"All of history is mystery," Dale L. Walker says, and he proves his point in this lively, humorous--and rational--approach to the West's greatest puzzles. Did Davy Crockett, for example, go down swinging Ol' Betsy, defending the ramparts of the Alamo--or was he captured? Who is buried in Jesse James's grave? Was the man Pat Garrett shot that night really Billy the Kid? How did Black Bart, "the gentleman bandit," disappear? Did Sacajawea, the famous "Bird Woman" who scouted for Lewis and Clark, die twice? The possibilities unfold as Walker brings together little-known facts and the elusive...

"Dale Walker has done Januarius MacGahan all the honor that has long been due him." ["The Smithsonian"]

"Mr. Walker's research is as impressive as his writing..." ["Washington Times"]

"For those who enjoy narrative history,...

Award-winning historian Dale L. Walker uncovers the truth about some of the American West's most famous and infamous figures. He delves deep into some of the most enduring myths and legends of the Old West to unveil the real stories beneath them, including:

*Who was the first American to make a transcontinental journey across the Western United States to the Pacific Ocean? Lewis and Clark or a Yazoo Indian who preceded them by more than sixty years
*What was the true relationship between Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane? And who was the woman who claimed to have proof she was...