JESSE JAMES
Legendary Rebel and Outlaw
From his beginnings as a guerrilla fighter for the Confederates during the Civil War, Jesse James turned to robbery, becoming one of the most famous bank and train robbers in the history of the United States. With his band of outlaws, James led dozens of robberies and killed a number of people in Missouri and other states. Though legends have painted a sympathetic portrait of James, in reality he was a dangerous criminal who used violence to achieve his ends.
HISTORY/ JUVENILE / BIOGRAPHY
112 pages, Compass Point Books
Signature Lives
Hardcover & paperback
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I got an email from an editor at Compass Point asking if I would prefer to write a short biography of Yo Yo Ma, Vera Wang, or Jesse James. Predictably, I didn't hesitate and grabbed the James project. It was my second "Signature Series" book with a short word count an even shorter timeline. If I recall, the first draft was due in 90 days. I quickly read through 22 previous biographies of James, including earlier books for kids, and was shocked to see how many of them framed him as some sort of hero -- a "Robin Hood" of the West. But the facts indicated otherwise. Despite his troubled past, Jesse James was a ruthless killer who certainly did not turn over his winnings to the poor. After rushing to deadline with a lively draft it appeared that the book was going to be mothballed for at least a year. Luckily, a film version of James' life starring Brad Pitt was about to be released, and I was able to convince the editor that going to press immediately was a better plan. Although years out of print, I believe this little volume still stands up. I later got distracted watching at least 50 films made about James and thought it a good topic for a book, but thankfully a couple of authors beat me to it. You can still pick up a good used library copy online.
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