Great Plains Studies, Center for
Date of this Version
1994
Abstract
From his home base in the English isles, Frederick Nolan has produced a first-rate source book on the Lincoln County War in New Mexico Territory (1878-1881). His encyclopedic coverage can be seen from two vantage points: as a study of the events themselves and as a research tool for academics and history buffs. As a documentary history the author's use of primary sources is-to say the least-impressive. In addition, his nearly 100 biographical sketches of participants in an appendix add depth to his analysis, and his inclusion of rare photographs, ample notations, and extensive bibliographical citations (with a listing of thirty-seven items for Philip J. Rasch) makes the book an important addition to the reference shelves of Lincoln County aficionados. The end result is a worthy update of the writings of Maurice G. Fulton and William A. Keleher. Yet historians interested in the ins and outs of the legend of Billy the Kid in American popular culture must still look at the viewpoints expressed in the writings of Stephen Tatum and Jon Tuska.
Comments
Published in Great Plains Quarterly 14:4 (Fall 1994). Copyright © 1994 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.