And there you have it. Post-modern dissembles, dishevels, discomforts, dislocates, disconnects, discontinues, dissociates, disrupts the reader — it is designed to make things unclear and subject to interpretation, relativism, deconstruction. There is a reason James Joyce could write in stream-of-consciousness, innovative language, and wordplay. Life and death had been (WWI) at the door of many of his readers, but left them feeling despair and no longer with a desire to live a heroic life (though Joyce faced the ravages of syphilis — naughty boy). Joyce’s world was composed of muddlers and meddlers.
In contrast, classical Westerns are real, spiritual. The stories of good and bad rise to the top because the characters in Westerns, like the ancient Greeks, knew hardship, misery and death might come at any moment. The only question of the heroes of westerns, like the Greeks, was how they would die, and not whether they would, so… they lived the best way they could and as heroes.
Because in a Classical Western there is only one way to leave this world, and that is with your boots on standing up for what is right. When I think of a quasi-hero’s story, I am reminded of the young boy made hero in William Manchester’s autobiography, “Goodbye Darkenss.” He asks without asking, can we still find this quest of heroic life in a modern world. The Marines of WWII were young, young Manchester among them, trained, and afraid of letting their comrades down, … they charged up beaches, across exposed ground, and fought over air fields where the field of fire was unrestricted. This is a heroism one sees time and gain in history replayed, and yet, we wonder, … would we find those to do this today.
The answer is yes. A piece of the Western lives on in each of us, and hopefully enough of us to matter. You nailed it Max.
"Theirs is a tiresome pageant of collective guilt and innocence, which marches back and forth across a darkling plain where ignorant armies clash by night, without regard to any individual’s power over himself."
Bring it along to CC4, Tim, and Max will sign it for you personally. Unless you already ordered it from VWAM in which case it would arrive autographed! Blessings, AG
Thanks for this! I am printing it out to ruminate and write about my book of history, about a true-life hero/villain (spy) in WWII. Historical fiction about the Holocaust has always offended me when there are so many amazing stories still untold. I suppose one could ask AI to produce a work of historical fiction about how someone born a Jew in Germany became a leader of the French Resistance and an MI6 agent and survived the concentration camps....Or a story of the old West. By the way, a friend of mine, a woman as we understood it then and who was anything but "typical" - a jockey and a trainer, loved Mel Brooks and Blazing Saddles...I prefer Robin Hood Men in Tights....(see Tanya at https://www.saatchiart.com/dianamarahenry under the title "Slacker"....) I can't wait to read your book!
Thanks Max for the clear analysis. I too have read so many Westerns and western history that I started writing my own. I would add Owen Wister's Virginian to the list of classical Westerns. (there are so many). I have added your name to my Wish List of authors to read. "Jay Peters"
A good Western exhibits moral clarity. Good is good and bad is bad. Simple, right?
There's a line from "The Making Of Tombstone" where Powers Boothe says (I paraphrase) "These were real people. The Earps didn't come to Tombstone to clean it up, they came to get rich. Just like everyone else there."
Like all fine actors, Power Boothe identified completely with his character Curly Bill, who was an enemy of the Earps. A lot of us would like to get rich, which is fine, but what then?
As Wyatt explained, "I already got a guilty conscience. Might as well have the money too."
A dear friend of mine we met wintering in Palm Springs years ago was a native Finn who had met a Brit in Sweden (try to keep up) and moved with him to Canada! As I said, they wintered in Palm Springs. She had every Zane Grey and Louis Lamour novel she could find that had been translated into Finnish and learned everything she knew about America from those beloved books. AG
On Alan Ladd: "a great Shane, even though, as a blond man clad in deerskin" . . . and one could expand that to "a short, dorky-looking blond man" who could never fill the real Shane's shoes. Kinda like Tom Cruise playing Reacher . . . except Cruise really had the attitude if not the looks.
Mar 12, 2025 #JohnWayne #historicallyaccurate #classicwesterns
Hollywood has spent decades lying about the Old West. The gunfights, the good guys, the frontier life — it's all myth. But these 10 Westerns actually got it right. And some of them, being the most historically accurate Westerns ever filmed, are nothing like the cowboy movies you grew up with.
“ A good Western exhibits moral clarity.”
And there you have it. Post-modern dissembles, dishevels, discomforts, dislocates, disconnects, discontinues, dissociates, disrupts the reader — it is designed to make things unclear and subject to interpretation, relativism, deconstruction. There is a reason James Joyce could write in stream-of-consciousness, innovative language, and wordplay. Life and death had been (WWI) at the door of many of his readers, but left them feeling despair and no longer with a desire to live a heroic life (though Joyce faced the ravages of syphilis — naughty boy). Joyce’s world was composed of muddlers and meddlers.
In contrast, classical Westerns are real, spiritual. The stories of good and bad rise to the top because the characters in Westerns, like the ancient Greeks, knew hardship, misery and death might come at any moment. The only question of the heroes of westerns, like the Greeks, was how they would die, and not whether they would, so… they lived the best way they could and as heroes.
Because in a Classical Western there is only one way to leave this world, and that is with your boots on standing up for what is right. When I think of a quasi-hero’s story, I am reminded of the young boy made hero in William Manchester’s autobiography, “Goodbye Darkenss.” He asks without asking, can we still find this quest of heroic life in a modern world. The Marines of WWII were young, young Manchester among them, trained, and afraid of letting their comrades down, … they charged up beaches, across exposed ground, and fought over air fields where the field of fire was unrestricted. This is a heroism one sees time and gain in history replayed, and yet, we wonder, … would we find those to do this today.
The answer is yes. A piece of the Western lives on in each of us, and hopefully enough of us to matter. You nailed it Max.
A beautiful piece of writing in itself, James. Thank you!
Thanks, James. As did you. We have those who do this today.
I have but seven remaining Zane Grey westerns to find, and then I'll have them all.
Love Louis L'Amour's novels.
I have about 100, all in paperback, including a copy of "Hondo" signed by Louis himself.
Don't most of us?
"Theirs is a tiresome pageant of collective guilt and innocence, which marches back and forth across a darkling plain where ignorant armies clash by night, without regard to any individual’s power over himself."
Such a great line. Thank you.
I read that line three times and then ordered Max's new book!
Bring it along to CC4, Tim, and Max will sign it for you personally. Unless you already ordered it from VWAM in which case it would arrive autographed! Blessings, AG
Thanks for this! I am printing it out to ruminate and write about my book of history, about a true-life hero/villain (spy) in WWII. Historical fiction about the Holocaust has always offended me when there are so many amazing stories still untold. I suppose one could ask AI to produce a work of historical fiction about how someone born a Jew in Germany became a leader of the French Resistance and an MI6 agent and survived the concentration camps....Or a story of the old West. By the way, a friend of mine, a woman as we understood it then and who was anything but "typical" - a jockey and a trainer, loved Mel Brooks and Blazing Saddles...I prefer Robin Hood Men in Tights....(see Tanya at https://www.saatchiart.com/dianamarahenry under the title "Slacker"....) I can't wait to read your book!
Thanks, Diana. All the best with your book.
Thanks Max for the clear analysis. I too have read so many Westerns and western history that I started writing my own. I would add Owen Wister's Virginian to the list of classical Westerns. (there are so many). I have added your name to my Wish List of authors to read. "Jay Peters"
Thanks.
A good Western exhibits moral clarity. Good is good and bad is bad. Simple, right?
There's a line from "The Making Of Tombstone" where Powers Boothe says (I paraphrase) "These were real people. The Earps didn't come to Tombstone to clean it up, they came to get rich. Just like everyone else there."
Like all fine actors, Power Boothe identified completely with his character Curly Bill, who was an enemy of the Earps. A lot of us would like to get rich, which is fine, but what then?
As Wyatt explained, "I already got a guilty conscience. Might as well have the money too."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNRmCONiLDI
Because everyone here seems to like Westerns, here's one I really liked: Paradise Sky by Joe R. Lansdale.
Reactions welcome. . . .
I found it on Kindle Unlimited, which is cool!
that was fun to read and think about. I have mostly read Louis Lamour. when he"s good he's very good. Post modernism says nothing.
A dear friend of mine we met wintering in Palm Springs years ago was a native Finn who had met a Brit in Sweden (try to keep up) and moved with him to Canada! As I said, they wintered in Palm Springs. She had every Zane Grey and Louis Lamour novel she could find that had been translated into Finnish and learned everything she knew about America from those beloved books. AG
On Alan Ladd: "a great Shane, even though, as a blond man clad in deerskin" . . . and one could expand that to "a short, dorky-looking blond man" who could never fill the real Shane's shoes. Kinda like Tom Cruise playing Reacher . . . except Cruise really had the attitude if not the looks.
Lordsburg, Arizona or New Mexico? I know the one, can't find the other.
White Money is now on my list. Looking forward to it.
10 Best Historically Accurate Westerns Since the 50s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9MFNOfo6YE
Mar 12, 2025 #JohnWayne #historicallyaccurate #classicwesterns
Hollywood has spent decades lying about the Old West. The gunfights, the good guys, the frontier life — it's all myth. But these 10 Westerns actually got it right. And some of them, being the most historically accurate Westerns ever filmed, are nothing like the cowboy movies you grew up with.
____________________________
Never heard of some of these.
I watched that--thanks!