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6000 Miles of Fence: Life on the XIT Ranch of Texas (M. K. Brown Range Life Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Cordia Sloan Duke (Author), Joe B. Frantz (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
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The fabulous XIT Ranch has been celebrated in song, story, and serious history. This book of reminiscences of old XIT cowmen puts on record the everyday life of the individuals who made the ranch run. Their forthright, yet picturesque, discussion of ranching hardships and dangers dissipates Hollywood and TV glamorizing. They relate in honest cowboy language what actually happened inside the XIT's 6,000 miles of fence.


Cordia Sloan Duke, wife of an XIT division manager, Robert L. Duke, many years ago realized that only those who had experienced ranch life could depict it with deep understanding. As the young wife of a rising young ranch hand, she kept in her apron pocket a notebook and pencil, recording all manner of interesting details as they caught her attention. This diary was the nucleus for the present book. Conceiving of an account of life on the XIT as presented by XIT cowboys, Mrs. Duke set about drawing from reticent, sometimes reluctant, ranch hands the impressions of the XIT (occasionally written down by their more literate wives or daughters) which they had retained through the years. Cordia Sloan Duke and Joe B. Frantz have organized the reminiscences around key aspects of ranch life, retaining the language of the cow hands.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    286 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    University of Texas Press
  5. Publication date
    June 28, 2010
  6. File size
    3511 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Joe Frantz, one of Texas' most able writers, has taken the diary of Mrs. Cordia Sloan Duke, widow of XIT's division manager, plus the terse and pithy reminiscences she collected from former XIT cowboys, and turned them into a unique, readable and realistic account of the cowboy's way of life. ― New York Times Book Review

This book, with all the merit of being an organized and beautifully presented story, is more than a social history; it is source material, resting on the firm bedrock of first-hand accounts. Hence, while it joins in many libraries and collections several shelves of other cowboy books, it will always be on the top shelf with a select few that have made real contributions to the history of the American West. As a man should be measured by his own standards, and an event in terms of its own time, a book should be evaluated in relation to its purpose. By this standard, as well as by comparison with other books in its library classification, 6,000 Miles of Fence is a success. ― Southwestern Historical Quarterly

From the Back Cover

The fabulous XIT Ranch has been celebrated in song, story, and serious history. This book of reminiscences of old XIT cowmen puts on record the everyday life of the individuals who made the ranch run.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0089Q2LN6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Texas Press (June 28, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 28, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3511 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 286 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
39 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bea
5.0 out of 5 stars My friend loves this book
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Bought as a gift. He loved the book!
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Windy
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent portrayal of the cowboys of the XIT Ranch
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
By far, this is an excellent compiled set of stories of the cowboys of the XIT Ranch. These stories and related chapters of what the cowboys actually had to endure during winter weather, dry heat, droughts, prairie fires are the best I have read anywhere. These accounts were compiled by Cordia Sloan Duke, wife of the ranch manager and give tremendous insight to the life of these men on the biggest ranch in Texas.
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Ross Brannan
5.0 out of 5 stars Take a look inside the XIT
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
What an outstanding idea to create this book from the many reminiscences of the men and women who were there.
These first hand rememberences let the reader take a look at what life on XIT was really like.
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Calamity Jane
3.0 out of 5 stars satisfactory value
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is a good book for those who just want facts and figures without much personality in it. I learned some things, but it didn't grab my spirit.
6 people found this helpful
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Fred Rhodes
5.0 out of 5 stars The Big, Big Ranch
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 1999
At the time, the XIT was the world's largest ranch. It stretched for two hundred miles from the top of the Panhandle to Lubbock. It averaged 27 miles in width. Its greatest width was fifty miles. For comparison, the ranch was about twice as large as the state of Rhode Island. This book tells of life on the XIT Ranch as recorded on an almost daily basis by Mrs. Cordia Sloan Duke, wife of an XIT division manager, Robert L. Duke. It is illustrated with photographs, and a map.
16 people found this helpful
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Just Another Dawn
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
bought this for my Dad as he wanted more info about the ranch
One person found this helpful
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Gayle C. Newkirk
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
Book was in good shape.
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Annie's Mom
1.0 out of 5 stars Slow reading - does not hold interest
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2021
Verified Purchase
Very slow reading and very jumbled. Also, I ordered a used book which I have done in the past but this one arrived in very bad shape - disappointed in the condition.
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