"I always feel a responsibility to the kids, to be somebody they could look up to." -- Roy Rogers

Roy Rogers was one of the greatest of American cowboys, and apparently one of the nicest of men. In a world where idols often let us down, Roy never did. Until he rode off into his final sunset, he was King of the Cowboys. This lush, beautiful book full of fabulous pictures is augmented by commentary from Roy himself, cherry-picked by documentary filmmaker Georgia Morris and editor Mark Pollard. The reader gets a sense of the man behind the legend, and realizes they are the same man. What young fans saw onscreen was the genuine Roy Rogers.

Roy’s comments about his life, his fans, his humble beginning, his mother and father, and Dale, are revealing, giving the reader a portrait of the real man. For fans of Roy, it's marvelous, a nostalgic look at an American icon we already adored. For those who know little of him, it will be a revelation, and they will understand why he is so revered. Quotes about Roy from Clint Black, Jane Russell, and Johnny Cash are among those on the back cover. My favorite is the quote from Emmylou Harris: "Thanks to Roy Rogers, a part of me will always be a 10 year old cowgirl." Dale Evans remarks in the book how she never got fan mail from the girls, because they all wanted to grow up and marry Roy themselves.

Between the covers are rare and glossy photos of Roy, and his films. The large and easy to read text reveals an unassuming man who loved his family and adored kids. His Christian faith, his sense of right and wrong, and his compassion for kids, come through loud and clear. These things were a big part of Roy and Dale's marriage as well, and she comments on them in the book. But perhaps 'loud and clear' is misleading. Roy’s greatness isn't shouted, it's whispered, and shown by his actions both in front of, and behind the camera. He was a caring man, with deep loyalties. He talks about his horse Trigger in such a way that no one can doubt how he felt about his old friend.

There are surprises here concerning Roy’s original aspirations, which I won’t reveal. The tragedy surrounding his wife Arlene, who doesn’t often get mentioned, is dealt with, as is his adopted and fostered children. The children were of various nationalities, and one had Down’s Syndrome, and Dale’s book, Angel Unaware, helped begin a discussion of it once the child passed. Suffice it to say, Roy and Dale loved them all, but tragedy would continue to throw this cowboy from his horse time and again in his private life, in a way it never happened in the movies.

It was behind the scenes, behind the camera, behind the tragedies, that the real hero emerged. Roy tirelessly visited hospital wards and orphanages, trying to bring a smile and give something back. Trigger went too, right up the elevator with old Roy. When the studio didn't think the fans were important, he hired four people out of his own pocket, to help sort through fan mail and answer it all. Just how big a star Roy Rogers was is covered in the book as well, between the wonderful pictures. Reader will find the numbers and statistics staggering.

This picture book with commentary from King of the Cowboys is a nice way to remember him. When Roy Rogers rode off into the sunset for that final time in Apple Valley, in 1998, we lost something that can never be replaced. Our loss, was heaven's gain. ( )