It was for the most part kind of good read. I get the feeling Bob is a bit full of himself. It is not a book that I would necessarily recommend for purchase.

The Author is a part of a successful architecture firm in Boulder Colorado. He is getting tired of the mundane of his business and lifestyle and with his wife they decide they want to buy a ranch. Over a 4-year period they burn up a lot of weekends looking for the ideal situation. It was definitely neat to recognize a lot of the towns they visit and mention. They are what longtime ranchers would call wannabe cowboys. Just when they are ready to call it quits, they find the right place, a 3200-acre ranch in Wyoming. Now talk about a contrast in lifestyle when you consider the lifestyle in Boulder Colorado where close to big city and a very liberal society compared a much more conservative country way of life. But hey they are going to weekend cowboys it cannot really be all that hard right? They are riding horse around Boulder, so they got it figured out. They go in thinking that this is going to be fun and not the nightmare it can be with being a money pit and just how hard it is to make money ranching. The author is so incompetent in the beginning that he buys a blind horse. Overtime with help of the former owners and friendly Neighbours they sort of figure it out. This is a pretty good read and for me it does not end like I figured but i would definitely recommend this book if you want to learn what ranch life is like from the viewpoint of a complete novice.

Many thanks to both Bison Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Twenty Miles of Fence.

Expected publication: March 1st 2023

As another reviewer stated: "You can take an architect out of Boulder, but can you make him a cattle rancher in Wyoming? Twenty Miles of Fence answers that question in gritty, unflinching detail. A searing, adventurous memoir about the cold, hard realities of pursuing the cowboy way.”—Mark Stevens (I couldn't have described it better!)

The writing in Twenty Miles of Fence was so vivid that I felt I had actually stepped into a ranch in Wyoming. I was right there when the author described the extreme hot and/or cold weather. I watched as Mr. West designed the cabin and outbuildings for the ranch. The descriptions were absolutely amazing.

Learning about cattle ranching was fascinating. On the other hand, the graphic descriptions about accidents that happened to the cattle (especially to the calves), the horses, and even the dogs ripped my heart out. I feel like such an idiot for not realizing these things would be a part of cattle ranching! They made me happy to be a vegetarian!

Back to the things I liked the most, it was also fascinating when Mr. West delved into the Native American history of his ranch. It made me wish I could beam myself into the ranch and hunt for artifacts with him!