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An Authoratative, definitve book on the James/Younger gangs


Can anyone recommend a quintessential book on the James/Youngers that might include and then go beyond what happens (or did not happen) in The Long Riders?

Things Change - Batman Returns

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there is a good book by T.J. Stiles called ' Jesse James, Last Rebel Of The Civil War ' published by Jonathan Cape

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the book 'robber and hero'by george huntington is the probably the definitive story of the northfirld raid. it was written only 20 years after the events occurred.

the observations are surprisingly sharp on the concept 'people power'. you will also be moved by the bravery of the cashier who refused to open the safe. and you will also chuckle at the reasons why the other cashiers told the outlaws why they could not unlock the safe.the book is very easy to read for a book writen in 1895 and has lots of good pictures. you can get a repro copy on amazon

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A better book would be "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" by Jesse James historian Ron Hansen. The movie by the same name is based on it. Hansen also co-wrote the script.

The book goes into detail about James' life and the events leading up to death, as well as an analysis of Robert Ford's fascination (and murder) of James.




I LOVE ANIMALS! (they're delicious!)

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I disagree with both. Jesse James, Last Rebel is a thesis on James' exploits in defense of the southland. While Jesse served with Col. Quantrill's guerrillas, and there is no doubt the War pretty much caused his banditry, going too much off the deep end about the war aspect of the James' and Younger's careers as outlaws fails to do justice to the whole story. The Assassination is a fictionalized account.

Ted Yeatman's Frank and Jesse James is probably the best account. Jesse James Was His Name was formerly, but Yeatman's book probably contains more new evidence of what really happened. I've read about every credible account. The tale specific to the Youngers has yet to be told, IMO.

Neart, Grá agus Onóir

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A good website about the Northfield Bank Robbery and aftermath.
http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/jamesyoungergang/hanska.html

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

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