Life on the Trail

Lesley Shortt is an elementary-school teacher in Milton, Ontario.

The Life in the Old West series is a surefire hit.

Life on the Trail and Life on the Ranch examine how cowboys and
ranching have affected many aspects of contemporary life in North
America. Our houses, customs, fashions, and even food reflect the
“western” influence thanks to the courageous men and women who
blazed the trails from the east across to Texas and California. Life on
the Trail starts in the 1500s with the Spanish vaqueros’ teaching
North American ranchers to be cowboys and follows through to the final
days of cattle driving. The challenges of life and travel on the drives
across the United States and Canada are explored in detail. Life on the
Ranch examines the work and lifestyle of cowboys from the earliest
settlements to modern-day dude ranches. The hard work of the grub-line
riders, who toiled for little more than the food they ate, is contrasted
with the baronial lifestyles of the wealthy ranchers.

The Wagon Train and Homes of the West look at how families traveled and
finally settled in the western regions of North America. Wagon Trains
describes how the pioneer families prepared for the long, difficult
wagon ride ahead, along with the hardships, diseases, and disasters they
faced. In Homes of the West, a variety of structures, from Native
dwellings and soddies to dugouts and frame houses, are described and
illustrated lavishly.

Period paintings, illustrations, and archival and modern photographs
with informative captions are featured throughout these handsome
volumes. The clear and concise text is well organized, and references to
Canada are included wherever possible. Each volume also includes a
glossary and an index. The accessible and user-friendly format will
encourage junior and intermediate students to keep turning pages. Highly
recommended.