Michael Spradlin's Newsletter

OFF LIKE THE WIND! The First Ride of The Pony Express

Could have made the ride? It was 150 years ago, April 1860, that Pony Express rider Johnny Frye departed St. Joseph, Missouri with the first mail to be carried west on horseback. On the first ride, twenty five riders carried the mail 2000 miles across the 'vast expanse' of the American Continent, connecting California to the Eastern states at a critical time in our history. They faced harsh weather, dangerous terrain, and unexpected intrusions by animals such as wolves and buffaloes (not to mention hordes of mosquitoes) and curious and sometimes deadly Native Americans.

Could you have made the ride? Your job would have been to carry the mail on an 80 to 100 mile segment of the trail. Changing horses every ten to fifteen miles, you would gallop into history, delivering the mail between the coasts faster than it had ever been done before.

Could you have made the ride? Could you have withstood the unrelenting sun? The unexpected and deadly blizzards? The swollen rivers and arid high deserts?

Could you have made the ride?

I am of course biased, but I believe Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of The Pony Express is the perfect book for the young person in your life who loves to learn about history or just loves action and adventure. In beautifully detailed paintings by award winning artist Layne Johnson, it will show them how riders on 'the Pony' lived and worked in the broad canvas of the American West. School Library Journal says Off Like the Wind! "capture(s) the romance, excitement, and danger that riders experienced along the trail." I'm sure you know a child who would find this book a thrilling read.

And I hope you'll sign up for my newsletter so you'll stay informed about all of the new books I have coming. Next month it's batter up, with the release of Baseball from A to Z: A Baseball Alphabet. So make sure your email address is current. It's free and you'll never get email unless I have a new book or big important news.

Many thanks!
Michael P. Spradlin

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