I would have never thought to research gunfighters of the Old West, but I came across this topic unexpectedly. While waiting at the airport I found Tamsin Spargo’s book Wanted Man and started reading and wanted to know more. My mom had also recently bought Mark Lee Gardner’s book To Hell on a Fast Horse for herself to read but I will be using it for my project. Little did I know we had a bunch of these books about criminals in the basement that belonged to my dad because this was something he liked reading about.

          People, don't worry.  I'm not training to become a professional criminal when I grow up. The reason why I'm choosing this topic is because I need to read some books about some guys with the guts to go do something dangerous, even if it's bad. I am really tired of reading all these books for school about all these women that are just pathetic. I chose this topic to give myself something else to read for a change.

           The main reason why I chose this topic is because it was something I’ve discovered my dad enjoyed--he passed away fourteen years ago, so I never got to hear about any of this stuff. It will be nice to learn about something different from the usual. I really don't know about much about these old criminals but am excited to learn more. The closest I've gotten to this is watching John Wayne movies when there is literally nothing else on TV. Another reason I chose this topic was because of the 2013 movie Johnny Depp movie The Lone Ranger. I liked the story with Butch Cavendish and the Cowboys vs. Indians.  (I think, however, that I'm the only one in the world that enjoys that movie, because it got really horrible reviews!) The true western movies are those from the 1950s, such as Bonanza, where there wasn’t the technology today to add special effects. Even though they are not completely correct depictions of what really happened, the costumes and verisimilitude of the entire episodes was much more realistic than movies today.

           Seeing this is a topic which people don't know a lot about, I want to do my best to teach others both sides of the argument, were these people considered bad people or heroes. Criminals such as Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, and Wyatt Earp obviously they were bad people for killing all these other people, but what makes them heroes? The only reason they would be heros is because of how well known they are, even today. Does that make them a hero or just a famous criminal? Did they set the stage for ruthlessness and what it means to be a criminal and is that what makes them a hero? It is hard to decide whose side to be on. Through their manipulating ways, it seemed more like they ruled the cities in which they lived. If not the cities, they ruled entire states such as New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas. Others were constantly playing catch up to keep them away. Whether the bandits were stealing horses, committing murder, or simply trying to get away with whatever they could, someone was always on their tail. Even though these guys come across and tough like nothing is going to make them back down, there was. As soon as it got to a point where they were the ones that were killed or caught next, they fled. Really, these guys were scared and put on a persona that they were tougher and more powerful than they really are. There was a wide range of connections these people had wherever they went. It was almost like they were trying to create their own country for themselves by taking turns of who was in charge and who could take over which areas of land. Another goal of my project is to really investigate why and what motivated the bandits to commit the crimes that they did. Answering this question might help to understand the main question of my paper, whether or not these people are considered heroes or villains. Another part I want to include in my paper is why they started this reputation for themselves in the first place. How were they able to get away with so many crimes? Through reading my chosen books I will hopefully answer these questions because I will get background information and learn the tricks of their trade.