Convict Cowboys : The Untold History of the Texas Prison Rodeo Hardback
by Mitchel P. Roth
Part of the North Texas Crime and Criminal Justice Series series
Hardback
Description
Convict Cowboys is the first book on the nation’s first prison rodeo, which ran from 1931 to 1986.
At its apogee the Texas Prison Rodeo drew 30,000 spectators on October Sundays.
Mitchel P. Roth portrays the Texas Prison Rodeo against a backdrop of Texas history, covering the history of rodeo, the prison system, and convict leasing, as well as important figures in Texas penology including Marshall Lee Simmons, O.B.
Ellis, and George J. Beto, and the changing prison demimonde. Over the years the rodeo arena not only boasted death-defying entertainment that would make professional cowboys think twice, but featured a virtual who’s who of American popular culture. Readers will be treated to stories about numerous American and Texas folk heroes, including Western fi lm stars ranging from Tom Mix to John Wayne, and music legends such as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.
Th rough extensive archival research Roth introduces readers to the Convict Cowboys in both the rodeo arena and behind prison walls, giving voice to a legion of previously forgotten inmate cowboys who risked life and limb for a few dollars and the applause of free-world crowds.
Information
-
Item not Available
- Format:Hardback
- Pages:464 pages, 50 black & white illustrations
- Publisher:University of North Texas Press,U.S.
- Publication Date:28/07/2016
- Category:
- ISBN:9781574416527
Other Formats
- Paperback / softback from £19.95
Information
-
Item not Available
- Format:Hardback
- Pages:464 pages, 50 black & white illustrations
- Publisher:University of North Texas Press,U.S.
- Publication Date:28/07/2016
- Category:
- ISBN:9781574416527
