Jesse James

* Reviews *

Jesse James has come down through the ages as an almost mythical figure in the Old West. In reality, much of the Jesse James legend is based upon exaggerations, misdirections, and even press releases authored by James himself. In this well written and illustrated biography, Jeff Burlingame provides readers a clear and concise look at James life. As Burlingame notes, the outlaw tendencies in Jesse James, his brother Frank, and those who rode with the gang that eventually formed, lie in the Civil War. The James family was caught up in the maelstrom that was the war in the Missouri/Kansas region. There, unlike the Civil War that most people think of, terrorist raids, brutal murders, and enforced evictions of thousands of people from their homes was the norm. After years of such violence the post-war era offered little for men such as Jesse James. Choosing robbery as a vocation, Jess James led a series of gangs often featuring his brother Frank and his cousins the Youngers. Over the years James stole tens of thousands of dollars, killed innocent bystanders, and carefully orchestrated a campaign of feigned innocence. In the end, James was murdered in his parlor by Bob Ford, a man who pretended to be interested in joining James gang but then shot him in the back of the head as he stood on a chair re-hanging a mirror. Yet, despite or perhaps because of James anti-social tendencies, his story remains a fascinating one for readers with any interest in the American West or the study of crime., Children's Literature