Customer Reviews

Legends and Lies: Great Mysteries of the American West

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In twelve chapters, Walker touches on a dozen great mysteries of Western lore. He does not set out to solve any of them, but think again if you expect this book to do nothing but regurgitate old facts.

You may have heard of many of the stories in this book, since more than a few of them have been subjects of documentaries, especially on The Discovery Channel. The "real" death of Davy Crockett, what happened at the Battle of Little Big Horn, and who is buried in Jesse James' tomb have all been covered on television, too, which lends credence to Walker's research. But what about some cases you learned about in school, and find out later things may not have happened the way your teacher said?

I am writing of the strange suicide of famed explorer Meriwether Lewis in Tennessee in 1809. All my life, I was told he killed himself, and that was that. Reading Lewis' book, we find he killed himself after being attacked by an unknown assailant. He was shot in the head (exposing his brain), and offed himself before anyone else could come back and finish the job...um, yeah. A move is on to dig up Lewis and do an autopsy (since he slashed himself to death (!)), and that might be a wise decision.

You may know that writer Ambrose Bierce wandered into revolutionary Mexico, and was never seen alive again, but did you know Boston Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth, also vanished in the American heartland? Or Black Bart, the famed stagecoach robber, also disappeared somewhere on the west coast?

What about the strange two deaths of Lewis and Clark's guide, Sacajawea? Or next time those nice missionaries from the Mormon Church come to your door and interrupt your supper, ask them about the Mountain Meadows Massacre, where Church militia members and local Native Americans wiped out close to one hundred and fifty members of a wagon train, all because of lies and rumors spread about these people all over Utah?

Was Jesse James really shot in the 1880's? Did Billy the Kid really die in Arizona? Or did both men live into their nineties, getting to know each other in their new lives, and reluctantly coming out in the 1930's and 1940's? Okay, according to DNA testing, that is Jesse in his grave, lending little help to Brushy Bill Roberts' claims that he was Billy the Kid.

Living in North Dakota, I have always had an interest in Western history. George Custer left his house near present day Mandan and died in Montana. Lewis and Clark and Sacajawea spent winters up here, also near Mandan, on their great trek west and back. Teddy Roosevelt, after his mother and wife died on the same day, came to ranch near Medora, claiming he never would have had the courage to become president if it was not for his trials and tribulations in North Dakota.

Walker's book is interesting, even to laypeople who just have a passing interest in American history. The twelve chapters are evenly paced and never dull. There is an immense bibliography at the back of the book. A kind foreword by John Jakes, and Walker then plunges us into the "old days," writing expertly and with enough description to read like fine fiction.

"Legends and Lies: Great Mysteries of the America West" is a fantastic starting point if you want to start reading more about Western history. There is such a variety of true stories, you can pick and choose your subject and become an armchair expert like I thought I was, until this book opened my eyes and has forced me to do some more reading. A good book will do that to you.

What makes _Legends & Lies_ so attractive is that, as the book's foreword points out, it avoids the two traditional pitfalls of Western historical writing. Typically what we get is either fanciful types whose mantra is 'I don't care if it's true or not, that's the way I want it to have been' or cold-hearted sorts who assume that if it's being repeated as a legend, it could not possibly be true. It's hard to find authors who truly love the West and respect both legend and fact, with no desire to tear down either, and Walker is that rare type.

I like the breadth of the sources he considers. He blindly accepts no one, always putting effort into evaluating the source's credibility. The stories in the book (Sacajawea, Billy the Kid, and Custer to name a few) are ones known to anyone with a nodding acquaintance with Western history; in some cases I hadn't even realized there was a question as to what happened. He doesn't pander to political correctness, but he does recognize that it took two genders and a lot of colours to make the history of the West, and writes accordingly.

Highly recommended (by a lifetime Westerner, if it matters) to anyone interested in Western history.

This is an absolutely fascinating book. Walker brings massive research to his task, which is to look at all facets of some unsolved mysteries. For instance, did Davy Crockett survive the fight at the Alamo, at least for a brief while? Was Meriwether Lewis's death murder or suicide? And whatever became of Ambrose Bierce, the author who ventured into revolutionary Mexico and never returned?

Walker gathers evidence from surprising sources, some of them overlooked by historians, and leaves it to his readers to draw conclusions.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the American West.

The author's enthusiasm is contagious, and this man knows how to tell a story. His narrative delineates his travels on western roads, searching for historical truths, citing sources and naming names. It is chock full of twists and hairpin turns, false trails and red herrings. A treat for those like me, addicted to historical mysteries. Five bright stars.

Dale Walker looks into a number of Old West mysteries that have been spread legends, stories, and myths through the generations. He presents these to us in a well-researched presentation and there are enough stories that your interest will be piqued by at least three of them if not all. He deals with suspicious deaths, disappearances, and battles. Such as:
- Davy Crockett, did he die on the ramparts of the Alamo swinging his rifle or was he taken prisoner by Santa Ana and executed?
- Meriwether Lewis, dies at age of 35, bankrupt and still without his published scientific journal of his famed trip; did he die by suicide or murder?
- Sacajawea, did she die age 24 in 1818 or age 96 in 1880?
- Jesse James, well known stories on various claimants that Charley Bigelow, not Jesse, was shot dead by Bob Ford; then used as a cover up so Jesse could return to a normal life under the name Frank Dalton.
- Billy the Kid - was he shot dead by Pat Garrett or is it possible that one of the over 20 people claimed they were the former Kid, foremost being 'Brushy Bill' O.L. Roberts who sought pardon in 1950 for crimes committed as the Kid.
- Black Bart, one Charles Boles who robbed Wells-Fargo stagecoaches as the gentleman 'Bandit Po8', without use of horses, back-up men, and left jaunty little poems at the crime scenes; while finally captured, he disappears from history after his release from prison.
- Boston Corbett and John Wilkes Booth - the 1865 version of Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald. Was Booth actually slain by religious-fanatic soldier Corbett and buried under a warehouse, or did he live out his life under another name. Did Corbett do likewise and end up finding Booth in Texas when both were in their 90s? Is it possible that Boston Corbett was also Francis Tumblety - a Jack the Ripper suspect in 1888?
- Ambrose Bierce, author of 'Incident at Owl Creek Bridge' and 20 year employee of William Randolph Hearst's San Francisco newspaper. After finally leaving the paper, Bierce wanders off to revolutionary Mexico... and out of existance; where did he go, what did he do, when & how did he die?
Other research involves the Mountain Meadows Massacre involving the Mormons, Custer's Battlefield, the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona, and the mess surrounding Crazy Horse's death.

Overall, a very intriguing book and there's at least two or three stories for everyone in here. Any collecter of western history should include this book. I'm a little surprised that Walker didn't tackle the Donner Party in this work, it would have been an excellent inclusion into this text.

This book is great for reading as you are driving out West. There are so many stories that saturate our folk history of the Old West, it is hard to know what is true and what is legend. This book systematically takes a look at what is true and what is bogus, and what is grey in the areas of many old legends from the Old West.

My Dad made our family stop at every historical marker in the entire West, well at least that is what it felt like, but in doing this he instilled in me an interest in the West and how it was won, etc. This book gave me a fun, entertaining look at what is true and what is not true, I would recommend it for enjoyable reading.

...that allows the reader to make up his own mind.

Author Walker is a fabulous writer; I finished this book wishing for more. Each of the twelve chapters focuses on a mystery or collection of mysteries clustering around a person or event. Before going into the mystery or mysteries proper Walker sets the stage by recounting what *is* more or less definitively known. For example, Walker tells us exactly who Sacajawea was and why she was so instrumental in the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition so the reader grasps why the mystery of her death arouses so mush interest. Walker also realizes that loose ends need to be tied up even if they don't impact the mystery. We are given a brief synopsis of the life of Sacajawea's son, for example, because he figures prominently in the narrative.

Walker doesn't reveal exactly where he stands on the various mysteries but the reader can usually guess. As far as I'm able to tell the author is fair to all sides of any given controversy. There is a very extensive bibliography if the reader wishes to pursue his interest further.

All in all, a very interesting and satisfying read.

Following a foreword by acclaimed historical novelist John Jakes, author Dale L. Walker takes readers on a journey into the past to explore the unsolved mysteries and riddles left behind by some of the Old West's most famous names, starting with the final fate of Davy Crockett and the inexplicable suicide or murder of former explorer Meriwether Lewis. Further on, readers will encounter chapters dedicated to poignant Sacajawea, blustery General George A. Custer, Crazy Horse, mysterious "Brushy Bill" Roberts, Rough Rider Bucky O'Neill, a laughably pathetic Jesse James impostor, and surly author Ambrose Bierce, among others. The only chapter I found both bewildering and just outright bizarre involves an implied link between Boston Corbett, who is the alleged (and mentally unstable) assassin of John Wilkes Booth, and the horrific Jack the Ripper; as interesting as it is, this sole chapter was the only item which made me question the author's credibility or perhaps, more so, his decision to include this Corbett story since it seems too far-fetched.

Beyond that criticism, Walker's book is a treasure trove for casual armchair historians who enjoy a tantalizing mystery as much as the timeless appeal of the Old West's wily frontier. Without passing judgment on those involved or suggesting what the correct answer must be, Walker lays out his stories with reasonable conjecture, well-placed wit, and rather insightful background information about the participants. The book is well worth at least one read, as Walker's storytelling in "Legends & Lies" remarkably holds up well after multiple readings.

Rating: 9/10 for historical entertainment value. Appropriate for ages 15+ and up.

P.S. Although he satisfactorily addresses the link between the assorted Billy the Kid and Jesse James impostors, Walker unfortunately misses at least one tantalizing subject (probably in part because it may be worth a book by itself) is the enigmatic fates of desperadoes "Butch" Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, considering the impressive number of supposed impostors they inspired well into the 1930's.

I bought this "used" book that was in perfect condition, as good as new, at a fraction of the "new" price. It was better than advertised, received in good time, and couldn't be more pleased. I'm a Western history buff, have finished reading it, and would never hesitate from buying from this company again. I am more than pleased.