Gunfighter: The Autobiography of John Wesley Hardin

by John Wesley Hardin

NO REMORSE

Texas, 1868. Outlawed by his first kill at age fifteen, John Wesley Hardin assumed the life of an itinerant cattle drover, gambler, and exterminator of men.

His bloody trespass through Southern states ravaged by the American Civil War found him pursued by lynch mobs, bounty hunters and assassins. Hardin became the archetypal wanted man.

'I turned my Colt 45 on him and knocked him off his mule my first shot ... saw him sprawling on the floor, with a bullet through his head quivering with blood'

In the only authentic autobiography of a gunfighter Hardin reveals the mesh of psychology and circumstance that made him the most dreaded killer in Texas, admitting to at least 40 fatal shootings during his homicidal trajectory from Fannin County to Huntsville Prison, where the manuscript ends.

"Gunfighter" is a unique, gripping evocation of an American frontier stalked by vengeance and sudden death. it remains one of the earliest recorded confessions of a serial killer, a testament to the origins of gun culture and the prime first-person account of a man made renegade by his own fearless code of honour.

which stills holds sway in modern-day America.

Genres: Autobiography, Biography, Crime

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1896

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Wesley Hardin tells his story; this well may be the first documented autobiography of a serial killer in America. The reasons he has for killing people is chilling; it really made me think of road rage incidents today - simple 'slights' that escalate to murder - guess some things really never change after all.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

You should probably read all autobiographies with a grain or two of salt. In this instance, you may need some kind of silo for all the salt required. This book provides a peek inside the mind of an outlaw/killer. Hardin came of age during Reconstruction, and immediately found himself at odds with the northern government appointees, as well as many others, and often resolved conflicts with his pistol. In this book he takes great pains to acquit himself of his crimes, but often does the opposite. Don't get me wrong - I hate Yankee carpetbaggers as much as the next guy, but it's difficult to see this man as a hero. Regardless, this is a quick, interesting read.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

It never ceases to amaze me how a man can kill someone in cold blood, and then write about it in the offhand, matter-of-fact way that John Wesley Hardin writes of his many killings. This short book is filled with bloody factual accounts, bits of wildly embellished braggadocio, and outright lies, and that's what makes it so monstrously entertaining. It's a perfect glimpse into the convoluted mind of a killer. I refer to it, often, when writing the most ruthless of my fictional Old-West outlaws!