Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent LifeWhatever his name or alias at the moment--Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim, Kid Antrim, Billy Bonney--people always called him the Kid. Not until his final month did anyone call him Billy the Kid. Newspapers pictured him as a king of outlaws; and his highly publicized capture, trial, escape, and end fixed his image in the public mind for all time. He was only twenty-one years old when a bullet from Sheriff Pat Garett's six-shooter killed him on July 14, 1881. Within a year Billy the Kid became the subject of five dime-novel "biographies" as well as Garett's ghost-written account, and that was just the beginning. Robert M. Utley does what countless books, movies, television shows, musical compositions, and paintings have failed to do: he successfully strips off the veneer of legendry to expose the reality of Billy the Kid. Using previously untapped sources, he presents an engrossing story--the most complete and accurate ever--of a youthful hoodlum and sometime killer who found his calling in New Mexico's bloody power struggle known as the Lincoln County War. In unmasking the legend Utley also tells us much about our heritage of frontier vigilantism and violence. |
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Angel Antrim appeared Arizona arrest Authentic Billy Bonney Billy the Kid Billy's Blazer's Book Bowdre Boys Brady Brewer cattle charges Chisum City Collection court death December deposition deputy District Dolan door Dudley east escape Evans Evetts Haley February fired followed friends Frontier Fulton Garrett George Governor hand head Henry History horse Indian interview jail John Judge July June killed knew later letter Lincoln County looked March Mathews Maurice G Maxwell McSween Mesilla Mexican Mexico miles Mullin murder NARA night noted officers outlaw Pecos Peppin posse Press probably ranch Records Regulators Report returned Rivers Roberts rode Santa Fe Sheriff shot side sources spring Stanton story street Sumner territorial Texas thought told took town Tunstall turned University Valley Vegas Waite Wallace wanted warrant West Western White Oaks Wilson