Sheep: Life on the South Dakota Range

By Archer B. Gilfillan

Book Overview

Archer B. Gilfillan was an anomaly. An Ivy League scholar with a broad knowledge of classical literature and a talent for writing, he nonetheless chose to herd sheep from 1916 to 1934 in a lonely, isolated part of the West. Out of this strange juxtaposition of expertise and experience, Gilfillan produced the classic narrative of American sheepherding.

First published in 1929, Sheep: Life on the South Dakota Range provides a personal, informative, and entertaining account of the western sheepherder. From blizzards to predatory wolves, from grass-crazed sheep in the springtime to penny-pinching bosses, Gilfillan misses nothing. He also volunteers his trenchant opinions on modern women, cowboys, and homesteaders--many of whom were his neighbors.

In his introduction, Richard W. Etulain, director of the Center for the American West at the University of New Mexico, describes Gilfillan's life and discusses the appeal of the wide-open West to an urban-industrial nation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0873512855
• ISBN13: 9780873512855
• Release Date: March 1993
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
• Length: 318 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Totally Enjoyable

For relaxation and enjoyment by a person not directly involved in either sheep growing or cattle ranching, I have learned much, found many new words to add to my vocabulary and had numerous hearty laughs while working my way through this true story. This book has my recommendation for total enjoyment.