Son of the Old West: The Odyssey of Charles Siringo: Cowboy, Detective, Writer of the Wild Frontier

Biographer Ward (The Lost Detective) paints a vibrant portrait of Charles Siringo (1855–1928), one of the most ubiquitous characters in the history of the American West. Siringo was a celebrity cowboy, a Pinkerton detective, and author of one of the most exhilarating accounts of life in the Old West, 1885’s A Texas Cowboy. In no small part, Siringo invented the idea of the cowboy as a heroic figure in the popular imagination, according to Ward, who takes readers blow-by-blow through Siringo’s work on some of the great cattle drives in American history and his encounters with Bat Masterson, Billy the Kid, and Wyatt Earp. As a Pinkerton detective, Siringo played a pivotal role in the fierce battle between organized labor and American industry in the late 19th century. He also helped labor leader Big Bill Haywood and his lawyer Clarence Darrow avoid being lynched after Haywood’s acquittal in a 1907 murder trial. Later in life, Siringo became an adviser on early Hollywood films. Ward’s sharp eye for detail and breezy prose style make this a riveting look at the mythology of the Old West. (Sept.)