Tom Horn: Last of the Bad Men [Paperback]

Jay Monaghan (Author), Larry D. Ball (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

“The last great folk tale of the last American frontier”—that’s how Jay Monaghan describes the crimson career of Tom Horn, defender of property rights, soldier of fortune, range detective, professional killer. Tom Horn, who had chased after Geronimo and ridden the trains as a Pinkerton operative, was drawn to wherever the action was—ultimately to Wyoming as a hired gun for the cattle barons. Finally he went too far—and paid at the end of a rope in 1903. For years afterward, whenever a man was found murdered on the high plains, people said, “Somebody tom-horned that fellow.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Confronting a character whose episodes were savagely dramatic, Mr. Monaghan avoided romantic gilding.”—New York Times Book Review

(New York Times Book Review )

“Jay Monaghan does an excellent job of retelling [Horn’s] story. . . . [He knew] the Tom Horn country at first hand, talked to dozens of oldtimers who saw Tom in the flesh, [collected] Tom Horn material for twenty or thirty years. . . . Tom Horn ought to be the last word.”—Time

(Time )

About the Author

Jay Monaghan was a cowboy in Wyoming and ranch owner in Colorado. His numerous books include Civil War on the Western Border, 1854–1865 and Custer: The Life of General George Armstrong Custer, both available as Bison Books. Larry D. Ball is a professor of history at Arkansas State University and the author of Desert Lawmen: The High Sheriffs of New Mexico and Arizona, 1846–1912.

Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803282346
• ISBN-13: 978-0803282346
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,741,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellant Reading, February 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Tom Horn: Last of the Bad Men (Paperback)

For those with an interest in Tom Horn this is a must read. The writer had first person contact with many of those closest to the story of Horn. He fills in a lot of the gaps left by books on Horn that were written in later years. The reader is left with forming his own conclusion as to whether Horn was justly hanged for the crime of which he was charged. It was well worth reading and I would highly recommend it to all.