The lure of adventure and riches brought men west. Some had dreams of a quick gold strike and an easy retirement. Some were explorers drawn to this vast land. Still others were homesteaders eager to put down new roots. Many would return back east, worn out by hardship. But some found places for themselves as cowboys, ranchers, or townsmen. Cathy Luchetti, author of Women of the West, captures the great upheaval of being a pioneer as well as the process of settling in. She uses the words of the men themselves, taken from letters, diaries, and memoirs; not only the iconic cowboys of our imagination but also the doctors, teachers, and ministers. She captures the frontiersmen from the East and the Native Americans whose lives were changed forever by their arrival.