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To Hell on a Fast Horse: The Untold Story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett
From Spur Award-winning author Mark Lee Gardner, his classic dual biography of Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett, detailing Garrett’s riveting chase of the notorious bandit—now updated with a new afterword covering new developments in the Billy the Kid story.
“So richly detailed, you can almost smell the gunsmoke and the sweat of the saddles.”—Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author
Billy the Kid—a.k.a. Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim, and William Bonney—was a horse thief, cattle rustler, charismatic rogue, and cold-blooded killer. A superb shot, the Kid gunned down four men single handedly and five others with the help of cronies. Two of his victims were Lincoln County, NM, deputies, killed during the Kid’s brazen daylight escape from the courthouse jail on April 28, 1881. After dspensing with his guards and filing through the chain securing his leg irons, The Kid danced a macabre jig on the jail’s porch before riding away on a stolen horse as terrified townspeople—and many sympathizers—watched. For new sheriff, Pat Garrett, the chase was on . . .
To Hell on a Fast Horse recreates the thrilling manhunt for the Wild West’s most iconic outlaw. It is also the first “dual biography” of the Kid and Garrett, two larger-than-life figures who would not have become the stuff of legend without the other. Drawing on voluminous primary sources and a wealth of published scholarship, Mark L. Gardner digs beneath the myth to take a fresh look at these two men, their relationship, and what they would come to mean to a public enamored of a violent national past.
“So richly detailed, you can almost smell the gunsmoke and the sweat of the saddles.”—Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author
Billy the Kid—a.k.a. Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim, and William Bonney—was a horse thief, cattle rustler, charismatic rogue, and cold-blooded killer. A superb shot, the Kid gunned down four men single handedly and five others with the help of cronies. Two of his victims were Lincoln County, NM, deputies, killed during the Kid’s brazen daylight escape from the courthouse jail on April 28, 1881. After dspensing with his guards and filing through the chain securing his leg irons, The Kid danced a macabre jig on the jail’s porch before riding away on a stolen horse as terrified townspeople—and many sympathizers—watched. For new sheriff, Pat Garrett, the chase was on . . .
To Hell on a Fast Horse recreates the thrilling manhunt for the Wild West’s most iconic outlaw. It is also the first “dual biography” of the Kid and Garrett, two larger-than-life figures who would not have become the stuff of legend without the other. Drawing on voluminous primary sources and a wealth of published scholarship, Mark L. Gardner digs beneath the myth to take a fresh look at these two men, their relationship, and what they would come to mean to a public enamored of a violent national past.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2010
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About the author
Mark Lee Gardner
24 books149 followersMark Lee Gardner grew up in rural Missouri in the small town of Breckenridge (pop. 500), in the heart of historic Jesse James country. He's written extensively about the American West, on subjects such as the Santa Fe Trail, George Armstrong Custer, Bent's Old Fort, Geronimo, Billy the Kid, and Crazy Horse. His book on the 1876 Northfield raid by the notorious James-Younger gang, Shot All To Hell, received the Western Writers of America Spur Award for best western nonfiction historical book, the Best Book Award from the Wild West History Association, and the Milton F. Perry Award for Best Nonfiction Book. His Rough Riders, published in 2016, received the Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award, the Father Thomas J. Steele Award for History, and the Colorado Book Award for Biography.
Mark's most recent book is The Earth Is All That Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation (Mariner Books). Mark spent five years researching and writing this dual biography, examining rare documents and artifacts in archives and museums across the country, from Chicago's Newberry Library to Cody's Buffalo Bill Center of the West. And he visited numerous historic sites all over the northern plains, even crossing the "holy line" into Canada, where Sitting Bull and his followers spent four years in exile.
True West magazine proclaimed The Earth Is All That Lasts the "Best Historical Nonfiction Book" of 2022. The book also won the 2023 Colorado Book Award for best history/biography and the 2023 John M. Carroll Literary Award from the Little Big Horn Associates.
In addition to his historical research and writing, Mark is also a performer of the historic music of the American West. His most recent CD is Outlaws: Songs of Robbers, Rustlers, and Rogues.
Mark's passions include rare books and ephemera; historic photography; old-time, bluegrass, and classic country music; and hunting, mainly calling up gobblers in the spring.
Mark is the 2024 recipient of the Frank Waters Award for Literary Excellence. He holds a master's degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming and a bachelor's degree in history and journalism (double major) from Northwest Missouri State University. He's married with two children and lives with his family at the foot of majestic Pikes Peak.
Follow Mark on Instagram: mark_lee_gardner
Mark's most recent book is The Earth Is All That Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation (Mariner Books). Mark spent five years researching and writing this dual biography, examining rare documents and artifacts in archives and museums across the country, from Chicago's Newberry Library to Cody's Buffalo Bill Center of the West. And he visited numerous historic sites all over the northern plains, even crossing the "holy line" into Canada, where Sitting Bull and his followers spent four years in exile.
True West magazine proclaimed The Earth Is All That Lasts the "Best Historical Nonfiction Book" of 2022. The book also won the 2023 Colorado Book Award for best history/biography and the 2023 John M. Carroll Literary Award from the Little Big Horn Associates.
In addition to his historical research and writing, Mark is also a performer of the historic music of the American West. His most recent CD is Outlaws: Songs of Robbers, Rustlers, and Rogues.
Mark's passions include rare books and ephemera; historic photography; old-time, bluegrass, and classic country music; and hunting, mainly calling up gobblers in the spring.
Mark is the 2024 recipient of the Frank Waters Award for Literary Excellence. He holds a master's degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming and a bachelor's degree in history and journalism (double major) from Northwest Missouri State University. He's married with two children and lives with his family at the foot of majestic Pikes Peak.
Follow Mark on Instagram: mark_lee_gardner
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
November 27, 2025
People were complicated even in the days of the cowboy. Pat Garrett might have been the standup lawman who trailed Billy the Kid and brought him to justice, but, as Gardner takes pains to note, Garrett had issues of his own, managing to waste the good name he earned in his most famous venture in a series of bad business deals, excessive consumption of alcohol, and an affinity for gambling. The book focuses most of its attention on Garret. William Bonney, among his other aliases, was what we might call a sociopath today, although Gardner does not use the term. Billy the Kid was clearly not a well puppy.
Mark Lee Gardner - image from Colorado Public Radio
There is a wealth of information in To Hell on a Fast Horse, particularly for those with an interest in the place and the era. For example, it was tough for the good guys to catch the evil-doers, because the criminals knew enough to steal the fastest horses. Or that Billy was fluent in Spanish and had a lot of support among Spanish speaking residents of the southwest. There is considerable detail on the personalities that had anything to do with The Kid or with Garrett, a trove, I am sure, for those with an interest. Lacking a background in the era, I cannot report on what historical controversies might have been engaged here, but I expect there are research shoot-outs aplenty. Gardner tells the tale of Garrett trailing Billy and, ultimately, killing him. (Really? You want a spoiler alert for that?) He takes the story past the end of The Kid, though, reporting on Garrett’s subsequent dealing and finally, his passing. Gardner, who hails from Jesse James' home town, makes note of the ability of people to rewrite history, unfairly, to suit their interests. He points out that Billy was becoming legend while the man who brought him down was becoming a nobody. For example, there was even serious consideration given to the notion that Billy was still alive. Sure, and he is probably hanging out with Elvis right now. There is probably a book out there somewhere that looks into how and why this happens. It was not Gardner’s mission to do so here.
Billy the Kid - image from TheFamousPeople.com
Cowboy history is hardly an area of any expertise for me. I harbor no particular interest in or affection for the era. As a kid I had the mandatory six-shooter cap pistols, and watched the popular westerns of the time. Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger and Gene Autry come to mind. I had a coonskin hat and watched Fess Parker as sundry heroes. But I was always more interested in space, science fiction, baseball and nature, then music and girls. The dusty west, cattle, shootouts, ranchers vs farmers were very far from Da Bronx. Dark heroes in my neighborhood tended to be more urban, the Purple Gang rather than the Daltons. So, when I came across this book, I felt spurred to fill in a gap or two in my swiss-cheese-like knowledge of American history. And as an educational activity, it was successful. I learned things I did not know and gained a bit of familiarity with a bygone era. As a documentary piece the book works well. I suppose my lack of passion for the subject matter kept it from being all that enjoyable an experience. I expect that says more about me than it does for the book, which moves along nicely and is very easy to read.
So, if you have any interest in the history of the pioneer southwest, when men were men and the cattle were stolen, or in the famous good guys and bad guys in American history and lore, this is probably a must read.
Mark Lee Gardner - image from Colorado Public Radio
There is a wealth of information in To Hell on a Fast Horse, particularly for those with an interest in the place and the era. For example, it was tough for the good guys to catch the evil-doers, because the criminals knew enough to steal the fastest horses. Or that Billy was fluent in Spanish and had a lot of support among Spanish speaking residents of the southwest. There is considerable detail on the personalities that had anything to do with The Kid or with Garrett, a trove, I am sure, for those with an interest. Lacking a background in the era, I cannot report on what historical controversies might have been engaged here, but I expect there are research shoot-outs aplenty. Gardner tells the tale of Garrett trailing Billy and, ultimately, killing him. (Really? You want a spoiler alert for that?) He takes the story past the end of The Kid, though, reporting on Garrett’s subsequent dealing and finally, his passing. Gardner, who hails from Jesse James' home town, makes note of the ability of people to rewrite history, unfairly, to suit their interests. He points out that Billy was becoming legend while the man who brought him down was becoming a nobody. For example, there was even serious consideration given to the notion that Billy was still alive. Sure, and he is probably hanging out with Elvis right now. There is probably a book out there somewhere that looks into how and why this happens. It was not Gardner’s mission to do so here.
Billy the Kid - image from TheFamousPeople.com
Cowboy history is hardly an area of any expertise for me. I harbor no particular interest in or affection for the era. As a kid I had the mandatory six-shooter cap pistols, and watched the popular westerns of the time. Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger and Gene Autry come to mind. I had a coonskin hat and watched Fess Parker as sundry heroes. But I was always more interested in space, science fiction, baseball and nature, then music and girls. The dusty west, cattle, shootouts, ranchers vs farmers were very far from Da Bronx. Dark heroes in my neighborhood tended to be more urban, the Purple Gang rather than the Daltons. So, when I came across this book, I felt spurred to fill in a gap or two in my swiss-cheese-like knowledge of American history. And as an educational activity, it was successful. I learned things I did not know and gained a bit of familiarity with a bygone era. As a documentary piece the book works well. I suppose my lack of passion for the subject matter kept it from being all that enjoyable an experience. I expect that says more about me than it does for the book, which moves along nicely and is very easy to read.
So, if you have any interest in the history of the pioneer southwest, when men were men and the cattle were stolen, or in the famous good guys and bad guys in American history and lore, this is probably a must read.
October 10, 2023
UPDATE:
The "Untold Story" in the subtitle of the original edition of the book has been omitted.
******
Let’s begin with a movie question. What historical individual has been the subject of more films than any other individual?
Yep, that would be Henry McCarty aka Henry Antrim aka “Kid” Antrim aka Billy Bonney aka “The Kid” aka “Billy the Kid.” Beginning in 1911, more than fifty films have been produced with him as a character – and nearly always as the principal character. It is difficult to pinpoint the best of the lot, but the bottom of the barrel is Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966), brought to you that same year by the same folks who made Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter. Do I need to say that that they were both fictional? But all the movies dealing with these two most famous of all Western outlaws were fictional to some degree or the other.
There was even a B-Western series in the ‘40s, first starring Bob Steele and later Buster Crabbe, in which Billy was the hero. In these films he was a wanted outlaw, but he had been falsely accused, you see, and roamed the frontier doing good deeds, winning over people, and attempting to clear his name. Since he had no visible means of support, I’m not sure how he and his sidekick (they were required in B-Westerns, you know) survived financially, but they did.
There were four stage productions, one written by Gore Vidal, featuring the Kid and one TV series, The Tall Man, starring Barry Sullivan as Pat Garrett and Clu Gulagher as Billy. The series further advanced the myth that the two were best pals. They weren’t.
People as diverse as Woody Guthrie and Billy Joel have written and sung songs about the young outlaw, who died at age twenty-one. Unlike most outlaws, however, he did not die with his boots on; he had removed them shortly before being shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett.
And books? There have been as many books – maybe more – about Billy than there have been movies. Some are no more than purveyors of the myth without regard for the truth; some are works of historical fiction; and a few have been serious works of history and biography.
Mark Lee Gardner’s To Hell on a Fast Horse falls into the latter category. The subtitle, The Untold Story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West, informs us that it is a dual biography, which to my knowledge no writer has heretofore attempted.
However, I do take issue with the subtitle, at least the “Untold Story” part of it. Personally, I don’t think that I learned anything new about Billy from reading the book, if so it would have to be a minor detail or two. What I did learn, however, and it was certainly “Untold” as far as I was concerned, is what Pat Garrett’s life was like after he shot and killed Billy at Fort Sumner, New Mexico in 1881.
I knew that he continued his career as a respected lawman for a number of years and that he died ignominiously on a lonely road near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
What I didn’t know is that he was a rotten businessman, who made many poor decisions. Although he was a successful lawman, the job didn’t pay much – and he had a wife and eight children to support. So he dabbled in ranching and other business sidelines without much, if any, success. His efforts were hampered by his penchant for breeding race horses – slow ones, apparently – and placing bets on horses at race tracks – slow ones, apparently.
Gardner’s book is a thorough look at both men’s lives. If you don’t know the details about Billy’s life – and would like to – or if you aren’t familiar with Garrett’s post-Billy years – and would like to be – this is the book for you. Unlike many who write about Western lawmen and outlaws, Gardner has no axe to grind. He doesn’t take sides. His book is a quest for the truth and is probably as close to it as we will ever come.
“The double-helix relationship between Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett is one of the abiding fascinations of the West. No one has come closer than Mark Lee Gardner to capturing their twin destinies, and their inevitable final collision. Gardner’s research is so richly detailed, you can almost smell the gun smoke and the sweat of the saddles.” – Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder
The "Untold Story" in the subtitle of the original edition of the book has been omitted.
******
Let’s begin with a movie question. What historical individual has been the subject of more films than any other individual?
Yep, that would be Henry McCarty aka Henry Antrim aka “Kid” Antrim aka Billy Bonney aka “The Kid” aka “Billy the Kid.” Beginning in 1911, more than fifty films have been produced with him as a character – and nearly always as the principal character. It is difficult to pinpoint the best of the lot, but the bottom of the barrel is Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966), brought to you that same year by the same folks who made Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter. Do I need to say that that they were both fictional? But all the movies dealing with these two most famous of all Western outlaws were fictional to some degree or the other.
There was even a B-Western series in the ‘40s, first starring Bob Steele and later Buster Crabbe, in which Billy was the hero. In these films he was a wanted outlaw, but he had been falsely accused, you see, and roamed the frontier doing good deeds, winning over people, and attempting to clear his name. Since he had no visible means of support, I’m not sure how he and his sidekick (they were required in B-Westerns, you know) survived financially, but they did.
There were four stage productions, one written by Gore Vidal, featuring the Kid and one TV series, The Tall Man, starring Barry Sullivan as Pat Garrett and Clu Gulagher as Billy. The series further advanced the myth that the two were best pals. They weren’t.
People as diverse as Woody Guthrie and Billy Joel have written and sung songs about the young outlaw, who died at age twenty-one. Unlike most outlaws, however, he did not die with his boots on; he had removed them shortly before being shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett.
And books? There have been as many books – maybe more – about Billy than there have been movies. Some are no more than purveyors of the myth without regard for the truth; some are works of historical fiction; and a few have been serious works of history and biography.
Mark Lee Gardner’s To Hell on a Fast Horse falls into the latter category. The subtitle, The Untold Story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West, informs us that it is a dual biography, which to my knowledge no writer has heretofore attempted.
However, I do take issue with the subtitle, at least the “Untold Story” part of it. Personally, I don’t think that I learned anything new about Billy from reading the book, if so it would have to be a minor detail or two. What I did learn, however, and it was certainly “Untold” as far as I was concerned, is what Pat Garrett’s life was like after he shot and killed Billy at Fort Sumner, New Mexico in 1881.
I knew that he continued his career as a respected lawman for a number of years and that he died ignominiously on a lonely road near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
What I didn’t know is that he was a rotten businessman, who made many poor decisions. Although he was a successful lawman, the job didn’t pay much – and he had a wife and eight children to support. So he dabbled in ranching and other business sidelines without much, if any, success. His efforts were hampered by his penchant for breeding race horses – slow ones, apparently – and placing bets on horses at race tracks – slow ones, apparently.
Gardner’s book is a thorough look at both men’s lives. If you don’t know the details about Billy’s life – and would like to – or if you aren’t familiar with Garrett’s post-Billy years – and would like to be – this is the book for you. Unlike many who write about Western lawmen and outlaws, Gardner has no axe to grind. He doesn’t take sides. His book is a quest for the truth and is probably as close to it as we will ever come.
“The double-helix relationship between Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett is one of the abiding fascinations of the West. No one has come closer than Mark Lee Gardner to capturing their twin destinies, and their inevitable final collision. Gardner’s research is so richly detailed, you can almost smell the gun smoke and the sweat of the saddles.” – Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder
August 1, 2012
I have no problem reading a book about a fictional character who is a scum sucking, murdering, slimy piece of crap. But, when it's a real guy who caused real pain for a lot of people, I kind of lose my taste for it pretty quickly. Maybe that's why it took me 21 days to read this relatively short book, though to be fair - the author does not go out of his way to paint Billy the Kid as a hero.
It's just that everybody else did it for him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's get this straight right away.
Though lauded as the "Robin Hood of the Southwest," Billy the Kid killed indiscriminately, even shooting one man in the back as he attempted to flee. He robbed stagecoaches and stole money that soldiers had sent home to their families. (For some reason, that irks me even more than the killings - little kids goin' hungry because some bastard stole daddy's paycheck!)
And yet, people LOVED him!
They fell all over themselves to aid and abet him. Women wanted to sleep with him; men wanted to be his friend. Pat Garrett's in-laws even took him in and hid him from the law. His charm was so infectious that one rancher offered him a job, after the Kid had stolen his horses!
I just don't get it. I never will. For me, it's like trying to understand why Charlie Sheen is still getting work.
Anyway, the Kid was finally killed and not a moment too soon for me. Compared to what some of his victims suffered, his death was very quick. (I would have preferred something long and drawn out, perhaps involving some well-placed jumper cables...)
And even after death, the unfairness of it all continues:
Every year, countless tourists from around the world visit his (Billy's) grave at Fort Sumner and navigate Lincoln County's Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway. Nearly every spot Billy once touched is commemorated with a historic marker.
There are no signs on the highway pointing to Garrett's grave site, and it receives few visitors.
It's just that everybody else did it for him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's get this straight right away.
Though lauded as the "Robin Hood of the Southwest," Billy the Kid killed indiscriminately, even shooting one man in the back as he attempted to flee. He robbed stagecoaches and stole money that soldiers had sent home to their families. (For some reason, that irks me even more than the killings - little kids goin' hungry because some bastard stole daddy's paycheck!)
And yet, people LOVED him!
They fell all over themselves to aid and abet him. Women wanted to sleep with him; men wanted to be his friend. Pat Garrett's in-laws even took him in and hid him from the law. His charm was so infectious that one rancher offered him a job, after the Kid had stolen his horses!
I just don't get it. I never will. For me, it's like trying to understand why Charlie Sheen is still getting work.
Anyway, the Kid was finally killed and not a moment too soon for me. Compared to what some of his victims suffered, his death was very quick. (I would have preferred something long and drawn out, perhaps involving some well-placed jumper cables...)
And even after death, the unfairness of it all continues:
Every year, countless tourists from around the world visit his (Billy's) grave at Fort Sumner and navigate Lincoln County's Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway. Nearly every spot Billy once touched is commemorated with a historic marker.
There are no signs on the highway pointing to Garrett's grave site, and it receives few visitors.
December 22, 2014
I thought I knew this story better, but Gardner demolishes that notion. But he does it in a way that's far from dry-as-dust history. He maintains an understandable dose of romanticism, especially when it comes to The Kid. There's just not that much known about him, and Billy clearly muddied the waters with lies and half-truths. There are a couple of howlers. I groaned when I read the upcoming confrontation between Billy and Pat Garrett had the makings of a "tragedy for the ages." Oh, come on.
That minor bitch aside, I did find myself liking Billy. It's obvious he is going to hell on a fast horse, but the spark seems to have been the murder of a young English rancher named John Henry Turstall. I could be wrong, but it struck me that the conflict between Turnstall and another rancher, Jimmy Dolan, was very reminiscent of several movies (Yojimbo, A Fistful of Dollars, and Last Man Standing). This conflict is, of course, separate from the Billy the Kid story -- itself a generator of countless books and movies. In the Billy the Kid version, Turnstall is murdered, and in a very cold blooded manner. Turnstall had hired Billy on, and Billy saw it as a hand up from a caring friend and boss. What follows is the Lincoln County War and Billy's mission of vengeance, which eventually merges (in a fairly compressed period of time) with a downward spiral of horse stealing and murder.
Enter Pat Garrett, who really has nothing all that remarkable about him. He's a former buffalo hunter, and he has a temper (he killed a man in a ridiculous fight a few years before). He drinks, he gambles, but he's also trying to get traction in life. Interestingly, Gardner points out that Garrett's youth was spent on a plantation in Louisiana. His father, a slave owner, was destroyed by the Civil War. Gardner suggest, mildly, that Garrett was haunted by this loss of prestige, and spent his life trying to get it back, often through get rich quick schemes. But as a law man he could shoot, and he was brave and dogged in pursuit. Billy never had a chance.
Gardner's description of the death of Billy is as good as I've read of this confusing room by room hunt at Fort Sumner. There's a certain sad and moonlit magic that has Billy and Pat moving through dark rooms, each with a growing awareness that something is going to happen. The Peckinpah movie -- which Gardner is a fan of -- did a good job capturing the Kid's death.
The last hundred pages or so are devoted to Pat Garrett's attempt to move into politics and farming. He just never could get it right. As a fallback, he would gravitate back to being a lawman, but the world was changing. His failed attempt to solve the murder of Albert Fountain and his son may have set into motion events and characters that would eventually lead to Garrett's own assassination in 1908. Amazingly, I found myself bumping into the notorious Albert Fall (Teapot Dome), a sometime enemy and, incomprehensibly, sometime friend to Garrett. It was, apparently, a small world of cutthroats and bad men. Even good ones, such as Garrett, could grow sketchy as the years went by.
That minor bitch aside, I did find myself liking Billy. It's obvious he is going to hell on a fast horse, but the spark seems to have been the murder of a young English rancher named John Henry Turstall. I could be wrong, but it struck me that the conflict between Turnstall and another rancher, Jimmy Dolan, was very reminiscent of several movies (Yojimbo, A Fistful of Dollars, and Last Man Standing). This conflict is, of course, separate from the Billy the Kid story -- itself a generator of countless books and movies. In the Billy the Kid version, Turnstall is murdered, and in a very cold blooded manner. Turnstall had hired Billy on, and Billy saw it as a hand up from a caring friend and boss. What follows is the Lincoln County War and Billy's mission of vengeance, which eventually merges (in a fairly compressed period of time) with a downward spiral of horse stealing and murder.
Enter Pat Garrett, who really has nothing all that remarkable about him. He's a former buffalo hunter, and he has a temper (he killed a man in a ridiculous fight a few years before). He drinks, he gambles, but he's also trying to get traction in life. Interestingly, Gardner points out that Garrett's youth was spent on a plantation in Louisiana. His father, a slave owner, was destroyed by the Civil War. Gardner suggest, mildly, that Garrett was haunted by this loss of prestige, and spent his life trying to get it back, often through get rich quick schemes. But as a law man he could shoot, and he was brave and dogged in pursuit. Billy never had a chance.
Gardner's description of the death of Billy is as good as I've read of this confusing room by room hunt at Fort Sumner. There's a certain sad and moonlit magic that has Billy and Pat moving through dark rooms, each with a growing awareness that something is going to happen. The Peckinpah movie -- which Gardner is a fan of -- did a good job capturing the Kid's death.
The last hundred pages or so are devoted to Pat Garrett's attempt to move into politics and farming. He just never could get it right. As a fallback, he would gravitate back to being a lawman, but the world was changing. His failed attempt to solve the murder of Albert Fountain and his son may have set into motion events and characters that would eventually lead to Garrett's own assassination in 1908. Amazingly, I found myself bumping into the notorious Albert Fall (Teapot Dome), a sometime enemy and, incomprehensibly, sometime friend to Garrett. It was, apparently, a small world of cutthroats and bad men. Even good ones, such as Garrett, could grow sketchy as the years went by.
January 11, 2018
This is the best account I've read regarding the fallout from the Lincoln County war. Gardner has been meticulous in his research and has presented Garrett and Bonney/Antrim/McCarthy in a fair and unbiased manner, warts and all. And you can be sure they each had more than their fair share of warts.
I liked the way that Gardner provided a brief biographical sketch of many of the supporting players in this drama, or at least enough so that you are able to figure out each player's motivation. He has a lot to work with here, so many fascinating characters...a treasure trove of manly men, smoking six-guns, and horses spurred to a lathered gallop. Even though I knew a lot of how this was going to play out, Gardner's descriptive passages kept me thoroughly engaged with the action. If you don't know anything about this era in American history, you will be gobsmacked with the six-gun shenanigans, and it would be the rare western historian who wouldn't learn at least something from this account.
The book doesn't trail off after The Kid gets perforated...we have some follow-up with a couple of Garrett's post-kid cases. Poor Pat's decline and untimely end are thoroughly covered as well. Gardner finishes off with Appendices Notes and Sources which are quite detailed and almost as interesting to read as the main story. A final nice touch is the fact that photos of the principals are scattered throughout the book. I recommend this for anyone who is looking for something that is engrossing yet easy to read.
I liked the way that Gardner provided a brief biographical sketch of many of the supporting players in this drama, or at least enough so that you are able to figure out each player's motivation. He has a lot to work with here, so many fascinating characters...a treasure trove of manly men, smoking six-guns, and horses spurred to a lathered gallop. Even though I knew a lot of how this was going to play out, Gardner's descriptive passages kept me thoroughly engaged with the action. If you don't know anything about this era in American history, you will be gobsmacked with the six-gun shenanigans, and it would be the rare western historian who wouldn't learn at least something from this account.
The book doesn't trail off after The Kid gets perforated...we have some follow-up with a couple of Garrett's post-kid cases. Poor Pat's decline and untimely end are thoroughly covered as well. Gardner finishes off with Appendices Notes and Sources which are quite detailed and almost as interesting to read as the main story. A final nice touch is the fact that photos of the principals are scattered throughout the book. I recommend this for anyone who is looking for something that is engrossing yet easy to read.
June 24, 2025
To Hell On A Fast Horse is a concise and very readable dual biography of the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid - and lawman Pat Garrett - who shot and killed him. Volumes have been written – including a book by Garrett – on Billy and the day of his demise, but in reality there is very little that is actually known of “the Kid”. For instance just what Billy’s real name was and his birthplace can spark Old West “experts” into arguing.
To alleviate this confusion the author takes a very “Joe Friday” approach – “Just the facts” – focusing on what we do know about Billy and Garrett. And even with the minimal facts available, there’s still enough information from newspapers and first-hand accounts to provide an engaging tale, as this book proves.
Billy was a drifter, cattle rustler and horse thief; who through his travels and escapades became involved in the New Mexican Lincoln County War. This feud reading much like the Prohibition gangster turf wars of the 1920’s and 30’s in New York and Chicago. Initially just one of the many cowboys involved, Billy made the headlines and national news after his daring escape from the Lincoln County jail – days before he was scheduled to hang for the murder of a sheriff.
On the other side of the law was Pat Garrett, a dogged peace officer, who had an uncanny knack for tracking and always “getting his man”. He was also a chronic gambler, succumbing to one failed business venture after another. His path crossed twice with Billy’s, culminating on that deadly evening in July, 1881 – Billy was just 21 when he died; Garrett was 31 when he shot him.
This is a very straightforward account of both men’s lives and their final “encounter”, albeit without becoming dry. The author also provides a much more detailed biography of Pat Garrett – who also met with a grisly demise – than I’ve read elsewhere. The controversy over Billy’s “pardon”, issued by Governor Lew Wallace – who went on to write Ben Hur – and never honored, is also covered here. The “pardon” was recent news when then Governor Bill Richardson reconsidered it.
(As a quick aside and just one of the many engaging little anecdotes contained in this book - Garrett had difficulty in collecting the reward for bringing in Billy. He ran into William Ritch, who controlled the New Mexico’s purse strings, doling out the territory’s money as if it were his own. One of the constants of history, which never ceases to amaze me, is when more than three people “gather”, one of them assigns himself the job of bureaucrat, i.e. logjam.)
If you’re looking for the “real” story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett you won’t go wrong here – Highly recommended.
To alleviate this confusion the author takes a very “Joe Friday” approach – “Just the facts” – focusing on what we do know about Billy and Garrett. And even with the minimal facts available, there’s still enough information from newspapers and first-hand accounts to provide an engaging tale, as this book proves.
Billy was a drifter, cattle rustler and horse thief; who through his travels and escapades became involved in the New Mexican Lincoln County War. This feud reading much like the Prohibition gangster turf wars of the 1920’s and 30’s in New York and Chicago. Initially just one of the many cowboys involved, Billy made the headlines and national news after his daring escape from the Lincoln County jail – days before he was scheduled to hang for the murder of a sheriff.
On the other side of the law was Pat Garrett, a dogged peace officer, who had an uncanny knack for tracking and always “getting his man”. He was also a chronic gambler, succumbing to one failed business venture after another. His path crossed twice with Billy’s, culminating on that deadly evening in July, 1881 – Billy was just 21 when he died; Garrett was 31 when he shot him.
This is a very straightforward account of both men’s lives and their final “encounter”, albeit without becoming dry. The author also provides a much more detailed biography of Pat Garrett – who also met with a grisly demise – than I’ve read elsewhere. The controversy over Billy’s “pardon”, issued by Governor Lew Wallace – who went on to write Ben Hur – and never honored, is also covered here. The “pardon” was recent news when then Governor Bill Richardson reconsidered it.
(As a quick aside and just one of the many engaging little anecdotes contained in this book - Garrett had difficulty in collecting the reward for bringing in Billy. He ran into William Ritch, who controlled the New Mexico’s purse strings, doling out the territory’s money as if it were his own. One of the constants of history, which never ceases to amaze me, is when more than three people “gather”, one of them assigns himself the job of bureaucrat, i.e. logjam.)
If you’re looking for the “real” story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett you won’t go wrong here – Highly recommended.
November 8, 2025
The first dual bio of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, Mark Lee Gardner gives us details about the two men's lives and, more than that, recreates the late 19th Century New Mexico Territory so that I almost felt like I was going down those dusty trails with The Kid or Garrett or riding through those desert towns like Fort Sumner.
The point is made in the book that at least sixty films have been made about Billy the Kid. The boy outlaw has been played by Paul Newman, Roy Rogers, Kris Kristofferson, and most notably--for me--by Emilio Estevez, among others. I quite enjoyed "Young Guns" when it came out in 1988 especially for Estevez's portrayal of Billy. If the Kid was like Emilio, I can understand why Billy was considered a charismatic character and quite a charmer for the ladies. After all, who can dislike Emilio Estevez?
As Gardner makes clear, Billy was a cold-blooded killer. Sheriff Pat Garrett was the real hero. Yet the circumstances surrounding Pat's shooting of Billy reflected badly on the lawman. Pat shot the Kid as he walked into in a dark room in a house at night, not giving the Kid any chance (wisely so I believe!). People regarded Garrett as cowardly, although he brought the outlaw's reign of terror to an end. Sadly, Garrett's life spiraled downward after his killing of Billy and he died in mysterious circumstances, his killer never found or brought to justice.
So we have Billy the Kid's grave at Fort Sumner being visited by countless tourists every year. There is the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway in Lincoln County, N.M. Pat Garrett's final resting place is the Masonic Cemetery of Las Cruces, N.M. Few tourists visit; there are no signs on the highway pointing to Garrett's grave site.
The point is made in the book that at least sixty films have been made about Billy the Kid. The boy outlaw has been played by Paul Newman, Roy Rogers, Kris Kristofferson, and most notably--for me--by Emilio Estevez, among others. I quite enjoyed "Young Guns" when it came out in 1988 especially for Estevez's portrayal of Billy. If the Kid was like Emilio, I can understand why Billy was considered a charismatic character and quite a charmer for the ladies. After all, who can dislike Emilio Estevez?
As Gardner makes clear, Billy was a cold-blooded killer. Sheriff Pat Garrett was the real hero. Yet the circumstances surrounding Pat's shooting of Billy reflected badly on the lawman. Pat shot the Kid as he walked into in a dark room in a house at night, not giving the Kid any chance (wisely so I believe!). People regarded Garrett as cowardly, although he brought the outlaw's reign of terror to an end. Sadly, Garrett's life spiraled downward after his killing of Billy and he died in mysterious circumstances, his killer never found or brought to justice.
So we have Billy the Kid's grave at Fort Sumner being visited by countless tourists every year. There is the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway in Lincoln County, N.M. Pat Garrett's final resting place is the Masonic Cemetery of Las Cruces, N.M. Few tourists visit; there are no signs on the highway pointing to Garrett's grave site.
July 15, 2019
Money and politics were the driving forces behind justice in the American West, just as they are today. Thus, when Billy the Kid killed “Windy” Cahill in a fistfight that turned lethal, few took notice. It was the first time the Kid killed a man. The year was 1877 and the Kid was around 18 years old. Cahill was a local of no importance and no family ties.
The Lincoln County War, on the other hand, was a totally different matter. It was a power struggle between the so-called Santa Fe Ring, a group of prominent businessmen allied with the territorial governor, Samuel Axtell; district attorney William Ryerson; U.S. Attorney Thomas Catron; and Lincoln County sheriff George Peppin; and the “Regulators”, supporters of ranchers John Chisum, and John Tunstall, and Lincoln County attorney Alexander McSween who was once employed by the Santa Fe Ring. Even after the war had for all practical purposes ended, the trail of revenge killings and ill will lingered, contributing to the blood bath. The Kid was an active member of the “Regulators.”
The Kid was by no means an innocent in these events. He easily rationalized to his own satisfaction his part in the violence. Moreover he participated in the more unsavory activities of the territorial gig economy: cattle and horse rustling, serial thefts, counterfeiting, and numerous jail breaks. By the time Pat Garrett was recruited to bring him in, dead or alive, the Kid had accumulated a lot of enemies.
By far the most interesting part of this book was the trajectory of Pat Garrett's career after his famous take-down of the Kid. The Kid was popular in southern New Mexico, and his life was romanticized in the dime novels published after his death. Garrett's career path of catching rustlers was difficult work and dangerous. It also took him away from his family for long periods. His ranching efforts and business investments met with bad luck. He was defeated in his bid to become sheriff of Chaves County in the election of 1890. An appointment as customs collector in El Paso was sabotaged by his own political missteps. When Garrett himself was murdered, few people were interested in looking into the case very deeply. The self-defense claims of his purported killer were accepted at face value.
Gardner has written a comprehensive history of both Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. He includes extensive notes, a bibliography and index. However, unless the reader is familiar with some of the prominent names in New Mexican history, the narrative can become confusing. There is no explanatory list of characters; there are no diagrams of some of the extended families. Moreover, a summarizing chronology of events is also lacking and would have been helpful. Thus the reader is forced to make extensive use of the index to keep track of an ever growing list of characters. However, for someone familiar with territorial history, this book will certainly prove valuable in dispelling many myths and unwarranted speculations.
The Lincoln County War, on the other hand, was a totally different matter. It was a power struggle between the so-called Santa Fe Ring, a group of prominent businessmen allied with the territorial governor, Samuel Axtell; district attorney William Ryerson; U.S. Attorney Thomas Catron; and Lincoln County sheriff George Peppin; and the “Regulators”, supporters of ranchers John Chisum, and John Tunstall, and Lincoln County attorney Alexander McSween who was once employed by the Santa Fe Ring. Even after the war had for all practical purposes ended, the trail of revenge killings and ill will lingered, contributing to the blood bath. The Kid was an active member of the “Regulators.”
The Kid was by no means an innocent in these events. He easily rationalized to his own satisfaction his part in the violence. Moreover he participated in the more unsavory activities of the territorial gig economy: cattle and horse rustling, serial thefts, counterfeiting, and numerous jail breaks. By the time Pat Garrett was recruited to bring him in, dead or alive, the Kid had accumulated a lot of enemies.
By far the most interesting part of this book was the trajectory of Pat Garrett's career after his famous take-down of the Kid. The Kid was popular in southern New Mexico, and his life was romanticized in the dime novels published after his death. Garrett's career path of catching rustlers was difficult work and dangerous. It also took him away from his family for long periods. His ranching efforts and business investments met with bad luck. He was defeated in his bid to become sheriff of Chaves County in the election of 1890. An appointment as customs collector in El Paso was sabotaged by his own political missteps. When Garrett himself was murdered, few people were interested in looking into the case very deeply. The self-defense claims of his purported killer were accepted at face value.
Gardner has written a comprehensive history of both Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. He includes extensive notes, a bibliography and index. However, unless the reader is familiar with some of the prominent names in New Mexican history, the narrative can become confusing. There is no explanatory list of characters; there are no diagrams of some of the extended families. Moreover, a summarizing chronology of events is also lacking and would have been helpful. Thus the reader is forced to make extensive use of the index to keep track of an ever growing list of characters. However, for someone familiar with territorial history, this book will certainly prove valuable in dispelling many myths and unwarranted speculations.
September 19, 2023
Even if you don’t know your Wild West from Willy Wonka you’ve heard of Billy the Kid, the subject of hundreds of books and articles, as well as over 60 movies! The name defines gunslinger. Because of the attention Billy has received over the years, author Gardner does a great job of sifting through all the myths, tales and really, overflow of information. After all, some of the characters in this drama lived into the 1930s and at least one into the 1960s! Plenty of time for every one to write their own version of the story.
The good guys may win, but would we know Pat Garrett now if not for at least one movie ? The second half of the book focuses on Garrett, the sheriff who tracked him down, a few times, and finally did him in, by age of 21.
Every so often Gardner lets you know he’s telling you something no other historian has discovered, till now ! I love those parts of the tale, some items are notable, and make this a good read.
The good guys may win, but would we know Pat Garrett now if not for at least one movie ? The second half of the book focuses on Garrett, the sheriff who tracked him down, a few times, and finally did him in, by age of 21.
Every so often Gardner lets you know he’s telling you something no other historian has discovered, till now ! I love those parts of the tale, some items are notable, and make this a good read.
September 15, 2012
There has been so much written about Billy the Kid it is interesting to hear an account that links his bio with that of his killer, Pat Garrett.
Billy has taken on legendary, almost heroic status as a romantic outlaw. There seems little doubt that despite his iconic and romantic reputation he was a cold blooded killer, tagged with multiple killings over a relatively short space of time. These killings included lawmen and innocents so he isn't really a charming figure.
Garrett's reputation seems to have suffered in comparison including accusations that his killing of the Kid was cowardly, without giving him a chance to fight and that he cooked up the whole shooting to get the reward etc.
Gardner does a great job of presenting the facts as known and not taking sides in the debate. However it seems as though Garrett was a flawed character with his drinking and gambling, but he certainly seems to deserve better press. The book is a fascinating look into the brutal world of the wild west and the law as it was in the late 1800s.
Billy has taken on legendary, almost heroic status as a romantic outlaw. There seems little doubt that despite his iconic and romantic reputation he was a cold blooded killer, tagged with multiple killings over a relatively short space of time. These killings included lawmen and innocents so he isn't really a charming figure.
Garrett's reputation seems to have suffered in comparison including accusations that his killing of the Kid was cowardly, without giving him a chance to fight and that he cooked up the whole shooting to get the reward etc.
Gardner does a great job of presenting the facts as known and not taking sides in the debate. However it seems as though Garrett was a flawed character with his drinking and gambling, but he certainly seems to deserve better press. The book is a fascinating look into the brutal world of the wild west and the law as it was in the late 1800s.
April 8, 2010
The book is a fairly interesting look at how Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid's lives overlapped. I would really like to have seen more about the "legendization" of Billy the Kid and the concurrent demonization of Garrett. Gardner brings it up and touches on it slightly, but it doesn't seem to go far enough.
I did find interesting that Garrett was censured by many for not gving Billy the Kid a far fight at his death, which would have been stupid, and yet none of those same critics ever mention the people Billy gunned down in cold blood. And why have we made outlaws and killers into romantic heroes?
I did find interesting that Garrett was censured by many for not gving Billy the Kid a far fight at his death, which would have been stupid, and yet none of those same critics ever mention the people Billy gunned down in cold blood. And why have we made outlaws and killers into romantic heroes?
October 27, 2020
I never knew too much about "Billy the Kid", only he was an outlaw, one of the bad guys, who committed some crimes. I was enthralled by this history of not only Billy but also the history of Pat Garrett, the sheriff who had hunted him and finally shot him.
The book looks into their pasts, to get some understanding on what went into making them the men they became, and neither "Billy" aka William Bonney aka William Antrim nor Pat Garrett were saints. Both men though were well-liked by many, so neither were monsters, just had lots of faults. I never knew that Billy had an uncanny ability to break out of any jail he was put in, so that to stop him from from cattle and horse stealing from just about everyone, he had to be killed, and he pretty much said so himself. I found the tale interesting, and a great picture of what life was like in post-civil war New Mexico territory and it really was the "wild west". It is also a tale of dogged determination to rid the area of what many considered a pest.
The book most of all de-mystifies the legends surrounding both, showing how very human both men were. In the words of Sallie Chisum, a good friend to both, " I knew both these men intimately, and each made history in his own way. There was good mixed with the bad in Billy the Kid and bad mixed with the good in Pat Garrett. Both were distinctly human, both remarkable personalities. Now matter what they did in the world or what the world thought of them, they were my friends. Both were real men. Both worth knowing." And I am glad to have read this book, and add to my insight of our American history and two more players who made it so colorful. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review-- thank you!
The book looks into their pasts, to get some understanding on what went into making them the men they became, and neither "Billy" aka William Bonney aka William Antrim nor Pat Garrett were saints. Both men though were well-liked by many, so neither were monsters, just had lots of faults. I never knew that Billy had an uncanny ability to break out of any jail he was put in, so that to stop him from from cattle and horse stealing from just about everyone, he had to be killed, and he pretty much said so himself. I found the tale interesting, and a great picture of what life was like in post-civil war New Mexico territory and it really was the "wild west". It is also a tale of dogged determination to rid the area of what many considered a pest.
The book most of all de-mystifies the legends surrounding both, showing how very human both men were. In the words of Sallie Chisum, a good friend to both, " I knew both these men intimately, and each made history in his own way. There was good mixed with the bad in Billy the Kid and bad mixed with the good in Pat Garrett. Both were distinctly human, both remarkable personalities. Now matter what they did in the world or what the world thought of them, they were my friends. Both were real men. Both worth knowing." And I am glad to have read this book, and add to my insight of our American history and two more players who made it so colorful. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review-- thank you!
August 8, 2014
Lots of books on Billy the Kid but very few on Pat Garrett. What's really sad is the story of Pat Garrett and how the outlaw is remembered more than the lawman. Pat Garrett was murdered near Las Cruces shortly before New Mexico achieved statehood and his murderer never brought to justice. I found the story of Garrett far more fascinating, as well as the capriciousness of justice in New Mexico even after the Lincoln County War. People of wealth and connection routinely got away with murder even when the victims were of the same ilk. And you want to like William Bonney initially, a gregarious kid who just needed a father figure and could have been salvaged at some point, but eventually crossed the point of no return. Gardner's book is an objective look at both men that can best be summarized by this quote in the epilogue by Sally Chisum: ".. There was good mixed with the bad in Billy the Kid and bad mixed with the good in Pat Garrett. Both were distinctly human, both remarkable personalities. No matter what they did in the world or what the world thought of them, they were my friends. Both were real men. Both were worth knowing." And per Gardner I couldn't agree more, "they need no finer epitaph."
June 27, 2017
Pat Garrett is known as the man who chased down Billy the Kid. If you've ever seen Young Guns, the first half of this book will be very familiar. (If you haven't... what's wrong with you?) There's a bit of history about where the Kid came from, and then where Garrett came from, and then the chase is on.
The second half of the book follows Garrett after the Kid is captured. He had a long history as a lawman, a gambler, and a guy who had a lot of bad investments. The second half isn't nearly as interesting, but the Kid stuff was so short, they had to fill the book.
Save your time and money. Go watch Young Guns.
The second half of the book follows Garrett after the Kid is captured. He had a long history as a lawman, a gambler, and a guy who had a lot of bad investments. The second half isn't nearly as interesting, but the Kid stuff was so short, they had to fill the book.
Save your time and money. Go watch Young Guns.
January 29, 2022
A fantastically researched dual biography of both the legendary Outlaw and the Lawman that hunted him.
Oozing with eyewitness accounts and testimonies, Gardener’s book serves as a brilliant insight through the myths and legends built up around Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett and reveals the human elements of both men.
To Hell on a Fast Horse stands as one of the finest pieces of Wild West history I have had the pleasure of reading, and it shall remain a book I recommend wholeheartedly for years to come.
Oozing with eyewitness accounts and testimonies, Gardener’s book serves as a brilliant insight through the myths and legends built up around Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett and reveals the human elements of both men.
To Hell on a Fast Horse stands as one of the finest pieces of Wild West history I have had the pleasure of reading, and it shall remain a book I recommend wholeheartedly for years to come.
August 19, 2025
There was so much death in the Wild West.
December 27, 2015
This book is the story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, and what makes it a really good book is that, for Gardner, that story does not end with Billy's death. It isn't a simple story, either. Gardner is very aware of the ethical questions that writers like John Boessenecker avoid and very aware of the forces pulling and pushing against each other in New Mexico in the 1880s. Billy wasn't an outlaw because he was a "badman," although he was certainly not a good man, either. He was an outlaw because he ended up on the wrong side in the Lincoln County War, and because the Governor of New Mexico felt that it simply was not necessary for a man like him to keep a promise made to a man like Billy. (Of all the awful people in this book--and there are a lot of them--Governor Wallace may actually be the most repellent.)
And Pat Garrett wasn't a simple cardboard saint, either. Gardner makes it clear that Garrett could have been an outlaw instead of a lawman; both before and after he killed Billy, he was involved in deals that were shady at best and he, like Wyatt Earp, was a gambler, a man who was never going to stop looking for the big score and thus a man who was perpetually in debt. His own, only dubiously solved, murder was in the middle of another ethically fraught tangle, once again in Lincoln County, around the still unsolved disappearance of Albert Jennings Fountain. Gardner is aware that history is messy and full of questions to which there are no answers, and his efforts to find answers anyway, to puzzle out the motivations of Billy the Kid as well as the motivations of Pat Garrett, are what make this book worthwhile and satisfying
And Pat Garrett wasn't a simple cardboard saint, either. Gardner makes it clear that Garrett could have been an outlaw instead of a lawman; both before and after he killed Billy, he was involved in deals that were shady at best and he, like Wyatt Earp, was a gambler, a man who was never going to stop looking for the big score and thus a man who was perpetually in debt. His own, only dubiously solved, murder was in the middle of another ethically fraught tangle, once again in Lincoln County, around the still unsolved disappearance of Albert Jennings Fountain. Gardner is aware that history is messy and full of questions to which there are no answers, and his efforts to find answers anyway, to puzzle out the motivations of Billy the Kid as well as the motivations of Pat Garrett, are what make this book worthwhile and satisfying
October 10, 2022
This was undoubtedly an enjoyable read. I don’t often read non-fiction, I usually get bored quickly, but this never lost my interest. Granted, I came into reading this with an already healthy and avid appreciation for Wild West outlaws and heros. I appreciate the fact that this is as true an account as there is. Mark Lee Gardner is a true Wild West historian. He states early on that any dialogue or recollections in quotation marks can be directly and correctly attributed to their source. The last part of the book is actually sources and notes that the author included.
The story of Billy the Kid isn’t a new one, and anyone who’s heard of The Kid has probably heard of Pat Garrett. As I was perusing the reviews here, I came across a few that stated that they couldn’t understand the appeal that The Kid exuded, and that his crimes were what should be remembered about him. He was a thief and a murderer and history has romanticized his life and painted him as a Robin Hood-type anti-hero. This is undoubtedly the truth, but it was undoubtedly a different time then. Violence and death were commonplace. I don’t defend his crimes, but I do shamelessly buy into the romanticism of the Wild West outlaw.
This book doesn’t share my bias though. The author actually does an amazing job of not showing any type of personal favor or disdain for either of the two main characters - the outlaw or the lawman. We do see how other people of the time felt for them though, all reflected through historical accounts - newspapers, documented interviews, preserved letters. The author does an amazing job at retelling the fascinating history behind these two legendary figures!! Looking forward to reading his book on Jesse James!!
The story of Billy the Kid isn’t a new one, and anyone who’s heard of The Kid has probably heard of Pat Garrett. As I was perusing the reviews here, I came across a few that stated that they couldn’t understand the appeal that The Kid exuded, and that his crimes were what should be remembered about him. He was a thief and a murderer and history has romanticized his life and painted him as a Robin Hood-type anti-hero. This is undoubtedly the truth, but it was undoubtedly a different time then. Violence and death were commonplace. I don’t defend his crimes, but I do shamelessly buy into the romanticism of the Wild West outlaw.
This book doesn’t share my bias though. The author actually does an amazing job of not showing any type of personal favor or disdain for either of the two main characters - the outlaw or the lawman. We do see how other people of the time felt for them though, all reflected through historical accounts - newspapers, documented interviews, preserved letters. The author does an amazing job at retelling the fascinating history behind these two legendary figures!! Looking forward to reading his book on Jesse James!!
August 8, 2012
Well before 'little green men' appeared in Roswell, NM, and before atomic bomb testing took place at White Sands, NM, Henry McCarty and Pat Garret created their own explosive scenarios in those Western towns.
Henry McCarty/William Antrium/William Bonney, or, as he was became better known by the name of 'Kid/Billy the Kid, is still one of America's most well-recognized bad men - a Western outlaw who began his ride to hell at a very young age, and who was finally dispatched from the scene by a former buffalo hunter turned lawman - Pat Garret.
This book dispels many of the so-called "facts" about those two subjects of fiction and real life; Gardner recognizes the many myths about the men, notably concerning the subject of Garrets killing of Billy, and his many references provide the interested reader a panoply of material which the reader can use if interested in further examination of the subjects.
'To Hell on a Fast Horse' - and fast horses are what Billy and his cohorts needed - provides a highly interesting history of the West at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th.
Although more attention, historically, has been paid to Billy the Kid, I found Pat Garrett to be the more interesting, and sympathetic, character. It's a great read - read it, learn, and enjoy.
Henry McCarty/William Antrium/William Bonney, or, as he was became better known by the name of 'Kid/Billy the Kid, is still one of America's most well-recognized bad men - a Western outlaw who began his ride to hell at a very young age, and who was finally dispatched from the scene by a former buffalo hunter turned lawman - Pat Garret.
This book dispels many of the so-called "facts" about those two subjects of fiction and real life; Gardner recognizes the many myths about the men, notably concerning the subject of Garrets killing of Billy, and his many references provide the interested reader a panoply of material which the reader can use if interested in further examination of the subjects.
'To Hell on a Fast Horse' - and fast horses are what Billy and his cohorts needed - provides a highly interesting history of the West at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th.
Although more attention, historically, has been paid to Billy the Kid, I found Pat Garrett to be the more interesting, and sympathetic, character. It's a great read - read it, learn, and enjoy.
November 20, 2019
This is the nonfiction historical biography of both Henry Antrim, a.k.a. Henry McCarty, a.k.a. William Bonney, a.k.a. Billito, a.k.a. Billy the Kid, and Pat Garrett, the man made famous for shooting him. It provides a detailed inside look at the true story behind the legends and myths that abound, often siting first person resources.
This is, without a doubt, the best book on Billy the Kid I have read as yet. It tells both sides of the story in an honest and straightforward way that is equally captivating and educating. It is a well-researched, well-written work that was as entertaining and interesting to read as a novel, but filled to the brims with little-known facts and in-depth history about the men behind the legends. Five well-deserved stars... more gold stars than Pat Garrett had!
This is, without a doubt, the best book on Billy the Kid I have read as yet. It tells both sides of the story in an honest and straightforward way that is equally captivating and educating. It is a well-researched, well-written work that was as entertaining and interesting to read as a novel, but filled to the brims with little-known facts and in-depth history about the men behind the legends. Five well-deserved stars... more gold stars than Pat Garrett had!
March 15, 2019
Ridiculously fun if you have an interest in the Old West.
January 9, 2023
Dry, but you’ll know way more about Billy and Pat after reading than you did before.
January 4, 2025
Billy the Kid was described as mild mannered and good looking. He was orphaned at age 14 and began stealing at age 15. He joined up with a gang of cattle rustlers and rode his horse in the Apache style, meaning he could shoot a rifle or two pistols while at full gallop. He spoke English and was fluent in Spanish. He may have been involved in the killings of as many as 21 men. Died at age 21. The life of.Pat Garrett is also explored. Drive by appearances by Lew Wallace, author of Ben Hur.
June 9, 2025
Billy the Kid be crazy. No cell can hold that chap.
February 23, 2013
Compré este libro porque la crítica de Hagakure en Hislibris me entusiasmó. También la menciono aquí porque es tan completa que me va a evitar dar muchos datos con el fin de centrarme en mis sensaciones. Al infierno en un caballo veloz es una biografía compartida de Billy el Niño, el forajido más popular del Viejo Oeste, y de su perseguidor y asesino, Pat Garrett. El modo que tenemos de percibir la historia muchas veces no tiene nada que ver con la ciencia de los hechos, y los adjetivos que he utilizado para calificar a Billy y a Garrett lo demuestran. Incluso que mencione el nombre de pila de uno y el apellido del otro también forma parte de esa percepción peculiar.
Gardner lo menciona constantemente: el hecho de que Billy el Niño, pese a sus delitos, en general caía bien. Pat Garrett, sin embargo, no tanto. Más vale caer en gracia que ser gracioso. Como lo único que he echado en falta en el libro de Gardner es un poco de análisis histórico, voy a aventurarme a teorizar sobre el porqué (en mi caso, claro). Creo que todo proviene de cierta incoherencia que no puedo evitar: soy capaz de perdonar los asesinatos de Billy el Niño pero no los errores de Garrett. Pese a que éste último se mostró justo con Billy (salvo en su muerte), que un agente de la ley tuviera tantas debilidades y tantos fallos me resulta imperdonable. Supongo que en una sociedad tan violenta como la del Viejo Oeste americano cada uno era libre de elegir su favorito sin tener muy en cuenta la moral. Como he dicho, se trata de una incoherencia, imperdonable también.
(Al margen de los protagonistas, hay otro hombre en la historia que me ha llamado la atención: el gobernador territorial de Nuevo México y autor de la novela Ben-Hur, Lewis Wallace. No sé hasta qué punto la historia está bien considerada pero tengo que mencionarla porque su descripción de los “tres Reyes Magos” como inicio de una narración me pareció muy buena.)
Gardner lo menciona constantemente: el hecho de que Billy el Niño, pese a sus delitos, en general caía bien. Pat Garrett, sin embargo, no tanto. Más vale caer en gracia que ser gracioso. Como lo único que he echado en falta en el libro de Gardner es un poco de análisis histórico, voy a aventurarme a teorizar sobre el porqué (en mi caso, claro). Creo que todo proviene de cierta incoherencia que no puedo evitar: soy capaz de perdonar los asesinatos de Billy el Niño pero no los errores de Garrett. Pese a que éste último se mostró justo con Billy (salvo en su muerte), que un agente de la ley tuviera tantas debilidades y tantos fallos me resulta imperdonable. Supongo que en una sociedad tan violenta como la del Viejo Oeste americano cada uno era libre de elegir su favorito sin tener muy en cuenta la moral. Como he dicho, se trata de una incoherencia, imperdonable también.
(Al margen de los protagonistas, hay otro hombre en la historia que me ha llamado la atención: el gobernador territorial de Nuevo México y autor de la novela Ben-Hur, Lewis Wallace. No sé hasta qué punto la historia está bien considerada pero tengo que mencionarla porque su descripción de los “tres Reyes Magos” como inicio de una narración me pareció muy buena.)
October 16, 2022
"To Hell on a Fast Horse" is a history of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett that reads like an adventure story, filled with shoot-outs, chases, and jail breaks.
The book is extremely well-researched, with the author recognizing that much of what we know about Billy, Garrett and the Lincoln County Wars comes from recollections recorded decades after the events. Gardner is careful to state when the accuracy of those recollections are uncertain or contradictory with other information.
The end result of this excellent research is a duel biography of the Kid and Garrett. He traces what we know of their backgrounds prior to Billy's involvement in the Lincoln County War. Billy was pretty much always a criminal on some level. Garrett worked at various jobs, such as buffalo hunter and cowboy, before establishing enough of a reputation for bravery to bring him into law enforcement after the Lincoln Count War had ended. By then, Billy was leading a gang of rustlers and horse thieves, with Garrett relentlessly tracking him down.
After Billy's death (and the author effectively quashes theories that Billy survived), the book follows Garrett's later career, with bad investments and gambling leaving him chronically poor. I knew very little about his murder in 1908 and found the lingering mystery behind that murder fascinating.
Gardner's prose tells this story clearly and effectively. This book shows us that history is indeed exciting.
The book is extremely well-researched, with the author recognizing that much of what we know about Billy, Garrett and the Lincoln County Wars comes from recollections recorded decades after the events. Gardner is careful to state when the accuracy of those recollections are uncertain or contradictory with other information.
The end result of this excellent research is a duel biography of the Kid and Garrett. He traces what we know of their backgrounds prior to Billy's involvement in the Lincoln County War. Billy was pretty much always a criminal on some level. Garrett worked at various jobs, such as buffalo hunter and cowboy, before establishing enough of a reputation for bravery to bring him into law enforcement after the Lincoln Count War had ended. By then, Billy was leading a gang of rustlers and horse thieves, with Garrett relentlessly tracking him down.
After Billy's death (and the author effectively quashes theories that Billy survived), the book follows Garrett's later career, with bad investments and gambling leaving him chronically poor. I knew very little about his murder in 1908 and found the lingering mystery behind that murder fascinating.
Gardner's prose tells this story clearly and effectively. This book shows us that history is indeed exciting.
Read
August 10, 2011The old west comes alive in this dual biography of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. Since the lives of the outlaw and the lawman were so intertwined, it only seems natural that their stories are told concurrently.
This well-researched and heavily annotated account brings a lot of interesting details to light, such as Billy’s escape by climbing up the inside of a narrow, sooty chimney.
It’s not the typical romanticized version of good versus evil. Both characters have strengths and flaws, the distinction between good and evil is blurred. Good has shades of evil; evil had shades of good.
Apparently the only known surviving photo of Billy the Kid, showing him looking disheveled and with his buck teeth protruding, doesn’t do him justice. In many accounts he is described as good-looking, personable and attractive to the ladies.
The title comes from an exchange Billy had with someone who asked, Where are you going, Billy?” and the Kid responded, “To hell on a fast horse.” Evidently, Billy was found of giving flippant answers to annoying questions.
A fun, informative read.
This well-researched and heavily annotated account brings a lot of interesting details to light, such as Billy’s escape by climbing up the inside of a narrow, sooty chimney.
It’s not the typical romanticized version of good versus evil. Both characters have strengths and flaws, the distinction between good and evil is blurred. Good has shades of evil; evil had shades of good.
Apparently the only known surviving photo of Billy the Kid, showing him looking disheveled and with his buck teeth protruding, doesn’t do him justice. In many accounts he is described as good-looking, personable and attractive to the ladies.
The title comes from an exchange Billy had with someone who asked, Where are you going, Billy?” and the Kid responded, “To hell on a fast horse.” Evidently, Billy was found of giving flippant answers to annoying questions.
A fun, informative read.
September 7, 2013
I would have probably given this 3.5 stars if there was a way how. This is my second Billy the Kid book. The first being "Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride" by M. Wallis. "To Hell on a Fast Horse" differs to Wallis' book in that THFH concentrates on both Billy and Pat Garrett's lives. The book actually goes further into Garrett's life than Billy's it seems which offers an interesting overview of the era. The stories of Billy were very similar to the first book. However, I do think the account on how Billy was killed was different in comparing the two books. The wild west is a fascinating time in not only the history of America, but the world. The story of Billy the Kid intrigues many, showing the ruthless times and freedoms the West presented to humans. In reading this book, I particularly enjoyed updating my knowledge on the life of Billy the Kid and also learning more about Pat Garrett. Pat Garrett is often presented as the good ole Sheriff who had to do his duty in combating the Kid. However, this book shows the many flaws Garrett had throughout his life and paints a finer picture of the Sheriff. His death still remains a mystery which was another interesting account this book had to offer.
September 30, 2016
More a biography of Garrett than Billy's.. This book reads like a later Clint Eastwood Western. With flawed good guys and sympathetic bad guys, at least to a point.
My problem with the book was that it meandered. it would tell random short biographies of people very much tangential to the story being told almost like it was trying to add pages just so the book would not be too short. The parts about billy and Garretts intertwining stories is outstanding as well as the retelling of the Lincoln County war. worth the read.
My problem with the book was that it meandered. it would tell random short biographies of people very much tangential to the story being told almost like it was trying to add pages just so the book would not be too short. The parts about billy and Garretts intertwining stories is outstanding as well as the retelling of the Lincoln County war. worth the read.
June 13, 2022
Buena investigación sobre la vida y muerte de Billy el Niño y su asesino, Pat Garrett. La historia del final de la era de los pistoleros del lejano oeste, bien narrada aunque algo desordenada para mi gusto , con constantes saltos en el tiempo que me han descolocado por momentos. Si te molan las historias del FarWest , lectura obligada. Un 8
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