The Last Ride of the Pony Express

My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West

USA Today bestseller!

Cowboy and journalist Will Grant takes us on an epic and authentic horseback journey into the modern West on an adventure of a lifetime, boldly illuminating both our mythic fascination with the Pony Express, and how its spirit continues to this day. ​

The Pony Express was a fast-horse frontier mail service that spanned the American West—the high, dry, and undeniably lonesome part of North America. While in operation during the 1860s, it carried letter mail on a blistering ten-day schedule between Missouri and San Francisco, running through a vast and mostly uninhabited wilderness. It covered a massive distance—akin to running horses between Madrid and Moscow—and to this day, the Pony Express is irrefutably the greatest display of American horsemanship to ever color the pages of a history book.

Though the Pony Express has enjoyed a lot of traction over the years, among the authors that have attempted to encapsulate it, none have ever ridden it themselves. While most scholars would look for answers inside a library, Will Grant looks for his between the ears of a horse. Inspired by the likes of Mark Twain, Sir Richard Burton, and Horace Greeley, all of whom traveled throughout the developing West, Will Grant returned to his roots: he would ride the trail himself with his two horses, Chicken Fry and Badger, from one end to the other. Will Grant captures the spirit of the West in a way that few writers have. Along with rich encounters with the ranchers, farmers, historians, and businessmen who populate the trail, his exploits on horseback offer an intimate portrait of how the West has evolved from the rough and tumble 19th century to the present, and it’s written with such intimacy that you’ll feel as though you’re riding right alongside of him. The result is an extraordinary portrait of the treacherous and, at times, thrilling landscape of the known and unknown American West, and the people who populate it.

The Last Ride of the Pony Express is a tale of adventure by a horseman who defies most modern conveniences, and is an unforgettable narrative that will forever change how you see the West, the Pony Express, and America as a whole.

“Spellbinding." —Douglas Preston, author of The Lost City of the Monkey God

“Completely fascinating." —Elizabeth Letts, author of The Ride of Her Life

Selected by the Smithsonian as a Best Travel Book of the Year

An excellent road trip listen

Wonderful story of the West but wish he’d dived into the history a bit more in places

Magnificent…!

Read the book, then listened to audiobook twice…

Wonderful reminder of the richness of a dusty trail and quiet camp…

Thank you, Mr. Grant…

Modern Not Modern Adventure

Great story about the people and times of the modern American West. Well narrated and an incredible story that makes you want to get out and explore.

You can almost see your in this journey

The balance of modern and historic makes this journey fascinating and a fun ride. Great listen well narrated. Recommend this highly listened to it twice.

What a Great Story

Will Grant is my neighbor. I met him during the pandemic when I walked my dog on our country road in our area just outside Santa Fe, NM. He told me that he was busy writing this book, and I have looked forward to reading it. Little did I know that it would be such a good read. Like Ivan Doig, Will has the ablilty to paint a picture of the area with words, describing what he saw so vividly that I could easily imagine what he was seeing-I felt like I was riding along with him. I loved his mix of history and geography with his story; the way he pulled in interesting facts like those about the Basque sheepherders and the grasses that have gone from the vast grasslands of the prairie. Kevin Stillwell was a great reader for this book. I have lived in the Southwest since 1975 and have packed into the mountain wilderness on horseback many times, so his story pulled at my heartstrings, reminding me of all those nights spent listening to horses on a picket line. Anyone who loves the history of the United States and the quiet spaces in the outdoors needs to read this book.