Cattle Brands

A Collection of Western Camp-Fire Stories, Volume 1

By: Andy Adams

Narrated by: John Burlinson

Andy Adams is one of the few writers of the American West who had knowledge based on experience that enabled him to record cowboy life authentically. In the early 1880s, at the age of 20, Adams traveled to Texas and remained there for 10 years, eight of which he spent trail driving, becoming a foreman before he left the trail in 1890. Because he knew the real West, he was able to write with remarkable legitimacy - a quality he maintained without compromise, making him an honest interpreter of Western culture.

Cattle Brands is a collection of 14 entertaining tales filled with action, adventure, and the sometimes raw humor characteristic of cowboy life. Volume one consists of two of the best: "Drifting North", a collection of anecdotes about frontier justice and injustice; and "A Question of Possession", in which a Texas sheriff learns the hard way about how not to enforce a court order.

Public Domain (P)2016 John Burlinson

Authenticity -- so welcome in this genre

If you could sum up Cattle Brands in three words, what would they be?

Funny, authentic, tongue-in-cheek

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cattle Brands?

The bank robbery and the capture & hanging of the culprits.

What does John Burlinson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Very authentic sounding reader -- sounds like he's having fun reading congenial material. I like it when narrators sound like they're enjoying the story.

If you could rename Cattle Brands, what would you call it?

Campfire Yarns

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to volume 2.

I've listened to it many times.

What did you love best about Cattle Brands?

The author, and the authenticity.

What other book might you compare Cattle Brands to and why?

The log of a cowboy, Andy Adams, read by Michael Martin Murphey.

Any additional comments?

Hope the 2nd volume comes soon. and is read by J. Burlinson.