One of my favorite writers is Edward Abbey, I've read most of his books and love his wonderful writing style. My favorite is Desert Solitaire his thoughts and ramblings on his time as a park ranger in a remote corner of Arches National Park, it's a wonderful book. It's a book that I read every five to 10 years, it never goes out of style because the fight to save the deserts of the west is constant, unfortunately.

Last year I picked up a copy of Abbey's first published novel, The Brave Cowboy, published in 1956, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Most of us well remember the typical cowboy western of the 1950's, this couldn't be further than typical of cowboys riding, shooting Indians, blazing guns of the shoot out in Tombstone. Abbey does include the cowboy riding the desert of New Mexico, a sheriff, a jail break and lovely and hardworking woman waiting at home on the edge of town, but it's far from typical. It is a wonderful story of friendship, sacrifice and the best of human nature. It's a quick read, and well worth the time.

I also recently re-read The Monkey Wrench Gang, another classic, and so much fun.