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About The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains (Unabridged)

Written first as a series of stories in the late 19th century and published later as the quintessential Western novel in the early years of the 20th century, The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains by Owen Wister contains elements of breathtaking adventure, courage, grit, conflict, humor, and heartfelt emotions that continue to resonate in the 21st century. In The Virginian , Wister crafted the matrix for hundreds of Western-themed books ( Riders of the Purple Sage , Shane ), radio ( Gunsmoke ), movies ( Red River, High Noon ), television series ( Rawhide , Hell on Wheels ), and even musicals (think Oklahoma ) to follow. At its heart, The Virginian , set in 1880s Wyoming, is a sagebrush love story between a tall, dashing young cowboy from the Old Dominion and Molly Wood, a Vermont-born schoolteacher. Their relationship is pulled to a frightening tension by the bitter rivalry between the Virginian and the black-hearted Trampas. Hard-ridden cowhands, ornery rustlers, gold seekers from back East, kindly ranchers, a barroom temptress, a demented hen, beloved horses, dastardly villains, and love-smitten sweethearts all blend to make The Virginian a must-listen-to audiobook of the West as it once was.