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Billy the Kid

The Endless Ride

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Billy the Kid

Written by: Michael Wallis
Narrated by: Todd McLaren
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From the best-selling author of Route 66 comes this long-awaited biography of one of America's most legendary folk heroes.

Award-winning historian Michael Wallis has spent several years re-creating the rich, anecdotal saga of Billy the Kid (1859-1881), a deeply mythologized young man who became a legend in his own time and yet remains an enigma to this day. With the Gilded Age in full swing and the Industrial Revolution reshaping the American landscape, "the Kid", who was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett in the New Mexico Territory at the age of 21, became a new breed of celebrity outlaw. He arose amid the mystery and myth of the swiftly vanishing frontier and, sensationalized beyond recognition by the tabloids and dime-store romances of the day, emerged as one of the most enduring icons of the American West: not to mention one of Hollywood's most misrepresented characters.

This new biography separates myth from reality and presents an unforgettable portrait of this brief and violent life.

©2007 Michael Wallis; (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc. Americas Historical Murder True Crime United States Crime Old West Wild West Gilded Age Funny Latin America Mexico Biography Mythology
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What the critics say

"Wallis writes clean prose, occasionally enlivened by a particularly lovely turn of phrase....[C]ountless books have been written about the infamous outlaw, and this is surely one of the best." ( Publishers Weekly)
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Gives you a real feel of life in the West. Far more detailed than I expected. The kids life is illuminated and you are left to judge for yourself.

Fantastic and descriptive

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A waist of a credit as most of the information is generally known. Very few unknown facts

Nothing we didn't already know

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Henry McCarty/Henry Antrim/William H. Bonny was a most interesting historical figure - part symbolic of the lawless "Old West".. and part mythical. Author Michael Wallis does an admirable job sorting out what is backed up by evidence and what is apocryphal. Mainly consisting of transcripted interviews, this book provides the most authoritative narrative about this legendary character available.
The writing is capable, the linear chronological storytelling structure is intuitive, and the information is punctiliously clinical. Unfortunately, it's also almost academic in feel (more like a textbook for historians than an exposé for a general audience). You are forgiven if your eyes start to lose focus at times.

Reader Todd McLaren doesn't help the situation with a subpar performance, either. To be sure, his diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are creditable.. even commendable.. but his attempts at character interpretations when reading quotes are often *terrible* (and indistinctive). McLaren isn't much of a voice actor.

In toto, 'Billy The Kid: The Endless Ride' rates 5 stars out of 10. It was an edifying, informative, meticulously-documented biography and a serviceable distraction for a couple of snowy afternoons.. but spend your Credit on a more exciting option if the audiobook leaves the 'Plus' catalog.

Dry. Exemplary College-Level Biography

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