Frank and Jesse James

To Some They Were Robin Hoods, mythic figures of righteous vengeance, individuals wronged by corporate greed. To others they were the devil incarnate -- bloodthirsty outlaws and cold-blooded killers with a passion for terrorizing their victims. In this exhaustively researched biography of Frank and Jesse James -- the first major treatment of the outlaws in the past forty years -- Ted P. Yeatman offers a balanced, well-rounded narrative of the brothers' Civil War experiences, their notorious sixteen-year outlaw careers, and the lives of those who outlived Jesse. Also examined in-depth are the years the brothers lived in Nashville in relative obscurity -- at least until Jesse returned to banditry. "Just who were Frank and Jesse James?" Yeatman asks. "While all the pieces of the puzzle may never be found, my hope is that this research will shed new historical light on one of the great American legends. In this volume, characters who often have been portrayed as larger than life are presented in a more realistic perspective against a backdrop of the times in which they lived." For more than twenty-five years the author scoured the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and state and county historical societies and interviewed James family members and private collectors and fellow researchers to produce this comprehensive treatment of America's most famous felons. In addition to information gleaned from formerly unpublished papers of various archives, Yeatman's extensive treatment of the James brothers includes previously unpublished illustrations and photographs of the people and places associated with the infamous duo as well as artifacts. Book jacket.

Ted Yeatman is a freelance researcher and writer. His articles have appeared in Civil War Times Illustrated, True West, Old West, and The Quarterly of the National Association and Center for Outlaw and Lawman History. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area.