Billy The Kid's Writings, Words, And Wit

Billy the Kid's Writings, Words, and Wit is the definitive, almost 600 page study of the written and spoken legacy of Old West icon, William H. Bonney, known as Billy the Kid. All his known communications are presented in full: deposition, court transcript, bill of sale, letters, and newspaper interviews. And originals of all Billy the Kid's writings are presented in an appendix. In addition, presented is a new and fascinating Billy the Kid letter, authenticated by the author. Being revisionist history, the text, analyzing everything from his penmanship to his intellectual brilliance, places Billy's words in the context of his times; portraying him as a freedom fighter in the lost multi-cultural Lincoln County War. The backdrop is of the corrupt Santa Fe Ring political cabal, against which Billy and his fellow Regulators fought, and of Billy's failed negotiation for a pardon for his Lincoln County War indictments from hypocritical Territorial Governor Lew Wallace. Implications of Billy the Kid's writings are brought to the present day with discussion of the modern Santa Fe Ring and its hijack attempt by hoaxing his history. The long Bibliography and index provide access to the multiple and varied foundation sources. The author, Gale Cooper, arguably one of the world's Billy the Kid experts, has also written Joy of the Birds, a docufiction Billy the Kid novel, MegaHoax: The Strange Plot to Exhume Billy the Kid and Become President, and Billy the Kid's Pretenders: Brushy Bill and John Miller.