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100 Must-Read Books of the American West

Book Riot's list of must-read books of the American West.
A note about nonfiction–much of the nonfiction written about the west is fictionalized to a degree, and I've made little attempt to distinguish between creative and straight nonfiction, because frankly, it's not always possible in this genre.
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1
True Grit (Charles Portis)
True Grit (Charles Portis)
2
Little Big Man (Thomas Berger)
Little Big Man (Thomas Berger)
3
The Lonesome Dove Chronicles (Larry McMurtry)
The Lonesome Dove Chronicles (Larry McMurtry)
4
Centennial (James A. Michener)
Centennial (James A. Michener)
5
Scrib (David Ives)
Scrib (David Ives)
6
Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
7
O Pioneers! (Willa Cather)
O Pioneers! (Willa Cather)
8
Shane (Jack Schaefer)
Shane (Jack Schaefer)
9
Anything for Billy (Larry McMurtry)
Anything for Billy (Larry McMurtry)
10
My Antonia (Willa Cather)
My Antonia (Willa Cather)
11
Riders of the Purple Sage (Zane Grey)
Riders of the Purple Sage (Zane Grey)
12
Six Gun Snow White
Six Gun Snow White
13
The Ox-Bow Incident (Walter Van Tilburg Clark)
The Ox-Bow Incident (Walter Van Tilburg Clark)
14
The Sisters Brothers (Patrick Dewitt)
The Sisters Brothers (Patrick Dewitt)
15
Petticoat Detective (Margaret Brownley)
Petticoat Detective (Margaret Brownley)
16
The Shootist (Glendon Swarthout)
The Shootist (Glendon Swarthout)
17
The Lone Star Ranger (Zane Grey)
The Lone Star Ranger (Zane Grey)
18
The Searchers (Alan Lemay)
The Searchers (Alan Lemay)
19
Destry Rides Again (Max Brand)
Destry Rides Again (Max Brand)
20
The Sea of Grass (Conrad Richter)
The Sea of Grass (Conrad Richter)
21
Cimarron
Cimarron
22
Hidden Fires (Sandra Brown)
Hidden Fires (Sandra Brown)
23
Destiny's Embrace (Beverly Jenkins)
Destiny's Embrace (Beverly Jenkins)
24
Simple Jess (Pamela Morsi)
Simple Jess (Pamela Morsi)
25
Journal of the Gun Years (Richard Matheson)
Journal of the Gun Years (Richard Matheson)
26
Backwards to Oregon
Backwards to Oregon
27
Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy)
Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy)
28
The Big Sky (A.B. Guthrie)
The Big Sky (A.B. Guthrie)
29
Hopalong Cassidy (Clarence E. Mulford)
Hopalong Cassidy (Clarence E. Mulford)
30
Follow the Free Wind (Leigh Brackett)
Follow the Free Wind (Leigh Brackett)
31
Sweet Carolina (Stephen Bly)
Sweet Carolina (Stephen Bly)
32
A Mule for the Marquesa (Frank O'Rourke)
A Mule for the Marquesa (Frank O'Rourke)
33
The Outlaw Josef Wales (Forrest Carter)
The Outlaw Josef Wales (Forrest Carter)
34
The Milagro Beanfield War (John Nichols)
The Milagro Beanfield War (John Nichols)
35
The West That Was (John Eggen)
The West That Was (John Eggen)
36
Wisconsin Death Trip (Michael Lesy)
Wisconsin Death Trip (Michael Lesy)
37
How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontiers (Chris Enss)
How the West Was Worn: Bustles and Buckskins on the Wild Frontiers (Chris Enss)
38
How the West Was Worn: A History of Western Wear (Holly George-Warren & Michelle Freedman)
How the West Was Worn: A History of Western Wear (Holly George-Warren & Michelle Freedman)
39
The Look of the Old West (William Foster-Harris)
The Look of the Old West (William Foster-Harris)
40
The Wild West on 5 Bits a Day (Joan Tapper)
The Wild West on 5 Bits a Day (Joan Tapper)
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