Wildfire and the Heritage of the Desert

Incorporated in this double volume are the first true "western" Zane Grey wrote, The Heritage of the Desert, and the book that did for horses what Jack London did for dogs, Wildfire. Both are excellent reads by the author who defined what a "western" is, or at least what the public at the time, and still today think of when they think "western". The Heritage of the Desert is my personal favorite even surpassing Riders of the Purple Sage which was the next novel Zane Grey wrote. In this book Zane Grey is favorable to the Mormons and many of the lead characters are patterned after men he met during his first extended trip out west with Buffalo Jones in 1907. It is classic story telling with all the things a person expects to find in a "western". Wildfire gives the reader a glimpse into Monument Valley, a place later to become one of the most recognizable landscapes used in the movies, especially by director John Ford. Here amongst this background a wild and free spirited girl meets a catcher and breaker of wild horses, and the thrilling conclusion set in a death race between horse and a raging wild fire is yet to be topped by any writer. These two books have everything Zane Grey is known for--beautiful descriptions of landscape, fascinating characters, and animals that you come to love. A great addition to any Zane Grey library of books.