Ride the Razor's Edge: The Younger Brothers Story [Hardcover]

Carl Breihan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 1992

In the lore of the Wild West, the Younger brothers have been glorified as heroes and outlaws. Like Jesse and Frank James, with whom the Youngers once rode, these men are remembered for bank robberies, the Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid, and their hooliganism. Ride the Razor's Edge dramatically describes their adventures, while also placing their actions in the wider perspective of the times in which they lived. The story tracks the deeds and misdeeds of Cole Younger and his brothers James, John, and Bob, and tells the story of a troubled state during the late 1800s. From their Civil War battles against the Union with William Quantrill and his band of guerrillas, to the raid in Lawrence, Kansas, to their first bank robbery in Liberty, Missouri, the Youngers were both heroes and foes of their state. Using family records, personal letters, and interviews with a nephew of the Youngers, author Carl W. Breihan lends credence to the captivating legends of these notorious brothers, making this story an enthralling and entertaining one. This is a tale of struggles--with the Union armies, Kansas Jayhawks, and personal ideals. Breihan's account continues through Cole's and James's years in a Minnesota prison to Cole Younger's fight to adapt to life after his pardon.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Carl W. Breihan, a lifelong resident of St. Louis, Missouri, is a noted authority on Wild West outlaws. He is also the author of The Day Jesse James Was Killed , Wild Women of the West , and five other books of the frontier days of the nineteenth century. Ride the Razor's Edge, with its accurate and in-depth look at the Younger brothers, is sure to complement any historical collection on the Wild West.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (April 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882898795
• ISBN-13: 978-0882898797
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,138,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who won the Civil War in the west and How did they do it?, April 24, 2010

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Francis M. Mc Coy (Virginia Beach, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ride the Razor's Edge: The Younger Brothers Story (Hardcover)

My family came to nortwestern Missouri in 1854 from KY and IN. I was interested in finding out what it must have been to live during those pioneering days in that part of the Country. I was not disappointed. I have previously read "Our Appalachia" to find out about how my family must have lived in KY. I have read several books on "Jessie James" and the various other para-military groups fighting for the Confedercy against the "Jayhawks" and "Red Legs" of Kansas. As it turns out life was much more difficult than I had imagined in that political and military environment. The book also delves into the Younger Family of West Central MO. How they were supposedly mis-treated by the Union troops in the area, and it does give one reason to pause and reconsider were the "Raiders" of those days were patriots or criminals.