Dead Man's Walk

Dead Man's Walk is a 1995 Western novel by Larry McMurtry that serves as a prequel to his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove. It explores the early, formative years of the main characters, Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call. The novel shows the origins of their lifelong friendship.

The novel follows younger versions of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call as they join a dangerous, ill-fated Texas Ranger expedition into the 19th-century borderlands of Texas and New Mexico. The expedition is commanded by Major Chevallier and is entirely unprepared for the harsh realities of the frontier. They face hostile Native American tribes and unforgiving elements.

Chronologically within the universe of the story, Dead Man's Walk is the first installment of the Lonesome Dove series. It predates the events of Comanche Moon and the original Lonesome Dove novel. It establishes how McCrae and Call originally became Texas Rangers.

Yes, following the massive success of the Lonesome Dove miniseries, Dead Man's Walk was also adapted into a television miniseries. It aired on ABC in 1996 and starred F. Murray Abraham and Keith Carradine. The adaptation helped visually establish the early backstory of the beloved characters.