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Episode 10

Forget Westworld and Most Hollywood Cowboy Fables: This is the True Story of the Old West

Today’s American Economy Can Trace Its Roots to
​Yesteryear’s Cattle Barons

The real Old West – not the Hollywood version – was quite different than the one most of us have been taught.
 
Even us ranchers and rural producers will be surprised by the intimate view and almost tactical sense of what it was really like in the 19th Century to be a cowboy that can be found in the book, Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West.
 
On this edition of RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS my guest is the author of Cattle Kingdom, Christopher Knowlton, a former FORTUNE magazine writer and London bureau chief.
 
In his book, based on the style of meticulous reporting and research that you’d expect from a FORTUNE magazine writer, Chris chronicles the lasting impact on our nation today of the open range cattle era that arose in the wake of the Civil War and lasted until about 1892.
 
Cattle Kingdom draws on a treasure trove of historical documents, letters, diaries, and newspaper articles to bring the tales of the Old West to high-definition life.
 
Among the barons and would-be barons who Chris introduces us to are an English aristocrat, a French nobleman, and a future President of the United States – all of whom back in the late 19th Century were engaged in an investment mania that rivals any the world has witnessed before or since.
 
Riding shotgun with me as I interview Chris is award-winning financial journalist Dean Rotbart, who is host of his own popular podcast, Monday Morning Radio. 

To pick up your copy of Christopher Knowlton’s captivating book, Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West, from our exclusive RANCHCAST book club, visit tinyurl.com/RanchBooks60. 
 
RANCHCAST with Lem Lewis showcases the vital contributions that America’s ranchers and farmers make to our nation’s economy and food supply. Whether you live on a ranch or farm, invest in rural real estate, or are simply a fan of the ranch lifestyle, this program is your guide to insights and practical advice available nowhere else.