‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Books: He Calls This Novel the One That ‘Shattered’ Him
Plus, details on his own book releasing later this month
Key Takeaways
- Sheridan says reading 'Lonesome Dove' in 1989 destroyed his plan to pursue law enforcement.
- Sheridan loved the book so much he wrote the foreword for its 40th anniversary edition.
- Sheridan co-wrote a prison survival guide called 'How to Not Die in Prison,' out June 23, 2026.
Ask any writer their biggest influence and they will most likely name a book. And it seems that rule applies to popular historical and neo-Western writer, creator and director Taylor Sheridan. Over the past couple of years, the Yellowstone creator has talked a little bit about his reading, but for the most part he’s kept his all-time favorite books a secret. Until now. Below, we reveal Sheridan’s most-loved book and share what he’s said about it.
Taylor Sheridan reveals his favorite book
Since he’s the king of Westerns it should come as no surprise that Sheridan’s favorite book—Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry—revolves around cowboys, horses, ranches and more. In fact, he loves it so much that he wrote a foreword for the novel’s 40th anniversary.
“I first read Lonesome Dove in the spring of 1989,” Sheridan writes in the foreword. “To say it enthralled me, shocked me and sparked my imagination before it shattered me is an understatement. In August of that year, the television adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s transformative novel first aired. It is arguably the most literal and faithful adaptation to the screen in cinematic history.”
“Upon watching the film, I reread the novel yet again (for the fourth or fifth time! Sixth, maybe?), comparing my imagination to the adaptation. This is easily the most formative event in my life,” Sheridan asserts. “My plan to pursue the family businesses of law enforcement and cattle raising was destroyed. In its place was an unquenchable thirst for storytelling. Criminal justice gave way to theater, which gave way to a complete evaporation in my desire to study anything at all.”
For those unfamiliar with the novel, Lonesome Dove was originally published in 1985. It follows Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call as they embark on a deadly cattle drive to the untamed plains of Montana. It sold 4 million copies and inspired a television miniseries and a weekly TV series.
“When deciding who to approach for an introduction, we focused on contemporary Western storytellers with a profound understanding and appreciation of American mythology,” the book’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, told Woman’s World last year. “Taylor Sheridan embodies this perfectly, and we were thrilled to discover his personal connection to Lonesome Dove.”
Taylor Sheridan spills on his own book
Along with writing TV and movie scripts, Sheridan has also co-written a book with his longtime friend—and ex-con—Tom Nelson. It’s called How to Not Die in Prison and gives readers tips and tricks on how to—you guessed it—not die in prison.
“You might wonder what in the world gives me the knowledge or wisdom to write a survival guide to prison,” writes Taylor Sheridan in the book’s introduction. “Well, I’ll tell you—absolutely nothing. I’ve never been to prison. But, like every man, I’ve certainly wondered how I would survive if circumstances ever put me there. That morbid curiosity sent me on a journey to understand the politics and dangers of prison. When researching for Mayor of Kingstown, I learned very quickly it’s way better to avoid going to prison than figuring out how to survive one.”
Nelson added to that, writing, “I wish I could’ve heeded Taylor’s advice all those years ago and read the f-ck-ng book, but that’s exactly the point: there was no f-ck-ng book to speak of because I hadn’t yet been spit out through the system and gained the knowledge that my co-author currently refers to as wisdom.”
“Hey, one of us has written hit TV shows and Academy Award-nominated movies, and the other has spent much of his adult life behind bars in medium and maximum-security prisons,” he continues. “If that’s what makes for good wisdom and entertainment, I’ll take it.”
How to Not Die in Prison releases on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 and you can preorder it now where books are sold.
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