by Jon Tuska
A fascinating work in two ways. The first is that Tuska tells the
intriguing life of the Kid in a clear, readable manner that is
engrossing and yet highly scholarly. The second is that, in the
remaining sections of the book, Tuska contrasts the Kid's image in
books, film and general legend with the historical facts. Much of this
section is a rather tiring litany of bad film plots, but it all comes
together when Tuska talks about the historian's responsibility to sift
the fact from the fiction when discussing legend (and he chastises many
scholars for failing to do this). The biography section was the most
interesting, however.
I learned about the Lincoln County War,
which I'd never heard of before, and that the Kid fought on the side of
those who battled some of the most disgusting political corruption on
record. I came away with a clear picture of the Kid's personality and
even some respect for him, although as Tuska says, he was no saint. (By
the way, Tuska is a genuine scholar: even this book, with its less than rarefied subject matter, had untranslated
Latin passages!)
four stars
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