This work investigates the authentic operational realities and daily rigors of the 19th-century American cattle drive. Andy Adams, drawing from his own extensive experience as a trail hand, provides a granular account of the logistical challenges and social dynamics inherent in moving massive herds from the Mexican border to Montana. By stripping away the romanticized myths of the era, the text serves as a primary-source-adjacent record of the professional cowboy's existence during the 1880s.

Historians and literary critics frequently cite this work as one of the most accurate depictions of the American cowboy ever recorded. Readers often note that the prose is straightforward and functional, prioritizing technical accuracy over narrative embellishment.