Billy the Kid, his life and legend
by Jon Tuska
Category: Social Science

Was Billy the Kid the most romantic of western desperadoes or a vicious killer? Ever since the Kid was shot by Pat Garrett in 1881, historians, storytellers, and filmmakers have been recounting and reinventing his life. In 1983 Jon Tuska published his first edition of Billy the Kid, and it was immediately recognized as the most accurate account yet produced. Choice called it "A magnificent tour de force and a model for others who would study legendary heroes of the American West." Now Tuska returns to the Kid in this new and expanded edition, examining the histories, novels, films, and other interpretations of the Kid that have appeared over the last 12 years. As with the earlier edition, this remains the most comprehensive and accurate reconstruction of the West's most legendary figure.