Tim McCoy Remembers the West

To people of a certain age the name Tim McCoy no doubt brings back fond memories of the black and white cowboy movies of their youth. He was a popular sta of western "B" movies for some 2 decades, from the fading days of the silent era in the late 20s to the early 40s when "Colonel" McCoy went back into the army to do his bit in World War 2.As a student of both western history and Hollywood history I was somewhat frustrated by his sparse amd almost casual treatment of his time in Hollywood and the remarkable people he worked with. I simply wanted to know more but the Colonel had different priorites; his passion was the West and what he could learn of its fading history as he arrived on the scene about 1910. (He was a real cowboy before being discovered by the movies). He took the time to learn sign language and thus was able to communicate with the Arapaho elders who were wasting away on the reservation near his new home. This is not the memoir of a Hollywood cowboy, you get the impression that found his life as "movie star" somewhat trivial compared to the lives of his own heroes of the real west. This fairly slim volume is a heartfelt look at a way of life that is long gone.His empapthy with men like his "brother", the aging warrior "Goes In Lodge", is at the centre of the book and his insight and his no-nonsense but surprisingly effective writing style make it a book to be treasured.