The Spur Award for Best Novel of the West (Long Novel)
The Spur Awards, given annually for distinguished writing about the American West, are among the oldest and most prestigious in American literature. In 1953, when the awards were established by Western Writers of America, western fiction was a staple of American publishing. (This award description was taken from NoveList, a database dedicated to helping readers find fiction titles, award winning books, and similar titles and authors.) Spurs are offered today for a variety of writing categories, including Best Novel of the West (Long Novel). The winners of this particular award are listed below. Visit the Western Writers of America: Spur Award History official website for more information about this award.
All of these titles are located in the Adult Western section of the Library unless otherwise noted.
| 2012 | Harrigan, Stephen. Remember Ben Clayton. (Adult Fiction HAR). |
| 2011 | Robson, Lucia St. Clair. Last Train from Cuernavaca. |
| 2010 | Flynn, Robert. Echoes of Glory. |
| 2009 | Cobb, Thomas. Shavetail. (Adult Fiction COB). |
| 2008 | Kyle, Aryn. The God of Animals. (Adult Fiction KYL). Also available: CD |
| 2007 | Crook, Elizabeth. The Night Journal. (Adult Fiction CRO). Also available: CD |
| 2006 | Wyman, Willard. High Country. |
| 2005 | Gear, Kathleen O'Neal. People of the Raven. (Adult Fiction GEA). |
| 2004 | Blevins, Winfred. So Wild a Dream. |
| 2003 | Earling, Debra Magpie. Perma Red. (Adult Fiction EAR). |
| 2002 | Udall, Brady. The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint. (Adult Fiction UDA). |
| 2001 | Harrigan, Stephen. The Gates of the Alamo. (Adult Fiction HAR). |
| 2000 | Recknor, Ellen. Prophet Annie. |
| 1999 | Smiley, Jane. The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton. (Adult Fiction SMI). Also available: Large Type |
| 1998 | McMurtry, Larry. Comanche Moon. (Adult Fiction McM). Also available: Large Type |
| 1997 | Wheeler, Richard S. Sierra: A Novel of the California Gold Rush. |
| 1996 | Blevins, Winfred. Stone Song: A Novel of the Life of Crazy Horse. |
| 1995 | Kelton, Elmer. The Far Canyon. |
| 1994 | Long, Jeff. Empire of Bones: A Novel of Sam Houston and the Texas Revolution. (Adult Fiction LON). |
| 1993 | Kelton, Elmer. Slaughter. |
| 1992 | Sherman, Jory. The Medicine Horn. |
| 1991 | Williams, Jeanne. Home Mountain. (Adult Romance WIL). |
| 1990 | Thom, James Alexander. Panther in the Sky. |
| 1989 | Swarthout, Glendon. The Homesman. |
| 1988 | Flynn, Robert. Wanderer Springs. |
| 1987 | Jones, Douglas C. Roman. |
| 1986 | Cooke, John Byrne. The Snowblind Moon. |
| 1985 | Jones, Douglas C. Gone the Dreams and Dancing. (Adult Fiction JON). |
| 1984 | Woolley, Bryan. Sam Bass. |
| 1983 | Robson, Lucia St. Clair. Ride the Wind: The Story of Cynthia Ann Parker and the Last Days of the Comanche. |
| 1982 | Estleman, Loren D. Aces and Eights. |
| 1981 | No Award |
| 1980 | No Award |
| 1979 | No Award |
| 1978 | Kilpatrick, Terrence. Swimming Man Burning. |
| 1977 | Braun, Matt. The Kincaids. |
| 1976 | No Award |
| 1975 | No Award |
| 1974 | No Award |
| 1973 | Henry, Will. Chiricahua. |
| 1972 | No Award |
| 1971 | No Award |
| 1970 | Capps, Benjamin. The White Man's Road. |
| 1969 | Patten, Lewis B. The Red Sabbath. |
| 1968 | Oliver, Chad. The Wolf is My Brother. |
| 1967 | Roark, Garland. Hellfire Jackson. |
| 1966 | Ballard, Todhunter. Gold in California. Fisher, Vardis. Mountain Man: A Novel of Male and Female in the American West. (Adult Fiction FIS). |
| 1965 | Halleran, E. E. Indian Fighter. |
| 1964 | Henry, Will. The Gates of the Mountains. |
| 1963 | Berry, Don. Moontrap. |
| 1962 | Haines, William Wister. The Winter War. |
| 1961 | Henry, Will. From Where the Sun Now Stands. |
| 1960 | Prebble, John. The Buffalo Soldiers. |
| 1959 | Bean, Amelia. The Fancher Train. |
| 1958 | Cushman, Dan. The Silver Mountain. |
| 1957 | Hunt, John Clinton. Generations of Men. |
| 1956 | No Award |
| 1955 | Prescott, John. Journey by the River. |
| 1954 | Moore, Lucia. The Wheel and the Hearth. |