Books in Legends of the West series

Tales of intrigue in this book include unusual unsolved crimes, legends of lost treasure, spine-tingling ghost stories, well-documented sea creature sightings, and more. Based on historic accounts from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, author L.E. Bragg recounts seventeen myths and mysteries from Washington's past, verifying some tales from multiple accounts and exposing some stories for what may have really occurred. Readers will be riveted by the detailed descriptions of Puget Sound's demon of the deep, Northwest gold fever may strike again after readers learn the details of Captain Ingalls's lost treasure, and believers will be surprised to learn that strange sightings over Mount Rainier predate the famous Roswell event. Enjoy these tales and more from Washington's suspicious past.

Notorious for his widely publicized bank and train robberies, Jesse James will forever be known as the American outlaw and gang leader. James began his infamous career during the Civil War, as part of a group of Confederate guerrilla fighters in his native state of Missouri. But as the war ended, James turned his life toward crime and soon became a man on the run from the law. Joined by his older brother, Frank, and another set of brothers, James became one of the leaders of the famous James-Younger gang. As a group, these bandits ruled the West, terrorizing banks, stagecoaches, and railroads. Although James was feverishly hunted, he was never taken prisoner by US law enforcement. Instead, his career as an American outlaw was cut short when he was betrayed and murdered by a member of his own gang: Robert Ford. Already a celebrity when he was alive, Jesse James became a legend after his unforeseen death. With exciting text, vivid photos, and historical relics, Jesse James, part of the Wild West for Kids series, teaches kids why this one outlaw still fascinates people more than a century later!

A hunter, woodsman, and frontiersman who was an excellent shot with a rifle, Davy Crockett's adventures became well-known legend after his death at the siege of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Although he is remembered as an American pioneer, he also forged a career as a politician, serving as a Tennessee state legislator and later as a U.S. Congressman. Crockett had a remarkable life, from running away from home when he was 13 to holding political office with virtually no formal education. The desire for more land led Crockett to journey to Texas, where he joined the volunteer army to offer allegiance to the formation of a free Texas. At the Battle of the Alamo, Mexican general Santa Anna wanted to make an example of those involved in the rebellion; his take no prisoners order resulted in Crockett's execution. In Davy Crockett, read about a man whose life became a symbol of America's pioneering spirit.

Five Super Bowl titles, fifteen Hall of Famers, and a litany of legendary players, characters, and games later, the Dallas Cowboys franchise has cemented itself among the most successful in all of sports and, with a fan base that extends all over the world, among the most well known.Legends of the Dallas Cowboys takes an in-depth look at some of the legends who have shaped the Cowboys’ identity, beginning with Tom Landry, the man who was hired before Clint Murchison had been awarded a team and who is still the franchise’s enduring image. Also included is Tex Schramm, under whom the Cowboys had twenty straight winning seasons and who is considered the most forward-thinking NFL executive ever, as well as Randy White, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Bob Lilly, Lee Roy Jordan, Mel Renfro, and more. Also included are innovators such as Bob Hayes, who forced the creation of the zone defense, and Michael Irvin and Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, who forced the creation of behavioral clauses in contracts. Each of the legends played his own unique role in shaping the lore of one of sports’ greatest franchises, a franchise that began humbly on a winter day in Miami and is now a model of success.