Rawhide Ranger, Ira Aten: Enforcing Law on the Texas Frontier (Frances B. Vick Series)
“Alexander has a decided advantage in dealing with lawmen, considering his professional career. He has uncovered a wealth of information from both standard and arcane sources.Rawhide Rangeris an exceptional book by an exceptional historian and storyteller.”—David Johnson, author ofJohn RingoandThe Mason County “Hoo Doo” War, 1874-1902“Never shirking from any duty, any showdown, nor the trail of any fugitive, Ira Aten figured into literally dozens of stories—true stories—that shaped and molded the Texas Rangers in the late 1800s. . . . Bob Alexander is a terrific storyteller who also knows how to do good history.”—Paul Spellman, author ofCaptain J. A. Brooks, Texas RangerandCaptain John H. Rogers, Texas Ranger“Bob Alexander has done it again! With his background as a career police officer, Bob has crafted the biography of noted Texas Ranger Ira Aten with insight and with his customary colorful and lively prose.”—Bill Neal,author ofVengeance Is Mine: The Scandalous Love Triangle That Triggered the Boyce-Sneed Feud“Bob Alexander is the most indefatigable researcher I have ever known. He finds documents no one knew existed. Most importantly, he knows what they mean, which makes him one helluva Western historian.”—Louis R. Sadler,co-author ofThe Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution"In his interesting biography on Iran Aten, Bob Alexander meticulously re-creates the career of the Texas Ranger from his enlistment in the Frontier Battalion to his post-Ranger days as a sheriff and rancher. The excellence of the author's research is indicated by plentiful endnotes."--True West"For the Texana collector a copy is mandatory. [Rawhide Ranger] is a 'must read' for Texas Ranger enthusiasts. Practically anyone with as much as a fleeting interest in old west lawmen and outlaws should readRawhide Ranger."--Wild West History Association Journal"Alexander can write like a scholarly researcher, yet he still has the ability to appeal to the common folk. . . . In the words of the author: 'Ira Aten was a man of genuine gunfighting ability.' . . . The Ranger showed this knack for handling his weapons in shootouts with fence cutters, in the killing of Wes Collier, and in his courageous stand in the Jaybird-Woodpecker feud."--Southwestern Historical Quarterly"Especially noteworthy is the author's examination of the overlapping legal jurisdictions that severely complicated the duties of Texas law enforcement officers. Aten sometimes found himself facing down local sheriffs, constables, and marshals when he tried to make arrests. . . . Author Bob Alexander, a career lawman himself, has written not only the definitive biography of Ira Aten but also a credible history of the Texas Rangers during the late nineteenth century."--Journal of Southern History