Review by Booklist Review
Piecing together his findings from a wealth of previously ignored or improperly examined sources, Utley has written an accurate and dramatic biography of the Wild West's famous teenaged outlaw. Accuracy and drama notwithstanding, Utley falters badly when assessing the overall significance of Billy's life. First, he pejoratively characterizes America's burgeoning prosperity in the late nineteenth century as a relentless quest for power and wealth, rather than the by-product of hard work and the application of democratic values. Then he links the growth of prosperity--a process he terms "material acquisitiveness"--to a concurrent growth of corruption in American institutions and violence in the American character. Not one iota of proof does he offer in support of this assertion; instead, he rather blithely contends that the aforementioned corruption and violence is emblematically mirrored in the image of Billy himself. To say the least, all this should be regarded as a matter of opinion, not truth. Notes, sources; index. --Steve Weingartner
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Most Americans are familiar with the legend of the outlaw William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. Utley, a noted historian of the Old West, has written a scholarly biography of the Kid, which--as does all good biography--incorporates the history of his times. Using interviews conducted with the Kid's contemporaries, Utley draws a portrait of a youth who, while not the bloodthirsty killer painted by newspapers of the period, was not a Western Robin Hood, either. Utley concludes: ``Except in its final months . . . the Kid's career did not measure up to his reputation. Although a superb gunman and arresting personality, he was a quite ordinary outlaw . . . .'' While Pat Garrett's The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid (Univ. of Oklahoma Pr., 1954. o.p.; 1986. pap.) is useful for its contemporary portrait, public and academic libraries serving clients with an interest in the period or the region will want this title.-- Sue Kamm, Los Angeles P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
