John Wayne and the Peacemaker
On film, John Wayne often portrayed the Westerner of popular legend—tall in the saddle, silent, a man whose word was his bond, perhaps sometimes bullheaded, but always strong and never petty. For nearly a half century, in more than 150 films—many of them Westerns—the...
Island of Rotting Horses, 1868
You probably remember the story of Lt. John Dunbar. During the Civil War, he goes crazy—and somehow rallies Union troops to a victory. Army commanders reward him by sending him to the post of his choice—one on the Western frontier that turns out to be abandoned. He...
Custer, Cowboys and the Man in Black
Johnny Cash is playing on the ol’ stereo. Okay, so that’s not news—his music is practically always playing on the stereo. But this is appropriate because I’m listening to Cash’s 1964 masterpiece, Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. Crank it up. Now I will...
Noonan’s Last Stand
The proud slayers of a huge grizzly are memorialized in one of the most famous photographs in all of Western history. By August 7, 1874, when the photo was taken by William H. Illingworth, Custer had already explored the fabled Black Hills, and his dispatches, carried...
True West January/February 2025
In This Issue:
Features
Western Books & Movies
To The Point
