In the Days of the Vaqueros: America's First True Cowboys

Book Description

In this rousing account of the first true cowboys, Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman brings to life the days when the vaqueros rounded up cattle, brought down steers, and tamed wild broncos. In the service of wealthy Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century, Mexican ranch hands began herd-
ing cattle, often riding barefoot. They soon developed and perfected the skills for this dangerous work and became expert horsemen. Hundred of years later the vaqueros shared their expertise with the inexperienced cowboys of the American West, who adopted their techniques and their distinctive clothing, tools, and even lingo. Yet today it is the cowboy whom we remember, while the vaquero has all but disappeared from history.
The vaqueros are at last given their due in this dramatic narrative, lushly illustrated with beautiful period paintings and drawings.

Customer Reviews:

First true cowboys.......2007-01-05

Finally a young persons book with a different perspective on cowboys. The origins and role of the vaquero in America is discussed in a scholarly and insightful manner geared for young readers. If you are looking for a book about the traditional view of the cowboy than look elsewhere. The author, Russell Freedman does an excellent job describing how the Vaqueros were the first of their kind, their role in rodeos, where and how they lived on haciendas and ranchos, what they did at rodeos , the tools they used , the contests and games and the last of the vaqueros. These original cowherders were poor Indian laborers who were subject to the rich Spanish land owners who dominated the landscape of America after the conquest by the European Spaniards. This book is a good history lesson about life in the southwest and Mexico(one and the same at this particular point in history)during Spanish rule. This book is an excellent choice for a classroom or library in the middle or high school level for further enrichment in the education process. Limited English speaking students may find the language difficult but there are many Spanish words intersperced throughout the lessons to draw their interest. The drawings and photographs are well done; I only wish this book was presented in a larger format. This is a good book for a student to write a book report on and share the information within to the class. Highly recommended for students and adults alike who enjoy history.

In The days of the Vaqueros.......2005-12-20

In The Days of the Vaqueros
By Russell Freedman

If you are looking for a book about horses this is not a book for you. This is a book about the Vaqueros and only the Vaqueros. This book starts out well but after a while is starts to get boring. Vaqueros were the first cowboys. They started out as slaves for the Spaniards. This book is for young adults. A kid that is 11 or older could read it but they might have trouble with it.

By Julie

A Sucessful Young Adult Book.......2002-11-02

Russell Freedman's, "In the Days of the Vaqueros" was written for young adults and in this endeavor it suceeds. It is a 70 page hard back book with numerous high quality paintings, sketches and photographs. He tells the story of the Vaqueros from the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico up to modern days. When I purchased the book, I was hoping to find a book written for adults. Yet, I was not dissapointed. The book's production values are very high and I really enjoyed the art work.

Californios: The Saga of the Hard-Riding Vaqueros, America's First Cowboys

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Californios: The Saga of the Hard-Riding Vaqueros, America's First Cowboys

Manufacturer: Stoecklein Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ruger Single Action Revolvers Blackhawk, Vaquero, and Bisley Disassembly & Reassembly Gun-guide (Disassembly & Reassembly Guide)

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Ruger Single Action Revolvers Blackhawk, Vaquero, and Bisley Disassembly & Reassembly Gun-guide (Disassembly & Reassembly Guide)
Gun-Guides
Manufacturer: Gun-Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MXSON0

Product Description

Our Disassembly & Reassembly Guides have (16) pages and cover a brief history, and complete disassembly, and reassembly of the firearm. High resolution illustrations and pictures guide you through the entire process

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Vaqueros: America's First Cowmen
Martin W. Sandler
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Wild West | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0805060197

Book Description

The untold story of the Hispanic riders and ropers who created the cowboy."The men who rode the mustangs, tended the cattle, and invented all the techniques of cattle raising in America were called vaqueros and they were the world's first cowboys."Did you know that vaqueros invented ...the rodeo?the cowboy hat?chaps? and many lasso tosses?Almost everything we associate with cowboys-how they rode, roped, dressed, and lived--began with vaqueros. These Spanish-speaking cowmen developed their skills on missions and ranches throughout Mexico and the Southwest, even in Hawaii, but they have disappeared from history.Martin Sandler, author of the popular book Cowboys, extends to vaqueros his lively, informed, heavily illustrated treatment. He highlights vaquero clothing and vocabulary and shows in words and pictures vaqueros on horseback, leading roundups, branding, lassoing and tying. The book retells legends of the vaqueros and recounts true stories of vaquero valor, loyalty, heroism and courage. Readers meet Ramon Amuhada, who is in the Cowboy Hall of Fame; great ropers such as Pablo Romero and Jose Berrara; valiant riders, including Antonio Jose Esquival; and other true American heros. Vaqueros will appeal to cowboy fans across the country, and should be shelved in every library and bookstore next to books on African-American and white cowmen.

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Contributions to the USA and CSA during the Civil War
An important, unique contribution to Civil War studies.
This book adds little value to Civil War research

Vaqueros in Blue and Gray
Jerry D. Thompson
Manufacturer: State House Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Mexico | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A saga of the brave Mexican-Texans during the Civil War, this edition contains a list of four thousand Confederate and Union Hispanics from Texas.

Customer Reviews:

Contributions to the USA and CSA during the Civil War.......2003-02-26

The book Vaqueros in Blue and Gray provides an insightfully resource of the contributions made by Hispanics to both the United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA) during the American Civil War. From an Anglo standpoint, I feel that this book better helps Civil War researchers better understand the Civil War and the contributions made by Mexicans and others with surnames like Sanchez, Martinez, and Moreno to both the CSA and USA.

An important, unique contribution to Civil War studies........2000-07-03

This history of Hispanic involvements in the Civil War includes the first comprehensive list compiled over Confederate and Union Hispanic participants who served, providing a history which will particularly appeal to students of Texas state history. Vaqueros in Blue & Gray originally appeared in 1976; this new edition provides a new introduction, foreword, and the list of participants.

This book adds little value to Civil War research.......1999-01-20

The author focuses on Texas-Mexicans, who enlisted in the Union and Confederate armies. No grand motives were involved. The enlistees joined for a variety of reasons: bonus money, clothing, food, escape from a ruthless peonage system, and because of a paternalistic tradition stemming from their Mexican heritage. Regardless, the Texas-Mexican committment was weak throughout the Civil War. An exception was the Benavides brothers, particularly, Santos, who was the highest ranking Texas-Mexican in either army.

While American-Mexican soldiers served in various state units - Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Vermont, et. al., this book is about the Texas-Mexicans who served along the Rio Grande River, dividing Texas and Mexico. In the course of their service, these confederate soldiers were chiefly involved in border incidents, fighting bandits, chasing rustlers, etc. It's clear Texas officials used Texas-Mexican soldiers not to fight the Union but to protect Texas land and property.

Approximately 2600 Texas-Mexicans served the South and 950 served the Union. The illiteracy rate for Texas-Mexicans was as high as 95% and their lack of English kept them in the lowest ranks throughout the war. Of the 62 men in one confederate regiment, only 3 were born in Texas. Many had been born in Mexico and ranged in age to 50 years. The Texas-Mexicans thought of their army service as a job through which they could send money to their families in Mexico - an early Bracero program.

When pay and morale deteriorated, the Texas-Mexicans deserted the confederate and union armies. They simply rode out of camps carrying clothing, arms, and riding the best horses. The desertion rate was of serious concern. In some units it ran as high as 100%, as Captain Adrian Vidal's "Independent Partisan Union Rangers" deserted in its entirety.

Prejudice against the Texas-Mexicans soldiers was overt and contributed to the desertion rate. One officer's comment is pertinent, "I consider them (Texas-Mexicans) as dishonest, cowardly, and treacherous." His feelings were supported by many Anglos in both armies. In this context, the Texas-Mexicans were given old and outdated arms and scrub horses - those not considered good enough for other army units.

The author knows the framework of his subject. Where he fails is in trying to put the results of his knowledge into a semblance of lucidity. The book is hard to read and doesn't hold a casual reader's interest. There is no explanation of the relationship of the battles described to the overall strategy of the South. Further, there are no maps with which to follow the battles narrated by the author.

Another defect is that there are no accounts of the daily lives of the Texas-Mexican soldiers: how they behaved under fire, what they ate, what they thought, how they spent their leisure time, and so forth. The book is also cluttered with footnote references as if the author believed 271 footnotes bestowed literary merit on 120 pages of text. The index is rudimentary and of limited value to the reader. In the author's defense, he obviously did a lot of research. However, no writer can enlighten a subject when the subject is presented with little form and substance.

The military events in the Civil War numbered 10,455 which doesn't include naval actions or countless other scrapes and clashes that didn't find their way into official records. This book adds nothing to the history of the "Vaquero" and does a disservice to Texas-Mexicans by denigrating their will to survive despite the foolishness foisted on them by the Anglos.

One irony that escapes the author is that the war between the states may have ended slavery in the United States but the Texas-Mexicans who fought in the Civil War continued in peonage well into the 20th century. They lived as they did before the war, clustered in small villages along the muddy waters of the Rio Grande, many in poverty, and many others suppressed economically and politically.

Book Description

"This is the first major look at the lives of these ranch workers.... [It] will add greatly to the literature on ranch life in South Texas."

—Bruce S. Cheeseman, Consulting Archivist and Historian, King Ranch, Inc.

Founded before the Civil War, the King and Kenedy Ranches have become legendary for their size, their wealth, and their endless herds of cattle. A major factor in the longevity of these ranches has always been the loyal workforce of vaqueros (Mexican and Mexican American cowboys) and their families. Some of the vaquero families have worked on the ranches through five or six generations.

In this book, Jane Clements Monday and Betty Bailey Colley bring together the voices of these men and women who make ranching possible in the Wild Horse Desert. From 1989 to 1995, the authors interviewed more than sixty members of vaquero families, ranging in age from 20 to 93. Their words provide a panoramic view of ranch work and life that spans most of the twentieth century.

The vaqueros and their families describe all aspects of life on the ranches, from working cattle and doing many kinds of ranch maintenance to the home chores of raising children, cooking, and cleaning. The elders recall a life of endless manual labor that nonetheless afforded the satisfaction of jobs done with skill and pride. The younger people describe how modernization has affected the ranches and changed the lifeways of the people who work there.

Customer Reviews:

True, often ignored, Texas roots.......1999-05-24

The best way to learn history is from the mouths of those who lived it, and enjoying the experiences of the King Ranch Kinenos and the vaqueros of the Kenedy Ranch through their unadorned, first-person accounts puts the reader right back at the last fringes of the Old West period. Indian attacks, raids by Pancho Villa and forays by the Union and the Confederacy forces disrupt but do not change the tradition rich life of the Hispanic cowboy. Loyal until death, theirs was a life of service, duty, and honor. This is a can't-miss read for fans of Texana, Hispanic history, and ranching life.

A Vaquero of the Brush Country: The Life and Times of John D. Young

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Authentic life in the Pecos
Western Classic - Strange Cover
This book covers the subject "the brush country very well" .

A Vaquero of the Brush Country: The Life and Times of John D. Young
John D. Young , and J. Frank Dobie
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0292787049

Book Description

This true story of the Texas brush range and the first cowboys, as thrilling as any tale of fiction, has become a classic in Western literature. It is the story of the land where cattle by tens of thousands were killed on the prairie and where the "Skinning War" was fought. It is the story of the Chisholm Trail up to Abilene and the Platte and of establishing a ranch on the free grass of the Texas Panhandle, of roping elk in Colorado, of trailing Billy the Kid in New Mexico, of the grim lands of the Pecos. And it is the story of John Young, old-time vaquero who was trail driver, hog chaser, sheriff, ranger, hunter of Mexican bandits, horse thief killer, prairie fire fighter, ranch manager, and other things—a man who was also something of a dreamer, a man of imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Authentic life in the Pecos.......2006-05-05

This book comes off as a bit dry to the superficial history buff, as the author rarely mentions the names of famous western heroes or myth makers. But the book does list the names and activities of myiads of other players who lived the real life of the wild west. The book describes the business and the hardships faced by Texas cowboys in the late 1800's, as understood by John Young, a hard riding cowboy who spent his whole life on the range. The book was written by John Dobie, a man very familiar with the life of a cowboy and the land that John Young lived on, and at times I could not be certain which of these men I was reading about. I did come away with a better understanding of life on the Texas range, and am grateful that some of these cowboys understood the interest future generations would have in what they did out there when the plains were unfenced, and took the time to have it put in print.

Western Classic - Strange Cover.......2006-03-23

It is great to see a new edition of this Western classic which now correctly attributes authorship to John D. Young and J. Frank Dobie jointly. This autobiography preserves stories, facts, and history of the Texas cattle industry of the 1870s and 1880s not found anywhere else. It is also the entertaining story of John Young, who was himself worth writing about.

That being said, the cover photo of the new edition is very odd. It appears to be a photo of a recent-era "vaquero" wearing modern clothes including a jacket with snaps - obviously not available in the late 19th century! This photo has nothing to do with the life of John Young or the era and events which are the subject of "Vaquero." The use of this inappropriate photo is particularly strange, since there are so many great art works and photos which dramatically depict the brush country and the vaqueros who worked and lived the the Texas of that time.

Maybe the publisher, Uniiversity of Texas Press, will choose a better cover for the next edition.

This book covers the subject "the brush country very well" ........1999-05-05

After having read "A Vaquero of the Brush Country" , I have a question. Where in Dawson County did Mr. Young deliver the 700 steers and what route did he take and to whom did they belong? The book is very good.

Customer Reviews:

A Piece That Has What Others Don't........2007-09-02

Highly regarded as one of the finest pieces of business investigative journalism written, Connie Bruck's groundbreaking work on the subject of junk bonds and corporate financing was written during a time when the business press universally admired Drexel Burnham for their ability to turn junk into gold.

You will find this book quite entertaining and comprehensible. A smooth read not filled with too much industry jargon, its nomenclature friendly enough even for the beginner. It highlights the bright sides as well as the dark sides of the critically acclaimed Junk-bond king Michael Milken and allows each of us to have his or her own view on Milken and Drexel Burnham's underlying philosophy.

Although the book does lean heavily towards Milken having a me first attitude, it does manage to pin down a few important business lessons underscored by him that cannot be overlooked. You will not waste any time reading this piece. You will definitely be on the winning side by reading this book.

This book will definitely generate scores of topics to discuss and debate about the philosophies of American business that dominated Wall Street in the 1980s. This future classic highlights many corporate raiders that are still vehemently visible today. Just to name a few: players like Carl Icahn, Nelson Peltz, Ron Perelman, T. Boone Pickens and a host of others.

A definite must read for those interested in banking, financial history, and especially for business students.

Amazing account of the rise of Drexel.......2007-04-11

Connie Bruck tells the tale of the rise of Drexel Burnham, Michael Milken, and the modern day junk bond market, from the early beginning all the way up to the end.

The Predators Ball is a great bit of investigative writing. The dramatic events really keep you hooked, although at some points the level of detail requires hunkering down for the long haul. Overall, recommended for any Street junkie or anyone interested in Drexel Burnham and Michael Milken.

Good background information on finance in the 80s.......2007-02-25

This book is a great reference point to many of the activities that occurred in the 1980s and how those events impact Wall Street and the financial markets today. While not as well written as other books in the genre, it makes an emphasis of using facts as opposed to circumstantial evidence presented as facts (which many similar books such as "Den of Thieves" and "Barbarians at the Gate" use) and that makes this book a cut above the rest.

One sided, but a good read.......2007-01-10

I gave the book 4 stars simply for the topic, it reads reasonably well, and it appears that the author has done a good amount of research, covering much of Milken's and Drexel's rise and fall. The book, however, is one sided (against Milken). The last few chapters are blatantly so and become almost unbearable in there tone.

Given the realization of how absolutely astonishing it is that one man influenced, almost singlehandedly, a financial era, I would recommend reading as much on the topic as possible. This would include the Predators Ball.

Good for what it sets out to do but really leaves a lot out.......2006-12-21

This is a decent overview of the malfeasance that was perpetuated by Drexel Burnham and Michael Milken. It however pails in comparison to the account that James Stewart presents in Den of Thieves. If you want to focus on the big event during one year this is a decent way to do it but you are really missing out on a much better account.

The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders

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The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders
Connie Bruck
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ0ZMU

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