Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror

Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror
Average customer rating:

Rise of private military contractors

Perfect book on an intriguing subject

Contract Rifles

Pelton Explores the Rise of Military Privitization

Fascinating read that explores the implications of private security forces

Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror
Robert Young Pelton
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1400097819
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Book Description

Robert Young Pelton first became aware of the phenomenon of hired guns in the War on Terror when he met a covert team of contractors on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border in the fall of 2003. Pelton soon embarked on a globe-spanning odyssey to penetrate and understand this shadowy world, ultimately delivering stunning insights into the way private soldiers are used.

Enter a blood-soaked world of South African mercenaries and tribal fighters backed by ruthless financiers. Drop into Baghdad’s Green Zone, strap on body armor, and take a daily high-speed ride with a doomed crew of security contractors who dodge car bombs and snipers just to get their charges to the airport. Share a drink in a chic hotel bar with wealthy owners of private armies who debate the best way to stay alive in war zones.

Licensed to Kill spans four continents and three years, taking us inside the CIA’s dirty wars; the brutal contractor murders in Fallujah and the Alamo-like sieges in Najaf and Al Kut; the Deep South contractor training camps where ex–Special Operations soldiers and even small town cops learn the ropes; the contractor conventions where macho attendees swap bullet-punctuated tales and discuss upcoming gigs; and the grim Central African prison where contractors turned failed mercenaries pay a steep price.

The United States has encouraged the use of the private sector in all facets of the War on Terror, placing contractors outside the bounds of functional legal constraints. With the shocking clarity that can come only from firsthand observation, Licensed to Kill painstakingly deconstructs the most controversial events and introduces the pivotal players. Most disturbingly, it shows that there are indeed thousands of contractors—with hundreds more being produced every month—who’ve been given a license to kill, their services available to the highest bidder.

Customer Reviews:

Rise of private military contractors.......2007-10-22

An intriguing non-fiction work about the rise of mercenary groups and their use by U.S. government agencies at home and abroad. Book is very informative, but repetitious in places, and overly involved with minor details. However, for anyone interested in the "outsourcing" of protective services and growth of private militia this study highlights the three largest providers. Anyone interested in how private military contractors got started and operate, many under the umbrella of U.S. agencies like the CIA, should read this book.

Perfect book on an intriguing subject.......2007-09-22

I bought Pelton's 'World's most dangerous places' a few years ago. I'm always interested in the shady world of mercenaries, contractors and hired guns so of course I wanted to buy this book as soon as it was out. And it was spot-on. This is a very well written book, it gives you a no-nonsense look into the world of the contractors and after you have read it, you know a lot more about the matter than the average newsreader. What I liked most was the parts about Sandline and Executives Outcomes. Definetely a must-read if you want to know something more about contractors and 'mercenaries', or better put: the difference between those two. I recommend it highly.

Contract Rifles.......2007-08-13

Robert Young Pelton's Licensed to Kill is a book well worthy of the time invested in reading it. Pelton illuminates the world of modern private security contracting both from the inside and from an historical perspective. He draws a distinction between the security contractor, who is essentially a defensive fighter, and a mercenary, who undertakes offensive actions. The reader meets individual contractors and a few of the men behind the organizations. Tales of trial by fire mix with broader-perspective cautionary tales about where the trend in security contracting may be headed and the gray zone between the private security company and the mercenary army. Pelton's work offers valuable perspective on a phenomenon that has erupted since the start of the War on Terror and which deserves serious attention.

Licensed to Kill is many things at once. Pelton's book is a jigsaw puzzle of personal experiences with contractors on the ground, small-picture stories about individuals in the post-9/11 world of gun-for-hire opportunities, and big-picture stories that serve to frame the pre- and post-9/11 world of security contracting. A literary critic might argue that Licensed to Kill is a postmoderist work that lacks central direction or a single message. I believe that Pelton's book is a creditworthy effort at giving a human face to security contractors while creating a context for the world in which the War on Terror contractor operates.

At the personal level, Pelton devotes several chapters to his experiences in Iraq and North Carolina with contractors. Based on his subjects, Pelton to enjoys the closest contact with the American company Blackwater--one of post-9/11 private security success stories and one of the big winners of the outsourcing of security in Iraq. Pelton describes the Blackwater people in detail. The reader is imparted the knowledge that these are real people. The author sees most of them as men of (surprisingly) complex motives: they want to fight for their country; they want to support wives, children, etc.; they don't want to put up with the Big Army's bureaucratic nonsense; they want better pay than an Army junior enlisted man gets for putting his life on the line; they fear they have no other skills, so they want to earn a living marketing what they have; many are too old to go active duty, anyway; they crave the high that comes from danger.

As a mid-thirties National Guardsman and junior NCO who served in Baghdad in 2005, I understand the men Pelton describes reasonably well. Pelton describes a run down Route Irish to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) and back to the Green Zone. I've made that run more than once myself. Although I find Pelton's description a touch dramatic, he's very authentic when he describes the hazards of the situation. I understand completely why these men hate the Big Army way of doing business. Soldiers in Iraq--NCOs included--are treated like irresponsible children, forbidden any sort of liberties, and subjected to the attentions of bored sergeants major who think the insurgency will be defeated by proper uniforms and correctly-laced boots. The contractors Pelton describes have found a way to get into the fight while avoiding the Army's less-attractive aspects. Many of my fellow soldiers talked about trying to come back as contractors so they could make twice as much money (or more) and be treated like men into the bargain. Pelton gives the reader an idea of who the contractors, mostly prior military, really are. Seemn through Pelton's eyes, contractors are not predominantly bloodthirsty raiders looking to spill as much innocent blood as possible. They are men being paid to carry a rifle to accomplish specific tasks and trying to survive while doing it.

Pelton is clearly in the trenches with the contractors physically and sympathetically. He acknowledges as much, so we are free to take his anecdotal experience as exactly that: anecdotal.

That much said, Pelton is not a mindless promoter in Licensed to Kill. He raises questions about the legal framework of contracting. To whom do the contractors really answer? Soldiers are clearly representatives of their nation, and they are held to well-published standards of conduct. Contractors, though as former soldiers may be guided by the same moral and ethical compass as their uniformed brethren, are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Pelton points out that contractors exist in a sort of legal and ethical limbo. This, Pelton claims, is what the US government wants. When a contractor messes up and is called to task for it, the US government can claim that the contractor does not represent the policies and intent of the United States. The contractor can be dismissed out of hand, Pelton tells us, and the government thereafter washes its hands of the whole thing. Deniability, the author claims, is one of the chief virtues of the contractor and, by extension, one of the chief moral pitfalls. What does it say about the United States of America when we engage disposable men to fight for our causes? Soldiers are expendable in that their lives may be sacrificed to accomplish a mission. However, soldiers receive a host of benefits and long-term investment as part of their service. Contractors receive pay and nothing more. Currently, they are mostly immune from legal consequences in Iraq; but when and if they do start to be charged with crimes for their activities, the US government can give them up with a clean conscience--no harm, no foul to the government. Compare this to the fallout associated with Abu Ghraib and other poor conduct by American troops, and one can see the allure of disposable, deniable contractors. Whether or not the rest of the world will buy the argument that the actions of contractors do not reflect on the government sponsoring the contract remains to be seen. Pelton's point is that the US government has been entranced by the prospect and is likely to remain so until circumstances invalidate the idea.

Pelton devotes some narrative to the world of security contracting prior to 9/11. The main point of doing so seems to be to illustrate the fact that while private security contracting is by no means a new activity, the War on Terror has completely transformed contracting and contracting companies. He also points out that the more mercenary activities of private contracting that occurred in the 1990's still exist as possibilities in the 2000's and beyond. Pelton tells us that the leadership of Blackwater in particular is interested in building a force larger, more capable, and much more powerful than the armies of a number of Third World countries. Pelton seems assured that the Blackwater leadership assumes a priori that a Blackwater army would be used only in support of American foreign interests and that this fact creates a satisfactory moral and ethical framework for the use of said force. At the same time, Pelton raises the question of what will happen when the bounties of the War on Terror cease to provide satisfactory employ for the growing mass of men and companies under arms by contract. Men like the men Pelton describes in detail in Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Carolina may find that having decided to live by the rifle in their post-military careers they are unable to resist bending their codes of conduct to take jobs that are neither entirely in nor out of line with American foreign policy and interests once the ratio of contractors-to-contracts starts to become more competitive. (Sooner or later, this will happen. The market makes it inevitable.) Where in the gray zone between security contractor and mercenary will these men then operate? This is no academic question. As Pelton points out, it is a reality being rushed along by the decision of the US government to privatize much of the security force of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Licensed to Kill is a worthy read. The men are real. The world in which they operate is filled with dangers, rewards, and uncertainties. The national policies unfolding today lead us down a road fraught with hazard and paved with the bodies and rifles of security contractors and those they have been engaged to fight. Pelton provides the reader with an interesting, informative read. Whether one agrees with him or not, Pelton paints a fascinating picture and raises important questions.

Pelton Explores the Rise of Military Privitization.......2007-08-13

Robert Young Pelton has been reporting from global hotspots for the past 15 + years. His record of reporting from far a field is impeccable, including stints in Afghanistan, Columbia, Kashmir, Algeria, and now Iraq. Having long been acquainted with private military contractors throughout his travels, Pelton ventures to Iraq to experience first hand the move towards privatization in the US military.

Pelton spends the majority of his time in Iraq with the controversial Blackwater USA; making runs along the "highway of death" between Baghdad Airport and the Green Zone. He gives a good description of the life of a military contractor in one the world's most dangerous zones. Pelton refrains from painting a too glorified picture of contractor life, and seems more to concentrate on the motivations of men working in the field.

Pelton also describes the history of the military contractor beginning in the early 1980s with such firms as the South African Executive Outcomes, and the British Sandline. He illustrates both the perceived benefits of private military intervention, such as quelling the RUF in Sierra Leone, to the not so clean interventions in Equatorial Guinea sponsored by the wealth-seeking interests of international business and finance.

All in all, I think Pelton does an excellent job refraining from the political bias which clouds much of the recent work on military contractors. Licensed to Kill serves as a readable description of the unstoppable move towards the expansion of private military contractors, and provokes thought and discussion on this new Pandora's Box.

Fascinating read that explores the implications of private security forces.......2007-08-07

This book reflects on the history and modern evolution of private security forces, their influences on the war on terror and the implications of the acceptance of private security forces in society's future.
Beyond just a dry assessment of private security contractors in Iraq, Pelton, adds dramatic personal narratives of his interactions with security contractors, aptly painting a picture of their experiences in Iraq.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the blurring of the line between the military and privately fielded armed forces, which raises interesting questions regarding the US Military's self-sufficiency, the allegiances of private forces, the skill-drain occurring in the armed forces and the future of warfare.

Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies: Itinerant Experts in a Knowledge Economy

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must have for forward thinkers
Highly Recommended !
"The Apprentice" starring Dilbert, produced by Margaret Mead

Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies: Itinerant Experts in a Knowledge Economy
Stephen R. Barley , and Gideon Kunda
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691119430

Book Description

Over the last several decades, employers have increasingly replaced permanent employees with temporary workers and independent contractors to cut labor costs and enhance flexibility. Although commentators have focused largely on low-wage temporary work, the use of skilled contractors has also grown exponentially, especially in high-technology areas. Yet almost nothing is known about contracting or about the people who do it. This book seeks to break the silence.

Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies tells the story of how the market for temporary professionals operates from the perspective of the contractors who do the work, the managers who employ them, the permanent employees who work beside them, and the staffing agencies who broker deals. Based on a year of field work in three staffing agencies, life histories with over seventy contractors and studies of workers in some of America's best known firms, the book dismantles the myths of temporary employment and offers instead a grounded description of how contracting works.

Engagingly written, it goes beyond rhetoric to examine why contractors leave permanent employment, why managers hire them, and how staffing agencies operate. Barley and Kunda paint a richly layered portrait of contract professionals. Readers learn how contractors find jobs, how agents negotiate, and what it is like to shoulder the risks of managing one's own "employability."

The authors illustrate how the reality of flexibility often differs substantially from its promise. Viewing the knowledge economy in terms of organizations and markets is not enough, Barley and Kunda conclude. Rather, occupational communities and networks of skilled experts are what grease the skids of the high-tech, "matrix economy" where firms become way stations in the flow of expertise.

Customer Reviews:

must have for forward thinkers.......2006-12-14

As a contractor, owner of a contracting firm, and publisher this book has found one of the best spots in my library: open, and on the desk. I use it, refer to it, and think it is an excellent book.

If you're a contractor, you'll find yourself nodding your head and realizing that this is a smart piece of work.

I think recruiters should read this book as well.

Highly Recommended !.......2005-02-24

Some years ago, during the height of the technology stock bubble, a book entitled "Free Agent Nation" made quite a splash by glorifying the phenomenon of independent contracting. Less famously and far less optimistically, a number of economists and anthropologists pointed to this trend as a grave sign of the decay of workers' position in American society. Stephen R. Barley and Gideon Kunda, the authors of this study, steer a careful, meticulously documented middle course. They examined the observable fact of independent contracting in the high technology industry from three viewpoints: the contractors, the headhunters and the client firms. They say that the contractor is a new, different kind of knowledge worker with a unique set of opportunities and constraints. The book is clearly written, based on apparently sound evidence and illustrated with carefully chosen anecdotes. We suggest that its primary appeal will be to academics and other students of labor market trends, but also recommend it to firms that hire contractors and to contractors themselves - both will benefit from the authors' analysis of their market.

"The Apprentice" starring Dilbert, produced by Margaret Mead.......2004-09-28

Ah the sweet life of a contract programmer... the big bucks, the independence, the freedom from corporate politics! Barley and Kunda are brilliant anthropologists who take you inside the reality of the contractor's life. You hear their stories, learn their secrets, and smell their nervous sweat. The authors' style is captured nicely by the title of the book. They're irreverent and on-target. They allow you to spy with them--mixing voyeur appeal with hard science. Imagine an episode of "The Apprentice" starring characters pulled from Dilbert, and produced by Margaret Mead. I laughed out loud and took notes. If you work with contractors, if you live with a contractor, if you hire contractors, and for sure if you are a contractor, you must get this book.

David Maxfield
Director of Research
VitalSmarts

Average customer rating:

2 stars
Hired Gun
Had alot of potential, but disappointed...again!
Too many characters and not enough romance
Excellent Read!

Hired Gun
Bobbi Smith
Manufacturer: Leisure
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

2 stars.......2007-06-12

When Faith Ryan's sister is stolen by Indians, she needs the best to help get Abby back, so she hires Trent Marshall to rescue her. To his surprise and displeasure, Faith insists on accompanying him. Trent may have to accept her, but he doesn't have to make it easy on Faith, and he doesn't. Once again, she startles him by holding up to the rigors and by rescuing him from the hard heart he's developed to deal with life.

**Although the story is filled with surprises for the characters, nothing is really surprising for the readers. Falling square in the middle between sensual and sweet, it is simply bland and would have been better had it been one or the other. **

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.

Hired Gun.......2007-03-12

Trent Marshall is a gun for hire. Trent's just finished his last job, which was to find and kill the outlaw Matt Sykes. Now he plans to take a break.

Faith Ryan is attending the town social when she is paired with Trent while dancing. Trent and Faith are attracted to each other, but before she can find out more about him, Trent leaves.

Faith's brother, Mason, and sister ,Abbie, are attacked by renegade Apache warriors and her sister ends up captured. Faith becomes reacquainted with Trent again when she hires him to track her sister down.

During the long and arduous journey to try and save Abbie, Trent and Faith grow closer while Abbie struggles to endure her brutality as a captive, and all the while a threat lurks. Someone seeks revenge for Matt Sykes death.

Faith and Trent make a great match in Hired Gun. Faith is a strong woman with a big heart. Trent is a tough and handsome man. Abbie's ordeal is nerve racking, but she handles herself well. I particularly enjoyed how the story pans back and forth between several different characters. Bobbi Smith's Hired Gun is a well-written story filled with romance and excitement.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Had alot of potential, but disappointed...again! .......2007-03-02

Loved the main characters, as I always do in Bobbi's books, however, there were WAY to many secondary characters and secondary love stories. I found myself skimming many pages to get back to the main story. One of the secondary character seemed to be building up to be a good addition to the storyline, but then he dropped out of the story altogether about half way through - what was that all about?

A nice love story, but the emotion didn't go deep enough for my liking. I like the main characters to face many challenges and dangers along the way and these characters didn't really face any. Their love was never threatened or tested in order for them to grow and love each other all the more deeply.

I absolutely love bobbi's earlier books but her latest ones don't seem to drag me in and keep me hanging on baited breath as a good romance novel should.

Very predictable and almost boring storyline. It's ashame because Bobbi Smith is capable of so much more.

Too many characters and not enough romance.......2007-02-11

The book had way to many characters to try and keep up. You could predict the entire book within the first few chapters. The two main characters were likeable but there was not enough upheaval in their lives to make it a great romance book, or even a good romance book. More of an adventure than a romance. I quickly got bored with the story and skimmed many pages and didnt lose track of the story. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Wonder if I can get a refund?

Excellent Read!.......2007-01-12

This was an excellent story in and of itself, but as a series it was wonderful. The story and people are great! Read all 4 books in 2 days. Could not put them down. I am becomeing an avid fan of O'Banyon's western historical romances! Cannot wait to see what comes out next!

Greatest Hits: Original Stories of Hitmen, Hired Guns, and Private Eyes

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Greatest Hits: Original Stories of Hitmen, Hired Guns, and Private Eyes

Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Featuring standout writers of mystery and suspense like Lawrence Block, Jeffery Deaver, James W. Hall, Jeff Abbott, Michael Collins, Max Allan Collins, and Lee Child — all of them best-selling authors, most of them winners of Edgar or Shamus awards (or both) — this anthology comes with a chamberful of surefire stories. Loaded with tension, charged with uncertainty, these taut tales bring their unsuspecting or hunted and fearful marks into the deadly sight of a hired killer's gun. The hit men, or women, meanwhile match their criminal wits with police detectives, seasoned private eyes, the resolute everyguy, or amateur sleuths to often unexpected and frequently startling ends.

Every one of the stories here is a hit. Each of them craftily calibrated and written expressly for this collection, they include new work by the popular, award-winning Ed Gorman, the versatile writer-editor Robert J. Randisi, and the recipient of the first-ever Sherlock Award for best detective, John Harvey. With cunning invention hit-lit authors Christine Matthews, Barbara Serenella, Marcus Pelegrimas, and Kevin Wignall further ratchet up the suspense to keep Greatest Hits true to its name, and aim.

Greatest Hits: Tales of Assasins, Hit Men and Hired Guns

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Greatest Hits: Tales of Assasins, Hit Men and Hired Guns
Jeff Abbott , Lee Child , Robert J. Randisi , Barbara Seranella , and Kevin Wignall
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Loaded with tension, charged with uncertainty, these four taut tales by New York Times bestselling authors bring their unsuspecting or hunted and fearful targets into the deadly sights of a hired killer's gun. Contents include: "Retrospective" by Kevin Wignall read by Charles Kahlenberg, "Karma Hits Dogma" by Jeff Abbott read by Rex Linn, "The Greatest Trick of All" by Lee Child read by Stefan Rudnicki, "Upon My Soul" by Robert J. Randisi read by Stephen Hoye and "Misdirection" by Barbara Seranella read by Gabrielle de Cuir.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Multinational Monitor, published by Essential Information, Inc. on May 1, 1994. The length of the article is 1386 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The Center for Claims Resolution (CCR) has hired Yale Law Professor Peter Schuck to write a paper entitled 'The Worst Should Go First: Deferral Registries in Asbestos Litigation' for $15,000 - $20,000. CCR represents 20 companies which serve as defendants in asbestos litigation. Schuck proposed that courts with big cases mandate deferral registries. Schuck also claims that he was not hired to write about a particular point of view.

Citation Details
Title: Asbestos' hired gun. (Yale Law professor Peter Schuck)
Author: Russell Mokhiber
Publication: Multinational Monitor (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 1994
Publisher: Essential Information, Inc.
Volume: v15 Issue: n5 Page: p7(2)

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The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid (Unabridged)

Average customer rating:

An interesting book of sorts
Could have used a ghostwriter here!!!
Sometimes the best history is written by those who make it.
A valuable book because of the relationship of the author
A SHAME..

The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid (Unabridged)
Pat F. Garrett
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
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Book Description

Subtitled: The Noted Desperado of the Southwest, Whose Deeds of Daring and Blood made His Name A Terror in New Mexico, Arizona and Northern Mexico-- By Pat Garrett--Sheriff of Lincoln Co., N.M., By Whom He Was Finally Hunted Down and Captured By Killing Him.

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Customer Reviews:

An interesting book of sorts.......2006-02-20

This book starts out slow and dry. It didn't get exciting until Pat Garrett started to take over the story. This doesn't occur until about midway through the book. Don't expect this to be a screenplay for the movies Young Guns and Young Guns II. The book isn't that exciting but it does introduce you to an interesting character profile of Billy the Kid. Personally I feel that the first half of the book is fiction that is read for pure entertainment and the second half covers the real story of the Kid. I would recommend this book if you are interested in the Kids story and you want to read every angle of his story.

Could have used a ghostwriter here!!!.......2001-09-18

Some very interesting facts are in this book. However, the book is dry and boring. So much work went into putting this book together, that it's a shame there wasn't a ghostwriter working with Mr. Garrett to capture the emotions and the urgency in what could have been a fascinating book. I'm afraid I only got halfway through this book, before I gave up. I hate to walk away from a book without finishing it... but there was no way I could finish this story.

Sometimes the best history is written by those who make it........2000-10-08

This is quite a work. A quasi-biography, a documentary and an adventure tale all rolled into one is the best I can do to try and classify it as something. Essentially, Garrett's book is generic - an oddity which caan only ever be a `one off' due entirely to the nature of the writers' relation to their subject.

Garrett and, to a lesser degree, Upson, write as technicians of fact-conveyance rather than writers. I found that this actually served to whet my appetite to learn more as I read. When you're hearing about a legend straight from the mouth of the horse that was chasing him, the awe you feel overrides your contempt for shoddy writing style.

Having said that, the book is just the right length and so is nowhere near as boring as the claims I had heard here and elsewhere prior to my buying and reading it. The writing, although nonchalantly functional most of the time, is kept tight which is necessary. To have imbued it with imaginative streaks and cosmetic touch-ups would have certainly destroyed the flow of what is, you'll soon find if you pick it up, a fast river of intrigue. Anyway, Upson has done quite a good job at injecting artistry in his sections so there is no really terrible lack of good writing here.

Of course, Garrett's leaden, subdued delivery do deaden the thrills a little. It's interesting how he balances his attitude toward `The Kid' throughout the book. At times, he seems to speak admirably of him (allbeit apparently with a false tone sometimes); at others, he seems genuinely distanced from him, almost indifferent to whether or not their paths will actually cross.

Biased? Of course it is. What do you expect? Even so, `The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid' is made the definitive work on the topic because it, like the legend it examines, is a product of the same time. The best way to read it is with an analytical mind. By all means, challenge Garrett on his words when you feel he's deviating from his function as a chronicler - that is the point of reading this book a hundred and twenty years later. Unlike more recent biographers who would do exhaustive research based on documents, wide-sweeping second-hand information and historical `givens', it's best to go straight to those `givens' yourself and get to grips with them. Sheriff Garrett's book is a remarkable fountain of first generation facts and factoids and it commands the respect of academics and casual readers alike because of its durability. After all, just how many accounts of book length from the Old West survive today, especially those that receive serious scrutiny from a variety of disciplines.

My only peeve lies in Garrett and Upson's ardent declarations regarding the aftermath of `The Kid's slaying. Why did they repeat themselves so many times that `The Kid' was dead and buried and `that was that'. It seems that Garrett was a little insecure in case he was challenged over the fate of his quarry. Whatever the case, the insecure tone he adopts in the last pages seems to somehow lend strength to the camp of `Flat Earthers' who claim that Billy the Kid survived into the next century....cue Brushy Bill Roberts......

A valuable book because of the relationship of the author.......2000-08-21

The introduction to this book by J.C. Dyke is good, and explains a lot; especially the last paragraph, wherein he says,"The reading (and study) of [this book] is essential to an understanding of that mythical hero, the Robin Hood of the Southwest, who was once just a bucktoothed, thieving, murderous little cowboy-gone-bad, Billy the Kid."

Of course, the author, Pat Garrett, was not an unprejudiced reporter of events, for it was he who ended the life of William Bonney, also known as William Antrim (his foster father's surname). It is also interesting I think, in passing, to mention that Billy the Kid was not a product of the West, but a transplanted New Yorker.

Elsewhere, you will read that Pat Garrett's writing effort is poor, and leaves much to be desired. He readily admits it. In his own words, he says, "I make no pretension to literary ability, but propose to give to the public in intelligible English, 'a round, unvarnished tale,' unadorned with superfluous verbiage."

Garrett is motivated, he says, by an "impulse to correct the thousand false statements which have appeared in the newspapers and in yellow-covered cheap novels."

And, there is no doubt at all that the stories of Billy's exploits were greatly exaggerated by an Eastern press eager for stories of gunplay and adventure on the Western frontier. Today's myth of Billy the Kid is largely descended from the pulp stories created by the inflamed minds of Eastern "journalists" and the latter-day Hollywood screen-writers who have made no attempt at all to portray the truth.

Pat Garrett claims to have known Billy throughout the period known as the "Lincoln County Wars," and having listened to Bonney's reminiscences around campfires and says he has interviewed many persons since Bonney's death. That much would seem to be undisputed.

Bonney was born in 1859, six years after the birth of another Southwestern hardcase, John Wesley Hardin. In fact, they were contemporaries and were raising hell at the same time. Bonney, however, died young at the age of 21, in 1881. Hardin died at the age of 42--twice Billy's age--in 1895. And, if the rumors are true, Hardin probably killed twice as many men. They both started young. Both are reputed to have had fearful tempers. Neither were killed in the face-to-face "quick draw" shootouts so dear to the hearts of Hollywood writers. Instead, both of their executioners used stealth to kill their quarries.

According to Garrett, in Pete Maxwell's darkened bedroom, where he shot Billy to death, Billy was holding a butcher knife in one hand and drawing his double-action Colt "Lightning" revolver ("self-cocker") with the other, while asking in Spanish, "Quien es? Quien es?" ("Who is it? Who is it?") They were, again according to Garrett, at point blank range. The only other witness was Pete Maxwell. There are other versions to the story, including one which insists that Bonney was unarmed except for the knife, which he had used to cut off a chunk of beef from a hanging carcass outside, because he was hungry.

My question is this: it is undisputed that he was holding the knife, and the reason for which he had it. So, where was the beef? It is unlikely that he ate it raw, or stuck it in a pocket. Probably he was holding it in his other hand, intending to cook it. In which case, if he had a revolver tucked in his waistband, he must have had to drop the beef to fetch his revolver.

It is probably of little importance; a Billy Bonney armed with a butcher knife, at close quarters, would still have needed killing. But, did he make the fatal mistake of coming to a gunfight armed only with a knife?

I think that this is an important book, if for no other reason than the relationship that existed between the author and William Bonney. I recommend it. My version is in the hard cover.

Joseph Pierre

A SHAME.........2000-02-24

A shame that Mr. Garrett had absolutely no writing talent at all, because the book could be good, dealing about one of the greatest legendsof all times.

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WILLOW WEEP FOR ME
Western or Romance Novel?

Bad Day at Willow Creek (Unabridged)
Ralph Cotton
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
Similar Items:

Fast Guns Out Of Texas (Signet Historical Fiction)
Gunfight at Cold Devil
Ralph Compton A Wolf In the Fold (Ralph Compton Western Series)
Ralph Compton Trail to Cottonwood Falls (Ralph Compton Western Series)
Trouble Creek

ASIN: B000TTC7A8

Book Description

Larry Shaw was a hired gunman until his wife was slain. But that doesn't mean he can't still handle iron. He planned on leaving Willow Creek after helping soiled dove Rita Vargas identify which of three men fathered her unborn child-one candidate was the infamous William H. Bonney. Now Bonney wants Shaw back in the saddle and fighting beside him in a cattle war as Bonney fights his way into history-as Billy the Kid.

Customer Reviews:

WILLOW WEEP FOR ME.......2007-01-03

Ralph Cotton has given us another segment in the Lawrence 'Fast Larry' Shaw chronicles, following up his earlier western GUNMAN'S SONG. As usual we find 'Fast Larry", a name Shaw dislikes, trying to aid someone, this time a pregnant woman of very questionable virtue, one Rita Vargas, while at the same time trying to stay out of trouble. But trouble is as usual more than willing to seek Shaw out, and as trouble stalks Shaw, both bullets and blood begin to flow in equal amounts.

In the town of Willow Creek and the surrounding rangeland, due to an impending range war, an all out gun-war is soon set to break out. The sides are choosing up with eager, mercenary gunhands flooding into the place, even as Shaw tries to attend to his business, avoiding the Katlin Gang, to quietly get back on the trail. Involved in all this is a stoic doctor, his sex-crazed wife (both characters from a previous Cotton novel), and the usual assortment of heavies and kooks to be found in abundance within Ralph's books, and a notable non-fiction character: Henry McCarty or William Bonney, or Billy the Kid.

Shaw and the Kid share drinks, laughs, and at times gunplay; and can you feature Billy the Kid as a father? Well it's all here in Ralph's latest book, and any of you who have read Ralph's work before know the reading entertainment awaiting you. No matter what Ralph writes he always comes across with an easy-to-read, entertaining style.

And while it is certainly no historical western of fact, it is a very readable, enjoyable non-historical western of fiction. And though both the women and gunplay can be dangerous at times, all comes out well in the end; and with 'Fast Larry' Shaw bigger than life itself, how could it be any different.

Recommended.

(If you are interested in another fictional treatment of Billy the Kid see THE STONE GARDEN: THE EPIC LIFE OF BILLY THE KID by Bill Brooks, Forge mass market, October, 2002.)

(And Ralph Cotton's next release: FAST GUNS OUT OF TEXAS will be released in March, 2007.)

Semper Fi.

Western or Romance Novel?.......2006-12-20

This book has a good story line with action to suit the plot but it's an often told story of big (foreign syndicate) rancher vs the little guys. However, I was extremely annoyed that the author spent too many words on personal relationships to the point I thought I was reading a romance novel or an adult Western.
In addition, the "Historical" designation of this book seems to be based on the prominence of Billy The Kid throughout the story. The protrayal of the "Kid" was shallow and bore no resemblance to the actual historical character.
In nearly 300 pages, it seems 50% of the story involved a soiled dove (prostitute in today's language), illegitimate offspring, and an adultress wife. But this was sold as a novel, not a Western, so maybe it lives up to it's billing.
A good story ruined by sex and use of an historical outlaw! Ralph Cotton is no match for Max Brand or Louis L'Amour!

Bodyguards and the press: do hired guns make journalists safer--or less safe?(Spotlight): An article from: Columbia Journalism Review

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Bodyguards and the press: do hired guns make journalists safer--or less safe?(Spotlight): An article from: Columbia Journalism Review
Neil Hickey
Manufacturer: Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008GFFUQ
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Columbia Journalism Review, published by Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 831 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bodyguards and the press: do hired guns make journalists safer--or less safe?(Spotlight)
Author: Neil Hickey
Publication: Columbia Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
Volume: 42 Issue: 5 Page: 5(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Border Guns

Manufacturer: Warner Paperback Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000F1CUP2

Product Description

A Max Brand classic about a hired hero protecting an invalid girl from unknown killers.

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