Customer Reviews

Lawman: Life and Times of Harry Morse, 1835-1912, The

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those who enjoy California history, of the San Francisco Bay Area and particularly Alameda County, this book is a gem. Taken from the writings and letters of Harry Morse who was Alameda County (California) Sheriff from 1864 to 1878, and then ran a detective agency until his death in 1912, this book gives a very real account of the "bad guys" and law enforcement of that time period.

John Boessenecker has obviously done his research and lays out the Lawman's memoirs for closer scrutiny by the public. One of the most interesting points to me was the look at how the incoming Anglo population in the 1850's changed the lives of the Californios and how that affected law enforcement and the history of the state.

An excellent read. Well written and spellbinding.

HARRY MORSE WAS A HERO FORGOTTEN . HIS BRAVERY, TENACITY AND COURAGE FAR OUT SHINES THE OTHER MORE POPULAR WESTERN HEROES LIKE THE EARPS. HIS GUNFIGHT WITH JUAN SOTO IS EDGE OF THE SEAT EXCITEMENT AND HIS TALES OF ORDINARY DAY TO DAY LIFE IN OLD CALIFORNIA GIVES AN INSIGHT TO OUR HISTORY..GREAT READING.

This is the third copy of this book that I have purchased; the first one I had, I lost by lending it out. I purchased another for myself, and so many friends have wanted to borrow it that I now have an extra copy just for lending. This is an extremely readable and interesting biography of a very unique individual. He came to the SF Bay Area as a teenager and entrepreneur during the gold rush and became a legend in law enforcement, capturing some of the most wanted desperados of the day. Boessenecker's descriptions of the surrounding area are superb, and if you live around here, you can easily visualize the areas he travels through, even though they are mightily changed since the 1800's. I recommend this book for people who enjoy Westerns, law enforcement stories, and great adventures.

Highly recommended--I thought I would just skim through this book but I read it cover to cover. Boessenecker has a good, clean style that doesn't get in the way of the story, and an almost obsessive interest in his subject, as demonstrated by the obscure newspaper items and other sources he has tracked down and by the fact that he owns many of Morse's personal items that are photographed for illustration. Boessenecker had a great resource in the accounts Morse left of some of his gunfights and adventures, which provide the best blow-by-blow detail I've ever seen in a book about this period. Interwoven into the story is contextual detail about California history, geography, and social conditions, testifying to Boessenecker's expertise on this subject. This is one of the best books of Western history I've ever read. It provided me with a lot of insight into the life of the 19th century lawman.

BTW, I noticed that "Reviewer from New Mexico" gave this book a good review but only one star--that was clearly a mistake.

In telling Morse's fascinating story, Boessenecker, a San Francisco-based attorney, often allows Morse to do the telling. (Yes, Harry was far more prolific with a pen than either Wyatt or Wild Bill). You'll also find plenty of solid insight into California's battle for law and order after the gold rush. . . . From now on, when someone sings of a lawman being "brave, courageous and bold," it just might make sense to think of Harry instead of Wyatt. Wild West Magazine, August 1999.

This work by an eminent writer on old-time outlaws and lawmen can be viewed from several vantage points: the storied career of Harry Morse, the ins and outs of law enforcement in the Old West, and the interplay between Hispanics and Anglos in Old California. Boessenecker describes Morse as a "gunfighter, manhunter, and sleuth whose career is without parallel in the history of the American frontier." More importantly, the author, like other western historians in recent years, shows the difference between the blood and thunder school of thought about Old West gunfighting lawmen who occasionally pinned on a silver star, and those individuals who saw law enforcement in the American West as a profession. As a career minded peace officer, Morse spent decades learning the techniques needed to investigate crimes and to track and capture outlaws and desperadoes. New Mexico Historical Review, April 1999.