Rooster: The Life and Time of the Real Rooster Cogburn, the Man Who Inspired True Grit

writing was OK, just not that interestingok

Life & Times of...Rooster Cogburn,I enjoyed this book on a different level than most. Thinking that a John Wayne type was going to jump off the page, I was at the end a little disappointed.However, a lot of my ancestors (Mom, Grandparents, Aunts, & Uncles). Were from Arkansas. Many places written of were familiar to me, from (like the Author) stories I heard as a boy.As for the book, I really enjoyed how Brett gave explanations of how the author of "True Grit" created the narrative of said Ruben J. Cogburn...It's funny, I cannot actually find a copy of "True Grit" to read. But all in all I glad Brett wrote this account of "the real Rooster Cogburn". Shoot I didn't even know there was a true story to begin with.An enjoyable read even if it cast aspersions on the film's made to portray the fictional account of a man that didn't really exist (the films should be specific to identify "True Grit" as a "based on a true story"). However at the end of the original film I always get a tear in my eye as John Wayne jumps the horse over the fence after being scolded by Kim Darby.It's too bad that after all the bio-pics he is not remembered in a movie of his life.Brett Cogburn you are the 21 century equivalent Zane Grey, or Louis LaMore.I will be looking over your other works as well.Sincerely, Bob.

“Arresting moonshiners was clearly a job for brave men, and a risky venture at best.” (p. 51)In his family memoir, Rooster: The Life and Times of the Real Rooster Cogburn, the Man Who Inspired True Grit, shoot ‘em up Westerns writer, Brett Cogburn makes plausible arguments that his great-grandfather, John Franklin Cogburn (aka: ‘Rooster’) was the real life inspiration for Charles Portis’s fictional character, Deputy U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn in his novel, True Grit. Whether or not you accept his basic premise, Cogburn’s memoir makes for very interesting, informative and entertaining reading about the old west.I was particularly pleased at three new terms of the period that I learned reading this tale:Mountain Feds were Arkansans, primarily from the Ozark and Ouachita mountain regions, who remained loyal to—and fought for—the Union in both conventional and irregular military units during the Civil War.Galvanized Yankees was a term from the American Civil War denoting former Confederate prisoners of war who swore allegiance to the United States and joined the Union Army.Bald Knobbers were a group of vigilantes in the Ozark region of southwest Missouri from 1883 to 1889.Recommendation: An excellent story for an authentic feel of the wild west. You should read it.“The Union troops gave the Confederates who swapped allegiance the name “Galvanized Yankees,” as their supposed loyalty went no deeper than the blue uniform they donned to get out of lockup.” (p. 69).Kensington. Kindle Edition, 136 pages.

Well, Brett I got two of the Rooster books today from Amazon. One for myself and one for James Cook. I took James his copy over last night and he began reading it while I was visiting, so I guess that means hes gonna read it. :)Little did I know years ago when I gave your dad a copy of my genealogy finds on Franklin Cogburn and the indictment for Montgomery County, Ark. that his son would one day take pen in hand a write the final chapter to my husband and your father's grandfather. Thank you for researching carfully and throughly this final chapter in John's life. He would have liked it. Montgomery County, Arkansas has a spell on it anyhow as the woman, Bessie Black, court clerk who first sent me copies of said documents, got killed before my next visit to the courthouse by a transent...The file was missing from the basement. Made me feel a little like the Clan was still protecting their own.You have personalized Joseph Spurling and Sarah, Franklin and Annie and the entire cousins,sisters, uncles, aunts and family. You have spent hours tracing dead ends, good leads and have done well my friend. I appreciate the effort it takes to do a complete and unbaised opinion on someone kin to you. You've not made a hero, nor have you made a villian, from Franklin, you just reached inside his life and brought him back into vision for a while. I'm sure many of his sins were taken care of in his last years on earth at the Mt. Tabor Church. Somehow, I hear him chuckle from his rocky resting place and shakes his head with satisfaction. You did good my friend. Like Jack Palance said in City Slickers when asked had he killed a man yet. "The day ain't over yet." Thanks.

This is by far the best book Iv read in a while. Yes the cover is a selling point but this author has managed to mix history and the story of the cogburn family into one fantastic book. From the fued between the cogburns and the depeutys of judge parker. the the moonshineing and killing. You will defenetly reconize some storys that remind you of true grit. I highly recommend this book. It's 192 pages and I promise you will not be able to put it down. Although he is a fairly new author this book was so well reasearched and written I cant wait to read more from him. My complaint is I never wanted the book to end.

Well written history of the real Cogburn family. It was interesting to read about all the names and similarities from "True Grit."

Brand new, loved the book!

An interesting read, but the claim that this book is about the "real" Rooster Cogburn is very misleading. The book is about a relative of the author who had the last name of Cogburn and maybe was called "Rooster". The author's relative was not a lawman, in fact he was on the wrong side of the law. Hence, it is absurd to suggest that the True Grit character was based on the author's relative.

The book should be a good gift as my husband really likes western books.It is not a book of many many pages, just the right size to read at home ortake on a trip.

Bought this for my hub for his bday. He is a super picky Western reader.. but he loved it, and called it a 'page-turner'

Dull and boring book, rambles on about Judge Parker and others. I saw no reason to believe that the movie was based on the character in this book