Nigel’s Redemption


Book Description

It was what nearly every retiring gunfighter wanted. Nigel lived his life as a gun-for-hire and was tired. He longed to ride off into the sunset free of his past sins. But Nigel was wanted for murder from a job gone wrong. On his travels to seek this elusive redemption, he settles in the small, quiet town of Crowseye nestled far away from the cares of the world. But Nigel soon finds out that hiding from his past is a difficult thing to do when you’re a gunfighter. Confronted with the arrival of two outlaws seeking their own form of retribution, Nigel learns the dark secrets of the many new faces in his life and pieces a history of this quiet town together. With one last chance to clear his name and find peace, Nigel formulates a plan to save himself and others in the town. But redemption does not come easily. Not without a price.




A Rough Ride to Redemption


Book Description

He may be little known today, but Ben Daniels was a feared gunman who typified the journeyman gunfighter every bit as much as those whose names have become legend. Yet his story has eluded researchers and yarn-spinners alike—until now. Two prominent western historians have teamed up to tell the story of Ben Daniels’s rise from outlaw and convict to presidential protégé and high-ranking officer of the law. Tracing his life from jailhouse to White House, from Dodge City to San Juan Hill, Robert DeArment and Jack DeMattos present a full-length biography of Daniels, the most controversial of Teddy Roosevelt’s “White House Gunfighters.” The book faithfully traces Daniels’s early years, the time he spent in the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary, his rebirth as a Dodge City lawman—including the controversy over his shooting a man in the back—and his part in the Battle of Cimarron. Following military service with the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War, Daniels was appointed by President Roosevelt as U.S. marshal for turbulent Arizona Territory. Daniels was as quick with his mind as with a gun, but he had a rough ride to redemption. This original biography belongs on the shelf of every gunfighter buff and anyone interested in the broader story of the Old West. It rescues Daniels from the footnotes of history and shows us the amazing life of one of the West’s most intriguing gunmen.




The Gunfighter's Melody


Book Description

A Gunslinger's Melody: Redemption's Song of Hope and Community In the heart of the Wild West, the dusty town of Redemption struggles to rise from the ashes of a lawless past. Enter Silas, a weary gunslinger with a haunted past and a hidden talent for music. When a showdown forces him to confront his demons, a melody unexpectedly erupts, disarming the outlaws and sparking a flicker of hope in the town's hearts. This captivating tale follows Silas's journey as he rediscovers his passion for music, weaving his melody into the fabric of Redemption. Alongside Amelia, a spirited woman determined to rebuild, and Jake, a young outlaw yearning for a different path, they create a community where music becomes the lifeblood. But Redemption's melody faces new challenges. A flamboyant salesman with a singing cactus in tow threatens the town's authenticity, and the arrival of a mysterious woman from Silas's past stirs up long-dormant memories. Will Redemption's song of hope be silenced, or will the power of music and community prevail? Join Silas, Amelia, and the vibrant cast of characters in Redemption as they discover the power of music to heal, unite, and create a future brighter than any gold mine. This heartwarming story explores themes of: Redemption and second chances The power of music to heal and inspire Building a strong community Facing the ghosts of the past Finding your true voice With its rich Western setting, captivating characters, and a powerful message of hope, Redemption's Song is a must-read for fans of heartwarming stories, music-inspired fiction, and tales of transformation.




Gunfighter Nation


Book Description

Examines the ways in which the frontier myth influences American culture and politics, drawing on fiction, western films, and political writing




Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters


Book Description

Sifting factual information from among the lies, legends, and tall tales, the lives and battles of gunfighters on both sides of the law are presented in a who's who of the violent West




A Rough Ride to Redemption


Book Description

He may be little known today, but Ben Daniels was a feared gunman who typified the journeyman gunfighter every bit as much as those whose names have become legend. Yet his story has eluded researchers and yarn-spinners alike--until now. Two prominent western historians have teamed up to tell the story of Ben Daniels's rise from outlaw and convict to presidential protégé and high-ranking officer of the law. Tracing his life from jailhouse to White House, from Dodge City to San Juan Hill, Robert DeArment and Jack DeMattos present a full-length biography of Daniels, the most controversial of Teddy Roosevelt's "White House Gunfighters." The book faithfully traces Daniels's early years, the time he spent in the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary, his rebirth as a Dodge City lawman--including the controversy over his shooting a man in the back--and his part in the Battle of Cimarron. Following military service with the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War, Daniels was appointed by President Roosevelt as U.S. marshal for turbulent Arizona Territory. Daniels was as quick with his mind as with a gun, but he had a rough ride to redemption. This original biography belongs on the shelf of every gunfighter buff and anyone interested in the broader story of the Old West. It rescues Daniels from the footnotes of history and shows us the amazing life of one of the West's most intriguing gunmen.




Cowboy Courage


Book Description

Film and television Westerns are most often associated with physical bravery. However, many--especially those produced during the "Golden Age" of Westerns from the late 1940s through the early 1960s--also demonstrate moral bravery (the willingness to do the right thing even when met with others' disapproval) and psychological bravery (the ability to overcome one's fear and inner conflict to bring out the best in oneself and others). Through a close examination of Westerns displaying all three types of bravery, the author shows us how courage can lead to, and even enrich, other virtues like redemption, authenticity, love, friendship, allegiance to one's community, justice, temperance, and growing up and growing old successfully.




Undead in the West


Book Description

In Undead in the West: Vampires, Zombies, Mummies, and Ghosts on the Cinematic Frontier, Cynthia J. Miller and A. Bowdoin Van Riper have assembled a collection of essays that explore the many tropes and themes through which undead Westerns make the genre’s inner plagues and demons visible, and lay siege to a frontier tied to myths of strength, ingenuity, freedom, and independence. The volume is divided into three sections: “Reanimating Classic Western Tropes” examines traditional Western characters, symbolism, and plot devices and how they are given new life in undead Westerns; “The Moral Order Under Siege” explores the ways in which the undead confront classic values and morality tales embodied in Western films; and “And Hell Followed with Him” looks at justice, retribution, and retaliation at the hands of undead angels and avenger. The subjects explored here run the gamut from such B films as Curse of the Undead and Billy the Kid vs. Dracula to A-list features like From Dusk ‘til Dawn and Jonah Hex, as well as animated films (Rango) and television programs (The Walking Dead and Supernatural). Other films discussed include Sam Raimi’s Bubba Ho-Tep, John Carpenter’s Vampires, George Romero’s Land of the Dead, andSergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West. Featuring several illustrations and a filmography, Undead in the West will appeal to film scholars, especially those interested in hybrid genres, as well as fans of the Western and the supernatural in cinema.




American Cinema of the 1960s


Book Description

The profound cultural and political changes of the 1960s brought the United States closer to social revolution than at any other time in the twentieth century. The country fragmented as various challenges to state power were met with increasing and violent resistance. The Cold War heated up and the Vietnam War divided Americans. Civil rights, women's liberation, and gay rights further emerged as significant social issues. Free love was celebrated even as the decade was marked by assassinations, mass murders, and social unrest. At the same time, American cinema underwent radical change as well. The studio system crumbled, and the Production Code was replaced by a new ratings system. Among the challenges faced by the film industry was the dawning shift in theatrical exhibition from urban centers to surburban multiplexes, an increase in runaway productions, the rise of independent producers, and competition from both television and foreign art films. Hollywood movies became more cynical, violent, and sexually explicit, reflecting the changing values of the time. In ten original essays, American Cinema of the 1960s examines a range of films that characterized the decade, including Hollywood movies, documentaries, and independent and experimental films. Among the films discussed are Elmer Gantry, The Apartment, West Side Story, The Manchurian Candidate, To Kill a Mockingbird, Cape Fear, Bonnie and Clyde, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Midnight Cowboy, and Easy Rider.




A Great Disorder


Book Description

The culture wars are pitting us against each other with a vitriol that is fueling outright violence. Slotkin looks to the foundational myths that have shaped American identity—the Frontier, the Founding, the Civil War (Emancipation and the Lost Cause), and the Good War—and reveals why they are bringing the US to the brink of an existential crisis.