John Wesley Hardin : Suppressed Memories [Paperback]

Steppen Wirth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 1999

John Wesley Hardin reigned as gunman supreme in Texas between 1868 and his final capture by Texas Rangers in 1877. He was considered the most wanted fugitive of his time. It has been said that Hardin killed more men in personal combat than any other gunfighter on the American Frontier. He was easily the most sensational shootist of the Old West. He made Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp look like mere amateurs. Today, Hardin's appeal remains magical.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It captures the essence of the complex years of Reconstruction Texas, making real one of the West's most legendary gunfighters. -- A Western fan from Austin, Texas.

Wirth relates the wild days of Wes Hardin with uncompromising depth and power. If you like true stories with touches of fiction, this book is for you. -- Ross McSwain. San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas.

Wow! The Book simply sizzles. Wirth blows the lid off the gunfighter myth to reveal Hardin the man. -- A 39 year old graphic artist from Germany.

About the Author

Steppen Wirth was born in Texas and later moved with his wife and son to Montana. He is the author of six collections of poetry and two volumes of prose.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Osiris Publishing Company (May 26, 1999)
• ISBN-10: 0967088887
• ISBN-13: 978-0967088884
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,391,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and compelling, February 14, 2002

By 

Sara Walton (NYC, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Wesley Hardin : Suppressed Memories (Paperback)

My father was born in Fannin County, Texas in 1910, the birthplace of John Wesley Hardin. I grew up listening to stories of Hardin's exploits and was pleasantly surprised to run across Steppen Wirth's book, John Wesley Hardin: Suppressed Memories. Many of my father's stories of Hardin came to life and old memories resurfaced.

The various biographies about Wes Hardin are little more than a retelling of his autobiography. Some authors go on to vilify, and some glorify Hardin but none really gives any insight into Hardin's personality. There isn't any reason for anyone to write
another biography on Wes Hardin unless new information is uncovered and that is doubtful. That's why a book like Steppen Wirth's is refreshing. He is not limited to rehashing Hardin's autobiography. Like one Reviewer put it: "The line between what is real and what the author has crafted from imagination is difficult to see." In Steppen's book Hardin steps from the pages, you can feel him breathe. You can almost touch him. The softer side of Wes Hardin, his deep love for his wife and close bond with family and friends moved me. Just when I started to feel empathy for Hardin the author reminded me of Hardin's willingness to kill. I admit there are parts of this book I think are too graphic for my taste. I wonder about the necessity of such violent detail. I have never understood why men have to kill each other but I've never understood war either. Most women don't. I realize Hardin's world was a different world, a world where you had to stay alive during that horrible period after the Civil War. I know anti-Union sentiments were still strong in my father's youth.

This title is a welcome addition to the Hardin list of books. Steppen's prose is vivid and strong. I became so engrossed I read the whole thing in one sitting. I will read this book again and look forward to more books by Steppen Wirth.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extradordinary talent, August 17, 2000

By 

Revel Miller, PhD, Clinical Psychologist (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Wesley Hardin : Suppressed Memories (Paperback)

John Wesley Hardin: Suppressed Memories. I ate it up with my eyes and my imagination. It evoked many exciting, intriguing, mysterious, envious, and violent fantasies. I enjoyed every moment of this book as the dark side of my self was stimulated. Wes was a complex man and his life appealed to my intellect and soul, as well as my inner anger and envy. In many ways, Hardin is a great and famous villian of the Old West, a gunslinger, killer, murderer, bully and a cruel man with little empathy for anyone he disliked. I believe that Hardin appeals to men as a bigger-than-life masculine hero who exhibited great bravery, skill and defied incredible odds with his daring and keen mind. And this is why Wes Hardin may be such a powerful and memorable figure, because he lived life as many of us fear to live our own lives.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insight into the complex personality of Wes Hardin, February 9, 2002

By 

Roger Barger (Fresno, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Wesley Hardin : Suppressed Memories (Paperback)

This book tells the story of the meteoric rise of master gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, a legend by the age of eighteen, who dazzled outlaws and lawmen alike with his extreme daring and phenomenal skill with firearms. The author, Steppen Wirth manages cleverly to interweave crystalline paragraphs, reminiscences, letters, journals, and newspaper accounts to recreate this intensely human story. Eminently fascinating...a colorful, and inventive book, but not one for the queasy.

As a Hardin fan I read this book with great curiosity. In fact I read it four times and each time I found something else to like about it. Steppen Wirth effectively conveys the many sides of John Wesley Hardin's complex personality. It is truly a work of art. I highly recommend it.