Encyclopedia of Western Lawmen & Outlaws

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic book....must read!
Review: This book has so many stories about outlaws and lawmen I have and haven't heard of before. It's presented so fantastic. Each individual is a story in their own right. I couldn't put down this mammoth book and you would be crazy not to order this! The portraits are nice, too.

Rating:
Summary: The old west comes to life!
Review: When I first received this book I thought it would be another book briefly talking famous "bad guys" and those who brought them to justice, I was wrong, very wrong. Jay Robert Nash is one of, if not the best, at bringing to life the Old West and those who made it come alive.

With over a 1000 entries and well over 300 photos, this book goes beyond Jesse and Frank James, The Cole-Younger gang, Billy the Kidd, Pat Garrett, Bat Masterson and The Earps. You'll read about judges, Sheriffs, outlaws and so much more.

I spent over four hours reading this book form cover to cover and every page has something new and fascinating. Facts and myths, legends and tales, it's all here and waiting for you to explore. You'll ride along with the Texas Rangers and help out the Pinkertons, and never have get dirty.

I have seen books on lawmen of the old west, and also books on outlaws of the west, for the first time you have a reference book that gives you both and at a price that makes it a great gift for anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Quantity Beats Quality
Review: With more than 1,000 entries and 400 pictures it would be hard to complain about what is left out of this encyclopedia. That's why I couldn't pass it up when I saw it in a bookstore. Also it has an extensive bibliography I have found very useful. Those are the strong points. As I read through the entries, though, I began finding things that didn't jibe with other books I've read. For example, Nash has Belle Starr living with Cole Younger and later robbing a California prospector while Glenn Shirley's book, Belle Starr and Her Times, shows there is no evidence she did either. Nash has Jesse James riding with William Clarke Quantrill when they sacked Lawrence, Kansas while others, such as Edward Leslie in The Devil Knows How to Ride, shows that Jesse wasn't part of that raid. These are only a couple of examples but I've run across a number of others. It has forced me to use this book with historical reservations. That's why I would only recommend this encyclopedia after making the reader aware of its shortcomings.