This book investigates the evolution of the cowboy hero and its audience through a unique blend of popular culture scholarship and marketing theory. Alf H. Walle examines the history of the cowboy story from 1820 to 1970, using it as an extended case study. The analysis begins with a theoretical introduction, followed by chapters that dissect major authors and genres within Western American literature and film. It further explores why some acclaimed authors failed to influence the genre despite their innovations being adopted later, culminating in a comprehensive analysis that bridges 150 years of Western American literature by integrating business and popular culture theory.

The book is presented as a hybrid analysis with great explanatory value, demonstrating how popular culture scholarship can merge with marketing and consumer research. It showcases a mutually beneficial strategy of analysis by examining the history of the cowboy story. The approach combines theoretical introductions with in-depth examinations of literary and filmic works. The book aims to bridge historical periods through an overarching analysis of business and popular culture.