Eric Swann was a highly skilled bushman and pastoralist in the outback areas of Australia. In Before the West he tells the story of his early childhood, as the eldest of 13 children, in western NSW. The story then moves to western Queensland where he spent many years as a jackaroo, overseer and then manager of various pastoral properties. He brings to life the many colourful characters who were to contribute so much to the development of his skills as a stock handler and bushman.

In 1962, along with his young family, he moved to Western Australia to commence development of a huge sheep station, Kanandah. The story of Kanandah was told in his previous book, Place in the West.

In Before the West, he continues to describe the many life experiences which shaped his management skills and contributed to his life story, leading to his eventual retirement in Esperance.

In the tradition of so many bushmen, Eric Swann was a skilled storyteller who could bring to life the unique experiences which shaped his life story. As a retiree in his seventies, he learned to type on the computer and wrote this wonderful collection of life memories to be left with his daughter, Jenny Kroonstuiver, after his death.