During a recording project in Evergreen, Colorado, several years back, Jon Chandler approached a subject that had captivated him since childhood...
Stories Behind the Song
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Articles
Bandidas
Bandidas (Fox Home Video; $29.98) Viva Penelope! Viva Salma! And, while we’re at it, Viva Maria! (1965), the sexy cinematic grandmother of...
The Reel, not Real, Jesse James in Film
The best Jesse James movie is 2000’s Ride with the Devil, which isn’t about Jesse James. That’s okay because the best George Custer movie is Fort...
St. Joseph, MO
St. Joseph touts itself as the “home where the Pony Express began and Jesse James ended.” With a new movie starring Brad Pitt as Jesse James on the...
BALLOTS AND BULLETS: The Bloody County Seat Wars of Kansas
Here’s an exciting glimpse into an overlooked chapter of Kansas history. Interspersed with better-known characters such as Bat Masterson and Bill...
Lone Star Lawman
Robert Utley really has had his work cut out for him in following up on his 19th-century Texas Rangers book with this story of the Rangers of recent...
Amarillo: The Story of a Western Town
Don’t be misled by the cover. While clever, it gives a sort of “wish you were here” feeling. Once inside the book, though, the Texan city of...
Following the Royal Road
From San Juan Pueblo, in present-day New Mexico, to Mexico City, Mexico, the Royal Road (El Camino Real) ran 1,500 miles through some of the most...
Spreading the Word
This unique analysis of information providers and users during the California Gold Rush is a smart read. Much of what Stillson discusses relate to...
Madonna of the Western Trails
Dragging a weary child and cradling a baby, she knew how to fire a weapon and kept her gun close. Just exactly where she was going, she didn’t know....
Those Aren’t Russian Cossacks!
“This is not a circus but an ethnographical exhibition; the people of various nations clad in their national outfit and ammunition enact...
A Man That Won’t Bend
Being an outlaw is no way to win a popularity contest. Royal Wade Kimes was with buddy Garth Brooks and his dad. Ray Brooks pointed toward Kimes:...