From Clint Eastwood, cattle drives, Buffalo Bill Cody, and outlaws to John Wayne, rodeos, roundups, and the Cisco Kid, Richard W. Slatta's The Cowboy Encyclopedia is a one-of-a-kind reference to the people, places, equipment and dress, historical events, terminology, and cultural imagery surrounding the cowboys of both North and South America. Extensively cross-referenced and expertly researched, The Cowboy Encyclopedia is a must for the serious student of cowboy life and Western Americana, as well as an enjoyable treat for the armchair cowboy.In this fascinating volume, myth and reality come together to provide a detailed exploration into how and why the romantic cowboy image came into being. Through numerous topical entries that study the role of cowboys in art, literature, and film, to briefer subject entries focusing on cowboy terminology, readers can take away an insightful and broad perspective of the cowboy culture and its powerful influence over America's vision of the Western frontier.Best Reference Source 1994, Library JournalOutstanding Reference Sources 1995, RASD American Library Association