True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West: From True West
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True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West: From True West Ma...

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Editorial Reviews

Much has been written about the west—most of it clouded by exaggeration and fabrication. Since 1953, True West magazine has been devoted to celebrating the West’s true colors, giving the men and women who settled there accurate voices, exploring every triumph and tragedy of their time—and exposing every vice and virtue.

True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West commemorates these unforgettable cowboys, Indians, and city slickers through a mix of classic histories and brand-new narratives, all illustrated with photographs—many reproduced here for the first time—of the people and places that gave rise to America’s Western mythology.

With twenty-six stories that blend fact with folklore, this collection abounds with accounts of the famous and the infamous, including Sacagawea, Wild Bill Hickok, Pancho Villa, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Davy Crockett, and Wyatt Earp. Also here are lesser-known figures whose stories were pivotal to shaping the culture of the era, such as European conquistador Francisco Coronado, rancher “Black Billy” Hill, and fearless lawman Orlando “Rube” Robbins. Other tales recount the wide open plains, lawlessness, drama, mayhem, and promise embodied in the Old West.

Whether you’re a history buff, an Old West devotee, or simply someone who is fascinated by the characters of America’s early years, these timeless tales and photographs epitomize the legendary spirit of what it meant to settle the West.

Customer Reviews

Excellent Selection Of True Old West Tales...

Reviewed by Ambergris, 2010-02-12

Anyone that is familiar with True West magazine knows that it is the very last if a vanishing breed. Back in the glorious 50s, a whole frontier full of western magazines were born when the wild west ruled television. By the time the mid 70s came around, most had gone the way of the buffalo. That is, all but vanished. Just a couple of magazines remained in print. True west was one of them. (The other being Real West that joined the vanishing prairies by the late 80s). True West is still around today, (though in all honesty it is a shadow of its former self. Much more colorful and into art, travel, and fashion than it is old time story telling. But at least its still here).

The greatest thing about True West and all the periodicals that the western television era spawned is that they were almost entirely made up of true stories. They were the literary version of TVs Death Valley Days. Far from being twice told tales of legendary figures like Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp, the old west magazines jawed' old campfire stories of everyday folks that were part of the great opening of the west, as well as colorful figures in the all but too short time that the west really was old. Stories about settlers, prospectors, lawmen whose exploits and names are known to few, town folk, outlaws never heard about, wagon trains, diaries, desperado's, cattle drives, entrepreneurs, Indians as enemies and friends never favored, and mountain men just to name a few. As someone that has collected these periodicals for decades now, it seems that there is a never ending bounty of interesting characters and events that never cease to amaze and fascinate. True Tales and Amazing Legends is a very well thought out and diverse collection of some of the best true stories torn from the pages of their magazine. The editors did a very good job in making the selection a very eclectic blend of tales that I guarantee will have you reading it from cover to cover and thirsting for more. Just like the reaction I get from those that I have given some of my old magazines too that have never seen it before, I think you will come away with feeling that it is the most interesting and exciting reading you have ever experienced. And all the stories are 100% true. It's funny that an era in our history that was so exciting and embracing that it could easily stand on its own in reality, is so better remembered by most by the novels and fiction it all inspired. Even here on Amazon there are very few books that are a dedicated retelling of true stories of the old west. Most are either outlines of its history on a broad scale, or the sentimental favorite, the great American novel. Even in the publishing world of hard cover, the true story of the old west from a definitive first person retelling by those that lived it is a disappearing event.

Trust me when I tell you that nothing in the way of fiction will enthrall you like the real stories related here. This is not a big book, but it is generous enough with the tales it does offer. And it is very reasonably priced here on Amazon as well. I not only suggest you buy this excellent book, but I also recommend you couple it with Legend and Lies, an excellent companion piece to True Tales that continues the retelling of not only fascinating tales of the old west, but explores some of the most intriguing and continuing mysteries of that golden, yet all but forgotten time in our nations history. (I have enclosed the link at the end of this review). They are both excellent, captivating, and very reasonably priced books that will leave you with the hankerin' for a big tin plate of steamin' beans and bacon, and boiling hot coffee strong enough to ricochet a bullet off of. Highly recommended.... Yippee Ki Yay! Legends and Lies: Great Mysteries of the American West



Educational, interesting, and a fun read

Reviewed by Marvin D. Pipher, 2009-10-15

If you flip through this book (as I did in a bookstore in Tombstone, Arizona) a few chapter headings will likely jump out at you, most prominently: The Warrior Who Killed Custer?, The Wild Bunch, Fifty Things You Don't Know About Wyatt Earp, The Split [between Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp], The Real Wild Bill, and How Did Davy (Crockett) Die?. If you're like me, you'll also see 20 other chapter headings which don't seem quite so appealing. The question was, in my case at least: Is it worth buying this book simply because it has six really intriguing chapters? The answer is a definite, yes, for this book is interesting and informative from cover to cover.

Still, I particularly enjoyed reading the chapters which are most aligned with my particular interest - the Western Frontier during the 1870s-1900. In this regard, I found one chapter to be outstanding, that being "The Split: Did Doc & Wyatt Split Because of a Racial Slur?" (pg. 69). Having read numerous books about Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, I was very much surprised to find that there were still some things I didn't know about them, about why they apparently had a falling out, about "Earp's Vendetta Ride," and about who was behind Wyatt Earp and who supported Wyatt and his party when they fled Arizona. This chapter answers a lot of questions and fills in a lot of blanks. I'd buy the book just to get that chapter.

In any event: whether you are simply interested in the Western Gunfighters and the Western Frontier, or are interested in the complete history of the American West from the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-05) up through the introduction of the American Rodeo in the early 1900s, you will find this book to be both educational and interesting, and a fun read. Go for it. You'll be glad you did.

some new old stuff about the west with pictures

Reviewed by R. Bagula, 2009-04-20

There are some new western heroes in this book that I had never heard of or seen a movie about. As the wild west has been sort
of what I grew up around,
finding new old faces in kind of unique.
The people who didn't quite make Belle Starr
type legendary status are also
important.
I liked the book.

There's a lot more to those legends!

Reviewed by Mrs. Night Owl, 2009-02-05

I bought this for my dad who is an old western fan. He was excited to tell me about all the "alternative" endings to the legends from those days.

This is a good alternative to all his usual WWII reading as well!

True West magazine presents:

Reviewed by R. Howell, 2008-05-13

Here's a compilation of 26 True West magazine stories arranged into a fluidic telling of the old west history and dealing with some major players as well as some you may not have heard of before. Some of the bases covered are Sacagawea, the early mountain men, Davy Crocket & the Alamo, Wild Bill Hickok, Custer, Santa Ana, Wyatt Earp, Pancho Villa, Butch & the Wild Bunch, "Indian problems", cannibal Alferd Packer and then progresses into the decline of the west with the last stars of the day like bulldogger Bill Pickett and trick-rider Vera McGinnis. There are some great stories in here and the armchair historian should enjoy it immensely. Easy format, good pictures, and sidebar timelines make this a book absolutely worth checking out.

Interestingly there are no articles on Billy the Kid, James gang, Daltons, or the Donner party. Those may have helped fill out the book but so many others cover those topics that it's not really necessary here.