Book excerpt: First published in 1869, "The Wild Man of the West: A Tale of the Rocky Mountains" is a Western fiction novel aimed at children by Scottish author R. M. Ballantyne. Presented as a series of stories told by "mountain men", it revolves around the early trappers and hunters of the Rocky Mountains and their tumultuous relationship with the Native Americans. A rip-roaring adventure full of beautiful descriptions and fantastic characters, "The Wild Man of the West" is highly recommended for all with a love of the Western genre. Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825 - 1894) was a Scottish author of children's fiction. He was a prolific writer and produced over 100 books in his lifetime. As well as being an author, Ballantyne was also an accomplished artist, having exhibited his work at the Royal Scottish Academy. Other notable works by this author include: "The Coral Island" (1858), "The Gorilla Hunters" (1861), and "The Eagle Cliff" (1889). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction and biography of the author.