Other editions of book THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH

Harold Bell Wright (May 4, 1872 – May 24, 1944) was a best-selling American writer of fiction, essays, and nonfiction. Although mostly forgotten or ignored after the middle of the 20th century, he is said to have been the first American writer to sell a million copies of a novel and the first to make $1 million from writing fiction. Between 1902 and 1942 Wright wrote 19 books, several stage plays, and many magazine articles. More than 15 movies were made or claimed to be made from Wright's stories, including Gary Cooper's first major movie, The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) and the John Wayne film The Shepherd of the Hills (1941).In 1902, while pastoring the Christian Church in Pittsburg, Kansas, he wrote a melodramatic story, entitled That Printer of Udell's, which he intended to read to his congregation, one chapter per week, at successive Sunday night meetings. But before he read it to his congregation, the story was published in serial form in The Christian Century, his denomination's official journal. Wright despised the magazine version so much that he "hid the poor mutilated corpse in the bottom of the least used drawer of my desk and moved on to other things" (To My Sons, p. 213). But parishioners enjoyed the story so much that they encouraged him to publish it in book form, which he did. But it was Wright's second novel, The Shepherd of the Hills, published in 1907 and set in Branson, Missouri, that established him as a best-selling author. That book also attracted a growing stream of tourists to the little-known town of Branson, resulting in its becoming a major tourist destination.In 1905 Wright accepted the position of pastor at the Christian Church in Lebanon, Missouri. Wright remained there until 1907 when he accepted another pastoral position in California. In that same year, after the success of The Shepherd of the Hills (his first book to sell one million copies), Wright resigned as pastor of the Redlands, California, Christian Church, moved to a ranch near El Centro, California, and devoted the rest of his life to writing popular stories. In 1911, he published his most popular book, The Winning of Barbara Worth, a historical novel set in the Imperial Valley of southeastern California.Wright was motivated to leave the ministry because he realized he could make more money writing fiction. In most of his novels, beginning with That Printer of Udell's, he attacked the hypocrisy and impractical nature of popular churches. To Wright, hard work, integrity and concrete efforts to aid people in need were far more important than church doctrines or sermons.Wright never responded to his critics, except to say that he never intended to create great literature, only to minister to ordinary people. (wikipedia.org)

Jefferson Worth's outfit of four mules and a big wagon pulled out of San Felipe at daybreak, headed for Rubio City. From the swinging red tassels on the bridles of the leaders to the galvanized iron water bucket dangling from the tail of the reach back of the rear axle the outfit wore an unmistakable air of prosperity. The wagon was loaded only with a well-stocked "grub-box," the few necessary camp cooking utensils, blankets and canvas tarpaulin, with rolled barley and bales of hay for the team, and two water barrels—empty. Hanging by its canvas strap from the spring of the driver's seat was a large, cloth-covered canteen. Behind the driver there was another seat of the same wide, comfortable type, but the man who held the reins was apparently alone. Jefferson Worth was not with his outfit.

Three full length novels collected in one edition optimized for the Kindle.The Uncrowned King"The Crown is not the kingdom, nor is one King because he wears a Crown." --From "The Uncrowned King"."It embodies the aspiration, civic and moral, of the present day."--New York Tribune."Beautiful both in language and in sentiment."--Chicago News."It represents dreams of artistic magnificence."--Buffalo Evening News."The secret of his power is the same God-given secret that inspired Shakespeare and upheld Dickens."--Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch."It is the greatest story since Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress.'"--Grand Rapids Herald."It is a classic in nature and spirit and rendering."--Omaha World-Herald."The language throughout is exquisite--such as one might expect of Henry Van Dyke."--Richmond Journal."It is an insight into the temple of truth to be found in every man's life if he looks for it."--Wilmington News."It is beautiful in its wording, almost poetry."--Birmingham Ledger."Harold Bell Wright has given to the world a literary gem that will live."--Oregon Journal.THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH"It is a novel with 'body,' with a large and timely idea back of it, with sound principles under it, and with a good crescendo of dramatic thrills."--Chicago Record-Herald."To the reader the characters will appear as real as friends they know--all of their aims, and likes, and hatreds being portrayed as true to life as snapshots caught by moving-picture cameras."--Boston Globe."The characters take the reader with them wherever they go, and they are characters that seem to have temporarily stepped from real life into the pages of the book."--Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph."The romance of the novel is told in a very charming love story which has 'Barbara Worth' for its inspiration. With her winning the author has deftly interwoven an epic of national reclamation work and present-day good business."--Richmond Times-Dispatch."With a vividness that assumes reality Mr. Wright shows how capital may be used to gain its end and at the same time save the community and still be 'good business'."--Omaha Bee."'The Calling of Dan Matthews' was a fine tale; 'The Shepherd of the Hills' was an inspiration. And now he sends us 'The Winning of Barbara Worth'--the best thing he has done so far * * * a twentieth century epic."--Cleveland Plain Dealer.THEIR YESTERDAYS"It is a book embodying high ideals for men and women, and one that will stimulate young men and women toward pure and noble love."--Baltimore Sun."'Their Yesterdays,' by Harold Bell Wright, is a really great book. You feel better, you feel refreshed, and you feel a desire to drop to your knees and thank Almighty God for such a book and for permitting you to read it."--Memphis News Scimitar."This is the gentle story of the love of a man and a woman in which the vigor of 'That Printer of Udell's,' the kindliness of 'The Shepherd of the Hills,' the power of 'Dan Matthews' and the grace of 'Barbara Worth' are all woven into a strain more delicate and more beautiful than this great writer has ever before penned. Through this medium has Mr. Wright told more plainly than before the inmost secrets and joys of his big heart."--Boston Globe."Some one has called Harold Bell Wright 'the apostle of the wholesome' in fiction, and his latest volume, 'Their Yesterdays,' certainly bears out his claim to the title. Also it shows the man's remarkable genius. We may liken the perusal of the book to listening to some magnificent organ played soft and low by a master hand. And, as one never wearies of gazing upon great paintings nor of listening to the uplifting strains of fine music so one reads this volume with deep appreciation and pays the tribute of regret when it is ended."--Nashville Tennessean.

This book was later made into a movie: "A very popular silent western, this film features two engineers vying for the affections of the adoptive daughter of a landowner. Barbara Worth (Vilma Banky) wants to help her father, Jefferson Worth (Charles Lane), build a dam on the Colorado River to help irrigate the desert land he owns. The elder Worth gets a loan from a New York banker, who brings with him his stepson, Willard Holmes (Ronald Colman), an engineer. Local engineer Abe Lee (Gary Cooper, in one of his first big roles) and Holmes both fall in love with Barbara. The banker cheats on materials for the dam as part of a shady deal. Jefferson Worth discovers the ruse and tries to finish the project himself, but he runs short of money to pay his hired hands. With the dam in jeopardy, the two rival engineers bury their differences and ride off on horses to get money to salvage the dam and save Worth, who is at the mercy of a lynch mob."

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Excerpt from The Winning of Barbara WorthWhile this story is not in any way a history of this part of the Colorado Desert now known as the Imperial Valley, nor a biography of anyone connected with this splendid achievement, I must in honesty admit that this work which in the past ten years has transformed a vast, desolate waste into a beautiful land of homes, cities, and farms, has been my inspiration.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.