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Elmer Kelton

American author Elmer Kelton is best known for his Western novels, including *The Time It Never Rained* and the Texas Rangers series. A seven-time winner of the Spur Award, his work is celebrated for its authentic portrayal of the American frontier. This page provides the Elmer Kelton books in order, including both chronological order and series reading order.

All books · chronological

1956Hot IronPOoSN · 1Buy ↗

1957Buffalo WagonsPOoSN · 2Buy ↗

1959Bitter TrailPOoSN · 3Buy ↗

1960Texas RiflesPOoSN · 4Buy ↗

1961DonovanPOoSN · 5Buy ↗

1963Pecos CrossingPOoSN · 6Buy ↗

1963Horsehead CrossingPOoSN · 7Buy ↗

1965Massacre at GoliadPOoBFB · 1Buy ↗

1967After the BuglesPOoBFB · 2Buy ↗

1968Captain's RangersPOoToTB · 1Buy ↗

1968Savage Guns(With: Brian Garfield,Alex Hawk)POoSN · 8Buy ↗

1969Shotgun Settlement(With: Brian Garfield,Alex Hawk)POoSN · 9Buy ↗

1971The Day the Cowboys QuitPOoTTB · 1Buy ↗

1971Bowie's MinePOoSN · 10Buy ↗

1972Looking Back West: Selections form the Pioneer News-ObserverPOoNB · 1Buy ↗

1972WagontonguePOoTTB · 2Buy ↗

1973The Time It Never RainedPOoSN · 11Buy ↗

1974ManhuntersPOoTTB · 3Buy ↗

1975Joe PepperPOoToTB · 2Buy ↗

1976Long Way to TexasPOoToTB · 3Buy ↗

1980The Wolf and the BuffaloPOoTTB · 4Buy ↗

1980Barbed WirePOoSN · 12Buy ↗

1981Eyes of the HawkPOoSN · 13Buy ↗

1982The Good Old BoysPOoHCB · 1Buy ↗

1982Llano RiverPOoSN · 14Buy ↗

1984Stand ProudPOoTTB · 5Buy ↗

1984Shadow of a StarPOoSN · 15Buy ↗

1985Permian: A Continuing SagaPOoNB · 2Buy ↗

1985Elmer Kelton: 30 Years of Western FictionPOoNB · 3Buy ↗

1985Dark ThicketPOoTTB · 6Buy ↗

1986There's Always Another Chance, and Other StoriesPOoSSC · 1Buy ↗

1986The Big BrandPOoSSC · 2Buy ↗

1987The Man Who Rode MidnightPOoTTB · 7Buy ↗

1988Hanging JudgePOoSN · 16Buy ↗

1989Sons of TexasPOoSoTB · 1Buy ↗

1989The RaidersPOoSoTB · 2Buy ↗

1989The RebelsPOoSoTB · 3Buy ↗

1990Living and Writing in West Texas: Two SpeechesPOoNB · 4Buy ↗

1991Honor at DaybreakPOoTTB · 8Buy ↗

1992The Art of Howard TerpningPOoNB · 5Buy ↗

1992The Art of Frank C. McCarthyPOoNB · 6Buy ↗

1992SlaughterPOoSN · 17Buy ↗

1993The Art of James BamaPOoNB · 7Buy ↗

1993Elmer Kelton Country: The Short Nonfiction of a Texas NovelistPOoNB · 8Buy ↗

1993The Best ChristmasPOoSN · 18Buy ↗

1993The Indian in Frontier NewsPOoSN · 19Buy ↗

1994The Far CanyonPOoSN · 20Buy ↗

1995My Kind of Heroes: Selected SpeechesPOoNB · 9Buy ↗

1995TexasPOoNB · 10Buy ↗

1996The Pumpkin RollersPOoSN · 21Buy ↗

1997Cloudy in the WestPOoSN · 22Buy ↗

1998The Smiling CountryPOoHCB · 2Buy ↗

1999The Buckskin LinePOoTRB · 1Buy ↗

1999LegendPOoSSC · 3Buy ↗

1999Texas Cattle Barons: Their Families, Land and LegacyPOoNB · 11Buy ↗

2001Badger BoyPOoTRB · 2Buy ↗

2001The Way of the CoyotePOoTRB · 3Buy ↗

2002Ranger's TrailPOoTRB · 4Buy ↗

2003Christmas at the RanchPOoSN · 23Buy ↗

2004Texas VendettaPOoTRB · 5Buy ↗

2004Jericho's RoadPOoTRB · 6Buy ↗

2005Six Bits a DayPOoHCB · 3Buy ↗

2005Prairie Gothic(By: John R. Erickson)POoNB · 12Buy ↗

2007Sandhills Boy: The Winding Trail of a Texas WriterPOoNB · 13Buy ↗

2007ShotgunPOoSN · 24Buy ↗

2008Hard Trail To FollowPOoTRB · 7Buy ↗

2008Many a RiverPOoSN · 25Buy ↗

2009Other Men's HorsesPOoTRB · 8Buy ↗

2010Texas StandoffPOoTRB · 9Buy ↗

2011ReadWestPOoSSC · 4Buy ↗

2017Wild WestPOoSSC · 5Buy ↗

2018Hard RidePOoSSC · 6Buy ↗

2020The Cowboy WayPOoSSC · 7Buy ↗

2020Tom Lovell: Storyteller with a BrushPOoNB · 14Buy ↗

2021Law of the LandPOoSSC · 8Buy ↗

2022The Unlikely Lawman(By: Steve Kelton)POoHCB · 4Buy ↗

2024The Familiar Stranger(By: Steve Kelton)POoHCB · 5Buy ↗

Book series · browse all →

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books14 books · 1972–2020

01Looking Back West: Selections form the Pioneer News-Observer1972Buy ↗

02Permian: A Continuing Saga1985Buy ↗

03Elmer Kelton: 30 Years of Western Fiction1985Buy ↗

04Living and Writing in West Texas: Two Speeches1990Buy ↗

05The Art of Howard Terpning1992Buy ↗

06The Art of Frank C. McCarthy1992Buy ↗

07The Art of James Bama1993Buy ↗

08Elmer Kelton Country: The Short Nonfiction of a Texas Novelist1993Buy ↗

09My Kind of Heroes: Selected Speeches1995Buy ↗

10Texas1995Buy ↗

11Texas Cattle Barons: Their Families, Land and Legacy1999Buy ↗

12Prairie Gothic(By: John R. Erickson)2005Buy ↗

13Sandhills Boy: The Winding Trail of a Texas Writer2007Buy ↗

14Tom Lovell: Storyteller with a Brush2020Buy ↗

Publication Order of Short Story Collections8 books · 1986–2021

01There's Always Another Chance, and Other Stories1986Buy ↗

02The Big Brand1986Buy ↗

03Legend1999Buy ↗

04ReadWest2011Buy ↗

05Wild West2017Buy ↗

06Hard Ride2018Buy ↗

07The Cowboy Way2020Buy ↗

08Law of the Land2021Buy ↗

Publication Order of Buckalew Family Books2 books · 1965–1967

01Massacre at Goliad1965Buy ↗

02After the Bugles1967Buy ↗

Publication Order of Hewey Calloway Books5 books · 1982–2024

01The Good Old Boys1982Buy ↗

02The Smiling Country1998Buy ↗

03Six Bits a Day2005Buy ↗

04The Unlikely Lawman(By: Steve Kelton)2022Buy ↗

05The Familiar Stranger(By: Steve Kelton)2024Buy ↗

Publication Order of Standalone Novels25 books · 1956–2008

01Hot Iron1956Buy ↗

02Buffalo Wagons1957Buy ↗

03Bitter Trail1959Buy ↗

04Texas Rifles1960Buy ↗

05Donovan1961Buy ↗

06Pecos Crossing1963Buy ↗

07Horsehead Crossing1963Buy ↗

08Savage Guns(With: Brian Garfield,Alex Hawk)1968Buy ↗

09Shotgun Settlement(With: Brian Garfield,Alex Hawk)1969Buy ↗

10Bowie's Mine1971Buy ↗

11The Time It Never Rained1973Buy ↗

12Barbed Wire1980Buy ↗

13Eyes of the Hawk1981Buy ↗

14Llano River1982Buy ↗

15Shadow of a Star1984Buy ↗

16Hanging Judge1988Buy ↗

17Slaughter1992Buy ↗

18The Best Christmas1993Buy ↗

19The Indian in Frontier News1993Buy ↗

20The Far Canyon1994Buy ↗

21The Pumpkin Rollers1996Buy ↗

22Cloudy in the West1997Buy ↗

23Christmas at the Ranch2003Buy ↗

24Shotgun2007Buy ↗

25Many a River2008Buy ↗

Publication Order of Texas Rangers Books9 books · 1999–2010

01The Buckskin Line1999Buy ↗

02Badger Boy2001Buy ↗

03The Way of the Coyote2001Buy ↗

04Ranger's Trail2002Buy ↗

05Texas Vendetta2004Buy ↗

06Jericho's Road2004Buy ↗

07Hard Trail To Follow2008Buy ↗

08Other Men's Horses2009Buy ↗

09Texas Standoff2010Buy ↗

Publication Order of Sons of Texas Books3 books · 1989–1989

01Sons of Texas1989Buy ↗

02The Raiders1989Buy ↗

03The Rebels1989Buy ↗

Publication Order of Tales of Texas Books3 books · 1968–1976

01Captain's Rangers1968Buy ↗

02Joe Pepper1975Buy ↗

03Long Way to Texas1976Buy ↗

Publication Order of Texas Tradition Books8 books · 1971–1991

01The Day the Cowboys Quit1971Buy ↗

02Wagontongue1972Buy ↗

03Manhunters1974Buy ↗

04The Wolf and the Buffalo1980Buy ↗

05Stand Proud1984Buy ↗

06Dark Thicket1985Buy ↗

07The Man Who Rode Midnight1987Buy ↗

08Honor at Daybreak1991Buy ↗

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