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Fay E. Ward

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The Cowboy at Work: All About His Job and How He Does It Paperback – September 15, 1987

by Fay E. Ward (Author), John R. Erickson (Foreword)

4.7 36 ratings

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"One of the best, if not the best, firsthand account written by a twentieth-century working cowboy. His knowledge of the country, combined with his writing and artistic abilities, make this book required reading." – Oregon Historical Quarterly

"I would rank The Cowboy at Work among the best books ever written about the American cowboy, maybe the best. Every word Fay E. Ward wrote can pass the tests and cross-examinations of the severest critics in his field: The saddlemakers, horse trainers, ranchers, and cowboys who have an uncanny knack for smelling out a fraud. The core of his knowledge is as timely and accurate today as it was fifty or seventy-five years ago." – John R. Erickson, one of America’s best-known working cowboys, in his Foreword to The Cowboy at Work.

"Here is a book by a man who knows what he is talking about. Fay Ward, an old time bronco buster, rough-string rider, cowhand, and wrangler, has roped, thrown, and hogtied an astonishing passel of facts and herded them into a vivid corral of cow country Americana."–Chicago Sun Tribune

"Head and haunches above anything else on the subject." – Arizona Highways

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About the Author

John R. Erickson, one of America's best-known working cowboys, wrote the foreword to The Cowboy at Work.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Oklahoma Press; Reprint edition (September 15, 1987)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0806120517
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0806120515
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 0.65 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,697,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #572 in Sociology of Rural Areas
- #60,935 in United States History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 36 ratings

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Customers find the book easy to read and well-written. They appreciate the good writing quality and the abundance of information provided.

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Customers find the book readable.

"Great book. Lots of info. Easy reading. I liked it a lot. Would recommend it to any one interested in the cowboy way" Read more

"A good read!" Read more

"Great book...." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They appreciate the information provided.

"...It is very well written." Read more

"Great book. Lots of info. Easy reading. I liked it a lot. Would recommend it to any one interested in the cowboy way" Read more

"Well written, illustrations are exacting. Extremely interesting...." Read more

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L. Humphrey
Best book on Cowboys ever written!
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2014
Verified Purchase
I got this book from the library when it was first published. I was raised on a farm and ranch and have worked around cowboys all my life. Even though this book has been reprinted and not updated, in my opinion, it is still the definitive work on working cattle, identifying brands, tying cowboy knots and any other topic dealing with cowboying. Fay Ward really knew his stuff. I bought this one for my grandson who is becoming a dang good cowboy. He doesn't read many books, but this one has kept him interested throughout. The book is a great reference for working cowboys and for those that just want to know about cattle and cowboys. It is very well written.

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2 people found this helpful

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Sally Smith
Great book.
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2013
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Great book. Lots of info. Easy reading. I liked it a lot. Would recommend it to any one interested in the cowboy way

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Fan of the old west
The all round cowboy
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019
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Detailed pictures, clearly described, and covering just about every aspect of Cowboy life over the years. If you like cowboys, you need this.

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Amazon Customer
This book should be on every rancher and horseman's book ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2014
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This book should be on every rancher and horseman's book shelf.It has some old time information on catte drive drives and horsemanship. almost cowboy I know have a copy on their book shelf. there other book that would give a modern look at
some of the work but I think all round you can't go wrong with this book. All my children and gran\d children that are reading age have a copy. Thanks for the paperback.

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Marleen C Hoffman
Great book.
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2013
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This is a great book for everyone who is interested in exact use age and history of the work of a cowboy.

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Linda C. Nasworthy
I love this book
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2013
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Well written, illustrations are exacting. Extremely interesting. Would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Western way of life and that of a cowboy.

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David Mevis
The Ultimate Authority On Cowboy Gear
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2013
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Yes, I said it. This book by Fay Ward has been a favourite of mine about the REAL cowboy of the "Old West" since I was a youth. The knowledge about the life of a cowboy, his tools and accouterments contained in this volume is encyclopaedic.

If your interest is in history... writing about the "Old West" and its characters... reenacting characters of the period... basically anything to do with REAL cowboys, then this book will help you and should be on your shelf.

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Richard Yearout
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2017
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Looks great!

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The Cowboy at Work: All About His Job and How He Does It Paperback – September 15, 1987

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