In the Old West, upright lawmen were scarce. Often, the men who were bound to keep the peace were just as corrupt as the men they pursued. These dishonest deputies chose their professions based on convenience rather than conviction, and the most revered were often the wiliest. These men held grudges, ruled with violence, and instilled fear in all who crossed their paths. Offered here is an untainted perspective of these outlaws that discerns fact from myth. Legends such as Wyatt Earp and renegade lawman Dirty Dave Rudabaugh are presented as real men with quirks and weaknesses. The authors deconstruct not only the Dalton's last stand in Coffeyville, Kansas, and the gunfight at the OK Corral-among other famous heists-but also the triumphs and flaws of their organizers. The Old West's former outlaws turned good, former lawmen gone bad, and honorable citizens who moonlighted as robbers and rustlers are presented in these pages. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Laurence J. Yadon is an attorney, mediator, and arbitrator who presents on various legal subjects, Oklahoma history, and crime history. He has assisted the Department of Justice in litigation matters before his local United States district court and has successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court. He is the co-author of Pelican's 100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters, and Lawmen: 1839-1939; 200 Texas Outlaws and Lawmen: 1835-1935; Ten Deadly Texans; Old West Swindlers; and Arizona Gunfighters. Yadon resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Robert Barr Smith is a History Channel commentator and the author of more than thirty articles and five books on the American Old West. He has edited several titles, including Pelican's 100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters, and Lawmen: 1839-1939; 200 Texas Outlaws and Lawmen: 1835-1935; Ten Deadly Texans; and Arizona Gunfighters, and he co-authored Old West Swindlers, also published by Pelican. A retired colonel, Smith served more than twenty years in the Judge Advocate General's Corps and earned the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit while serving in the United States Army. He is a former deputy attorney general of California and a retired professor of the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He lives in Norman, Oklahoma. Dirty Dave Rudabaugh � Hoodoo Brown and Company � Henry Newtown Brown � John Larn � Bob and Grat Dalton � Wyatt Earp � King Fisher � Ben Thompson � Henry Plummer � Joseph Alfred Slade � Doc Middleton � Frank M. Canton

**Winner of the 2021 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards (History, Other)** Lawman or Outlaw? At times, the black-hatted “villains” and white-hatted “good guys” of the Old West were one and the same. Often it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish who was who. Sheriff Wyatt Earp stole horses and ran brothels. Albuquerque’s first town marshal, Milton Yarberry, was accused of murder and subsequently “jerked to Jesus.” Burt Alvord, town marshal of Willcox, Arizona, and friends, robbed a train. Alvord then deputized these same friends into a posse to apprehend the robbers. It came as no surprise when his posse came up empty handed. Justice Hoodoo Brown and Deputy JJ Webb ruled Las Vegas as leaders of the Dodge City Gang until they were run out of town by citizens fed up with their type of justice. “Mysterious” Dave Mather and even two of the Dalton Gang spent time behind a badge, as well as behind bars. When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the double lives of outlaw lawmen through some of the West’s most memorable frontier characters.

The Outlaw Badge portrays a very wild era in American history. Because of the Civil War, the US Army was unable to supply enough troops to safely control the new territories opening up for settlement in the West. Buffalo Soldiers were sent out to try to prevent the many Indian raids on farms and towns. These soldiers were also there to man the many forts and territorial prisons, enforcing the law on what was often a lawless land. I've put a lot of research into this book, in order to make the setting as realistic as possible. When compared with actual events of the times, the Outlaw Badge doesn't seem very fictional! The year is 1865, and when the Civil War comes to an end, Indian conflicts will explode across the West... ~Michael J. Bryant, author, The Outlaw Badge

The image of the outlaw biker is widely recognize in North American society. The reality is only known to insiders. To study the phenomenon of outlaw biker clubs, anthropologist Daniel Wolf bridged the gap between image and reality by becoming an insider.

Sailing ships with all their masts and sails were quickly disappearing in the 1800's. They were being replaced by the new steamships for traveling by sea, carrying mail and passengers. The old wooden hulls were soon replaced with iron for more strength and durability. Many steamships of the day either had side or rear paddlewheels for propulsion while others were beginning to use steam driven props. Along with the development of passenger travel by sea, many of the steamships featured grand saloons, elegant heavy wooden furniture and beautiful cabins. For those who could afford it, there were private cabins and specialty accommodations on the upper decks. The steamships accommodated passengers on long and short cruises, providing many things for the passenger's enjoyment including fine food, drinking and gambling. Because of two lawmen's curiosity and interest in a poker game on a very fine luxurious steamship, Marshal Michael Creek and his deputy find themselves in a situation where they can get paid to enjoy a cruise. But it soon becomes apparent that it could also cost them their lives.

Carson City Nevada was just getting over a very violent time in its history and the town was slowly rebuilding itself. Residents were trying to move on after all the outlaws and gang shootings, burning down of buildings and a slew of senseless murders. With another problem quickly rising it appeared to be a slew of new crime waves developing. But why? Could there be a new range-war developing? Springtime 1869

Badge and Buckshot is a comprehensive book at many of the once-famous peace officers and outlaws of Old California. Told here for the first time are the true stories of Ben Thorn, the iron-willed but scandal-plagued sheriff of Calaveras County; John C. Boggs, the fast-shooting nemesis of the Tom Bell and Rattlesnake Dick gangs; Ben and Dudley Johnson, the notorious “Tulare Twins”; Kid Thompson, whose train-robbing exploits took place just blocks from present-day Los Angeles film and television studios; and Coates-Frost feud, California’s bloodiest vendetta, which endured more than twenty years and left fourteen men dead. Here, too, are the first complete accounts of Captain Ingram’s Rangers, the band of Confederate guerrillas who raided stagecoaches in California during the Civil War; Steve Venard, the soft-spoken lawman who killed three outlaws in a single gunfight; and the legendary Bill Miner, whose career of banditry spanned almost half a century. The product of more than ten years of painstaking research, Badge and Buckshot recounts one of the forgotten sagas of the Old West, an action-packed tale of shoot-outs, stage holdups, manhunts, and lynchings. At the same time, through extensive use of pioneer newspaper files, court records, and previously unpublished illustrations, it shatters old myths and demonstrates the overall effectiveness of the criminal justice system in Old California. For authentic Americana, Badge and Buckshot is not to be missed.

Known to be some of the bloodiest times in American history, the four years that the Civil War raged was originally referred to as the War Between the States. Called many names afterward, this was a time when some of the already roughest, toughest and most resilient men in our country had to raise the bar even higher. These men endured more pain, saw more bloodshed and had to develop a courage and tenacity to survive like none ever before. Many stories have been written about good men and bad men that came from both the North and the South. However, there seems to be more stories about bad men from the South, and for obvious reasons. When a man has everything taken from him, especially other family members, it tends to harden their heart. Many Rebels from the South felt something was owed to them after the war ended, and some took it upon themselves to collect the only way they knew how. They looted and spilt the blood of the people they felt took everything from them; those from the North. This story is about two men that were around during that era. One, after losing everything he held dear, became an outlaw just so he could even the score between himself and the ‘Yanks’ from the North. Unfortunately for him, there was a second man that was not about to let him pursue his plans. Ironically the second man was also from the South and both men had more to lose than they realized. Both men would have to determine what really mattered to them; vengeance or honor. This book will not account for any credence in American History. Although the stories of many real life characters and places helped shape the following pages, this book is a work of fiction. I hope you enjoy it.

Twelve-year-old Jeremiah “Jem” Coulter knows that Goldtown, California, has seen the last of the gold rush. But the flecks of gold he and an old prospector, “Strike,” find in their played-out claim on Cripple Creek spur Jem’s hope of striking it rich. In the meantime, he and his sister, Ellie, sell frog legs and firewood to bring in extra cash. When Jem’s father accepts a job as sheriff of lawless Goldtown, Jem is suddenly saddled with an additional responsibility—to run their broken-down ranch. He faces a hard path as he tries to be a man and make his father proud, but then Cripple Creek mysteriously dries up and Strike suddenly disappears. Jem is determined to find out why. Can anything be worse than being a sheriff’s kid? Will outlaws use his father’s badge for target practice? Is that silver star just a target . . . or truly a badge of honor? Readers ages 8 to 14 fell in love with Susan Marlow’s Circle C Adventures. Now the same adventurous spirit and historical lure are back in a brand new series featuring a new cast of characters and exciting escapades. As educational as it is entertaining, the Goldtown Adventures series is one the whole family will enjoy.

The 'Bear Killer Badge' is earned through acts of courage, perseverance and good judgement to achieve an extraordinary deed. In 1897 Wyoming, Dave Smith faces bankruptcy after a winter blizzard killed off his cattle herd. Purchase of replacement cattle cannot take place until the sale of a valuable thoroughbred race horse redoubles his bank account. One obstacle stands in the way. The horse must be delivered halfway across Wyoming where obstructions arise from attempted horse theft to ransom of a railroad executive. The story encounters a major impediment on a lonely abandoned railroad siding in Suggs, Wyoming. A Chicago, Burlington & Quincy locomotive and private railcar figure prominently as the story moves via railroad from north to south within Wyoming. Dave Smith learns he is considered for appointment as a District Judge for three counties, one being Johnson County still rebuilding from the 1892 war that required the intervention of the US Cavalry to end the shooting war. Undertones of conflict simmer five years later with efforts to drive off small ranchers, arsonist night riders and rampant outlaw gangs from the ' Hole in the Wall' unassailable hideout that includes the Dalton gang, the Wild Bunch, as well as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Dave's forays into stopping civil unrest and rustling gangs chip away at the criminal hold in north central Wyoming. Closer to home he learns his new cattle herd is subject to being rustled unless he makes plans to thwart the theft. Worst of all he discovers a friend foments the rustling tactics. Old partner, Jim Bowen, a rapscallion US Marshal generates quirky encounters with outlaws while adding the weight of his marshal's badge to the roundup of miscreants. The Checker Board ranch inhabitants continue to grow including a cadre of black men from the 9th Cavalry 'Buffalo Soldiers', a British tutor for the irascible twin boys, and the Cheyenne Indians who are on hand to deal with any threat to the ranch. Dave's grown red-headed twins, Seth and Seamus, inadvertently create a 'worse nightmare' bear rampage. This event initiates the idea of "the Bear Killer Badge' bestowed on those who earn it through bravery and self-preservation. Many factors make up the highlights of this book, including whether the governor will sign off on the district judgeship. Dave and Bowen delve into ways to restrain the 'Hole in the Wall' hideout of bank robbers, train holdup artists, and wholesale rustlers. To find a way to breech the vertical red walled canyon, the most redoubtable criminal fortress in the west, remains an unsolvable problem unless Dave Smith can develop a new scheme to penetrate the 'Hole in the Wall'.