Post by Allen Wiener on May 4, 2010 23:41:37 GMT -5
I just finished 2 books on Garrett, Billy the Kid, the Lincoln County War and associated events. I had no knowledge of this aspect of Western history and expected to find it fairly superficial, but I was surprised at how much it revealed of the real lawlessness of the southwest in the late 19th century.
The Saga of Billy the Kid by Walter Noble Burns, published in 1926, is written as an exciting adventure, based largely on facts, but clearly embellished. It's a great read and Burns was a terrific writer of the period. It's a good starting point for this subject.
To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West by Mark Lee Gardner, published this year, is an updated account, well written, but written in a more straightforward style. Gardner doesn't really add much new about the Kid or the story up to his death, but he does add quite a bit about Garrett's life after that event, especially the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. I don't want to give away any "spoilers," so I'll just suggest that, if you have an interest in this subject, you read both books.
Neither book really gets into Billy Bonney in any real detail and he seems to have been a somewhat elusive figure. He made a lot of friends and, like many criminals of that time and place, was seen as something of a hero. It's hard to find too much fault with his actions in the Lincoln County War, but from that point on he clearly became a cold-blooded killer with no regard for human life. Like many of the sociopaths we read about today, he could be terribly charming and likable, loved to dance and play cards; happy-go-lucky. But, he also generated great fear and was both a crack shot and deadly killer, so some of that support he had was based partly on fear. Like Bonnie & Clyde, his violent life and death gave rise later to larger than life images and legends. It's no coincidence that a copy of Burns' book was found in the car in which Bonnie & Clyde died.
The Lincoln County War itself is an interesting story as it represents a microcosm of the cold degree of lawlessness in that area at the time. Law seemed to be determined by whoever had the most guns or influence with corrupt officials. The situation in Tombstone with the Earps and Clantons, which took place at the same time, was similar.
Garrett emerges as a fearless hero with fatal weaknesses, and an unreal streak of bad luck, or bad choices. He reminded me a bit of Eliot Ness (see Eliot Ness: The Real Story by Paul W. Heimel). Both lives somewhat suggest that it really didn't pay to be a fundamentally straight shooter.
I'd be interested in the views of others who've read these books, especially those who have more knowledge of the LCW era than i do.
Allen
P.S. I mistakenly posted this under the "General History" topic, but it really belongs over here. If one of the monitors would be so good as to delete the thread over there. . . .
The Saga of Billy the Kid by Walter Noble Burns, published in 1926, is written as an exciting adventure, based largely on facts, but clearly embellished. It's a great read and Burns was a terrific writer of the period. It's a good starting point for this subject.
To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West by Mark Lee Gardner, published this year, is an updated account, well written, but written in a more straightforward style. Gardner doesn't really add much new about the Kid or the story up to his death, but he does add quite a bit about Garrett's life after that event, especially the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. I don't want to give away any "spoilers," so I'll just suggest that, if you have an interest in this subject, you read both books.
Neither book really gets into Billy Bonney in any real detail and he seems to have been a somewhat elusive figure. He made a lot of friends and, like many criminals of that time and place, was seen as something of a hero. It's hard to find too much fault with his actions in the Lincoln County War, but from that point on he clearly became a cold-blooded killer with no regard for human life. Like many of the sociopaths we read about today, he could be terribly charming and likable, loved to dance and play cards; happy-go-lucky. But, he also generated great fear and was both a crack shot and deadly killer, so some of that support he had was based partly on fear. Like Bonnie & Clyde, his violent life and death gave rise later to larger than life images and legends. It's no coincidence that a copy of Burns' book was found in the car in which Bonnie & Clyde died.
The Lincoln County War itself is an interesting story as it represents a microcosm of the cold degree of lawlessness in that area at the time. Law seemed to be determined by whoever had the most guns or influence with corrupt officials. The situation in Tombstone with the Earps and Clantons, which took place at the same time, was similar.
Garrett emerges as a fearless hero with fatal weaknesses, and an unreal streak of bad luck, or bad choices. He reminded me a bit of Eliot Ness (see Eliot Ness: The Real Story by Paul W. Heimel). Both lives somewhat suggest that it really didn't pay to be a fundamentally straight shooter.
I'd be interested in the views of others who've read these books, especially those who have more knowledge of the LCW era than i do.
Allen
P.S. I mistakenly posted this under the "General History" topic, but it really belongs over here. If one of the monitors would be so good as to delete the thread over there. . . .