Big Book of Weird Wild West

Rating:
Summary: The Best of the Big Books
Review: I found this to be the best and most exciting of the "Big Books." The wild west anecdotes contained within are well-chosen; they're humorous, interesting, and more than a bit eccentric. It's definitely interesting for anyone who's enthralled by the old west.

Rating:
Summary: NOT LIKE A JOHN WAYNE MOVIE...
Review: One of the many "Big Books" from Factoid Press, this volume delivers up a multitude of disturbing, humorous, and crazy tales from the West of yesteryear. Cleverly (and sometimes graphically) illustrated, this book would probably not be a good read for anybody who believes that the Old West was John Wayne-esque, where the good guy always won the duel and got the lady. The real West was more like a spaghetti western, where even the good guys were cut from a dubious cloth. Included in this volume are the stories of the ill-fated Donner Party (who were forced to dine on one another), Six Gun Slade (whose treatment of his opponent was surely an inspiration on Quentin Tarantino), Liver-Eatin' Johnson (the name says it all), Cowboys vs. UFO's, the slaying of a prehistoric bird in Arizona, and many, many others. Perhaps most amazing was how frequently people crossed the line from outlaw to lawman- it's almost as if being a murderer or train robber was a necessary prerequisite for a law enforcement job! The role of blacks, women, and homosexuals is discussed with refreshing frankness, and the clash between Anglo, Spanish, and Indian cultures is addressed as well. This book is entertaining and educational at the same time, and highly recommended to anybody with the slightest interest in what went on in the real Old West.

Rating:
Summary: NOT LIKE A JOHN WAYNE MOVIE...
Review: One of the many "Big Books" from Factoid Press, this volume delivers up a multitude of disturbing, humorous, and crazy tales from the West of yesteryear. Cleverly (and sometimes graphically) illustrated, this book would probably not be a good read for anybody who believes that the Old West was John Wayne-esque, where the good guy always won the duel and got the lady. The real West was more like a spaghetti western, where even the good guys were cut from a dubious cloth. Included in this volume are the stories of the ill-fated Donner Party (who were forced to dine on one another), Six Gun Slade (whose treatment of his opponent was surely an inspiration on Quentin Tarantino), Liver-Eatin' Johnson (the name says it all), Cowboys vs. UFO's, the slaying of a prehistoric bird in Arizona, and many, many others. Perhaps most amazing was how frequently people crossed the line from outlaw to lawman- it's almost as if being a murderer or train robber was a necessary prerequisite for a law enforcement job! The role of blacks, women, and homosexuals is discussed with refreshing frankness, and the clash between Anglo, Spanish, and Indian cultures is addressed as well. This book is entertaining and educational at the same time, and highly recommended to anybody with the slightest interest in what went on in the real Old West.

Rating:
Summary: Wild, Wild West?
Review: Paradox press adds another "Big Book Of..." that shares the same flavour of it's "brothers". A wide style of illustration helps the feel of this book, as do the wide array of "tales" culled from the period. Nice that they included several not-so-well-known tales. Note: this is NOT a refrence guide, but an rather enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Wild, Wild West?
Review: Paradox press adds another "Big Book Of..." that shares the same flavour of it's "brothers". A wide style of illustration helps the feel of this book, as do the wide array of "tales" culled from the period. Nice that they included several not-so-well-known tales. Note: this is NOT a refrence guide, but an rather enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Wild, Wild West?
Review: Paradox press adds another "Big Book Of..." that shares the same flavour of it's "brothers". A wide style of illustration helps the feel of this book, as do the wide array of "tales" culled from the period. Nice that they included several not-so-well-known tales. Note: this is NOT a refrence guide, but an rather enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: YEE-HAH!
Review: The Old West is full of legends. And you'll find a passel of 'em in this volume from Paradox Press. Many of the stories spotlighted here are a mixture of American history and mythology. But as the Unsinkable Molly Brown (who is featured in the book) would say, "It makes for a good story!"

Rating:
Summary: This is the REAL "Wild, Wild West!"
Review: You won't find Will Smith in this bizarre yet hilarious collection of true (and possibly true) tales from the dark side of the Western frontier. This entry in the now-legendary Big Book series meets the high stanards set by the others -- but be warned. This is one of the more violent Big Books. Not for kids. But if you enjoy rough and tumble true tales of killers, cannibals and crazies this book'll show you what the West was really like.