THE LONGHORNS

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1941., 1941. First edition. First edition. 8vo. The "Rawhide Edition," limited to 265 numbered copies signed by Dobie and illustrator Tom Lea. This is copy 212. Full calf, 388 pp., color frontispiece, illustrations. Dobie, "tells of the Spanish conquistadors, who brought their cattle with them; of ranching in the turbulent colonial times; of the cowboy, whose abandon, energy, insolence, and pride epitomized the booming West. He writes of terrifying stampedes, titanic bull fights on the range, ghost steers, and encounters with Indians." "Dobie's book not only gives a history of cattle introduction into the western hemisphere but the history of cattle drives, the nature of the beast that made the longhorn so popular. He does this through gathered anecdotal information in the cowboys' and cattlemen's own language. The book is replete with terms, slang, uses of longhorn 'parts,' connections with Native Americans, comparisons of traits of longhorns and buffalo, as well as more 'modern" cattle.'" "History of the longhorn breed, psychology of stampedes; days of maverickers and mavericks; stories of individual lead steers and outlaws of the range; stories about rawhide and many other related subjects. The book attempts to reveal the blend made by man, beast, and range."--J. Frank Dobie. "This is the most desirable edition. ... One of the true classics of range cattle literature. The limited edition is increasingly hard to procure."--Bill Reese (1976). J. Frank Dobie dedicated his life's work to capturing and expressing the spirit of Texas through literary folklore. By the 1930's J. Frank Dobie had become the state's leading cultural and literary icon, known for his outspoken views as well as his teaching and writing. The Popular reception of THE LONGHORNS (1941) was instrumental in saving the cattle breed. He reached a widespread audience through his Sunday newspaper column that ran from 1939 until his death in 1964. Dobie received the nation's highest civil award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from Lyndon B. Johnson on September 14, 1964. - Shifting Frontiers, Texas From Spain to Space. Lightly rubbed at corners and to spine ends else a fine, bright copy in a custom-made clamshell case with titles stamped in brown on the spine. Otherwise an excellent copy of a highly desirable and rare work. Highly recommended.