In 1860, with North and South about to be divided by war, East and West
were united through an extraordinary venture -- the Pony Express. Over
the course of ten days in April, eighty riders and five hundred horses
delivered mail between California and Missouri -- a mission that took
three weeks by stagecoach.
Although it existed for only a year and a half, the Pony Express remains
a legendary chapter in American history and a symbol of the bold,
adventurous character of the Old West. The spirit of the brave riders
and their ponies is captured perfectly in Cheryl Harness's lively,
brightly illustrated, and information-filled account.