Myths and Mysteries of the Old West Author:Michael Rutter "When the truth becomes legend, print the legend." That famous line from a classic Western movie ("The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence", directed by John Ford) sums up our traditional attitude toward the history of the American West. We've always cherished the tall tales, myths, and legends far more than we value the facts -... more »- even when those facts are equally fascinating. In this book, Michael Rutter takes you beyond the legends to meet the real characters who star in the most popular Western stories, novels, and movies. The cast includes, but is not limited to: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Billy the Kid, General George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull and more.
The seven cities of Cibola : the lost cities of gold : the myth, the hoax, the legend; The battle of adobe walls : the famous one-mile shot; John Colter : mountain man and explorer; The California Gold Rush : the gold digger's waltz; Gold! Gold! Gold!; The Mountain Meadows Massacre : the mystery of a bloody mass murder; George Armstrong Custer : risking his career to defend Indian rights; Sitting Bull : his role at the Battle of the Little Bighorn; Comanche : the most famous horse in the West; James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok : the gunman who held the dead man's hand; Calamity Jane : facts and fictions about Martha Jane Canary; Billy the Kid : vicious killer or victim of bad press; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid : a mysterious ending« less