American Dude Ranch

Lynn Downey is an independent writer, archivist, and historian and the author of Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World, A Short History of Sonoma, and Arizona's Vulture Mine and Vulture City.

"This is a deeply engaging book that effectively balances an accessible writing style with solid research, and it features an ample assortment of photographs, posters, and postcards."--Kirkus Reviews "American Dude Ranch provides a nice introduction to the history of dude ranching in the West and may inspire further research into its many cultural topics. Guests visiting such ranches will certainly find it interesting, as will general readers interested in the West, tourism, and cowboy culture."--South Dakota History "Downey's narrative draws readers into an interesting history of dude ranches. Personalizing stories and people who owned, worked, and visited dude ranches keep the reader engaged while also providing important historical analysis."--Chronicles of Oklahoma "The origins and development of dude ranches have generally been overlooked with regard to Western history, yet they have had a role to play for some 140 years, eventually becoming influential in the cultural path of the West...Lynn Downey has researched this subject extensively and followed very closely the history of dude ranching...- from clothing to cooking, the development of modern facilities, and not the least the noted Western hospitality. With the dude ranches the flavour of the Old West remains alive."--English Society of Westerners "In her highly entertaining and fact-filled American Dude Ranch, Lynn Downey, a former historian at Levi Strauss & Co., gives a cultural history of the dude ranch phenomenon [and] profiles a uniquely American institution, one that for 150 years has sold the idea of a few days or weeks of the romance of the Old West."--The Denver Post "Without a doubt if you love the popular history of the Wild West you will want to read American Dude Ranch."--True West Magazine "An interesting, fun read for anyone that places dude ranching and dude ranchers in their proper place in the history of the West."--Russell True, past President of the Dude Ranchers Association and author of Dude Ranching in Arizona and Dude Ranching in Wyoming "Lynn Downey has a passion for not only telling stories but revealing amazing historical facts too often buried by new trends. In this book she dives deep into the minute details that have made dude ranching what it is today. A great read showcasing an amazing industry."--Bryce Albright, Executive Director of the Dude Ranchers' Association "The American West defies simple description. As my grandfather used to say, 'The West is not a place; it's a state of mind.' As Wild West shows brought the West to the world, dude ranches brought the world to the West. Lynn Downey's book fills a special place in an overlooked area of western history. This book helps us appreciate the region's rich history and culture."--Steve Weil, President and Chief Creative Officer, Rockmount Ranch Wear, and author of Western Shirts: A Classic American Fashion