its character."The editors have masterfully blended the words of modern writers—folks steeped in the region's history—with those of the persons who made that history. Here, combined for the first time, are classic works by two great historians of an earlier era—Rupert N. Richardson and Carl Coke Rister—along with efforts by several noted local writers. Also included is a report from Capt. R. B. Marcy's 1854 expedition through the then-largely unexplored region as well as interviews with several Clear Fork pioneers."This medley of voices offers a truly unique and personal perspective on the Clear Fork country and its people. It has all the elements of a classic western: soldiers, settlers, Indians, outlaws, buffalo hunters, and cowboys. This is the stuff of which, quite literally, legends were made—not to mention novels, movies, and television shows."—Bob Green, from the Introduction