Zane Grey
1) Betty Zane
The historical novel Betty Zane was famed Western writer Zane Grey's first published book. The plucky protagonist was an ancestor of Zane Grey who fought ferociously during the Revolutionary War, serving as a key go-between during several battles against the British and their Native American allies.
Though protagonist Buck Duane is a rough-and-tumble outlaw, he has a heart of gold and takes it as a point of pride that he has never killed an innocent man. Will Buck see the error of his ways and forge a new path for himself? Read Zane Grey's powerful tale of redemption to find out.
Though Zane Grey is often associated with novels about the American West, many of his early works are historical fiction centered on the Ohio Valley towns where Grey himself grew up. The Spirit of the Border is a sequel to the earlier novel Betty Zane. The book offers a fictionalized account of the exploits of Lew Wetzel, a pioneering figure who fought for the protection of early settlements in the Midwest.
Think the Old West was nothing but outlaws and cowboys? Think again. In The Young Forester, acclaimed Western writer Zane Grey follows the death-defying adventures of a forest fireman, one of the many brave souls who laid his own safety on the line to make the wild terrain of the region safe and inhabitable.
The inspiration for several Western movies, Zane Grey's The Border Legion tells the tale of hardened gunslinger Jack Kells, who finds his gruff facade melting when he encounters Joan Randle, a spunky heroine who has been captured by a militia stationed near the Idaho border.
Zane Grey, renowned as an author for his portrayals of the rugged Wild West, completed his first Western, The Heritage of the Desert, in just four months in 1910. This compelling work which deals powerfully with Mormon culture in Utah in 1890 rapidly became a bestseller.
The Man of the Forest combines many of the elements that have drawn millions of readers to Zane Grey's work for nearly a century -- plucky heroines, gorgeous descriptions of landscape, a gruff but brave and virtuous protagonist, and of course, a thrilling action-adventure plot. When long-time solitary man Milt Dale stumbles across news that a kidnapping is being planned, he takes it upon himself to protect the sisters targeted by the nefarious
...This sequel to Zane Grey's enormously popular Riders of the Purple Sage picks up ten years after the events of the previous novel. Tragedy has befallen the community of Surprise Valley, and changing views among the largely Mormon populace have begun to create rifts in the community. The Rainbow Trail includes plenty of the adventure and romance that fans of Zane Grey's work have come to love.
9) Desert Gold
Though Zane Grey's Western novels are always packed with plenty of pulse-pounding action and adventure, they are also philosophical and sophisticated, which often comes as an unexpected surprise to first-time readers of his work. Desert Gold contains the best of what made Zane Grey one of the most renowned writers of Westerns—sweet romance, action-packed thrills, heartrending descriptions of the Western landscape, and plenty of thought-provoking
...10) To the Last Man
Imagine if Romeo and Juliet were set among the sheep ranching families of Arizona. Add in a heavy dash of frontier action and adventure, and that neatly sums up the plot of Zane Grey's To the Last Man, which follows a blossoming romance among members of feuding clans in the vast open plains of the Wild West.
Like many of Zane Grey's Western novels, The Last of the Plainsmen draws on copious research to present a rollicking tale that celebrates the anything-goes ethos and frontier spirit of the Wild West in its heyday. This account follows the exploits of Charles "Buffalo" Jones, a renowned hunter and free spirit who later emerged as an important advocate for the conservation of buffalo and bison.
Though Zane Grey is best remembered as one of the most renowned writers of Western fiction, he also had an abiding interest in baseball rooted in his own stint as a baseball player for the University of Pennsylvania. Grey wrote a number of tales that take place on or around the baseball field; The Redheaded Outfield and Other Baseball Stories collects the very best of his sports fiction.
14) The U. P. Trail
Although Western writer Zane Grey is best remembered for The Riders of the Purple Sage, the novel The U.P. Trail is a favorite among critics and fans alike. This ambitious tale weaves a grand narrative of the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad line, which serves as the backdrop for a tender romance that blooms between the virtuous Allie and the mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Warren Neale.
Despite what some readers might assume, world-famous Western writer Zane Grey wasn't born on an isolated ranch in Montana or Wyoming. Instead, he grew up in the Midwest and attended the University of Pennsylvania courtesy of a baseball scholarship. He draws on his experiences as a college athlete in The Young Pitcher, which follows the travails and triumphs of player Ken Ward's university career.
18) The Last Trail
Though Zane Grey's body of work in the Western genre reveals a prodigious imagination, many of his stories had a strong historical grounding, based in part on the lives and experiences of Grey's own ancestors. The Last Trail, the final entry in Grey's Ohio River Trilogy, expertly combines elements of romance and adventure in a gripping tale that pits protagonist Jonathan Zane against several nefarious rivals.
Although the title of this Zane Grey novel calls to mind an image of a lone cowboy and his trusty steed trotting on the open plains at sunset, you'll be surprised to figure out the true identity of the mysterious rider. Gunfights, ranch life and romance—this early masterpiece of the Western genre offers something for every reader.