Trail Drive Books in Order
The Trail Drive Series is a sequence of Western novels by Ralph Compton depicting cattle drives along historic trails of the American West in the decades following the Civil War; Compton wrote the original 13 mainline novels before his death in 1998, after which Signet/Penguin continued the series under his byline using other authors such as Joseph A. West, David L. Robbins, Robert Vaughan, Dusty Richards, and Jory Sherman.
Publication order
In the order the books were originally released.
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Buy on Amazon1992 · Ralph Compton
Former Texas Rangers Brenton McCaleb, Will Elliot, and Brazos Gifford ride with Charles Goodnight, rounding up unbranded cattle for a long drive to…
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Buy on Amazon1992 · Ralph Compton
The Western Trail is a 1992 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 2 of the series Trail Drive.
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Buy on Amazon1993 · Ralph Compton
The Chisholm Trail is a 1993 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 3 of the series Trail Drive.
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Buy on Amazon1994 · Ralph Compton
The California Trail is a 1994 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 4 of the series Trail Drive.
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Buy on Amazon1994 · Ralph Compton
After the Civil War, Long John Coons drives 2,000 head of cattle from Texas to the Kansas railroad through Indian Territory and outlaw strongholds,…
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Buy on Amazon1994 · Ralph Compton
Nelson Story sets off to build a ranching empire in Montana, leading Texans with nothing left to lose while pursued by brutal outlaws bent on…
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Buy on Amazon1995 · Ralph Compton
For a band of Texas pioneers, new enemies await on the trail even as old enemies prove deadliest of all. Dan Ember, returning from war to find hired…
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Buy on Amazon1996 · Ralph Compton
The Oregon Trail is a 1996 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 8 of the series Trail Drive.
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Buy on Amazon1997 · Ralph Compton
The Santa Fe Trail is a 1997 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 9 of the series Trail Drive.
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Buy on Amazon1998 · Ralph Compton
Ranchers riding with Don Webb face disaster when Missouri closes to Texas cattle and the Santa Fe buyer for their herd is murdered by renegades. With…
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1998 · Ralph Compton
The Green River Trail is a 1998 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 11 of the series Trail Drive.
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Buy on AmazonYear unknown · Ralph Compton
The Deadwood Trail is a 1999 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 12 of the series Trail Drive.
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Buy on Amazon1993 · Ralph Compton
The Bandera Trail is a 1993 book by Ralph Compton. It is book 13 of the series Trail Drive.
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Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Trail Drive books in?
Read them in publication order, starting with “The Goodnight Trail”. Start with “The Goodnight Trail.”
How many books are in the Trail Drive series?
We list 13 books by Ralph Compton , published between 1992–1998.
Where can I buy the Trail Drive books?
Each title above links to Amazon. See our affiliate disclosure.
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.