Roy Rogers: King of the Cowboys

"I always feel a responsibility to the kids, to be somebody they could look up to." -- Roy Rogers Roy Rogers is an American hero. He was one of the greatest of American cowboys, and one of the nicest of men. In a world where idols often let us down, Roy never did. Until he rode off into the big sunset, like all great heros eventually do, he was King of the Cowboys. He still is. In this lush, beautiful book full of fabulous pictures, and wonderful commentary from Roy himself, picked by documentary filmmaker Georgia Morris and editor Mark Pollard, one gets a sense of the man behind the legend, and realizes they are the same man. What young fans saw onscreen was the real deal. Roy was exactly the same offscreen as he was on. Genuine. I love this book. The best way to describe it would be to say that it is a picture book full of comments from Roy. It is those comments about his life, his fans, his humble beginning, his mother and father, and Dale, that are so telling, and give us a better picture of the man himself than were we to read all day long the words of some biographer. For fans of Roy, it's marvelous, a nostalgic look at an American icon we already adored. For those who know little of him, other than he was a big cowboy star, it will be a revelation, and they will understand why he is so revered. Quotes about Roy from Clint Black, Jane Russell, and Johnny Cash are among those on the back cover. My favorite is the quote from Emmylou Harris: "Thanks to Roy Rogers, a part of me will always be a 10 year old cowgirl." Dale Evans remarks in the book how she never got fan mail from the girls, because they all wanted to grow up and marry Roy themselves. Between the covers are rare and glossy pics of Roy and his films that fans will embrace. What is brought out in the large and easy to read text, in Roy's own words, is a picture of an unassuming and genuine man, a man who loved his family, and adored kids. His Christian faith, his sense of right and wrong, and his compassion for kids, come through loud and clear. These things were a big part of Roy and Dale's marriage as well, and she comments on them in the book. But perhaps 'loud and clear' is misleading. Like all great heros, his greatness isn't shouted, it's whispered, and shown by his actions both in front of, and behind the camera. He was a caring man, with deep loyalties. He talks about Trigger, his horse, in such a way that no one can doubt how he felt about his old friend. Those unfamiliar with Roy, outside of the legend, will definitely become fans after purchasing this lovely tribute. He wanted to be a doctor, but didn't get the chance. He had been married before Dale, his lovely wife Arline dying young, struck down by an embolism. For once, the cowboy had been thrown. He adopted four children, fostered another, and had nine all toll. He was to be touched by tragedy three more times. Sandy, whose first words to Roy had been, "Howdy pardner" was lost in service to his country. Debbie

A must for any Roy rogers dale evans fan, Mainly Photographs with a minimal amount of text which sticks to facts that are to be found in the many other publica tions about Americas favorite Singing cowboy.

Fantastic collection of pictures with comments!! A great addition to anybody's library. Brings back great memories of the many Happy Trails brought to us by Roy and the members of his family. Buy it if you can find it!!