Product Description
He’s a welder and a gearhead, a tattooed wiseguy, and stone-cold TV star. Jesse James works with his hands, making custom motorcycles for big spenders who like their choppers loud and built from the groundup. James got famous as the host of TV’s Monster Garage and Motorcycle Mania, but it all begins at his West Coast Choppers factory in Long Beach, California, where James and his crew piece together these epic handmade machines, welding and sculpting an array of gleaming pipes and fenders from scratch and polishing every detail right down to the magnum shell casings that decorate West Coast gas caps. The bikes are fast, but building each one is a year-long process, and the waiting list is long.Jesse James (named for the Old West outlaw and distant cousin) is a one-time juvenile delinquent who became an international pop culture phenomenon, a grease monkey superhero with a blowtorch, and an impossible success story that began in his mother’s garage in 1993. He does it now for both love (of his machines and their aluminum engines) and money: He has a giant $100 bill tattooed across his back, and the words "Pay up, sucker!" written in the palm of one hand. He’s not joking.In Jesse James and His Beautiful Machines, photographer Nathaniel Welch documents that life and every step of the creative process in a collection of elegant, grease-stained portraits of people and the motorcycles they create—the welding, sandblasting, painting, fueling—and of James himself roaring along some Long Beach highway on one of his beautiful machines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great pictures from around the shop
I thought the book would be about the bikes and cars from west coast choppers. It turned out to be a large book with black and white shots of the shop, its workers, bikes and Jesse. Pretty cool, but not what I thought it would be. I'm pretty happy with the book being a big WCC fan, it's a good addition to the coffee table.

Great book...4.5 stars!
Great book. I bought it for my husband who builds choppers as a hobby. He loved the book...but thought it could be even better if it had more pictures of bikes and less of people.

Not too happy Jesse!
Loved the bikes but I wish it was in colour!
I understand it's ART & they are worthy of a museum. But to me the black & white sucks. If I wasn't such an enthusiest, I'd have my new door stop.

What a great subject for an awesome book!
This book with the black & white photos and Jesse and his crew could not be better.The photos are so clear you can learn from this.I highly recommend this to anyone into motorcycles or welding/fabricating.

Pretty pictures, not much else...
This is a large book with page after page of stunning black & white photography.As much as I love great shots of cool bikes and thier builders, I was a bit dissapointed with this book.This is proabably my own mistake for not reading the book summary close enough.I was expecting something more like 'Jesse James, the Man and His Machines'; a book with tons of great photos but also some writing on the man, his builds, and his process.I thought a new book would have more updated writing from everything that has changed in the last few years since that other book was published.Not so... little verbage other than introduction, photo index in the back, and 4 page blurb by Steve Appleford.Those 4 pages offer some interesting insights, but dosen't quite save the book.
So if you're looking for something to 'read' abot Jesse James, try the afore-mentioned book.This photo book will end up with beer bottle rings on the cover as it sits on my coffee table.
Oh, by the way, for one last kick in the pants; "Printed and Bound in CHINA" is slapped on the back cover. Go figure. ... Read more

Product Description
Jesse James and his gang roamed the fields and valleys of Iowa, seeking targets in the many trains and banks in small towns scattered across the countryside. It was in Iowa where he and his gang hones their skills and practiced for the attempt at robbing the Northfield bank in Minnesota. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Good Reading
I really enjoyed this book.I wanted to know more about Jesse James and what was going on in Missouri during the time of the civil war and Jesse's robberies and this book gave me a good basic understanding.
It was very easy reading and helpful.

Easy Read ... for a Reason
When I picked up this book, I quickly discovered that I'd overlooked something: It is designed for adults who are learning to read. With that caveat in mind, Jesse James and the Civil War in Missouri is an interesting glance at the influence of the Civil War and Quantrill's Raiders on theinfamous Frank and Jesse James.

Given its goal of being a easy-to-readbook, Dyer decent a good job of describing the divisions between Unionistsand Confederate sympathizers in Missouri and the rather limited role theJames Brothers played in the Civil War. All in all, the book mostly whetsone's appetite for more information, but there are some good photos andbasic information that might recommend the book, particularly to youngerreaders who are interested in the Wild West or the Civil War. ... Read more

Product Description
On the surface, with his collection of skulls, pet sharks, pit bulls, and tattoos, Jesse James is the consummate motorcycle outlaw. Some of this comes naturally - after all, his great-great-grandfather was the famous outlaw's cousin. But this image is only a small part of Jesse James' persona. There's also his passion as an artisan and his success at custom building bikes (chronicled in Discover Channels video productions Motorcycle Mania and Motorcycle Mania 2). Now Jesse puts his talents to good use as the master builder in the popular new Discovery Channel series Monster Garage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Where's my book?
I ordered "Jesse JamesThe Man and his Machines" and got confirmation of the payment almost 4 weeks ago but have yet to see anything! I also paid $17.79 plus shipping nd handling, and now I see I can get the book for only $6.50! What in the hell is wrong with this picture and Where is my book? When you finally get around to sending it, make sure you add the $15 I lost because of you!

the book stands on it's own - doesn't need the jesse stamp
c'mon outlaw, stop whining...

your marketing machine is impressive, but your fans realize there is more than the fun-but-shallow spin seen on tv.

Bizzare reviews of a great book
I just discovered the "write a review" feature on Amazon and have been going through reviews of books I've read in the past year. The reviews of this book are completely mental. It is a great book. If anything, it makes Jesse look too good. I was hoping for a bit more dirt about his marriages and divorces and other stuff. But it is still very interesting, with great photography. For the life of me I can't figure out why Jesse hates it so much.

It's all here - history, atmosphere, bikes, pictures, story
Maybe this was an "unauthorized" biography, but it's darned good.We get insight into how Jesse learned his craft, who he studied under and where he worked prior to starting his own shop.Jesse dreamt of having his own shop ever since he was a young boy, and this is a decent tale about how it came to be.

There are lots of pictures (the book is about 50% pictures, and 50% text).We gain insight into his parts business, the custom bikes, and Jesse's evolving aesthetic.

There is a section devoted to the recent Monster Garage work, and a section about Jesse's team, and what it's like to work with him.

I gather that "Jesse James Inc." is angry that this book was published without his permission, probably because he doesn't get a cut of the proceeds. Too bad for them.This is an interesting read.I'm sure the style mavens a WCC would want to project pure image, whereas this book is much more honest and human, and gives the reader some real insight into the man and his team.

Highly recommended.

Good book, whether it is "official" or not!
This book is well written, filled with great photos, and is very fair.Frankly, I don't know what the fuss is about!Did Jesse not get offered a big enough cut? LOL
I respect Jesse a great deal, and have found in him a great role model and inspiration, since I want to become a bike builder myself.This book was cool because it cut through James' public bad-ass persona and showed the side of him that I admire: a perfectionist craftsman, a genius marketer, and a tireless worker.It is fascinating to read how this guy came from meager means to become a world hero of cult proportions.If I was Jesse, I'd be flattered by this book.But as I said before, it probably comes down to money, and who got what. ... Read more

Product Description
Despite 1995 DNA results highly touted as proving Jesse James was shot dead by Bob Ford in 1882 and is buried just as history reports, he instead pulled off one of the biggest hoaxes in American history by getting away with his own murder, and hightailing it to Texas where he lived under the alias of James Courtney for the rest of his long life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Truth about Jesse James
The proper title should be :The Lies about Jesse James.I returned this book in exchange for other books but to date I have not yet received them.I had personal contact with several of his relatives and, as a result, I find the information in this book not credible at all.

Author has Huge Imagination But No Facts
Clearly the book is not based on documented, recorded history.The author's whole presentation defies logic.After reading the book and doing more research, I am now convinced that Jesse James died In April 1882 in Missouri.Not one single piece of evidence has ever been discovered that actually strongly supports the premise that Jesse James lived past his historically-stated death date.The author's great,grandfather, James Courtney, has a better-documented life (letters, diary, etc.) than I do and I was born in 1945 and have several college degrees.This story reminds me of the Amelia Earhart fabricated story proposing that she replaced a lady banker in New Jersey and the real well-know lady banker,who had a young son, just completely vanished from the earth.That story also defies logic and documented history relating to the real lady banker who lived and died in New Jersey.This Jesse James-related book makes good fiction reading if one enjoys such stories.

No real evidence. Outlandish and laughable theories.
No real evidence. Nothing to support the claims listed. This is based on hearsay and wishful thinking. The real Jesse James died in 1882. End of story. Don't waste your money.

Ridiculous in the extreme
I had thought that this book would be about J.Frank Dalton, who emerged in 1948 claiming to be Jesse James. The fact that Jesse would have been 101 years old by then did not deter him or those who claimed that he was thegenuine article. Dalton is buried in Granbury, Texas, as "Jesse Woodson James, Supposedly Killed in 1882."

Dalton's claim was absurd, and the claim in this book is even more so. If it is not enough that DNA tests proved conclusively that the man buried in Jesse James's grave is the real Jesse, consider this:

1. Jesse James was seen afterby many people who knew him well and could identify him, especially by the missing tip of his left middle finger.

2. For all his faults, Jesse James was devoted to his family, and would not have abandoned them and left them destitute. Had he survived, he would eventually have sent for them.

3. Most importantly, think of how many people it would have taken to pull off such a hoax. That makes it totally unbelievable.

Legends die hard, but Jesse James no more faked his own than did Elvis Presley. Like the Dalton affair, this book is just sensationalism, geared to those who want to believe the most outlandish tales.

Great Research
An interesting and well researched Jessie James alternate history. Ms Duke cites her sources and lays her cards on the table....... I beleive she proves her case.A must read for James scholars, Knights of the Golden Circle researchers and outlaw hunters...... What a story!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Years before John Brown raided Harpers Ferry in 1859 and the Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in 1861, the western front was the scene of the bloody and brutal Border War between Kansas and Missouri. By 1865, these lawless and volatile border counties were transformed into a treacherous and chaotic wasteland, abandoned by the Union forces and utterly devastated after the Civil War. With the infrastructure destroyed and the communities in collapse, a young band of patriotic guerilla warriors known as the "James Gang" emerged. Trained for war, these talented men quickly proved themselves to be outlaws unlike any before seen in America.

Customer Reviews (2)

Results of vigilanties from Border War
This is a well written book based on facts from the results of the War between Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War. It covers the men sympathic to the south. Most of them were marginal farmers that suffered from the raids from Kansas Free Staters.They rode with Quantrill and their families lost their farms during the Border War. The young men who were sympathetic to the south learned to fight and were angry about their losses.After the war their former lives were distroyed and they reverted to outlaw behavior - thinking they were getting even with those who had prospered from the war.

Desperate Times Create Desperate Men
"Riding Vengeance with the James Gang," a novel by Donald L. Gilmore, is one of those growing numbers of novels sometimes called narrative or creative non-fiction. This book is a novel, of course, but its underlying historical research is awesome. It shows us how and why the James and Younger gangs became what they did after the civil war. Author Gilmore opens with the universe of the Youngers and the Jameses in their homes in Missouri at a time when young men were joining "guerilla" forces to fight on the side of the confederacy against Yankee federal forces in a war that was far from universally supported in Missouri.

An important ingredient to this development was the brutal, wholesale rampage of the countryside by Yankee "troops" who burned civilian homes, stole their crops and stock and left the families to starve or freeze. Like thousands of others, the Youngers and the Jameses returned to their homes and farms to find them destroyed, their families decimated. They had gone to fight for what they thought to be a noble cause, but returned to find "... there was a harder reality, a parallel world difficult to fathom ruled by influential families, big money businesses, politicians, their armies, and an elaborate network of hangers-on like the Pinkertons. It was a cruel manipulative world, its intentions largely obscured from most people, shrouded in propaganda, lies, deception, intrigue, scheming over money, and sometimes murder, when it was expedient. And that world had roots that extended all the way to Clay County, Missouri." As hundreds of others, those two families were forced to fend for themselves in an environment that had been torn to shreds by war.

As an example of the author's "writerly" power, using a particularly apt metaphor he describes such feelings, "But he felt like a moth, fluttering helplessly toward an all consuming fire. Seeing no way out of his predicament, he felt hopeless."

Author Gilmore's strong suite, the development of his characters, leads the reader to understand how these vital young men could be forced to steal to stay alive. Furthermore, the only reasonable explanation for their choice of robbing banks, trains, and stagecoach gold shipments can only be the now-cliched explanation, "... because that's where the money is!" And so it happened that they were available at a time when they could see no alternative career opportunity for survival. And so they turned to theft and did it very well. They were perhaps America's most successful thieves until modern day Enron and Bernie Madoff.

"Riding Vengeance with the James Gang" is 100% action, but also historically accurate down to the gang's clothing, their horses and hardware -- and particularly the careful planning they did to conduct each robbery including safeguards and get away plans. Their final, fatal mistake came when they went far into the north, Minnesota, where things all seemed to fall apart. Here, too, Gilmore, as a master novelist as well as historian, travels with us over every inch of that final job and its fateful denouement.

Once captured, the Youngers debunk the notion that they're only coarse, thoughtless villains. Gilmore's dialogue in those last days refutes such charges.

"How did you get into this life?"
"We tried a desperate game and lost. That's all. Circumstances sometimes make men what they are. In my case, if it had not been for the past war, I might have been something. But as it is, I am what I am."

"You boys are an awful long way from home," one of the visitors remarked to Cole as he passed by his bed."
"You're right," replied Younger weakly. "I'm afraid we selected the wrong place to take our vacations."

In "Riding Vengeance with the James Gang," Donald L. Gilmore has created a masterwork. For lovers of American history who seek actual fact and complex personalities of real characters, this is a book you won't want to miss."

... Read more

Product Description
Jesse James: The Classic Western Collection presents—for the first time in several decades—the classic 1950s outlaw stories of the heroic Jesse James, who rode a hard road through the Old West to become a legend.The brainchild of two young creators—Joe Kubert and Carmine Infantino—at the beginning of their wondrous careers, this fabulous graphic novel features such pulse-pounding tales as "Apache Treasure," in which America's #1 outlaw with a price on his head and a six-gun shooting hot lead rides a danger trail after a fortune, "The James Boys' Revenge", when Jesse and brother shoot a path through posses and Pinkerton detectives, plus many more. ... Read more

Product Description
Ping; A bullet whistled by my left ear. Bang! Ping! Thud! Another whistled by my right ear, clipping a lock of hair, and burying itself in the stalk of the heavy blacksnake whip that I was flourishing aloft at the time. "Curse you! Won't you stop now?" shouted a voice behind me, to which I had thus far given no heed. "War, yes, stranger," I drawled, reining up, and wheeling my horse imperturbably, "I reckon I will this time, since you insist on it so emphatically." Three horsemen approached me. The were rather suspicious than angry, and they had just ridden out of the gate of a lonely farmhouse that I had jogged leisurely but observantly by a few minutes before. I knew them instantly, though, very fortunately, they didn't know me in the disguise, half clerical and half agricultural, that I then wore. They were three daring Chicago detectives in the disguise of horse-traders -- Hawes, Jewell, and Whittaker by name. They were on the lookout for Jesse and Frank James, the noted trainrobbers and bandits, and had just visited old Mrs. James' farmhouse, in the hope of
I Rode With Jesse James 9
finding the dreaded outlaws there, and worming themselves into their confidence, with a view to their ultimate capture. Ten thousand dollars reward was the stake. I, William Lawson was on precisely the same "lay." I was, however, wholly on my own hook, didn't admire their mode of procedure, and proposed to go about the dangerous job in my own way.
There you have the whole situation in a nutshell.
"Who and what are you, old man?" inquired Hawes, eyeing my curious rig in a half-amused way, as did his companions; "and why didn't you rein up when we first called out to you?"
"Last question first. I didn't rein up because I'm neither a darky nor a Chinaman, to be ordered about by you or any one else," I replied, with rustic indignation. "And first question last. I am a medical man, of Booneville, on my travels. Now, sir, who in thunder are you? I mean to have the law on you, if there's any in Missouri."
The three detectives burst into a loud laugh.
"Do you know who lives in that house that we've just quitted?" said Hawes, without replying to my question.
"No, I don't; and, moreover, I don't care," said I, still in a huff.
Not the less, however, as I spoke, did I furtively look back at the farmhouse, and notice that the Widow James was peering out of the porch. It pleased me mightily, however, to know that she remarked the altercation we were having in the road.
"Don't be mad," said Hawes, laughing. "Are you riding toward Independence? If you are, we may all take dinner together at the hotel."
10 Gaylon Barrow
I pretended to be reluctantly mollified, and we all four turned our backs on the farmhouse, and walked our horses together down the wild, rocky road. The three detectives talked together, chiefly about horses and horse-trading, as we proceeded. Their object, I saw, was to keep themselves in practice as to the assumption of their fictitious characters by blinding even such-a harmless old lunkhead as I appeared to be.
In fact, their braggadocio in firing their bullets after me as they had done had been in keeping with the same plan. They were anxious to appear in the light of murderers, dare-devil Missourians, at any cost. Nevertheless, I knew them to be really daring men at heart, each one of them an excellent shot, and all conscious of the fact that they were carrying their lives in their hands in the desperate enterprise upon which they had entered.
"I'm sorry we've been unable to see Jess James as yet," said Jewell. "I know he could put us on the track of some good bargains in horseflesh."
"Maybe our pardner, Langman, was in better luck with looking up the James boys," said Whittaker.
"The widow was mighty close-lipped about the boys," said Hawes, whipping up his nag. "I s'pose she's got to be, in view of --"
He suddenly paused, reining up, and half-wheeling his horse.
"Holy smoke!" he exclaimed, altogether thrown off guard ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I Rode With Jesse James
I have reviewed numerous manuscripts of Jesse and Frank James. Some have passed some have not. This is a wore out subject. But, author Barrow's story of, 'I Rode With Jesse James', is a story I had not heard. I thought it well written and interesting enough to pass along to you. If you love westerns built on true happenings I believe you will adore this story. It does not take you down the road of a mythical Robin Hood. It shows Jesse in a different light one that is more believable since he rode with the likes of 'Quantrills Raiders'. This book will keep you turning the pages. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

Jesse James was his name
This a very well written book and contains a rich amount of information about the south before,during and after the Civil War. At this point I would have to say that it is the best book on Jesse that I have ever read.

One Of The Best
Settle, along with T.J. Styles and Ted Yeatman are by far the best researchers of the James-Younger Gang. These men write based on fact, the truth is Jesse James was a psychotic murderer who loved attention. The reason his name is more well known than brother Frank, and Cole Younger is he wanted to be famous ( Infamous ) The truth be told Jesse, was just a member of the gang with no more say then Frank or Cole. From all indications he was a lookout who held the horses while the robberies took place in the early days. Mr. Settle was the first to write based on fact's, not myth's and folklore. Nothing made up here, just known information.

C.Shackleford

More of a Report Than a Book
While Settle's account is thorough and well-documented, it reads more like a research paper than a book, as it really doesn't tell a story, so much as parade a litany of facts before the reader. The facts are occasionally interesting in and of themselves, but we don't come away with any real feeling of of the human being who was Jesse James.

I believe Settle is, or was a professor at some college. If he's still teaching it might be best to avoid his class, especially if it's offered early in the morning or right after lunch for reasons that will become readily apparent to his readers.

Jesse James
Even today, in the year 2002, it's hard to find any American who hasn't heard the name Jesse James. All types of wild stories have been passed through the years about him, some saying he was nothing more than a cold blooded killer and some swearing he was more like Robin Hood. In William Settle's book, "Jesse James Was His Name", he chronicalizes the events of Jesse's life starting with his boyhood home on a farm in Missouri, through the bloody years of the Civil War where he fought in Confederate guerrilla bands, and then on to his outlaw career.
The book, in my opinion, was too lengthy, it was full of facts a lot of which were unnecessary, and it didn't flow very well. So as Jesse James himself was an exciting person, this book was far from it. If you want to find more about Jesse James, don't read this book.

Solid research without solid conclusions
The research in the book seems to be first-rate. However the author doesn't seem to present the information in a way that leads to the the implied conclusions. He gives information on various robberies, implyingthey were conducted by the James/Younger gang, but the information doesn'tsupport the conclusion--I wouldn't convict them based on the infopresented. In fact, I was left leaning far more toward the James' andYoungers' own statements that they _weren't_ involved in most of theserobberies and were convenient victims of post-war, anti-Quantillsentiments. Evidence of the James/Youngers' guilt struck me as being rathershoddy. Sorting out which robberies really could be attributed to whom islargely left to the reader.

Though well worth reading, I would view thisbook as a suppliment to other reading and research rather than the sole,final statement on the events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An old debunked myth. Not worth your time or your money!
No real history challenged here! This book gives no evidence to the claims. The photos don't match either. Especially one of Travis Barron on the front cover of the book. Betty Duke tries to pass this photo off as Jesse James and her great grandfather James L. Courtney. Keep in mind the photo of Travis Barron has BROWN EYES. Jesse actually had blue. Simple research and historically accepted photos of Jesse James will offer anyone a clue.

There is also nothing disproving the 1995 DNA test. Nothing peer-reviewed at all. That should tell you something! I believe Youtube has some great videos warning people about scammers like Betty Duke trying to cash in on the James name. Simple census records and genealogical information spells it out pretty clear for both Jesse James and James L. Courtney.

Betty Duke's own family debunk her theory, as they, too, are ashamed of her. Stay away from this farce like the plague. Don't get yourself scammed into believing a myth! Jesse Woods James was shot and killed by Bob Ford April 3, 1882. Take from from his mother, his wife and son, Jesse Jr. and those that knew him -- not from people claiming a story almost 100 years later.

Very fast service
Apparently a hard to find book, and expensive because of that, but once ordered with only this book in stock, it arrived very quickly, and I am completely satisfied!

History Changed
Betty Dorsett Duke's book, shows very strong evidence that Jesse James really did fake his death and lived to a ripe old age.Unlike most other books on Jesse James; the photographs were verified by qualified experts and it's evident the Author actually took the time to research her theory. Also of great value is the Author's proof that the 1995 exhumation in Missouri was a farce.

Jesse James Did Live & Die in Texas!
After reading the book "Jesse James Lived & Died in Texas" written by Betty Dorsett Duke, one would have to wonder how the historians who continue to deny Mrs. Duke's book as "history-worthy" can sleep at night!

Instantly I could tell that the photos in question are definately one and the same!It doesn't take a expert in facial recognition(which, by the way, the book is backed up by numerous "experts" who claim the photos in question do have a high degree of facial similarities)to determine that the photos in the photo comparison section are definately the same.

The book is full of interesting stories on Jesse James....stories that have never been mentioned in any history book.I found the book to be very enlightening and stimulating.

Take my advice....read the book!It's a must read!!

I guess I will have to take a trip to Texas, in order, to see where the real Jesse James is buried!

Fails to list any credible evidence
Betty Dorsett Duke's book gives very vague evidence that her great grandfather, James Lafayette Courtney, was in fact Jesse Woodson James.Most of the proof revolves around her "he said" or "they said" theory. Her text craftily stretches historical truth but fails to provide sources for any of her so-called facts. This fairy tale might satisfy the longings of some who still believe Jesse Woodson James escaped his bank and train robber reputation but until hard evidence comes forth, conventional history has not been challenged here. ... Read more

Product Description

Jesse James was a fabled outlaw, a charismatic, spiritual, larger-than-life bad man whose bloody exploits captured the imagination and admiration of a nation hungry for antiheroes. Robert Ford was a young upstart torn between dedicated worship and murderous jealousy, the "dirty little coward" who coveted Jesse's legend. The powerful, strange, and unforgettable story of their interweaving paths—and twin destinies that would collide in a rain of blood and betrayal—is a story of America in all her rough, conflicted glory and the myths that made her.

Product Description
Publisher: Cleveland, U.S.A. : Arthur Westbrook Co.Publication date: 1906Subjects: James, Jesse, 1847-1882Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
The life story of Jesse James, famous outlaw of the Old West, from his activities in the Civil War and his career as a bank robber to his demise at the Ford brothers' house. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Average
Here's this true crime book in nutshell:Zeo Zoe Wilkins was a gold-digger who ultimately is murdered.Jesse James' son met her and represented her under some sketchy circumstances.Wilkins' murder was never resolved despite its notoriety.

But unfortunately there is not much more there.More than half the book is devoted to Wilkins' gold digging.The bottom line actually is that she really only got a lot of money from one of her four husbands.She used that money to drink heavily and party for several years.Most of the remainder of the book is devoted to Jesse James' son who made a good living as an attorney, although he apparently was not very competent.

The saving grace of the book is the small portion where their two lives meet.Especially good was the account of the inquest and James' questionable practices.

I finished the book wondering why these two lives were so compelling as to warrant a book.That's a pretty empty feeling.I could see how either one could make for a good feature magazine article.The combination of the two did not add much.Surprisingly, the author did not do much to capture the era and the flavor of the times.Wilkins lived through the oil booms of the Indian Territory and the roaring twenties in Kansas City - amazing times not really delved into much here.James was the son of one of the main characters of the end of the old west who transitioned into the roaring twenties.

Overall a fair book that gave a good account of a true crime without much depth.

Great true crime book
The case is as cold as the long-dead bodies of Zeo Zoe Wilkins and the men she drove to early graves. In 1924, Zeo was murdered. It wasn't particularly surprising. In fact, Zeo had predicted that she would be dead within the week. When Kansas City, Missouri police entered her blood-soaked rental home they found her safe missing. According to witnesses, it was filled with diamonds and valuable bonds. They were the dead woman's last remnants of wealth. Sired and raised in poverty, she had accumulated more than three million dollars in her life, but had lost it through lavish spending, hooch, and dope.

What's surprising is that she wasn't murdered sooner. Zeo was indeed a love pirate. The brazen beauty married six times (five times to different men)--each time she added to her bank account and left her victims' hearts, souls, and pocketbooks shattered. One husband was shot by the schemer, another committed suicide, one lost his bank and his fortune and his sanity, one fled the state to be rid of her.

In addition to her marriages, Zeo was a nymphomaniac, as her affairs with hundreds of men would attest. Cops investigating her murder had so many suspects that they could never get a grasp on the case. Three men were arrested but there was never any real evidence against them and they were released. The crime was never solved.

Jesse James, Jr. was six-years-old when his father was murdered by the dirty little coward Robert Ford. Junior heard the gunshot and ran to the living room to find the famous outlaw lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Jesse James, Jr. would be forever scarred by the scene.

Junior went to law school. Like many attorneys of yesteryear and today, slime oozed from his every pore. Junior represented denizens of the underworld. For a while, he prospered, but eventually lost all his money and self-esteem when he invested in a disastrous movie about his father. He was adjudged insane and temporarily admitted to a doctor's care.

Zeo Zoe Wilkins was unaware of his problems when she came to Junior for legal advice. She wanted someone to fence her diamonds and bonds. Who better than an underworld attorney whose father had "stole from the rich and gave to the poor?" Zeo brought Jesse James, Jr. to her house, bedded him, and showed him the contents of her strong box. Two weeks after they met, Zeo was dead and her last remaining valuables missing. They were never seen again.

Did Junior murder her? He was never considered a suspect by police, but historian James has presented a case against him. Is it compelling? You read the book and decide.

Buy The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son and add it to your true crime library. It's well-researched, well-written, well-edited, and will keep your fingers moving. What more can you ask in a book?

Truth IS Stranger Than Fiction
Truth is stranger than fiction, and never is this made so clear as it is in Laura James' absorbing new true crime book THE LOVE PIRATE AND THE BANDIT'S SON. The "Love Pirate" in question was scheming seductress Zeo Zoe Wilkins. She married often and toyed with the affections of many more men, callously forcing her way into the echelons of society in early twentieth century America. The "Bandit's Son" is Jesse James, Jr. Yeah, that one. But this Jesse James became a criminal defense attorney and joined forces with the winsome but destructive Zeo in plot after plot. At the end of it, she was ruthlessly murdered. But whodunit? Laura James thinks she knows, and with the intricate retelling of this lost story, she reveals clue by clue who the murderer might be. If this story weren't for real it would make a great novel! Kudos to Laura James for bringing this fascinating tale into the limelight where it belongs. ... Read more

Product Description
A skeptical follower of James Jesse Strang once wrote: "No man can serve two masters. You cannot serve a temporal king and a republican government at the same time. The thing is preposterous." And yet, under Strang, such a system survived in Michigan for six years. This book traces the life and assassination of King Strang, the extraordinary Mormon leader who, in the 1850s, created a literal kingdom on Beaver Island, in Lake Michigan.
As a young man, Strang was a dreamer of grandiose dreams--dreams of power, of royalty, and of fame. For him, the dreams came true. But in his pursuit of those dreams, Strang walked a tightrope to avoid ever-impending doom. Strang's kingdom flourished despite perennial conflicts with non-Mormons, including a gun battle with mainlanders, and despite a major prosecution by the federal government. His kingdom was designed to be totally independent of the state and nation. And yet, he was a shrewd political tactician who took advantage of Michigan law to be twice elected to the state legislature and become what one Detroit newspaper called the most powerful politician in the state.
Here is Strang the man of contrasts and contradictions, the strident opponent of polygamy and the husband of five wives, the astute editor and the incendiary propagandist, the prophet and the scoundrel, the man who through the sheer force of his personality made his followers a group to be feared in his region.
Vast amount of fresh information, including contemporary journals, documents, and letters never before used by biographers help draw a portrait of one of the most complex and resourceful leaders in American history.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Long Live The King!
I found this book to be well written and researched. James Jesse Strang is a unique character (A King no less!) in the history of Michigan. This book inspired me to visit Michigan's Beaver Island. As a compliment to this book I would also suggest reading Guardian of the Great Lakes The U.S. Paddle Frigate Michigan By: Mr. Bradley A. Rodgers.

A Solid Biography
This work is a fairly standard, straight-forward biography of King Strang. It is very well researched, documented, and foot noted. It would appear that Mr. Van Noord dug deeper into his reseach than most authors dealing with James Strang have in the past. The book enlightened me on several points regarding King Strang that I had previously read and Mr. Van Noord found to be incorrect. If you are interested in learning about a fascinating man and those around him this is the book. However it gives only a sparce and very typical Beaver Island history and does not touch on the legendary (and I believe, mythical) Mormon, Beaver Island treasure at all.If those items are your points of interest, look elsewhere.

Great Biography of an Often Overlooked Figure
Mormonism's second prophet wasn't the famous Brigham Young -- he may have seized control of many of the Church's institutions, but he never claimed to be the "Prophet".That mantle was seized by the insteresting historic figure, James J. Strang, who led his portion of the Mormon Church from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Voree, Wisconsin, and then to Beaver Island, Michigan at the same time that Young was leading his branch to Utah.

Van Noord's book is a great biography of Strang which makes close use of Strang's journals, letters, books, and draws a great deal from the newspapers which Strang's church published.Strang's many successes both on Beaver Island and then also in the Michigan legislature, imply that he was quite a brilliant and eloquent character.The book leads you to wonder what might have happened had he not been assassinated.

The only problems with Van Noord's book are that he does not seem to be an expert in the field of Mormon history generally, and he has relied on informants in the modern Utah church -- the great rival of Strang's church -- for some of his information on Mormonism.Additionally, the biography definitely leaves you wanting a larger history of the Strangite church.

All in all, the book is an excellent read.I picked it up and nearly read it cover to cover uninterrupted, as I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Strang next.

Fair and Accurate Narrative
I have done extensive study on the subject of Jas. Strang and his followers. I found this book and several others extremely fair-minded considering the controversies (as well as present day prejudices)surrounding this utopian experiment. I welcome other comments. Mygreat-great grandfather was present at Strang's coronation on BeaverIsland, Michigan.

Tell me about this man
I'm a relative of his and have recently become interested in learning about him. So please if you know about him tell me. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

James H Johnston
Does anybody know anything about my grandfather, James H. Johnston, prosecuting attorney for Cooper County, MO whopresided in the trial of Hobbs Kerry in the Otterville train robbery in 1882 or there about?Hobbs Kerry was the only gang member caught in the assault.Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

A True Western Classic.
Countless books have been written about the outlaw Jesse James and his brother Frank over the last 120 years. This is one of the best. Robertus Love knew Frank James, and also knew some of the bandits who rode with Jesse and the eyewitnesses who saw the crimes. This book, written in the 1920's, was the first attempt at an honest biography of Jesse. It still holds up after 80 years. Love has the ability to take the reader back in time to those wild days of the Old West. While some of his stories are more legend than history, this book is still a great read and essential reading for anyone with an interest in our country's most famous outlaw.

Exciting!
A well-written account of outlaw Jesse James's life featuring such colorful characters as the Youngers.Full of interesting facts (did you know Jesse was wounded during the Civil War)? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Man Who Shot Jesse James
I would have to give this book a 5 star.As you see, Carl W. Breihan is my father and I have a copy with images of all his books he has written about Jesse and Frank James and the old west.I also have pictures of my dad on the back cover of his jackets.I also have a barber chair that Frank James had his hair cut and shave.His signature is on the bottom of the seat.If you would like to contact me please do so at jculbertson283@msn.com
Janis Culbertson(Breihan) ... Read more

Product Description
The Definitve Book of American Crime, illustrated with photos..A Who's Who of vile men (and women) wanted for every crime in the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Jesse James’s breakout book, I Am Jesse James, introduced a wider audience to the man behind the motorcycle. With Motorcycle Mania 3, the companion book for the Discovery Channel special, fans will get an even more intimate look at Jesse as he struggles with his skyrocketing success. With his shop besieged by tourists, his schedule packed tight, and his marriage crumbling, Jesse turns to his friend Kid Rock for some much needed relaxation—a road trip to Mexico.

Jesse dreams of the open highways and unspoiled country south of the border, ready and waiting for his two new bikes, an orange and chrome custom for Kid and, for himself, a specialty chopper made entirely of copper—a metal Jesse has never worked with before. They’re going to take these bikes from Texas to the heart of Copper Canyon—a crevice four times the size of the Grand Canyon. After a run-in with the local federales, a mad ATV dash over windswept sand dunes, an invasion of European hippies, and Kid’s ubiquitous calls of "Una cerveza más, por favor," Jesse and Kid emerge from Mexico and return to the spotlight with a bolstered joy for living and a better appreciation for the country they call home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Build Bike, Go Places
In this hardcover picture book Jesse James goes somewhere to perfect his skills with copper, then he gets back to work on his Copper Chopper. Kid Rock gets his own softail WCC bike built at about the same time at Jesse's place and the two set off on a road trip to Mexico. That's about it. Lots of cool pictures which you'll like if you're into choppers and the whole Jesse James/WCC thing. Only problem with this book is that it has ALL the text right at the beginning followed by ALL the pics. A little frustrating having to read and then flip forward to look at the pics which were referred to in the text earlier. Other than that it's not really as interesting to read as "I am Jesse James", IMHO. Still, worth checking out if you're a fan. ... Read more