With the English edition of Cowboys, you can saddle up and ride out! Just like the historical terms knight and pirate, the word cowboy pulses with life and evokes all the magnificent images of a lost, legendary era. The Wild West of America offered plenty of challenges for those seeking opportunities there - ranchers, farmers, settlers, businesspeople, miners, and other adventurers. Yet the profession that ignited the collective imagination of the country was that of the humble horse-mounted cattle herder. Join the American cowboy on his journey from hard-working ranch hand and cattle driver to one of the most famous myths ever produced by the land. What is it that fascinates about these men? Discover the answers in this comprehensive history of the cowboy, which begins with the earliest explorers of the New World, examines the westward-moving settlers, and investigates the origins of the vast cattle ranches in Texas. Explore the vibrant ranching that stretched across the Great Plains of the continent and share in the paths and struggles of the cattle drivers. Stroll through the streets of boomtowns and cowtowns and meet the larger-than-life figures who have left their mark on American culture - outlaws, lawmen, showmen, rule-breaking ladies, Mexican vaqueros, black cowboys, Native American warriors - even a future president.