About the Author
Will James
(June 6, 1892 – September 3, 1942)
Canadian-American author and artist
The lone cowboy, he came from Quebec, riding into the library of American literature.
Will James (1892 – 1942) was a renowned Canadian-American author and artist celebrated for his authentic depictions of the American West.
Born in Quebec as Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault, at age 15 in 1907, he left Montreal and travelled west to the prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, where he worked on farms and ranches until about 1910, when he believed he had killed a man and fled to the United States.
He then constructed a fictional past as a Western cowboy born in Montana but raised by a French-Canadian trapper, which accounted for his accent. He changed his name to Will James, then wrote and illustrated at least 23 books based on his western adventures.
Highlights
- The masterpiece: His most famous work, Smoky the Cowhorse, published in 1926, won the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1927.
- Signature style: His authentic cowboy vernacular is uniquely blended with vivid, energy-packed sketches of horses and rodeo scenes.
- Life story: His celebrated 1930 autobiography, The Lone Cowboy: My Life Story, perpetuated the fictional Western identity he had created for himself, concealing his Quebec origins.
- Legacy: Will James remains an iconic figure in western literature and in 1992, was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners.
Life and Career Timeline
- Early years: Worked on ranches, served as a Hollywood stuntman, and served a brief prison sentence for cattle rustling.
- 1920s breakthrough: Began publishing drawings in Sunset Magazine and quickly caught the attention of major publishers, including Scribner's.
- 1930s and 1940s: Enjoyed massive literary success, but struggled significantly with alcoholism until his early death at age 50 in 1942.
Read more about Will James:
Smoky the Cowhorse, 1926
Smoky the Cowhorse is a classic 1926 novel by Will James that won the 1927 Newbery Medal. The title has taken several forms, includingSmoky The Cow Horse; Smoky, the Cowhorse; Smoky the Cowhorse; Smoky The Cowhorse, all of which are correct in the various editions.
The story follows the life of Smoky, a clever, wild, mouse-colored horse, from his birth on the Montana range and his cowboy training, to his journey through the rodeo circuit and his final redemption.
About the Author
Read the Original
*only available for purchase:
- https://www.etsy.com/listing/4502227861/smoky-the-cowhorse-by-will-james-1926?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_-books_movies_and_music&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjwgajSBhBEEiwASicJU5Z2zanoipdgryrrd3VbjaEE-DnL2J7ewI4wi55JGkpEYlfO6S2jExoCTJ0QAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_22607281364_181599584353_754746674133_aud-2079782229334:pla-314262775427_c__4502227861_12768591&utm_custom2=22607281364&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22607281364&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRKqQmFHWRBhS3uNsZzI86V8u&gclid=CjwKCAjwgajSBhBEEiwASicJU5Z2zanoipdgryrrd3VbjaEE-DnL2J7ewI4wi55JGkpEYlfO6S2jExoCTJ0QAvD_BwE
- https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=32035543670&dest=USA&ref_=ps_ggl_17738760402&cm_mmc=ggl-_-COM_Shopp_Rare-_-product_id=bi%3A%2032035543670-_-keyword=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17181841339&gbraid=0AAAAAD3Y6gtCmn6p06l3VzJox-FK9gpzP&gclid=CjwKCAjwgajSBhBEEiwASicJU-5j6i-KM2pX9ZQvEGkEhgMFYe31-yqEQIlug8rE8XrHVv4kEbUCgBoCXmwQAvD_BwE
Read the Project Gutenberg Digital Transcription
Listen to the Audiobook
Watch the Movie
Smoky Smoky, 1946
Based on the classic 1926 novel Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James, this film adaptation, starring Fred MacMurray and Anne Baxter, is the second of three major film adaptations of the book. Other adaptations were released in 1933 and 1966.
Watch the movie: