Butch Cassidy by Charles Leerhsen - The True Story Of An American Outlaw

I think Mr Leerhsen and I share some of the same great interests. First, The True Story of An American Outlaw is a great read, a biography that reads almost like fiction. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has of course been romanticized in part due to the great movie with Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy. But these legends of the American West, like those of sports heroes, gangsters and other people of notoriety the truth is often something different.

Mr Leerhsen has researched and written a great book  again showing that the facts paint Mr. Cassidy much like any of us. Sometimes the press was greater than the actual events and other times was much worse. I hated to finish this but relished in his exploits, loves, crimes and generosity. As a man who grew up in the 1960's, I love all things American West and this did not disappoint. I highly recommend that you buy this book. I was allowed to read the NetGalley version in exchange for my honest review and I am happy to recommend this to you along with Mr. Leerhsen's book Ty Cobb. Having seen and been around Mr Cobb as a kid, I was glad someone finally set the record straight. Mr Cobb has gotten a bad rap since a hungry, greedy writer disparaged him to sell books. I have known many people who knew Ty Cobb well (his sister was my mother's grade school teacher and he came and played ball with the students when he was in Royston). No one who knew him could say the things about him that the movie and other book said. Mr Leershen set the record somewhat straight.

If you like biographies, I highly recommend both of Mr Leerhsen's books, Ty Cobb and Butch Cassidy. Who is the next personality he will write about? I can hardly wait.