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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-written autobiography of a cold-blooded killer, May 19, 2000
This review is from: The Life of John Wesley Hardin As Written by Himself (The Western Frontier Libarary) (Paperback)
As John Wesley Hardin wrote his autobiography he was, presumably, trying to present himself in a favorable light; shading things to make himself look good. That said, he still comes off as an utterly cold-blooded killer without conscience or a twinge of remorse. This makes the reading all the more interesting as he isn't holding back or trying to apologize for, or justify, the things he did. The story is very well-written (Hardin was a lawyer when he wrote it, during the brief time he survived once he was released from prison). As authentic western adventures go, this is a top-rate book. Hardin tells of cattledrives, chases by posses, encounters with the law including Hickok, and shootouts.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An angry young man, armed and dangerous., January 10, 2005
This review is from: The Life of John Wesley Hardin As Written by Himself (The Western Frontier Libarary) (Paperback)
Hardin begins his narrative by acknowledging that he is very much a product of a particular time and place, a particular culture. He does not see any reason why he should attempt to transcend that, let alone apologize for it. He accepts himself for what he is and expects everyone else to do the same. He is above all a man of violence, ready and able to resolve all conflicts with physical - if necessary, deadly - force. Raised in Reconstruction Texas, he finds plenty to fuel his resentment, including carpetbagger politicians from the north and newly emancipated slaves appointed as police officers (an unquestioning racialism was part of his heritage). Nor is it in his nature to run from a fight. When he hears that Wild Bill Hickok, then Marshall of Abilene, has threatened to kill him if he ever sets foot in the town, what does he do? Goes immediately to Abilene of course, to face him. I would have been inclined to go anywhere but.
Tough, fearless, uncompromising and cunning (at one point, he pretends to cry, in order to throw his captors off-guard) with an uncontrollable temper, he became the most formidable gunfighter of the Old West. How many men he killed no one knows for sure. Not even he knew. It was at least 20, probably 40 or more.
His life story has the strengths and weaknesses common to all autobiographies: it is the authentic voice, but it tells us a selective and heavily slanted story. It remains an invaluable primary source and should be required reading for anyone seriously interested in the history of the American West. Although not great literature, it is well written. The Western Frontier Library edition is good, with a useful introduction and postscript, but I would have liked a few footnotes, to save me having to go online for explanations of 'headright' and 'galluses', etc.
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28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting in terms of its first-hand account., June 19, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Life of John Wesley Hardin As Written by Himself (The Western Frontier Libarary) (Paperback)
I am a great-grandson of John Wesley Hardin, so take special interest in reading about his life and comparing different stories on his life with those passed on by my relatives through the years. This book, because of its first-hand account of events, is very useful in trying to determine the truths in reference to his life and times. His account of events, i.e. killings, has to be tempered with the knowledge that he was a convicted murderer of a lawman and, apparently, prisons are full of characters who never did anything wrong. That is, at least, what they'd have us believe. Some historians hold he was a cold-blooded killer and others feel he was a Confederate hero, who did his best to kill Blue-bellies of the North, who were persecuting Texans in the years after the Civil War. The facts, although they will probably never be uncovered at this late date, probably fall somewhere in the middle ground. All who know the facts of John Wesley Hardin agree on one thing: he was deadly with a six shooter.
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