History of the Lincoln County War

Rating:
Summary: Great Read for Fan of the Old West
Review: Living in New Mexico for a few years, I was always interesting in the Lincoln County War and the true story of Billy the Kid. This book starts from the beginning and does a great job of explain why things happen. It paints a overall picture of Billy the Kid. It is very objective and fact based. I would high recommend it to anyone interested in reading about how the old west really was-not some John Wayne Western.

Rating:
Summary: Detailed look at the Lincoln County War
Review: This book is a great description of the events surrounding the Lincoln County War, which is an absolutely fascinating case study of lawlessness in the American West. Although the author's bias is clear--and probably warranted--the entire series of events is well documented and the writing very accessible. To his credit, the author refuses to fall into the trap of making Billy the Kid--who was just a minor figure--the star of the show. Billy remains a background figure almost throughout and the real players in the drama are made memorable. This book does rely very heavily on excerpts from the self-serving letter writing campaign going on during the events.