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Desert Lawmen: The High Sheriffs of New Mexico and Arizona 1846-1912

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It was a dangerous job taming the Southwestern frontier. And as "Desert Lawmen: The High Sheriffs of New Mexico and Arizona 1846-1912" points out, it was often thankless. Working in a wild and unsettled territory, facing the possibility of violent death, and staring down vigilantes bent on their own brand of justice, the County Sheriff's had their hands full. They also collected tax, managed the local jails, and faced bitter political rivals while trying to control deputies and the delicate network of the western legal system. And at the end of the day they often faced a less than enthusiastic community and lousy pay. The author has given these men, and the role of local law enforcement in the American west its first serious study, tearing down the misconceptions of dime novels and Hollywood, and presenting the western lawman as he really was. Here you will see some familiar names, among them the Earps of Tombstone fame and Pat Garrett. But you will also meet many others, equally tough hombres, who have faded from the annals of popular history. This book is a must have for any serious student of the "violent west" or anyone even casually interested in what it was like to wear the badge in the waning days of the Old West.