Clarence Mulford books

Clarence Mulford was an American Western author who created the Hopalong Cassidy character, writing twenty-eight novels in the series from 1906 to 1941.

Anthologies

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Boy Scouts Book of Campfire Stories 1921 Buy

Hopalong Cassidy Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Bar-20 1906 Buy
The Orphan 1908 Buy
Hopalong Cassidy 1910 Buy
Bar-20 Days / Hopalong Cassidy’s Private War 1911 Buy
Buck Peters, Ranchman 1912 Buy
The Coming of Cassidy 1913 Buy
The Man from Bar 20 1918 Buy
Johnny Nelson 1920 Buy
Bar-20 Three / Hopalong Cassidy Sees Red 1921 Buy
Tex 1922 Buy
Bring Me His Ears 1922 Buy
H. C. Returns 1923 Buy
Black Buttes 1923 Buy
Rustler’s Valley 1924 Buy
Cottonwood Gulch 1925 Buy
Hopalong Cassidy’s Saddle Mate 1926 Buy
The Bar-20 Rides Again 1926 Buy
Corson of the J.C. 1928 Buy
Mesquite Jenkins 1928 Buy
Me An’ Shorty 1929 Buy
The Deputy Sheriff 1930 Buy
Hopalong Cassidy and the Eagles Brood 1931 Buy
Mesquite Jenkins, Tumbleweed 1932 Buy
Round-Up 1933 Buy
Trail Dust 1934 Buy
On The Trail Of The Tumbling T 1935 Buy
Hopalong Cassidy Takes Cards 1937 Buy
Hopalong Cassidy Serves a Writ 1941 Buy

Clarence Mulford (1883-1956) was an American author who created one of the most recognizable characters in Western fiction: Hopalong Cassidy. Despite never living in the American West himself, Mulford wrote twenty-eight novels about the Bar-20 ranch and its cowboys, starting with Bar-20 in 1906 and continuing through Hopalong Cassidy Serves a Writ in 1941.

Mulford’s Hopalong Cassidy was a tougher, more realistic character than the polished cowboy hero who later appeared in films and television. The original Cassidy had a limp from an old gunshot wound, drank whiskey, and used rough language. Mulford researched Western life extensively through books and correspondence, and his novels were popular in their time. The Hopalong Cassidy series eventually inspired a massive media franchise, though the screen version departed significantly from Mulford’s creation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Clarence Mulford written?

Clarence Mulford has written 29 books across two series.

What was Clarence Mulford's first book?

Clarence Mulford’s first book is Bar-20, published in 1906.

How does the original Hopalong Cassidy differ from the movie version?

Mulford’s original Hopalong Cassidy was a rough, hard-drinking cowboy who actually had a limp (hence the name). When William Boyd played the character in films starting in 1935, Cassidy was cleaned up into a clean-cut hero in black. The two versions are quite different in personality and appearance.

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