Books in The Wildes of the West series

Billy the Kid is one of the most famous outlaws ever to come out of the Old West an expert at rustling, thieving, shooting, and breaking out of jails. Over the years, he has been the subject of hundreds of books, articles, movies, and more. Still, tantalizingly little is known about the Kid, and many questions remain. Before he died at the age of about 21, how many men did he kill? Was he a ruthless criminal or a good-hearted Robin Hood of the American Southwest? And why have his fame and legend survived for so long? Separate the fact from fiction in this new biography about Billy the Kid and how he played an important role in the legends during the settlement of the American West.

James McCauley stood watch over his herd of cattle in the midnight darkness. Storm clouds plastered the sky. Suddenly, a clap of thunder stirred the cattle. Frightened by the loud sound, the cattle were off and running. Stampede! McCauley’s horse got jittery, and took him in every direction. McCauley was lost! The life of a cowboy in the Wild West was tough. From branding cattle to cattle drives, a cowboy worked hard. Author Jeff Savage takes a firsthand look at the lives of American cowboys, from rounding up cattle to the end of a long drive.

Wyatt Earp remains one of the Old West's most iconic figuresOCoperhaps the most famous lawman who ever lived. He has become the ultimate symbol of the stern, righteous, brave, and principled deputy. Over the years, countless books, articles, movies, television shows, andaWeb sites have burnished this image. Yet, Earp was only a lawman for a total of about six of his 80 years. Among the many other occupations he tried in his long life were gambling, saloon-keeping, mining, racehorse ownership, and real estate speculation. Nor was he always on the right side of the law; there is strong evidence to show that Earp was sometimes involved in slightly less-than-legal activities. Nonetheless, it is as a lawman that Earp is remembered. Discover the man behind the deputy star who was made into a legend after one 30-second gun battleOCothe famous shootout at the O.K. Corral.

Pony Bob had traveled more than a hundred miles. Exhausted, he still kept moving. As a Pony Express rider, he had mail to deliver. Suddenly, he heard yelling. A group of Paiute warriors were chasing him! Bullets whizzed past him. One bullet struck his shoulder; another grazed his cheek. But Pony Bob never stopped until he reached his destination. Although the Pony Express Company didn't last long, their young riders left behind a legacy of bravery. Traveling on horseback, the Pony Express brought mail from Missouri to California.

Kit Carson aimed his rifle and fired, killing an elk. The young scout walked over to bag his prize. Without warning, two grizzly bears emerged from the trees. Carson managed to escape the bears but lost the elk. Scouts like Kit Carson had to be ready for anything on the western frontier. Americans eager to move west needed help to get there. While famous explorers often got the credit for discovering trails and creating maps, they could never have done it without the leadership of scouts. Author Jeff Savage explores the fearless scouts, who opened up the West for others to follow.

Jesse James. Billy the Kid. Butch Cassidy. When these bold men walked into town with six-shooters in their holsters, most people fled quickly. That is, except for the lawmen willing to take them on. Although lawmen and outlaws stood for very different ideals, they did share one thing in common—gunfighting. To live in the Wild West, especially as a bank robber or sheriff, handling a gun was necessary. Author Jeff Savage discusses the dangerous world of the gunfighter.

"A six shooter makes all men and women equal." Agnes Morley not only coined this phrase, but also backed it up by carrying a gun. While many women in the Wild West did not carry a gun, Morley's quote represented the brave spirit of all pioneering women. Early expeditions to the unexplored West included women, such as Sacagawea, who helped Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific. As Americans settled the West, women took on important roles as ranchers, teachers, homesteaders, miners, outlaws, and reformers. From Calamity Jane to Carry Nation, author Jeff Savage examines the amazing women pioneers of the Wild West.

Pony Bob had traveled more than a hundred miles. Exhausted, he still kept moving. As a Pony Express rider, he had mail to deliver. Suddenly, he heard yelling. A group of Paiute warriors were chasing him! Bullets whizzed past him. One bullet struck his shoulder; another grazed his cheek. But Pony Bob never stopped until he reached his destination. Although the Pony Express Company didn't last long, their young riders left behind a legacy of bravery. Traveling on horseback, the Pony Express brought mail from Missouri to California.

On a frigid day in Coloma, California, James Marshall's heart pounded. An excitable man, he held a shiny, metal nugget in his hand. Could this be gold? To test the metal, he hammered it with a rock. It flattened easily, as gold should. When news spread of Marshall's golden discovery, thousands of people traveled to the Wild West in search of fortune. Author Jeff Savage explores the miners, prospectors, and families, who went great distances to find gold. Although most people never found it, the gold rush would change the landscape of the United States forever.

Born in South Dakota in 1831, Sitting Bull was given his father's name after killing his first buffalo as a teenager. Sitting Bull witnessed the downfall of his people's way of life after the California gold rush of 1849 and the opening up of the West by the railroad. After he was wounded in battle, his views hardened about the presence of whites in Sioux land. He began to assume an uncompromising militancy that would characterize the rest of his life. Developing into one of the most important chiefs, Sitting Bull was able to unite a multitude of Sioux bands and other tribes at his camp, which continually expanded as the tribes sought safety in numbers. It was this camp that General George Armstrong Custer found on June 25, 1876, when he led the 7th Cavalry advance party to the Little Big Horn River. Sitting Bull, who had seen a vision of this attack during a tribal dance, and his people were able to defeat Custer and his men, but their victory was short-lived as thousands more outraged soldiers pursued the Sioux, forcing their surrender. This brave warrior was finally brought down in 1890 by tribal police who had been sent to arrest him. In Sitting Bull, read about a man who refused to back down from his convictions, even when they brought him face to face with the United States Calvary.