Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chip of the Flying U | 1906 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 2 | The Happy Family of the Flying U | 1910 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 3 | Flying U Ranch | 1914 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 4 | The Flying U’s Last Stand | 1915 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 5 | The Heritage of the Sioux | 1916 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 6 | The Phantom Herd | 1916 | B.M. Bower | N/A |
| 7 | Dark Horse | 1931 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 8 | The Flying U Strikes | 1933 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 9 | The Whoop-Up Trail | 1933 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 10 | Trouble Rides the Wind | 1997 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 11 | Rodeo | 2002 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 12 | The Spirit of the Range | 2005 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
| 13 | Law on the Flying U | 2012 | B.M. Bower | Buy |
The Flying U series by B.M. Bower is one of the longest-running Western fiction series, starting with Chip of the Flying U in 1906. Set on a fictional Montana cattle ranch, the books follow a colorful group of cowboys known as the “Happy Family” as they deal with rustlers, land disputes, romantic entanglements, and the changing West. Chip of the Flying U was a major hit when it was first serialized, and its success led Bower to return to the ranch setting repeatedly over the next three decades.
The series grew to thirteen books, with the original run published between 1906 and 1933. Later volumes were released posthumously or as reprints extending into the 2000s. The Flying U books are notable for their authentic depictions of ranch work, from cattle branding to bronc busting, drawn from Bower’s own experience living in Montana. Charlie Russell, one of the most famous painters of the American West, illustrated the original edition of the first book.