Exhibition rope spinning is a hundred-year-old American sport with strong Mexican roots, born amid the sights, sounds, smells and excitement of the great American West. One of the best of the old-time champion rope spinners was Chester Byers. When he wrote this book, he had behind him twenty years' experience of spinning his rope into rolls, figure 8's and zigzags in stampedes, rodeos, roundups and frontier days all over the country. He has a good way with words too, and if you'll follow his directions, you'll soon find yourself managing the rope like an old hand.

Besides being a wonderful...