October 1, 2015
A comparative study of the simultaneous late-19th-century rises of iconic gunfighters Billy the Kid (1859-1881) and Ned Kelly (1854-1880). The author of biographies of legendary Indian chief Geronimo as well as Billy the Kid, former National Park Service chief historian Utley (Lone Star Lawmen: The Second Century of the Texas Rangers, 2007, etc.) here traces the similarities between the two from their earliest auspicious criminal beginnings to their respective violent demises. The author also gives insight into the legends surrounding both men, which continue to endure in the pages of popular history. Though the narrative is supposed to be a close comparison of these two violent-minded bushwhackers]with Kelly rising to infamy in the Australian Outback and Billy making his bloody mark in the American Southwest]Utley devotes the first half of the book to Billy and the second to Kelly, with only a brief concluding chapter juxtaposing the two outlaws' lives and noting their major similarities and differences. The section on Billy paints a scenario of the hyperviolent Old West that bursts with plenty of visceral, cinematic action. We get a keen sense of both outlaws' lives on the run and how both seemed to cheat death to the point where they seemed infallible. Of course, Billy would end up shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett. As for Kelly, even the oddball use of body armor couldn't stop him from being apprehended]authorities peppered his legs with buckshot and brought him down]and he was eventually sentenced to hang. Utley is a fine historian and decent writer, but the narrative is too straightforward and bland when delineating the afterlives of both subjects, with a rote listing of all the various (and often kitschy) roles these two popular criminals still play in contemporary popular culture. A rollicking but thin nonfictional rendering of two of history's most mythologized outlaws.
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November 1, 2015
Outlaws Billy the Kid (1859-81) and Ned Kelly (1854-80) became integral components of their country's frontier folklore and are the subjects of this comparative biography. Drawing on his previous books about Billy the Kid, Utley (Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life) summarizes the life and times of the young man who is associated with the Lincoln County War, who is believed to have gunned down numerous men, and who was killed by customs agent Pat Garrett. A major information source for Utley's research was Ian Jones's Ned Kelly: The Last Stand, which describes a man who stole cattle and sheep, robbed banks, and murdered law officers in Australia during the late 19th century. As well as reviewing biographical facts, Utley also depicts the frontiers of the American Southwest and the Australian Bush country including the social, economic, and political conditions of both regions. The common characteristics shared by the subjects, such as youth and personality, are discussed along with their major differences such as Kelly's penchant for planning and desire to help the less fortunate, especially Irish Catholics. VERDICT Utley's book, with its excellent concluding chapter that offers a concise, parallel comparison of both men, will attract a general audience.--Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel
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