Book Riot's 100 Must-Read Books About The West

1.
Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1)
Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1) 4.21 avg rating — 281,976 ratings
2.
The Lonesome Dove Chronicles
The Lonesome Dove Chronicles 4.56 avg rating — 222,348 ratings
3.
True Grit
True Grit 4.17 avg rating — 68,482 ratings
4.
Little Big Man
Little Big Man 4.27 avg rating — 8,686 ratings
5.
My Ántonia
My Ántonia 3.84 avg rating — 144,866 ratings
6.
Centennial
Centennial 4.26 avg rating — 44,546 ratings
7.
Shane
Shane 3.95 avg rating — 14,376 ratings
8.
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers! 3.90 avg rating — 57,277 ratings
9.
Anything for Billy
Anything for Billy 3.60 avg rating — 3,797 ratings
10.
The Sisters Brothers
The Sisters Brothers 3.85 avg rating — 101,541 ratings
11.
Destry Rides Again
Destry Rides Again
by: Max Brand
3.97 avg rating — 862 ratings
12.
The Searchers
The Searchers 4.21 avg rating — 4,051 ratings
13.
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West 4.16 avg rating — 204,457 ratings
14.
Cimarron
Cimarron 3.80 avg rating — 857 ratings
15.
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy 3.93 avg rating — 161 ratings
16.
Riders of the Purple Sage: By Zane Grey & Illustrated
Riders of the Purple Sage: By Zane Grey & Illustrated
by: Zane Grey
3.75 avg rating — 14,360 ratings
17.
Sweet Carolina (Heroines of the Golden West #1)
Sweet Carolina (Heroines of the Golden West #1) 4.06 avg rating — 130 ratings
18.
The Big Sky (The Big Sky, #1)
The Big Sky (The Big Sky, #1) 4.01 avg rating — 5,627 ratings
19.
The Shootist
The Shootist 4.14 avg rating — 2,995 ratings
20.
Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey
Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey 4.03 avg rating — 1,485 ratings
20.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 4.12 avg rating — 131,993 ratings
22.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
by: Dee Brown
4.26 avg rating — 99,680 ratings
23.
Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography
Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography 4.07 avg rating — 8,478 ratings
24.
Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier
Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier 4.03 avg rating — 1,361 ratings
25.
Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay
Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay 4.02 avg rating — 49,926 ratings
26.
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder 4.12 avg rating — 923 ratings
27.
On the Way Home
On the Way Home 4.07 avg rating — 10,407 ratings
28.
The Mississippi Chinese: Between Black and White
The Mississippi Chinese: Between Black and White 3.80 avg rating — 82 ratings
29.
The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard
The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard 4.14 avg rating — 3,238 ratings
30.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 3.91 avg rating — 3,563 ratings
31.
A Little House Reader
A Little House Reader 4.13 avg rating — 255 ratings
32.
Geronimo: My Life
Geronimo: My Life
by: Geronimo
3.89 avg rating — 2,667 ratings
33.
Some Went West
Some Went West 3.62 avg rating — 24 ratings
34.
Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West
Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West 4.08 avg rating — 3,539 ratings
35.
Appaloosa (Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch, #1)
Appaloosa (Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch, #1) 4.01 avg rating — 9,111 ratings
35.
Hanging Fire (Joe Noose #2)
Hanging Fire (Joe Noose #2)
by: Eric Red
3.80 avg rating — 56 ratings
37.
Hondo
Hondo 4.06 avg rating — 14,070 ratings
37.
Noose (Joe Noose #1)
Noose (Joe Noose #1)
by: Eric Red
3.90 avg rating — 108 ratings
39.
Hombre
Hombre 4.01 avg rating — 5,147 ratings
40.
The Quick and the Dead
The Quick and the Dead really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6,549 ratings
41.
Scrib
Scrib 3.34 avg rating — 73 ratings
42.
Six-Gun Snow White
Six-Gun Snow White 3.63 avg rating — 4,469 ratings
43.
The Ox-Bow Incident
The Ox-Bow Incident 3.87 avg rating — 6,520 ratings
44.
Petticoat Detective (Undercover Ladies, #1)
Petticoat Detective (Undercover Ladies, #1) 4.02 avg rating — 947 ratings
44.
Ride the Wind
Ride the Wind 4.39 avg rating — 6,242 ratings
46.
Soldier Blue
Soldier Blue 4.07 avg rating — 152 ratings
47.
The Lone Star Ranger
The Lone Star Ranger
by: Zane Grey
3.92 avg rating — 2,350 ratings
47.
The Homesman
The Homesman 3.89 avg rating — 4,295 ratings
49.
Follow the River
Follow the River 4.23 avg rating — 22,886 ratings
50.
The Sea Of Grass
The Sea Of Grass 3.77 avg rating — 609 ratings
51.
Hidden Fires
Hidden Fires 3.94 avg rating — 4,979 ratings
52.
Destiny's Embrace (Destiny, #1)
Destiny's Embrace (Destiny, #1) 4.17 avg rating — 3,676 ratings
53.
Simple Jess (Tales from Marrying Stone, #2)
Simple Jess (Tales from Marrying Stone, #2) 4.09 avg rating — 3,921 ratings
54.
Journal of the Gun Years
Journal of the Gun Years 3.91 avg rating — 560 ratings
55.
Backwards to Oregon (The Oregon Series, #1)
Backwards to Oregon (The Oregon Series, #1)
by: Jae
4.45 avg rating — 3,916 ratings
56.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: The Best Stories of the American West
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: The Best Stories of the American West 3.99 avg rating — 276 ratings
57.
Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830-1890
Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830-1890 3.42 avg rating — 170 ratings
58.
Follow the Free Wind
Follow the Free Wind 4.09 avg rating — 76 ratings
58.
A Buffalo in the House : The True Story of a Man, an Animal, and the American West.
A Buffalo in the House : The True Story of a Man, an Animal, and the American West. 3.81 avg rating — 336 ratings
60.
The Promise of the West: Young Pioneers on the Overland Trails
The Promise of the West: Young Pioneers on the Overland Trails really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
61.
The Professionals
The Professionals 4.35 avg rating — 57 ratings
61.
The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West
The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West 3.82 avg rating — 26,714 ratings
63.
Gone To Texas
Gone To Texas 4.10 avg rating — 805 ratings
63.
Tomboy Bride: A Woman's Personal Account of Life in Mining Camps of the West
Tomboy Bride: A Woman's Personal Account of Life in Mining Camps of the West 4.12 avg rating — 1,161 ratings
65.
The Milagro Beanfield War
The Milagro Beanfield War 4.10 avg rating — 10,587 ratings
65.
Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey
Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey 4.03 avg rating — 1,485 ratings
67.
The West That Was
The West That Was really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
67.
The Mammoth Book of the West
The Mammoth Book of the West 3.98 avg rating — 133 ratings
69.
Wisconsin Death Trip
Wisconsin Death Trip 4.01 avg rating — 1,998 ratings
69.
The Gentle Tamers: Women of the Old Wild West
The Gentle Tamers: Women of the Old Wild West
by: Dee Brown
3.78 avg rating — 664 ratings
71.
How the West Was Worn: Bustles And Buckskins On The Wild Frontier
How the West Was Worn: Bustles And Buckskins On The Wild Frontier 3.73 avg rating — 52 ratings
71.
Pioneer Days in the Southwest from 1850 to 1879: Thrilling Descriptions of Buffalo Hunting, Indian Fighting and Massacres, Cowboy Life and Home Building
Pioneer Days in the Southwest from 1850 to 1879: Thrilling Descriptions of Buffalo Hunting, Indian Fighting and Massacres, Cowboy Life and Home Building 3.86 avg rating — 210 ratings
73.
How the West was Worn: A Complete History of Western Wear
How the West was Worn: A Complete History of Western Wear 4.50 avg rating — 30 ratings
73.
The Doctor Wore Petticoats: Women Physicians of the Old West
The Doctor Wore Petticoats: Women Physicians of the Old West 3.69 avg rating — 433 ratings
75.
The Look of the Old West: A Fully Illustrated Guide
The Look of the Old West: A Fully Illustrated Guide 4.21 avg rating — 47 ratings
75.
Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West
Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West 3.58 avg rating — 1,086 ratings
77.
The Wild West on 5 Bits a Day (Traveling on 5)
The Wild West on 5 Bits a Day (Traveling on 5) 3.82 avg rating — 28 ratings
77.
Etta Place: Her Life and Times With Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Etta Place: Her Life and Times With Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 3.59 avg rating — 17 ratings
79.
The Cowboy at Work: All About His Job and How He Does It
The Cowboy at Work: All About His Job and How He Does It 4.22 avg rating — 18 ratings
79.
Entertaining Women: Actresses, Dancers, and Singers in the Old West
Entertaining Women: Actresses, Dancers, and Singers in the Old West 3.21 avg rating — 19 ratings
81.
Italians of the Gold Country
Italians of the Gold Country really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
81.
Famous Sheriffs and Western Outlaws: Incredible True Stories of Wild West Showdowns and Frontier Justice
Famous Sheriffs and Western Outlaws: Incredible True Stories of Wild West Showdowns and Frontier Justice 3.58 avg rating — 159 ratings
83.
Westering Women and the Frontier Experience, 1800-1915 (Histories of the American Frontier Series)
Westering Women and the Frontier Experience, 1800-1915 (Histories of the American Frontier Series) 3.67 avg rating — 67 ratings
83.
The Gunfighters: How the West Was Won
The Gunfighters: How the West Was Won 3.22 avg rating — 27 ratings
85.
Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War
Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War 3.88 avg rating — 1,535 ratings
86.
Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico: The Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin, 1846-1847 (Yale Western Americana Paperbound, Yw-3.)
Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico: The Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin, 1846-1847 (Yale Western Americana Paperbound, Yw-3.) 3.59 avg rating — 223 ratings
87.
The Frontiersmen
The Frontiersmen 3.76 avg rating — 41 ratings
87.
Historical Dictionary of Westerns in Literature (Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts) (Volume 41)
Historical Dictionary of Westerns in Literature (Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts) (Volume 41) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
89.
A Bride Goes West
A Bride Goes West 4.01 avg rating — 315 ratings
90.
An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, 1846-1873 (The Lamar Series in Western History)
An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, 1846-1873 (The Lamar Series in Western History) 4.32 avg rating — 475 ratings
90.
Trailblazers: Twenty Amazing Western Women (The Great American Women Series)
Trailblazers: Twenty Amazing Western Women (The Great American Women Series) 3.67 avg rating — 9 ratings
92.
Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900
Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900 3.82 avg rating — 49 ratings
92.
Growing Up with the Country: Childhood on the Far Western Frontier (Histories of the American Frontier Series)
Growing Up with the Country: Childhood on the Far Western Frontier (Histories of the American Frontier Series) 4.10 avg rating — 48 ratings
94.
On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family
On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family
by: Lisa See
3.95 avg rating — 11,026 ratings
94.
The Track Of The Cat (Western Literature and Fiction Series)
The Track Of The Cat (Western Literature and Fiction Series) 4.09 avg rating — 148 ratings
96.
Give Your Heart to the Hawks
Give Your Heart to the Hawks 3.99 avg rating — 414 ratings
96.
Captivity of the Oatman Girls
Captivity of the Oatman Girls 3.36 avg rating — 423 ratings
98.
Westering Women
Westering Women 3.98 avg rating — 6,547 ratings
99.
Dream West
Dream West 4.09 avg rating — 233 ratings
100.
A Victorian Gentlewoman in the Far West: The Reminiscences of Mary Hallock Foote
A Victorian Gentlewoman in the Far West: The Reminiscences of Mary Hallock Foote 3.64 avg rating — 78 ratings
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