These books focus on the ancestors of his famous characters or the very early days of the Texas Rangers. Ole Devil Hardin, Dustine Edwardes.
J.T. Edson's massive library of Western adventures is best navigated through the internal chronology of his fictional universe, which spans from the in the 1830s through to the 1970s . While Edson wrote over 130 books, they are primarily grouped into interconnected series featuring the Hardin and Fog families. J.T. Edson Universe: In-Universe Chronological Eras
(Note: This table is a sample; a full chronological list spans over 50 titles) jt edson books in chronological order
– Timeline 1885.
– The final chronological adventure, set around 1910, as the old legends gather one last time. These books focus on the ancestors of his
: Follows the grandsons of the original heroes (Alvin Fog, Mark Scrapton, and Rance Smith) in an extra-legal branch of the Texas Rangers. The Rockabye County Series
. Comprehensive lists can be found on sites like Fantastic Fiction or FictionDB . Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Discussion - Facebook Edson's massive library of Western adventures is best
– A martial arts and jungle crossover featuring descendants of the Western characters. Why Read J.T. Edson in Chronological Order?
– Union forces attempt to eliminate the South's most dangerous young commander.
| Internal # | Title | Focus | Approx. Year Set | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Young Ole Devil | Ole Devil (Youth) | 1840s | | 2 | Ole Devil at San Jacinto | Ole Devil (War) | 1861 | | 3 | The Ysabel Kid | The Kid (Origin) | 1861 | | 4 | The Floating Outfit | Dusty/Kid/Mark | 1866 | | 5 | The Big Hunt | Floating Outfit | 1867 | | 6 | The Rio Hondo War | Floating Outfit | 1868 | | 7 | Trouble Trail | Floating Outfit | 1869 | | 8 | The Bad Bunch | Floating Outfit | 1870 |
While Edson wrote his books out of sequence over several decades, his stories follow a massive, generations-spanning timeline. This guide arranges his main sagas into chronological order based on the internal history of his universe.