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The Outlaw Trail: A History of Butch Cassidy and His Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch, the confederation of western outlaws headed by Butch Cassidy, found sanctuary on the rugged Outlaw Trail. Stretching across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, this trail offered desert and mountain hideouts to bandits and cowboys. The almost inaccessible Hole-in-the-Wall in Wyoming was a station on the Outlaw Trail well known to Butch Cassidy. To the south, in Utah, was the inhospitable Robbers’ Roost, where Butch and his friends camped in 1897 after a robbery at Castle Gate. Charles Kelly recreates the mean and magnificent places frequented by the Wild Bunch and a slew of lesser outlaws. At the same time, he brings Butch Cassidy to life, traces his criminal apprenticeship and meeting with the Sundance Kid, and masterfully describes the exploits of the Wild Bunch.
398 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 31, 2015
First printed in 1938, Kelly provides a thorough and honest account of the outlaws and their territory in the Old West, complete with maps. He includes unique photographs of such outlaws as Butch Cassidy and those he rode with. Kelly visited important sites, such as Hole-in-the-Wall and Robbers' Roost. He even found and interviewed survivors of that era. At times fascinating, when he describes personalities and exploits, and boring when he lists the names of characters and their fates, the inclusiveness of all this information makes this the go-to resource for researchers. It is the resource that provided the material from which the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, was made. Read this book if you wish to know about Butch Cassidy and Sundance. But more than that, read this book for the other colorful characters it describes.
October 26, 2019
This is an interesting book, but if you want to always know what's going on then you need a good memory for dates and names. Kelly uses lots of first- and second-hand accounts to draw a fascinating picture of the Wild West.
The book's title implies it is about Butch Cassidy, but in reality he's just one person in a society full of colorful characters. As it says in the introduction, pretty much everybody who was anybody in the Wild West gets their story told in this book. There's a lot of fascinating tales from all different people, and the story line jumps around every couple of pages to a new person. That being said, the thing connecting all the events and the names being thrown at you are the places: Brown’s Hole, Hole-in-the-Wall, and Robber’s Roost. Reading this book will give you a sense of what living in these three most important outlaw hideouts of the Wild West would have been like.
It did give an authentic Western portrait of the Wild West, the Wild Bunch (Cassidy’s group of outlaws), and the Outlaw Trail. Charles Kelly did extensive research all over the area and even contacted many of the people connected to the Wild Bunch who are still alive today. That being said, it is somewhat confusing to read, particularly at the beginning. Kelly brings up a person, spends a couple of pages talking about them, drops them completely, and then out of the blue begins writing about them fifty pages later. I think this may be due to the limited amount of information on the outlaws, but the timeline and who-did-what was often lost. Some of the stories may stick with you, but the names, events, and places might not unless you have a fantastic memory. If you want a comprehensive, detailed, and often interesting view of the Wild West, this book is great, just be prepared to rack your memory on who this person was at least a dozen times throughout.
Charles Kelly used description sparingly but effectively throughout the book to make the scenes come to life. Using details pulled from first-hand stories and newspaper articles from the period, he paints a vivid picture of the three main outlaw haunts of the time, giving the backdrop to all of the adventurous stories.
The book's title implies it is about Butch Cassidy, but in reality he's just one person in a society full of colorful characters. As it says in the introduction, pretty much everybody who was anybody in the Wild West gets their story told in this book. There's a lot of fascinating tales from all different people, and the story line jumps around every couple of pages to a new person. That being said, the thing connecting all the events and the names being thrown at you are the places: Brown’s Hole, Hole-in-the-Wall, and Robber’s Roost. Reading this book will give you a sense of what living in these three most important outlaw hideouts of the Wild West would have been like.
It did give an authentic Western portrait of the Wild West, the Wild Bunch (Cassidy’s group of outlaws), and the Outlaw Trail. Charles Kelly did extensive research all over the area and even contacted many of the people connected to the Wild Bunch who are still alive today. That being said, it is somewhat confusing to read, particularly at the beginning. Kelly brings up a person, spends a couple of pages talking about them, drops them completely, and then out of the blue begins writing about them fifty pages later. I think this may be due to the limited amount of information on the outlaws, but the timeline and who-did-what was often lost. Some of the stories may stick with you, but the names, events, and places might not unless you have a fantastic memory. If you want a comprehensive, detailed, and often interesting view of the Wild West, this book is great, just be prepared to rack your memory on who this person was at least a dozen times throughout.
Charles Kelly used description sparingly but effectively throughout the book to make the scenes come to life. Using details pulled from first-hand stories and newspaper articles from the period, he paints a vivid picture of the three main outlaw haunts of the time, giving the backdrop to all of the adventurous stories.
September 3, 2021
Interesting, fun read. Supposedly with with factual and reminiscent stories of people actually a part of the Outlaw Trail.
When one thinks of the Outlaw Trail and stories of the Old West, one thinks it to be eons away. Much of the outlaw activity took place in the late 1800s with some of it occurring in the early 1900s. Some of the participants - the ones who had not been shot or hanged - lived into the 1940s, Thus, some of them were alive until a few years before my birth.
This book is no"stick up." :)
When one thinks of the Outlaw Trail and stories of the Old West, one thinks it to be eons away. Much of the outlaw activity took place in the late 1800s with some of it occurring in the early 1900s. Some of the participants - the ones who had not been shot or hanged - lived into the 1940s, Thus, some of them were alive until a few years before my birth.
This book is no"stick up." :)
July 22, 2024
Interesting, fun read. Supposedly with with factual and reminiscent stories of people actually a part of the Outlaw Trail.
When one thinks of the Outlaw Trail and stories of the Old West, one thinks it to be eons away. Much of the outlaw activity took place in the late 1800s with some of it occurring in the early 1900s. Some of the participants - the ones who had not been shot or hanged - lived into the 1940s, Thus, some of them were alive until a few years before my birth.
This book is no"stick up." :)
When one thinks of the Outlaw Trail and stories of the Old West, one thinks it to be eons away. Much of the outlaw activity took place in the late 1800s with some of it occurring in the early 1900s. Some of the participants - the ones who had not been shot or hanged - lived into the 1940s, Thus, some of them were alive until a few years before my birth.
This book is no"stick up." :)
April 22, 2021
Interesting history of the wild wild west. It was a little difficult, okay a lot difficult, keeping all the outlaw's identities straight, but very interesting read about how the West was won and almost destroyed by the Wild Bunch et al.
I wonder if many of these places exist today in the 21st century. They were already ruins when this book was written. So the question is, do we save these areas to show the raw lives of these outlaws or do we continue with the romantic notion of them?
I wonder if many of these places exist today in the 21st century. They were already ruins when this book was written. So the question is, do we save these areas to show the raw lives of these outlaws or do we continue with the romantic notion of them?
May 23, 2019
Well researched, largely based on interviews with first and second sources. Gives a sweeping view of the cowboy-outlaw period in the West in the late 1800’s, including descriptions of the key characters and hide-outs. An informative, enjoyable read.
February 4, 2020
Having lived near on of their hideouts I found their lives very interesting.
December 7, 2020
The bible for references and the original source of information on Butch and Sundance.... and the gang.
January 12, 2022
Definitely a product of it's time in terms of language, it was still a very interesting book about the Wild West. I learned about a lot of new interesting characters, especially my new favorite "Queen" Anne Bassett.
May 5, 2022
The West was WILD! Great read.
December 15, 2023
I have learned that all roads Butch Cassidy lead to Vernal, UT, Green river UT and Rock Springs WY.
May 27, 2024
Classic history. A must-read for anyone interested in Western history
June 20, 2024
Been reading this off and on since high school. It has some first-hand accounts, so I think it's as good a history of outlaws as can be.
September 24, 2023
A thrilling Western ... but this is no novel, it is true! And what the reader has to remember throughout is that, first published in 1938, Charles Kelly had access to many of the characters and initially it is difficult to relate to when he writes, 'I met so-and-so and he told me ...'. But as the tale progresses that becomes less of a problem because it finally sinks in that this edition was published 21 years later!
The title is interesting as it contains the wording 'The Story of Butch Cassidy and the "Wild Bunch"'. While this is certainly true it should be pointed out that there is far more about members of the Wild Bunch than there is about their supposed leader Butch Cassidy. Cassidy is always there in the background but the exploits of the outlaws, particularly the leading members of the gang far outweigh those of Butch. This is not a criticism and does not detract from the overall story, it is just a comment to let potential readers know what to expect.
The original headquarters of the gang were established in Brown's Hole, also known as The Hole-in-the-Wall, and it was an inaccessible mountain-walled valley on the Green River in the Uintah Mountains, lying partly in Utah, partly in Colorado and partly in Wyoming. Such a location made it an ideal hideout as it was almost impossible to capture an outlaw or recover stolen stock without the cooperation of officers from all three states. In addition south of the Hole, in the sandy San Rafael Desert of Utah, on the lower Green River, was Robbers' Roost another isolated retreat that was very difficult to access.
Obviously these situations suited the outlaws for if the members of the outlaw fraternity succeeded in reaching the Hole-in-the-Wall, they would find friends who would fight for them plus stores of food and ammunition. The region was so wild that nothing less than a systematic attack by a large number of law enforcers would drive the robbers out or lead to their capture. Indeed entry into the area was so secure that it was particularly difficult to enter.
So the outlaws could depart from there to attack wherever they chose and Charles Kelly has plenty of exciting adventures to relate, from robbing banks, robbing trains and the many personalities that were involved in that activity.
As for Butch Cassidy, Kelly acknowledges, 'All old-timers interviewed, including officers who interviewed him, were unanimous in saying, "Butch Cassidy was one of the finest men I ever knew."' And in addition it was acknowledged that Cassidy never approved of bloodshed and, so far as the record showed he never killed a man in his everyday activities. That is, of course until his last stand, with Harry Longabaugh, aka The Sundance Kid, in Uyuni, Bolivia, when he was outnumbered 100 to one.
But there are plenty of exploits of Cassidy and the men who rode with him to enjoy in this quite exciting book.
The title is interesting as it contains the wording 'The Story of Butch Cassidy and the "Wild Bunch"'. While this is certainly true it should be pointed out that there is far more about members of the Wild Bunch than there is about their supposed leader Butch Cassidy. Cassidy is always there in the background but the exploits of the outlaws, particularly the leading members of the gang far outweigh those of Butch. This is not a criticism and does not detract from the overall story, it is just a comment to let potential readers know what to expect.
The original headquarters of the gang were established in Brown's Hole, also known as The Hole-in-the-Wall, and it was an inaccessible mountain-walled valley on the Green River in the Uintah Mountains, lying partly in Utah, partly in Colorado and partly in Wyoming. Such a location made it an ideal hideout as it was almost impossible to capture an outlaw or recover stolen stock without the cooperation of officers from all three states. In addition south of the Hole, in the sandy San Rafael Desert of Utah, on the lower Green River, was Robbers' Roost another isolated retreat that was very difficult to access.
Obviously these situations suited the outlaws for if the members of the outlaw fraternity succeeded in reaching the Hole-in-the-Wall, they would find friends who would fight for them plus stores of food and ammunition. The region was so wild that nothing less than a systematic attack by a large number of law enforcers would drive the robbers out or lead to their capture. Indeed entry into the area was so secure that it was particularly difficult to enter.
So the outlaws could depart from there to attack wherever they chose and Charles Kelly has plenty of exciting adventures to relate, from robbing banks, robbing trains and the many personalities that were involved in that activity.
As for Butch Cassidy, Kelly acknowledges, 'All old-timers interviewed, including officers who interviewed him, were unanimous in saying, "Butch Cassidy was one of the finest men I ever knew."' And in addition it was acknowledged that Cassidy never approved of bloodshed and, so far as the record showed he never killed a man in his everyday activities. That is, of course until his last stand, with Harry Longabaugh, aka The Sundance Kid, in Uyuni, Bolivia, when he was outnumbered 100 to one.
But there are plenty of exploits of Cassidy and the men who rode with him to enjoy in this quite exciting book.
August 1, 2017
The Outlaw Trail covers the outlaws of the Wild Bunch with a focus on the leader Butch Cassidy. The outlaw trail was a hideout that lived between the states of Utah, Wyoming and Colorado and for much of the west was a place with caves and natural defensive spots that became a haven for illicit activity and those fleeing from the law. It was a place where cattle rustling was rampant and eventually a home to those who robbed banks, stages and the trains. The author uses a variety of methods including interviews with those who lived in the area at the time. Although an older book it is an excellent account of how those that lived on the outlaw trail could avoid the law and get away with what they did. This is a very quick read but does introduce a lot of people so it may be beneficial to keep a list nearby as many of the them use alias and acquire nicknames. The last chapter focuses on Cassidy’s time in South America and then what happened to the rest of the Wild Bunch gang. Overall enjoyable and for those with an interest in the southwest a good addition on Butch Cassidy.
March 30, 2011
I am about half way through. This is a book for history buffs in general, and for fans of the old west in particular.
It purports to be about Butch Cassidy, but is truly does take the long trail to get there. Written by Charles Kelly, a man that tracked down eyewitnesses and wrote based on first hand accounts, this book is chock full of anecdotes and verified stories of the way it really was.
As I said, I am only halfway through the book, and it hasn't really touched too much on Butch Cassidy. In order to tell the real story, the author claims he has to give in-depth information of the multitude of other characters involved.
I am really enjoying this book so far...
It purports to be about Butch Cassidy, but is truly does take the long trail to get there. Written by Charles Kelly, a man that tracked down eyewitnesses and wrote based on first hand accounts, this book is chock full of anecdotes and verified stories of the way it really was.
As I said, I am only halfway through the book, and it hasn't really touched too much on Butch Cassidy. In order to tell the real story, the author claims he has to give in-depth information of the multitude of other characters involved.
I am really enjoying this book so far...
February 3, 2010
This book has a LOT of people to keep straight. I skimmed over most of the names and let myself be enthralled with the wild west tales. Having grown to love the Utah landscape after growing up on the Iowa plains, I'm intrigued at how a resourceful person could get away from anything/get to anywhere with relative ease through the mountains and across the valleys. A great telling of frontier history!
November 25, 2015
This is a pretty good overview of the Outlaw Trail. It provides a fair number of outlaws a chapter to tell their tale, with the overall arc of the book being Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. The author used primary sources, including interviews with surviving denizens of the area who knew many of the profiled outlaws. While the book feels a bit meandering and unfocused at times, the tales being related are fascinating.
May 2, 2012
Have been studying this era in school & found this rare/old book which was fantastic! Would love to have my own copy. Easy, enjoyable read.
October 18, 2018
A good book about the thirty years around the turn of the twentieth century. How the West was going through change from a lawless period to a more sedate time. The afterward is very well done.
December 7, 2020
the author was able to get first hand interviews, spoke to some of the living ranchers etc.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews