First Book in the Lonesome Dove Series: “Dead Man’s Walk” by Larry McMurtry

In a previous post I wrote an introduction to the Lonesome Dove series of books written by Larry McMurtry.

Lonesome Dove was McMurtry's first book written in the series, but is actually the third book in the storyline.

The first book in the chronological storyline is Dead Man's Walk, which takes place roughly in the 1840s, when Augustus "Gus" McRae and Woodrow Call, who are the central characters in the books, are young men in their early days as Texas Rangers. This book follows the pair's adventures in many locations in the Southwest, including deserts of southwest Texas and New Mexico.

Dead Man's Walk is an excellent book & story, bringing a large variety of characters to life. Even if you have already read Lonesome Dove or have seen the movie, Dead Man's Walk does an outstanding job of explaining some of the storyline and people that continue in the series.

It's an excellent read, and I highly recommend starting off reading the series with this book. For those that have already read (or seen) Lonesome Dove, you will certainly not be disappointed in the characters, and you will be very glad to read the stories of the earlier days in the series.