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Title: Buffalo Wagons

Author: Elmer Kelton

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-16-07

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 32 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Kelton's feel for the last days of the American West is evident in each chapter of Buffalo Wagons. As Jameson and his crew journey further into danger, the growing tension is dramatically voiced by Audie Award-winning narrator George Guidall.

Members Reviews:

Another Excellent Book by Kelton

Buffalo Wagons, by Elmer Kelton is another excellently written, entertaining novel by this 7 time Spur Award Winner. The story itself is greatly buoyed by the book's historical references, informing the reader of the nature of the great buffalo slaughter and the reasoning behind this environmental tragedy.

Kelton's story is completely arresting. His characters represent a smorgasbord of Western frontiersmen, and many are not very nice. In fact, more than a few are thieving, murdering sociopaths.

What is particularly interesting, given the historical bent of the book, is the extreme measures these men went to, and the incredible hardships they endured to "get rich." Truly it makes one wonder about men! Were these buffalo hunters/frontiersmen the exception? Or were all early Western men this aggressive, rugged, tough, and brutal?

Kelton, as always, is so very gentlemanly in his treatment of romance and women, and this book is no exception. After his main man rescues a maiden in distress who'd been kidnapped by Indians, Kelton handles the romantic aspect of the book very traditionally. Thankfully, he included a touch of romance, or the story might have stalled despite the bloody tale he tells. It also helped give a touch of decency and humanity to several of the characters, making them all the more likeable, otherwise their blood lust for buffalo hides would have rendered them just as bad as the true antagonists in the book.

Average western Fare

Having read "The Good Old Boys" and "The Time It Never Rained", I had high expectations for this Elmer Kelton book. While it was a good story, and kept my interest, it is not in the same class as those previously mentioned. Somewhat predictable and having few really interesting characters, "Buffalo Wagons" is average fare, not the compelling reading I'd come to expect from Kelton. This is not to say the novel is bad, it isn't, but in my opinion, it is a typical pulp western novel, not one that sets itself out as truly remarkable. Kone

Excellent Western

This is among the best Westerns I have read.

It describes one of the most odious professions (mass buffalo slaughter) from the point of view of the hunters themselves. They do it because it is one way to make a living during tough economic times.

The personal interactions between the good guy (Gage) and the outrageously bad guy (Ransom) are very realistic, and one can see parallels in one's own interpersonal interactions.

I read chapters 8 and 9 twice, one right after the other, and then read the whole book again.

Very good. I had to buy the book as the ...

I do not usually go for westerns. But is was interesting, with history of the American frontier. I was on a long car trip and we were listening to audio books. That is where I first heard the book. Surprisely the book kept my attention. I was even the one requesting that we turn the book back on after we had stopped along the way. Very good. I had to buy the book as the audio was not available and did not belong to me.

Ecellent Texas Frontier Reading

This was a rough, tough era in the settling of West Texas.