Badasses of the Old West : True Stories of Outlaws on the Edge

Badasses of the Old West brings together thirty-six tales of the worst (and best) robbers, rustlers, and bandits who shaped the history of the Wild West in one compelling volume. From the famous, such as Billy the Kid and the Wild Bunch, to the lesser-known but still colorful and wicked Charles Brown and Bud Stevens. Here are just some of the fascinating and forbidding faces you'll meet: -Bud Stevens, whose murder of a cattle king's son rang a death knell for an entire South Dakota town -William Quantrill, the terror of Civil War–era Missouri -Legendary bandits Frank and Jesse James -Cold-blooded Sam Brown, who sneered while cutting out a man's heart but screamed in terror when the tables turned -Jack Slade, a composite of gentleman and murderer who was such an enigma across much of the West that he charmed both Mark Twain and Buffalo Bill Dust off your six-shooter and settle into your saddle because this collection compiles the stories of the most notorious black-hat wearers of a notorious age.

Its wilderness notwithstanding, the Wild West was not necessarily a place to go in search of peace. While many settlers were decent folk, the American frontier’s wide open spaces also attracted unsavory characters in disproportionate numbers, many on the run looking for places to hide while they went on snubbing the law. Badasses of the Old West brings together in one compelling volume tales of the thirty-six worst (and best) robbers, rustlers, and bandits who shaped the history of the Wild West. From the famous, such as Billy the Kid and the Wild Bunch, to the lesser-known but still colorful and wicked Charles Brown and Bud Stevens, it compiles the stories of the most notorious black-hat wearers of a notorious age. Here are just some of the fascinating and forbidding faces you’ll meet:

Bud Stevens, whose murder of a cattle king’s son rang a death knell for an entire South Dakota town

William Quantrill, the terror of Civil War–era Missouri

Legendary bandits Frank and Jesse James

Cold-blooded Sam Brown, who sneered while cutting out a man’s heart but screamed in terror when the tables turned

Jack Slade, who was such an enigma across much of the West—a composite of gentleman and murderer—that he charmed both Mark Twain and Buffalo Bill

“The American frontier was about as tough a place as anyone can imagine. The indigenous Native American tribes had their own laws and rules, but no jurisdiction over white settlers. While many of the settlers were good, religious people moving west to start a new life, the wide open spaces of America’s reaches attracted some pretty unlawful types as well. The wild land that comprised the American West attracted the worst kind of people—outlaws, murderers, rapists, and robbers—many on the run and looking for places to hide while they continued to break the law. Violence became epidemic and a way of life for most, making these new territories of the United States a very dangerous place to live for the newcomers who came to settle there looking for a better life. Collected here are some of the stories of these villains, who despite their outrageous crimes and way of living, certainly contributed to the history of the American people.” Introduction Old Tom Starr The undistinguished career of Bill Dalton Bob Rogers Jesse Evans "Dirty" Dave Rudabaugh Billy the Kid Charles Brown Bud Stevens William Quantrill Frank and Jesse James Sam Brown John Moriarty Milton Sharp William Frederick Jahns Harry Tracy John Tornow Frank Leroy Jack Slade, gunslinger James Gordon, murderer Alfred packer, cannibal Butch Cassidy The Sundance Kid Dart Isom Black Bart Dave tucker Frank Nashville "Buckskin Frank" Leslie James Addison Reavis The Apache Kid "Rattlesnake Dick" Barter Joaquin Murieta John Wesley Hardin Bill Longley Jim Miller John "Badeye" Santamarazzo George A. Black George Cooke. This is a collection of tales about the worst (and best) of the robbers, rustlers, and bandits who shaped the history of the Wild West. From the famous, such as the Wild Bunch and Wild Bill Hickock, & nbsp;to the lesser-known but still colorful and wicked Bud Stevens and Charles Brown, Badasses of the Old West compiles the stories of the most notorious black-hat wearers of a notorious age True stories of outlaws on the edge. The worst (and best) of the robbers, rustlers, and bandits who shaped the history of the Wild West.