Billy the Kid: The Best Writings on the Infamous Outlaw

In movies, stage plays, short stories, novels, newspaper articles, poems, and songs, literally hundreds of accomplished authors have been drawn toward the near mythical persona of Henry McCarty, aka William Bonney, alias Billy the Kid. This collection is a chronologically arranged anthology of excerpts from the Kid’s canon—including rare pieces of pulp fiction, chapters of popular novels, and selections from respected biographies. Each excerpt plays off the strengths of the others to finally create a compelling collage of character. This compendium is an essential addition to the library of anyone interested in the myths and the realities of Billy the Kid.

Harold Dellinger is a bookseller, small-press publisher, and the author of Jesse James: The Best Writings on the Notorious Outlaw and His Gang (Globe Pequot). A former parole officer residing in Kansas City, Missouri, he has long been interested in the history of outlaws and, of course, lawmen too.