Prior to the Civil War, the fastest mail between the West Coast and the East took almost thirty days by stagecoach along a southern route through Texas. Some Californians feared their state would not remain in the Union, separated so far from the free states. Then businessman William Russell invested in a way to deliver mail between San Francisco and the farthest western railroad, in Saint Joseph, Missouri—across two thousand miles of mountains, deserts, and plains—guaranteed in ten days or less. Russell hired eighty of the best and bravest riders, bought four hundred of the fastest and hardiest horses, and built relay stations along a central route--through modern-day Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, to California. Informed by his intimate knowledge of horses and Western geography, Ralph Moody's exciting account of the eighteen critical months that the Pony Express operated between April 1860 and October 1861 pays tribute to the true grit and determination of the riders and horses of the Pony Express.
Download and start listening now!
"Loved this book! I enjoyed following each leg of the first run of the pony express, and even discovering a relative helped in the first run of the pony express." — Erin (4 out of 5 stars)
"Loved this book! I enjoyed following each leg of the first run of the pony express, and even discovering a relative helped in the first run of the pony express."
" Interesting. It read like a young adult book. "
" Too many sliminess stories with no emotional draw. Would have preferred a more in depth feel for what it was like emotionally for the riders rather than a description of the terrain "
" Enjoyed reading about this period in history. Very short lived. "
Ralph Owen Moody (1898–1982) was an American author who wrote 17 novels and autobiographies largely about the American West, though a few are set in New England. He was born in East Rochester, New Hampshire in 1898 but moved to Colorado with his family when he was eight in the hopes that a dry climate would improve his father Charles's tuberculosis. Moody detailed his experiences in Colorado in the first book of the Little Britches series, Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers. After his father died, eleven-year-old Moody assumed the duties of the “man of the house”. He and his sister Grace combined ingenuity with hard work in a variety of odd jobs to help their mother provide for their large family. The Moody clan returned to the East Coast sometime after Charles's death. After a period as livestock business owner in rural Kansas, Moody married and moved to Kansas City. Ralph and Edna Moody had three children.
Cameron Beierle is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.