BUTCH CASSIDY: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMERICAN OUTLAW by Charles Leerhsen will be published on July 14th, 2020 by Simon Schuster.
Ever since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated by the Wild West—and Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the Wild Bunch are on the long list of Wild West icons that I am interested in. From what I have read in the past, I understand that there is a lot that we both do and do not know about the life of Butch Cassidy. And some of what we think we know was born out of legend and not real life.
In BUTCH CASSIDY: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMERICAN OUTLAW, Leershen examines not only Butch’s life as an outlaw but his stints as a ranch hand and (sometimes mostly) law abiding citizen, his family, and his upbringing in the Mormon church. Leersham shows how all these early influences on a young Robert Leroy Parker helped shape him into Butch Cassidy. The book is an interesting take on one of the American West’s most famous outlaws, but the author’s periodic need to criticize other Butch aficionados (and brag about how he knows more and is more reliable than them) left a bad taste in my mouth.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.