Zane Grey

Easton Press Zane Grey books

Western Classics - 6 volume set including titles:

To The Last Man

Riders of The Purple Sage

The Border Legion

The Heritage of The Desert

The Rainbow Trail

The Light of The Western Stars

 

Zane Grey's Masterpieces of The Old West - includes stories:
Riders of the Purple Sage
The Mysterious Rider
The Call of the Canyon

The Lone Star Ranger

The Last of The Plainsmen

Desert Gold

Franklin Library Zane Grey books

The Ranger and Other Stories by Zane Grey - Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers - 1979

 

 

Who was Zane Grey?

Zane Grey (1872–1939) was an American author best known for his prolific contributions to the Western genre of literature during the early 20th century. Born Pearl Zane Grey on January 31, 1872, in Zanesville, Ohio, Grey's literary legacy is marked by his vivid storytelling, romanticized depictions of the American West, and his significant influence on popularizing Western novels. Grey initially pursued a career in dentistry, following in the footsteps of his father. He graduated as a dentist from the University of Pennsylvania, but he failed in an attempt to build a practice in New York. However, his true passion lay in writing, and he began penning stories and novels during his spare time. In 1903, he published his first novel, Betty Zane, inspired by the exploits of his ancestor Elizabeth Zane during the Revolutionary War. This marked the beginning of Grey's literary career.

Zane Grey's breakthrough came with the publication of Riders of the Purple Sage in 1912. This novel, set in the rugged landscapes of the American West, became a bestseller and established Grey as a prominent figure in Western fiction. His subsequent works, such as The Lone Star Ranger (1915), The Rainbow Trail (1915), and Wildfire (1917), further solidified his reputation as a master storyteller of Western tales. One of Grey's strengths was his ability to portray the natural beauty of the American West while weaving engaging narratives filled with romance, adventure, and moral dilemmas. His novels often featured strong, heroic characters navigating the challenges of the frontier.

Apart from his success as a novelist, Zane Grey was an avid angler, and his love for fishing found its way into some of his works, including his popular non-fiction book Tales of Fishes (1919). His passion for outdoor activities contributed to the authenticity of his descriptions of the Western landscapes in his novels.

 

His success as a writer was assured in 1912 when Riders of the Purple Sage sold close to 2 million copies. He continued to write romances of the American west the rest of his life.

Throughout his career, Grey wrote over 60 novels, many of which were adapted into films, radio programs, and television series. While his popularity waned in the latter part of the 20th century, Zane Grey's impact on the Western genre remains significant, and his works continue to be appreciated by readers interested in tales of the Old West. Zane Grey passed away on October 23, 1939, in Altadena, California. The cause of Zane Grey's death was heart failure. Grey had a history of heart-related issues, and his health had been declining in the years leading up to his death. His contributions to American literature and the Western genre have left an enduring mark, and his legacy as a pioneer of Western fiction endures to this day.

 

  

To The Last Man - A Story of the Pleasant Valley War

To the Last Man is the story of Arizona's Pleasant Valley War, one of the most legendary conflicts of the Old West. A venomous feud between cattle ranchers, the Isbels, and sheepherders, the Jorths, plunges both families into a deadly cycle of vengeance. Yet, even as their families spiral into annihilation, Ellen Jorth and Jean Isabel struggle to keep their fateful romance alive.

1921. This romance is true to Grey's conception of the Pleasant Valley War and he bases it upon the setting he learned to know and love so well, upon the strange passions of primitive people, and upon his instinctive reaction to the facts and rumors he had gathered.

This is the classic story of a deadly feud between cattlemen and sheepherders in the Tonto Basin of Arizona in the years years of the 1800s that gave substance to one of the legendary conflicts of the West. It's also the story of the fateful romance between Jean Isbel, son of a cattleman, and Ellen Jorth, daughter of a sheep rancher.

Even to-day it is not possible to travel into the remote corners of the West without seeing the lives of people still affected by a fighting past. How can the truth be told about the pioneering of the West if the struggle, the fight, the blood be left out? It cannot be done. How can a novel be stirring and thrilling, as were those times, unless it be full of sensation? My long labors have been devoted to making stories resemble the times they depict. I have loved the West for its vastness, its contrast, its beauty and color and life, for its wildness and violence, and for the fact that I have seen how it developed great men and women who died unknown and unsung.

Riders of The Purple Sage - Book 1

Told by a master storyteller who, according to critic Russell Nye, “combined adventure, action, violence, crisis, conflict, sentimentalism, and sex in an extremely shrewd mixture,” Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic of the Western genre. It is the story of Lassiter, a gunslinging avenger in black, who shows up in a remote Utah town just in time to save the young and beautiful rancher Jane Withersteen from having to marry a Mormon elder against her will. Lassiter is on his own quest, one that ends when he discovers a secret grave on Jane’s grounds. "Zane Grey’s popularity was neither accidental nor undeserved,” wrote Nye. “Few popular novelists have possessed such a grasp of what the public wanted and few have developed Grey’s skill at supplying it.”

The first great Western, a story of courage and adventure in Utah canyon country

 

Lassiter was a gunman with a reputation as black as his clothes and a mighty vengeance to fulfill Jane Withersteen was a homesteader on the Utah frontier the richest woman in the Mormon village of Cottonwoods.

But that fortune was in danger. The Mormons wanted her to marry Elder Tull and they had more in mind than the good of her soul. They wanted control of Amber Spring, the precious water that gave verdure to the wild purple wasteland.

When their methods of persuasion turned dirty, Jane found it hard to defend herself against the entire town. But that was before Lassiter rode in, strapped on his famous guns and stood up to the angry mob.

When Jane Withersteen’s father dies, he leaves her in sole possession of the family’s cattle ranch, situated on one of the most valuable pieces of land in Utah. The river that runs through the property gives Jane control of the local water supply and the great power that comes with it. Coveting the property, a local Mormon leader named Tull tries to force Jane into a polygamous marriage a fate that she resists. As Jane’s defiance grows stronger, so does the ire of the townsfolk, and the marriage seems all but inevitable until the infamous gunslinger Lassiter rides into town, bringing a quick trigger and frontier-hardened bravery that just may be Jane’s last great hope.

Renowned for its rich depiction of the West,  Riders of the Purple Sage  is an unforgettable adventure story of love, honor, and courage, and perhaps the most popular Western of all time.

The Rainbow Trail: A Romance - Riders of The Purple Sage Book 2

These days, we remember Zane Grey for his ninety novels set in America's West, including Lone Star Rangers and Riders of the Purple Sage. We may know that he was an inductee to the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. But the thing you really need to know about The Rainbow Trail is that it's the sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage, which may well be Grey's most remembered work.

 

A decade after Jane Withersteen, Lassiter, and their adopted daughter, Fay Larkin, escape through Deception Pass, the family faces new trials when Fay is abducted for marriage by a local Mormon group. As Fay struggles against a forced marriage, she encounters John Shefford, a cowboy searching for a new life, and who may be the only one who can free her.

John Sheppard is a preacher who becomes good friends with the Venters who always seemed haunted. Eventually, Mr. Venters reveals that he was once a horse rider for a woman named Jane Withersteen a rich Mormon and her adopted daughter Fay Larkin. However, Jane's churchmen were displeased with her association with non-Mormons and the evil Mormons drove them into a narrow valley and trapped them there. Venters had always intended on returning to the valley to search for the Jane and Fay, circumstances have prevented him from doing it. John Sheppard is fascinated by this story and wants to what he can to relieve the haunted look he sees in the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Venters so he attempts to discover what happened to Jane and Fay. He discovers that Fay Larkin may still be alive and that her life has become the stuff of adventure, including kidnapping! And that somehow she has the strength to survive the most terrible of circumstances. . . .

The sequel to Zane Grey’s bestselling Riders of the Purple Sage, The Rainbow Trail was also published under the title The Desert Crucible.

 

"Yes. He wanted to stay, and I had work there that'll keep him awhile. Shefford, we got news of Shadd bad news. The half-breed's cutting up rough. His gang shot up some Piutes over here across the line. Then he got run out of Durango a few weeks ago for murder. A posse of cowboys trailed him. But he slipped them. He's a fox. You know he was trailing us here. He left the trail, Nas Ta Bega said. I learned at Stonebridge that Shadd is well disposed toward Mormons. It takes the Mormons to handle Indians. Shadd knows of this village and that's why he shunted off our trail. But he might hang down in the pass and wait for us."

The Border Legion

When Killer Kells and his infamous outlaw band, the Border Legion, set out to rob the helpless prospectors, only two people stand in his way a member of his gang who secretly rides for the law and his beautiful captive.

 

The Border Legion by Zane Grey is an action-packed Western novel that immerses readers in a world of danger, loyalty, and redemption. Set against the backdrop of the rugged American frontier, this gripping story explores themes of love, honor, and the clash between lawlessness and justice.

The narrative revolves around the character of Jim Cleve, a young man seeking to escape his troubled past. Drawn into the notorious Border Legion, a ruthless gang of outlaws, Jim finds himself torn between his loyalty to the gang’s charismatic leader, Jack Kells, and his growing love for a strong-willed woman named Joan Randle.

As Jim wrestles with his own sense of right and wrong, he must navigate treacherous landscapes, confront rival gangs, and confront the consequences of his choices. Along the way, he discovers the power of redemption and the lengths one will go to protect what they hold dear.

With Zane Grey’s vivid descriptions and evocative prose, The Border Legion transports readers to a time when the lawlessness of the frontier clashed with the pursuit of justice. Grey’s masterful storytelling, rich character development, and heart-pounding action scenes bring the Wild West to life, immersing readers in a world of gunfights, rugged landscapes, and moral dilemmas.

Prepare to be swept away by the thrilling narrative, complex relationships, and breathtaking showdowns that define The Border Legion. Zane Grey’s timeless classic will leave readers on the edge of their seats, craving more of the untamed adventure and emotional depth that make Western fiction an enduring genre.

The Heritage of The Desert

Published in 1910, this was Zane Grey's first western novel. It received wide and unanimous praise for its powerful portrait of the land and the men and women of the Southwest.

 

Jack Hare is an Easterner who has come west for his health. In Salt Lake City he is mistaken by Dene’s outlaw gang for a spy and must flee the town to escape them. He is found suffering from exhaustion and exposure in rough country by the wealthy Mormon rancher August Naab. As he is nursed back to health at Naab’s ranch, Hare becomes aware that Naab’s holdings are being threatened by both Dene’s rustlers and an unscrupulous Gentile land-grabber named Holderness. Hare also comes to know Mescal, originally an orphan of a Spanish father and Navajo mother, taken in by Naab and promised in marriage to his eldest son, Snap. August Naab does not believe in violent resistance to Holderness’s incursions. To save Hare from Dene and his gang, Naab has him accompany Mescal to his sheep camp, located in an isolated valley fastness, and it is there that the two fall in love, even though Mescal knows that she is morally bound to marry Snap Naab. Packed with adventure, action, emotion, and unforgettable characters, Desert Heritage represents one of Zane Grey’s finest literary achievements. And its vivid evocation of the Painted Desert of Arizona is without equal in the genre.

 

John Hare lies dying in the desert until he is discovered and saved by the kind and generous rancher, August Naab. As Hare is nursed back to health on Naab’s ranch, he finds himself irresistibly attracted to Naab’s adopted daughter, Mescal. But Mescal is being relentlessly pursued by Holderness, a man who is not to be trusted. Hare is soon drawn into a web of adventure and intrigue over land, water, and the heart of a beautiful woman, all set against the sweeping backdrop of the Wild West.

 

“They say I fell among thieves….I’ve fallen among saints as well.”

The Light of The Western Stars

1914. A romantic tale by the master of the western. The book begins: When Madeline Hammond stepped from the train at El Cajon, New Mexico, it was nearly midnight, and her first impression was of a huge dark space of cool, windy emptiness, strange and silent, stretching away under great blinking white stars. Miss, there's no one to meet you, said the conductor, rather anxiously. I wired my brother, she replied. The train being so late-perhaps he grew tired of waiting. He will be here presently. But, if he should not come-surely I can find a hotel?

Madeline Hammond walks straight into trouble from the moment she steps off the train in New Mexico. Almost tricked into marriage by a drunken cowboy, Madeline quickly realizes she has much to learn if she is going to survive life on her brother's ranch in the southwestern territory.

Feeling constrained by her high-society life back east, Madeline Hammond decides to join her brother Alfred at his cattle ranch in El Cajon, New Mexico. But she gets a rude introduction to frontier living when she encounters a drunken cowboy named Gene Stewart. Though his rough demeanor is a shock to Madeline’s refined sensibilities, she comes to realize that he means no harm and soon learns there are far worse characters for her to worry about. There are some bad men who would do anything to see Alfred run off his land. While Gene tries to prove to Madeline that he can change for the better, tensions in El Cajon are on the rise. And when violence breaks out, Madeline discovers courage matters a lot more than manners on the frontier.

The Mysterious Rider

1921. From the master of the western comes a novel full of romance and adventure. Rancher Bill Belllounds brought up Columbine as though she were his daughter. Out of affection for her foster father, Columbine agrees to marry his son Jack, who is a drunkard, gambler, coward, and thief. But she really loves the cowboy, Wilson Moore. Then, the Mysterious Rider appears at the Belllounds ranch, a man of middle age, gentle, kindly, but so formidable a gun fighter he has earned the nickname Hell Bent Wade. He will play a pivotal role in righting the wrongs in the story.

 

The Mysterious Rider is an enthralling Western novel written by Zane Grey. The story centers around Ben Ide, a young cowboy who becomes entangled with a mysterious and enigmatic figure known as Hell-Bent Wade. With a dark past and a relentless pursuit of vengeance, Wade's presence disrupts the peaceful town of Monty Price. Through the journey of its characters, "The Mysterious Rider" explores themes of honor, justice, and the power of forgiveness. Grey masterfully weaves together action, romance, and moral dilemmas, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. With its atmospheric setting and complex characters, "The Mysterious Rider" showcases Grey's talent for crafting captivating Western tales that have enthralled readers for generations.

The Lone Star Ranger - Pan Handle Smith Trilogy Book 1

In Zane Grey's only Western told from the first person perspective, a U.S. Deputy Marshall helps legendary Texas Ranger Vaugn Steele to clean up the lawless town of Fairfield. Though the town's mayor is in cahoots with a band of outlaws, Steele falls in love with his daughter and the Marshall falls in love with his niece. An unusual psychological depth sets this tale apart from the majority of Westerns.

 

Set in the Texas scrublands of the 1870s, The Lonestar Ranger by Zane Grey is a true western romance. When a young man is exiled to the wilderness, will he find a chance to redeem his name?

 

When Buck Duane, the son of a famous gun fighter, is forced to kill a man in self-defense he must ride off to the lawless region along the border between Texas and Mexico. As he is hunted by the law, Duane gains a reputation for himself by killing some of the most notorious of Texas outlaws and, in so doing, is offered a pardon by a captain of the Texas Rangers if he will infiltrate a gang of ruthless rustlers headed by the shadowy figure known as "Cheseldine". As Buck infiltrates the gang and the Rangers await the final showdown with the gang, his allegiances are tested by the development of a romantic relationship which threatens to unravel the whole enterprise. A gripping tale of the American frontier in the Old West, "The Lone Star Ranger" is one of Zane Grey’s most popular stories.

 

“It would come back that wind of flame, that madness to forget, that driving, relentless instinct for blood. It would come back with those pale, drifting, haunting faces and the accusing fading eyes, but all Duane's life, always between them and him, rendering them powerless, would be the faith and love and beauty of this noble woman.”

 

Other Pan Handle Smith Trilogy books include:

The Trail Driver: A Western Story
Valley of Wild Horses

The Last of The Plainsmen

Buffalo Jones goes on his final mission in this rousing, classic western.

 

This classic adventure novel by Zane Grey tells the story of Buffalo Jones, a frontiersman and hunter who sets out to capture a herd of elk to help repopulate the Western plains. Along the way, he encounters many challenges, including hostile Native Americans, harsh weather, and treacherous terrain. The novel is a thrilling tale of courage, perseverance, and the beauty of the American West.

Desert Gold

Love, adventure, and more wait in the Old West of Zane Grey’s western classic Desert Gold . When Richard Gale arrives in the border country of Arizona, he hopes for a brand new start. He soon finds himself embroiled in local trouble, however, when he and an old friend a Texas Ranger attempt a daring rescue. The victim, the daughter of a murdered rancher, has been kidnapped by a cruel bandit named Rojas. Challenging him means almost certain death for Richard, but as he escapes with the beautiful señorita into the desert, his adventure turns into something unexpected.

 

 

The Call of the Canyon

The Call Of The Canyon is a well-written novel by Zane Grey. The plot is based on Carley Burch, an orphaned woman who lives a socialite's life in New York City. Her fiancé Glenn Kilbourne has gone West to Arizona, near Flagstaff, to recover his health after fighting in World War I. Then, Carley visits his fiance in the lodge run by his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Hutter, and their daughter Flo. Later on, Glenn realizes that he can never return to his former shallow life and breaks their engagement. But, why? Then, Carley decides to return to Arizona and marry Glenn, but when she arrives, Glenn and the Hutter family are away buying hogs. She purchases land near Glenn's farm and has a house built on it. In the end, when she hears a rumor that Glenn has married Flo, she returns to New York. But, why? Will Carley get to know the truth? Will Carley and Glenn ever get together again? Why did Glenn break his engagement?

The Ranger and Other Stories

The Lone Star Ranger is a Western novel published by Zane Grey in 1914. The book takes place in Texas, the Lone Star State, and several main characters are Texas Rangers, a famous band of highly capable law enforcement officers. It follows the life of Buck Duane, a man who becomes an outlaw and then redeems himself in the eyes of the law. The novel was dedicated to the Texas Ranger John Hughes Buck Duane is the son of a famous outlaw. Though an outlaw is not always a criminal, if the Rangers say he is an outlaw, it's just as bad – he's a hunted man. After killing a man in self-defense, Duane is forced to 'go on the dodge'. Duane turns up at an outlaw's hideout, still revolting at the idea of outlawry. Worse still, all the men he kills haunt him, for years. At the outlaw hideout, he meets a kidnapped, beautiful young woman and desires to see her free. In the second part of the book, Duane joins the Rangers, who want him to help to clear the frontier of major cattle rustlers and bank robbers, in return for the governor's pardon of his illegal deeds.

 

Four tales of love and adventure in the Old West introduce a cast of characters that includes a Texas ranger who risks his life to rescue the woman he loves and a beautiful woman who comes between two brothers.; a desperate fugitive seeks sanctuary with a peace-loving people; and a daring young schoolteacher journeys West to meet the man who has captured her heart.

 

After twenty years of keeping the peace along the Rio Grande, Ranger Vaughn "Texas" Medill dreams of settling down, but his plans are interrupted by the kidnapping of the beautiful Roseta Uvaldo.

 

Stories include:
The Ranger
Canyon Walls
Avalanche
From Missouri