North of 36 is another magnificent novel by the author of The Covered Wagon. This is just a good old-fashioned western about the first cattle drive from Texas to Abilene. Emerson Hough (1857-1923) was an American author best known for writing western stories and historical novels. Houghs literary career grew out of his taking camping trips and writing about them for publication. His body of work eventually included 27 novels and hundreds of short stories and articles. Houghs early works included The Singing Mouse Stories, for children, and the nonfiction The Story of the Cowboy. He had his first major success in 1902 with his novel The Mississippi Bubble, which became a bestseller. Several of his works were adapted for film, including North of 36 which was first published in 1923.