About book Shot All To Hell LP: Jesse James, The Northfield Raid, And The Wild West's Greatest Escape (2013)
I really enjoyed Gardner's earlier effort on Billy the Kid, and figured I'd go back to Outlaw Country and read some more. I might have liked this effort even more, but that's at least in part fueled by the subject. Billy, wild young man that he was, doesn't, to my mind, have the lethal and calculating gravitas of Jesse James and his crew. The James - Younger gang were a product of the brutal guerrilla wars in Civil War Missouri and Kansas. These wars had levels of barbarity that could be compared to modern day Bosnia, with eye-for-an-eye decapitations, burnings, shootings, hangings, American style. And memories ran long. The James - Younger band operated much like a military unit, with robberies planned with precision and fearless flair. These robberies were executed on what was a generally favorable landscape filled with sympathetic friends and family. But the railroads fought back, and it eventually led to the unplanned death of Jesse's step-brother due to a fire bombing of the James' house. After that, a number of names entered the James' Book of Vengeance. One collaborator (and neighbor) was soon gunned down by Jesse, and Alan Pinkerton (head of the detective agency responsible), was stalked by Jesse in Chicago. Another organizer in the attack on the James' house was attorney Samuel Hardwicke, who must have certainly felt a marked man afterwards. He would eventually move to what must have seemed a safer Minnesota.Gardner speculates, with some reason, that the otherwise inexplicable Northfield raid was, at least in part, a mission of vengeance, with Jesse also staking out Hardwicke. But, like the attempt on Pinkerton, Jesse wanted to look his man in the eye before pulling the trigger. The opportunity never presented itself, and there were banks to rob, even up north. The disaster of the Northfield raid -- which Garder lays out in impressive detail -- cannot be overstated. The James - Younger band were apparent (and arrogant) in their dusters, big horses, and big guns. The residents knew, upon sight, these guys were sketchy. One has to wonder that even if the gang had pulled off the robbery, if they would have been able to escape cleanly. As it turned out, a big gun battle erupted, with a few courageous citizens firing back. Before long, two bandits were bleeding out, and a brave bank employee had his brains blown out by Frank James. Cole Younger, in an equally cold blooded act, shot a fleeing man in the head. What follows is, arguably, the real heart of the book: the escape. And this is where Gardner excels, as he shows the hunted and hunted, in an amazing mile by mile journey. The word was out, and Minnesotans quickly converged, but the James gang proved slippery, and lucky, negotiating their way through an unfamiliar landscape, and coming up with quick and convincing lies when necessary. At least up to a point, and the then the gang split apart, with Frank and Jesse mysteriously disappearing, later to show up back in Missouri. The Youngers -- all wounded -- would have a last stand, but amazingly survive and escape the hangman as well. Jesse vowed he would never be caught, and that's the way it worked out, though not the way he envisioned. Frank? Frank was smart. He engineered, via political allies, an acquittal in Missouri. He never spent a day in jail for his crimes. He should have hung for them. Especially for the murder in Northfield, Minnesota. This is as exciting as a book on Jesse James ought to be. Meticulously researched, and it shows, but the book's readability doesn't suffer as a result. Though it's only really focused on one incident (The Northfield Raid), Shot All to Hell talks a little about the setting and all the important players. With the exception of the epilogue, none of the infodumps felt forced. The fourth chapter is particularly pleasant reading.
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Very accessible, concise and well researched, this book soars to the top of my all time favorites.
—Vani
It was tale the greatest bank robbery and hunting the outlaws down fun book to read
—hungergamesmuber1fan101
It is amazing how many lives these gang members had. Interesting writing style.
—Ronz
Interesting! Started out skimming but quickly began reading more thoroughly.
—mjain
