RECOMMENDATIONS

[mckinley412]

I have more time on my hands in these days so ... here's a thread where people can recommend books since it may be hard to read all of the stuff available on Billy the Kid.  I own about half the books I've read but here is some honorable mentions from some that I own that maybe aren't so obvious to everyone.  I have a decent collection and some are signed and some I didn't save the dust jackets too .  One dust jacket I donated to a museum tho, so that was nice  

Great gift book for someone would be TO HELL ON A FAST HORSE--reads like a novel but everything in quotes was taken from contemporary newspapers, letters, oral histories, autobiographies, etc.  

Another good one that I haven't read in years because there is always more to read is Alias Billy the Kid the Man Behind The Legend by Donald Cline

And also a must must have, and you seriously must have this Nolan's The Billy the Kid Reader.

[mckinley412]

Just finished Gale Cooper's Billy the kid's Writings, Words, and Wit. Here is review I wrote for it: This is an excellent must have book for any serious Kid researcher. This book probably paints the most accurate picture of what the Kid was really like. It also does an excellent job of critiquing Gov. Wallace and Frederick Nolan's views. The last several pages about Brushy Bill and John Miller probably should have been left out. For one, the author refers to Brushy as an illiterate lunatic when it is a fact that he was not illiterate. It says so on at least the 1910 cenus, Brushy kept notebooks secret from his wife, and Sonnichsen or Morrison said that he was not illiterate and that they meant to say he was not a literary man. Also, for some strange reason the author says that Brushy called himself an outlaw and not a fighter but on page 8 of Alias Billy the Kid Brushy says, "I wasn't no outlaw, I wasn't no outlaw." He said he wasn't an outlaw and he said it twice in a row. I also disagree with the authors opinion of the length and work that went into Helen Airy's book Whatever Happened to Billy the Kid, but all in all I would say it is a 5 star book if you just rip a few of those pages out. It also has photo copies of Billy's letters and leaves little to no doubt that he did indeed write them himself. It does an excellent job of analyzing his handwriting and pointing out that he often wouldn't use periods, or capitalize the first word of a sentence and also he would capitalize other words that shouldn't be just for emphasis, (all of which are common characteristics in Brushy's handwriting not to mention that they both spell their name Billie instead of Billy.) If you want to understand the politics and the Lincoln County War that Billy was up against then you won't want to miss out this one.

[mikegolfpro]

This is my first time posting.  I love reading and studying our American history especially Civil War period.  I got interested in Billy the Kid when I listened to a book on tape about Billy the Kid on my move to Phoenix Az.  This is a great site for some great discussions about this period and who Billy the Kid really was.  If I may start by asking a question -  In your opinion what is the first book I shoul d read?  There are many books out there but what book should be the starting point?   With my studies of the Civil War I generally read one that is Union and then I would read one re the Confederates, in order to get both sides so to speak.  I love history and would love to have a career in history but having a finance degree from college no one is willing to give me a shot.  Not a pun by the way  LOL.  I appreciate any opinions!

[Texas Truth Teller]

Mike,
"The West of Billy the Kid", Frederick Nolan, is an excellent book, and presents the few known documented facts about the historical life of Billy the Kid. Indexed with references and sources. Many photos included in the 390 pages.

"Alias Billy the Kid", C. L. Sonnichsen and William Morrison, presents an alternate version of the life of Billy the Kid, and is based on the word of Brushy Bill Roberts, and the undocumented assumption that Billy the Kid was not killed in 1882. Brushy Bill Roberts, who claimed to be Billy the Kid, lived under various aliases until December 1850. The book is not indexed. This is the most authoritative book about Brushy Bill Roberts, for Morrison was the only author that interviewed Brushy Bill.

[mckinley412]

Well Morrison was not the only person to interview Brushy nor publish the interview but I will agree that Nolan's book would be a fine one to start with although it contains a couple errors which I think he may have revised by now but also he blatantly states that given the details he can not explain how the jail break happened, he gives 3 scenarios but the one he doesn't give is Brushy's which is the only one that works. Otherwise it's a fine book.

[mikegolfpro]

Thanks for the recommendations! I appreciate all the knowledge everyone has on this site. This history is very interesting whether you believe Billy died on July 14, 1881 or died in December 1950 in Hico, Tx.

[Texas Truth Teller]

"Well Morrison was not the only person to interview Brushy "

McKinley412, you are correct. There are articles in newspapers written by reporters who had interviewed Brushy Bill. Presumably, one or more of the following authors, Jannay Valdez, Bobby Hefner, William Tunstill, W. C. Jameson, Daniel Edwards, Brett Hall, had access to Brushy Bill's notes and memorabilia. Mike's question was about books. Can you cite an author other than William Morrison who interviewed Brushy Bill?

[mckinley412]

Henry J. Walker, in his book Jesse James the Outlaw

[Texas Truth Teller]

mckinley412,
You are absolutely correct. My mistake. Henry J. Walker interviewed J. Frank Dalton. His book was published in 1961. Walker had 3 interviews with J. Frank Dalton while Dalton was living at Meramec Caverns. These interviews are related in full in the book, on pages 77-168. Interspersed among the Dalton interviews are interviews with other related persons (including Colonel James Russell Davis, "Brushy Bill" Roberts, and Mary Norris, wife of Charles Norris ) who were at Meramec Caverns on Sept. 5, 1949 to help celebrate Dalton's supposed 102nd birthday. Photographs prove Brushy Bill was at Meramec Caverns for the 102 birthday of J. Frank Dalton.

Henry J. Walker created another Jesse James, or perhaps he was relying on stories provided by J. Frank Dalton. On pages 31-34, Walker described a cousin of Frank and Jesse James named Jesse Dingus James, born in Missouri. Walker said Jesse Woodson James (J. Frank Dalton) was born 8 March 1848 in Kentucky. Walker said all three, Jesse Dingus, Jesse Woodson (alias J. Frank Dalton), and Frank James, rode with Quantrill.

[chivato88]

Aug 9, 2016 17:12:48 GMT -5 mckinley412 said:

Just finished Gale Cooper's Billy the kid's Writings, Words, and Wit. Here is review I wrote for it: This is an excellent must have book for any serious Kid researcher. This book probably paints the most accurate picture of what the Kid was really like. It also does an excellent job of critiquing Gov. Wallace and Frederick Nolan's views. The last several pages about Brushy Bill and John Miller probably should have been left out. For one, the author refers to Brushy as an illiterate lunatic when it is a fact that he was not illiterate. It says so on at least the 1910 cenus, Brushy kept notebooks secret from his wife, and Sonnichsen or Morrison said that he was not illiterate and that they meant to say he was not a literary man. Also, for some strange reason the author says that Brushy called himself an outlaw and not a fighter but on page 8 of Alias Billy the Kid Brushy says, "I wasn't no outlaw, I wasn't no outlaw." He said he wasn't an outlaw and he said it twice in a row. I also disagree with the authors opinion of the length and work that went into Helen Airy's book Whatever Happened to Billy the Kid, but all in all I would say it is a 5 star book if you just rip a few of those pages out. It also has photo copies of Billy's letters and leaves little to no doubt that he did indeed write them himself. It does an excellent job of analyzing his handwriting and pointing out that he often wouldn't use periods, or capitalize the first word of a sentence and also he would capitalize other words that shouldn't be just for emphasis, (all of which are common characteristics in Brushy's handwriting not to mention that they both spell their name Billie instead of Billy.) If you want to understand the politics and the Lincoln County War that Billy was up against then you won't want to miss out this one.

I have to agree with you at 100%, its a 5 star book, I learn a lot about the Santa Fe ring and the LCW, I also think that Lew Wallace was a bull****ter, he might be responsible for all the bad things that was said about Billy and most of it were untrue, other Ringmen also said some bull**** about him too, some of it real ridiculous, one claimed that Jesse James was with him lol, I just bought The Santa Fe ring vs Billy the Kid also by Gale Cooper, anxious to get it started!😀

[Elwood]

Jul 6, 2016 11:30:57 GMT -5 mckinley412 said:

I have more time on my hands in these days so ... here's a thread where people can recommend books since it may be hard to read all of the stuff available on Billy the Kid.  I own about half the books I've read but here is some honorable mentions from some that I own that maybe aren't so obvious to everyone.  I have a decent collection and some are signed and some I didn't save the dust jackets too .  One dust jacket I donated to a museum tho, so that was nice  

Great gift book for someone would be TO HELL ON A FAST HORSE--reads like a novel but everything in quotes was taken from contemporary newspapers, letters, oral histories, autobiographies, etc.  

Another good one that I haven't read in years because there is always more to read is Alias Billy the Kid the Man Behind The Legend by Donald Cline

And also a must must have, and you seriously must have this Nolan's The Billy the Kid Reader.

Next month (July 2020), a new book about Billy the Kid: Thunder in the West: The Life and Legends of Billy the Kid (Volume 32) (The Oklahoma Western Biographies) Hardcover – July 9, 2020

by Richard W. Etulain (Author)

www.amazon.com/Thunder-West-Legends-Oklahoma-Biographies/dp/0806166258/ref=sr_1_2?Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.x=0&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.y=0&dchild=1&qid=1591549908&refinements=p_27%3Aetulain&s=books&sr=1-2&unfiltered=1

There is a "Look Inside" link above the image of the book on the left side of the page.

[Elwood]

Jun 8, 2020 4:35:48 GMT -5 @oluckyman said:

Doe the book contain any pertinent new information, or is it more of a review of previously published work from elsewhere?

I have only read the "Look Inside" preview of this book.  Its published by a University Press and authored by a Billy the Kid Historian.

[chivato88]

Jun 12, 2020 14:36:48 GMT -5 @oluckyman said:

I've finished reading the Sederwall book and think it's well worth buying. It's the most forensic examination I've seen of the LCW and its players, along with providing details about the exhumation saga, the workbench and New Mexico politics both then and now. Some of Brushy's claims and actions look a lot more interesting when taken in context with the information presented in this book.

Thanks for recommandation, I will buy it for sure, not available in hardcover tough... what a bummer

[chivato88]

Just finished 2 books in row, Tall tales and half truths of Billy the Kid and the other of Pat Garrett, very good read, not like any other BTK books, nothing boring about them, it evens mentions Brushy quite a lot in it and John Miller, I highly recommend both books!😀

[elroostero]

I haven’t seen anyone mention Charles Siringo’s ‘History of Billy the Kid’, 1920. Siringo was a cowboy and sincere acquaintance of BTK.

I just read his book. It felt fast and factual. A lot of names and connections made that filled in the story for me. It also felt the most plausible and logical run through of events of BTK’s time, and lined up with everything that I’ve read about BTK.
A little weird, but I really like it for the direct information and lack of story.

I have only just begun to realize I will never know for sure how it all went down, and must embrace what ifs.