The Virginian

First published in 1902, The Virginian is the influential tale of cowpunchers of the Wyoming cattle country during the exciting 1870s and '80s. Rich in atmosphere and vernacular humour, the story is dominated by the romance between a handsome, heroic `Virginian' and Molly Wood, a pretty schoolteacher from Vermont.This edition includes Wister's neglected essay, `The Evolution of the Cow-Puncher' (1895), a revealing companion to a novel that has disturbing undercurrents.

Robert Shulman is Professor of English and American Studies at the University of Washington.