Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free Range Lanning / Way of the Lawless | 1921 | Max Brand | Buy |
| 2 | The Return of Free Range Lanning | 1995 | Max Brand | Buy |
Free Range Lanning is a straightforward Western duology from Max Brand. The first book, published in 1921, was originally released alongside Way of the Lawless and tells the story of a cowboy forced into the life of a fugitive. Lanning is a character caught between his own decent nature and the circumstances that keep pushing him toward outlawry.
The sequel, The Return of Free Range Lanning, did not appear until 1995, published long after Brand’s death from manuscripts found in his papers. This kind of posthumous publication was common with Brand’s work, given the enormous volume of material he left behind. The two books together offer a compact Western story about a man trying to stay honest in a world that keeps making it hard.