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Memoirs of H.H. Lomax #1
The Demise of Billy the Kid
H.H. Lomax never claimed to have won the West, but he sure made it fun through his intriguing memoirs of offbeat encounters with many of the frontier's most enduring heroes and scoundrels. Starting with Billy the Kid, Lomax knocks some of the Old West's biggest legends out of the saddle with both his wit and his wits, providing a hilarious romp over new trails through familiar territory. After a murky incident involving the killing of a Colorado lawyer, Lomax rides into New Mexico Territory in 1877 astride his mule Flash and soon finds himself roped into a band of rustlers until Billy the Kid drafts Lomax as the first member of his own gang.
Though their trails soon part, Lomax and the Kid cross paths time and again as each in his own way navigates the corruption and violence of the Lincoln County War. Each survives until they both take a liking to the same hot-tempered señorita. At least that's how Lomax tells the story! Whether you believe him or not, Lomax is sure to entertain anyone who takes up his trail of calamity and hilarity as he stumbles across some of the biggest names of the Old West.
Though their trails soon part, Lomax and the Kid cross paths time and again as each in his own way navigates the corruption and violence of the Lincoln County War. Each survives until they both take a liking to the same hot-tempered señorita. At least that's how Lomax tells the story! Whether you believe him or not, Lomax is sure to entertain anyone who takes up his trail of calamity and hilarity as he stumbles across some of the biggest names of the Old West.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
2 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Preston Lewis
49 books127 followersPreston Lewis is the award-winning author of more than 50 novels and nonfiction works. His honors include three Spur Awards from Western Writers of America and ten Will Rogers Gold Medallion Awards (six gold, two silver, two bronze) for traditional westerns, western humor, nonfiction articles and short stories.
In 2025 he was named recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Will Rogers Medallion Awards for his contributions to the literature of the American West. In 2021 Lewis was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.
His books have been published by both national and regional publishers. In 2021 he and his wife Harriet Kocher Lewis established Bariso Press and have published ten books. Of those ten books, six have been honored with a WWA Spur, a Spur finalist certificate, a Will Rogers Bronze Medallion Award, a Global Literary Book Award (winner) and three Independent Author Awards (one winner and two finalists).
Lewis is a past president of both Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association, which has designated him a fellow and honored him with three Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas.
Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism. He earned a second master’s degree in history from Angelo State University. He and his wife reside in San Angelo.
In 2025 he was named recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Will Rogers Medallion Awards for his contributions to the literature of the American West. In 2021 Lewis was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.
His books have been published by both national and regional publishers. In 2021 he and his wife Harriet Kocher Lewis established Bariso Press and have published ten books. Of those ten books, six have been honored with a WWA Spur, a Spur finalist certificate, a Will Rogers Bronze Medallion Award, a Global Literary Book Award (winner) and three Independent Author Awards (one winner and two finalists).
Lewis is a past president of both Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association, which has designated him a fellow and honored him with three Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas.
Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism. He earned a second master’s degree in history from Angelo State University. He and his wife reside in San Angelo.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 7, 2018
Preston Lewis has once again combined his sense of humor and gift for story telling to give readers the real life history of the Lincoln County War as told by someone who claims to have been involved in most of the momentous events that shaped Western lore, H. H. (Henry Harrison) Lomax.
In the first of a series of books featuring the adventures of this fictional character, the author begins with his purported discovery of Lomax’s memoirs while conducting research at Texas Tech University. While acknowledging that most historians have dismissed their authenticity, he expresses his own tongue in cheek confidence that they were indeed written by H. H. Lomax but he “can’t vouch for their veracity.”
So begins the humorous recollections of Lomax’s association with Billy the Kid, the legendary cattle baron John Chisum, Sheriff Pat Garrett, and the factions that fought over cattle interests and control of the dry goods business in the New Mexico Territory in the late 1800s.
Lewis certainly captures the violence of the period. The Lincoln County War began with the cold blooded murder of John Tunstall by the Jessie Evans Gang. Tunstall, an Englishman, was a newcomer to the territory who challenged the monopoly of the local general store known as “The House.” Billy the Kid was in the employment of Tunstall at the time, so he and his “Regulators” followed up his murder with a revenge killing of their own. The ensuing feud resulted in countless deaths and continued until 1881 when Pat Garrett finally hunted down and killed the famous gunman at Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Lewis ameliorates the historical accuracy of his narrative with his typical wit and humor. H.H. Lomax rides a mule named Flash, is frequently mistaken for a conman and swindler by the name of Gadrich Lomax who pays in counterfeit money, sells a blind horse, cheats at cards, and peddles bad liquor, and Lomax also has the same love interest as Billy the Kid, the hot-tempered señorita, Rosalita. Of course all of these lead to hilarious circumstances and outcomes, indelibly establishing H.H. Lomax as someone who “had the good or bad luck to be where Western History was made,” and whose subsequent exploits will link him to the Outlaw Jesse James, the Gunfight at the
O.K. Corral, and Custer’s Last Stand.
I’ll definitely be along for the ride!
In the first of a series of books featuring the adventures of this fictional character, the author begins with his purported discovery of Lomax’s memoirs while conducting research at Texas Tech University. While acknowledging that most historians have dismissed their authenticity, he expresses his own tongue in cheek confidence that they were indeed written by H. H. Lomax but he “can’t vouch for their veracity.”
So begins the humorous recollections of Lomax’s association with Billy the Kid, the legendary cattle baron John Chisum, Sheriff Pat Garrett, and the factions that fought over cattle interests and control of the dry goods business in the New Mexico Territory in the late 1800s.
Lewis certainly captures the violence of the period. The Lincoln County War began with the cold blooded murder of John Tunstall by the Jessie Evans Gang. Tunstall, an Englishman, was a newcomer to the territory who challenged the monopoly of the local general store known as “The House.” Billy the Kid was in the employment of Tunstall at the time, so he and his “Regulators” followed up his murder with a revenge killing of their own. The ensuing feud resulted in countless deaths and continued until 1881 when Pat Garrett finally hunted down and killed the famous gunman at Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
Lewis ameliorates the historical accuracy of his narrative with his typical wit and humor. H.H. Lomax rides a mule named Flash, is frequently mistaken for a conman and swindler by the name of Gadrich Lomax who pays in counterfeit money, sells a blind horse, cheats at cards, and peddles bad liquor, and Lomax also has the same love interest as Billy the Kid, the hot-tempered señorita, Rosalita. Of course all of these lead to hilarious circumstances and outcomes, indelibly establishing H.H. Lomax as someone who “had the good or bad luck to be where Western History was made,” and whose subsequent exploits will link him to the Outlaw Jesse James, the Gunfight at the
O.K. Corral, and Custer’s Last Stand.
I’ll definitely be along for the ride!
June 12, 2019
Five stars because it’s just so much fun. “The Demise of Billy the Kid” has so much going for it as a work of Historical Fiction. The character of H.H.Lomax is smart, clever, honest, and engaging, and so is a trustworthy narrator who you root for, and of whom you don’t grow tired. Preston Lewis seems to really have done his research on the life of Billy the Kid and the history of Lincoln County. He of course takes some liberties, but they are all connected so well to the people, places, and events from the historical record. It’s easy to slip into reading this as memoir, but certainly more fun to consider it a really well-crafted Billy the Kid fan fiction, which is certainly not meant as a slight; I loved this book. It’s fast-paced, well-written, funny, and - I am just going to say it - rollicking.
September 20, 2024
This book was a wild fun ride! So well worth the read. The fictional H.H. Lomax surprisingly plays the straight man to a cast of extremely true to life zany characters we all know and love, Billy the Kid and his Lincoln County pals. You’ve never seen them in this light, and it’s hysterically entertaining to say the least. The author is extremely knowledgeable in the history as well as the true people who make up this niche in history. I’ve read countless books on this subject but this is the first time I saw these people as a dysfunctional cast of crazy characters, best of all it held true to them all. Bravo! Preston Lewis! I absolutely loved it!
April 17, 2025
Good history, and the plot was a great western.
August 4, 2008
I liked this book almost as much as I did The Redemption of Jesse James. Again written from the viewpoint of H.H. Lomax this book fills all the requirements of a western i.e., cattle rustling, damsels in distress, and sixguns; however it seems to be much more. The characters are very vibrant and inline with the time period. This book happens when Lomax is a bit older and has lost some of his wide-eyed innocence, but he still has some of his back-woods ways and his wry humor. Overall it's a great story to read, anytime.
February 5, 2014
This was a fun little romp. I can't say I liked the narrator -- or any of the characters, really -- but it was a story about a violent, terrible time, and goodness, it was well-written (and well-researched).
And it had a great ending. Just sayin'.
And it had a great ending. Just sayin'.
February 26, 2013
could not put it down
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews