Chasing Frank and Jesse James: The Bungled Northfield Bank Robbery and the Long Manhunt

by Wayne Fanebust

Frank and Jesse James, the infamous brothers from Missouri, rode with marauding Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War. Having learned to kill and raid without compunction, they easily transitioned from rebels to outlaws after the war, robbing stagecoaches, banks and trains in Missouri and surrounding states. It was a botched bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota, followed by an improbable escape through the Dakota Territory and Iowa, that elevated the James brothers from notorious criminals to legendary figures of American history and folklore.

244 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2018

Reviews

[Li · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like it took FOREVER to finish: a long, uphill road all the way.

The research isn't bad, more opinionated than I like but not bad. However, both the writing style and fundamentals needed a lot more editing than they got and both the stream-of-consciousness style and semi-regular missing words detract a lot from the reading experience.

Which is a shame, because I was fascinated by the subject matter when I was able to concentrate. If a properly edited version was available, I would definitely bump my rating.

[Troy Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great subject, poorly executed. Rambling in spots, repetitive in others. The biggest complaint: too many instances of missing words forcing me to re-read sentences just to understand them. It’s pretty obvious that no one edited this before publishing.

Disappointing.