Myths and Mysteries of the Old West (Myths and Mysteries Series) - Softcover

Rutter, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0762727926 ISBN 13: 9780762727926

Publisher: TwoDot Books, 2004

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 this title

From the Back Cover:

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, isn't stretching the truth, but telling a bad story."

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: TwoDot Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0762727926
• ISBN 13: 9780762727926
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176