Synopses & Reviews
Fact versus Fiction in the Old West
In an age before twenty-four-hour news coverage, before law and order came into vogue, dime novels and casually written newspaper stories fueled the legends of the Old West. The real people who filled the vast Western landscape became the romantic folk heroes—or villains—of the era, among them Billy the Kid, George Armstrong Custer, and Sitting Bull. Myths and Mysteries of the Old West retells their tales with a witty brand of honesty about “truths” as elusive as vapors.
Were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid truly shot down in South America, or did they live to a ripe old age, with or without wild woman Etta Place? Did the Gold Rush really start with a fortuitous accident? Did Calamity Jane in fact marry and have a baby with Wild Bill Hickok, and did he really kill one hundred men? Did buffalo hunter Billy Dixon shoot a man dead from a mile away?
“We love a good story more than a slavish adherence to facts,” writes author Michael Rutter. “The sin, apparently, isnt stretching the truth, but telling a bad story.”
Synopsis
How much of what we know about the history of the Old West is true? In this new book, author Michael Rutter looks at the legend and lore behind such notorious figures as Billy the Kid and Calamity Jane and the stories of famous gun fights and battles, telling what
really happened. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but these 12 legends stand up to scrutiny, and this book will be a must-read for all western history buffs.
About the Author
Michael Rutter is a freelance writer who lives in Orem, Utah, with his wife, Shari, and two children. He is the author of more than 35 books. When not traveling or writing, he teaches English at Brigham Young University. His passion is the American West.
Table of Contents
(1) Introduction (2) The Lost Cities of Cibola (3) The Battle of Adobe Walls (4) John Colter (5) The California Gold Rush (6) The Mountain Meadows Massacre (7) George Armstrong Custer (8) Sitting Bull (9) Comanche (10) James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok (11) Calamity Jane (12) Billy the Kid (13) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (14) Bibliography (15) Index (16) About the Author