The series Our American West by Gary McCarthy is a non-alphabetized compilation of the various heroes and villains and subjects like Mules and Camels and Railroads, just plain people, etc., that makes up the history of the West. There are a few typos and formatting problems throughout the four books but it was minor enough not to distract me from the narrative. Mister McCarthy covered many characters and subjects, some not well-known and others, very well-known among western writers in general.
From the Earps to the James brothers and Chisholm and Goodnight to Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill, I found the books a wealth of information and reference material and enjoyed them. There were short biographies and essays on various aspects of the West much to my liking and easy to read. Gary McCarthy is a fine writer and researches his material diligently and thoroughly. I give the series my best five-star rating and recommend them to all Western readers.
