Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Published October 30th 2018 by Thomas Dunne Books
Genres: Nonfiction,Historical,Western
Book Summary
The true stories of the Wild West heroes who guarded the iconic Wells Fargo stagecoaches and trains, battling colorful thieves, vicious highwaymen, and robbers armed with explosives.
The phrase "riding shotgun" was no teenage game to the men who guarded stagecoaches and trains the Western frontier. Armed with sawed-off, double-barreled shotguns and an occasional revolver, these express messengers guarded valuable cargo through lawless terrain. They were tough, fighting men who risked their lives every time they climbed into the front boot of a Concord coach.
Boessenecker introduces soon-to-be iconic personalities like "Chips" Hodgkins, an express rider known for his white mule and his ability to outrace his competitors, and Henry Johnson, the first Wells Fargo detective. Their lives weren't just one shootout after another—their encounters with desperadoes were won just as often with quick wits and memorized-by-heart knowledge of the land.
The highway robbers also get their due. It wouldn't be a book about the Wild West without Black Bart, the most infamous stagecoach robber of all time, and Butch Cassidy's gang, America's most legendary train robbers.
Through the Gold Rush and the early days of delivery with horses and saddlebags, to the heyday of stagecoaches and huge shipments of gold, and finally the rise of the railroad and the robbers who concocted unheard-of schemes to loot trains, Wells Fargo always had courageous men to protect its treasure. Their unforgettable bravery and ingenuity make this book a thrilling read.
My Review
I don't read nonfiction very often but this was definitely worth a read. The author has written a well researched book and even included many pictures from his personal collection of not only the hero's who rode for Wells Fargo, lawmen and stagecoach robbers.
Fascinating chapters on the life of the characters I just mentioned and information on the robberies including some teenage girls who were riding in the stagecoaches when they were robbed.
I enjoyed reading the chapter about the wild dog named Pony that the driver tamed. Pony became his pet but would never ride in his stagecoach he ran following his stagecoach up to 50 miles a day for 9 years.
Fascinating western history for those who like a taste
of the lawless and their capture.
Pub Date 30 Oct 2018 I was given a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.