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Death of a Gunfighter: The Quest for Jack Slade, The West's Most Elusive Legend
The True Story of One of America’s Most Enigmatic and Tragic Heroes
Awarded Best Western History Book of 2008 by the Wild West History Association
"A superb biography" — Foreword Reviews "An ambitious, well-written effort to restore a Wild West desperado to history.... Readers will surely remember Jack Slade from henceforth. A treat for Western history buffs and fans of true crime."— Kirkus Reviews "An enjoyable read, and it is also a heroic effort."— Wall Street Journal "Every bit the page-turner as Roughing It , with one added advantage—Rottenberg's book approaches the truth."— Wild West magazine "Now and then a book of Western history comes along that captures an era and clears up many a mystery; Death of a Gunfighter is such a book."— Colorado Central magazine In 1859, as the United States careened toward civil war, Washington's only northern link with America's richest state, California, was a stagecoach line operating between Missouri and the Pacific. Yet the stage line was plagued by graft, outlaws, and hostile Indians. At this critical moment, the company enlisted a former wagon train captain and Mexican War veteran to clean up its most dangerous division. Over the next three years, Joseph Alfred "Jack" Slade exceeded his employers' wildest dreams, capturing bandits and horse thieves and driving away gangs; he even shot to death a disruptive employee. He kept the stagecoaches and the U.S. Mail running, and helped launch the Pony Express, all of which kept California in the Union—and without California's gold, the Union would have failed to finance its cause. Across the Great Plains he became known as "The Law West of Kearny." Slade's legend grew when he was shot multiple times and left for dead, only to survive and exact revenge on his would-be killer. But once Slade had restored the peace, leaving him without challenges, his life descended into an alcoholic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde nightmare, transforming him from a courageous leader, charming gentleman, and devoted husband into a vicious, quick-triggered ruffian—a purported outlaw —who finally lost his life at the hands of vigilantes. Since Slade's death in 1864, persistent myths and stories have defied the efforts of writers and historians, including Mark Twain, to capture the real Jack Slade. Despite his notoriety, the pieces of Slade's fascinating life—including his marriage to the beautiful Maria Virginia—have remained scattered and hidden. He was never photographed and left almost no personal writings, not even a letter. In Death of a The Quest for Jack Slade, the West's Most Elusive Legend , journalist Dan Rottenberg assembles years of research to reveal the true story of Jack Slade, one of America's greatest tragic heroes.
Awarded Best Western History Book of 2008 by the Wild West History Association
"A superb biography" — Foreword Reviews "An ambitious, well-written effort to restore a Wild West desperado to history.... Readers will surely remember Jack Slade from henceforth. A treat for Western history buffs and fans of true crime."— Kirkus Reviews "An enjoyable read, and it is also a heroic effort."— Wall Street Journal "Every bit the page-turner as Roughing It , with one added advantage—Rottenberg's book approaches the truth."— Wild West magazine "Now and then a book of Western history comes along that captures an era and clears up many a mystery; Death of a Gunfighter is such a book."— Colorado Central magazine In 1859, as the United States careened toward civil war, Washington's only northern link with America's richest state, California, was a stagecoach line operating between Missouri and the Pacific. Yet the stage line was plagued by graft, outlaws, and hostile Indians. At this critical moment, the company enlisted a former wagon train captain and Mexican War veteran to clean up its most dangerous division. Over the next three years, Joseph Alfred "Jack" Slade exceeded his employers' wildest dreams, capturing bandits and horse thieves and driving away gangs; he even shot to death a disruptive employee. He kept the stagecoaches and the U.S. Mail running, and helped launch the Pony Express, all of which kept California in the Union—and without California's gold, the Union would have failed to finance its cause. Across the Great Plains he became known as "The Law West of Kearny." Slade's legend grew when he was shot multiple times and left for dead, only to survive and exact revenge on his would-be killer. But once Slade had restored the peace, leaving him without challenges, his life descended into an alcoholic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde nightmare, transforming him from a courageous leader, charming gentleman, and devoted husband into a vicious, quick-triggered ruffian—a purported outlaw —who finally lost his life at the hands of vigilantes. Since Slade's death in 1864, persistent myths and stories have defied the efforts of writers and historians, including Mark Twain, to capture the real Jack Slade. Despite his notoriety, the pieces of Slade's fascinating life—including his marriage to the beautiful Maria Virginia—have remained scattered and hidden. He was never photographed and left almost no personal writings, not even a letter. In Death of a The Quest for Jack Slade, the West's Most Elusive Legend , journalist Dan Rottenberg assembles years of research to reveal the true story of Jack Slade, one of America's greatest tragic heroes.
536 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 3, 2021
Jack Slade became a frontier legend for things he did not do. As a boss for a stage line he kept the coaches (and the U.S. Mail) running on the hostile American West and even played a major role in launching the Pony Express. Slade owes much of his fame to Mark Twain, who built a meeting of one hour into a major character of his book Roughing It. Unlike the wild ruffian from Twain's book he restored the peace. Problem was, he got bored - and drunk - when he had no great challenges. This Jekyll & Hyde duality left him a target of vigilantes.
Rottenberg has harnessed a prodigious amount of research to write this excellent work of frontier history. His detailing of the Mexican War, the California gold rush and the Pony Express, to cite just three examples, will fascinate anyone interested in the facts behind the Wild West. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of verifiable facts about Slade, often making him a bystander in his own story. Rottenberg states up front he aspired as a boy to write a novel about his hero; I believe that would have been a preferable way to study this enigma. Three and a half stars for a job well done even if it's not the one promised in the title.
Rottenberg has harnessed a prodigious amount of research to write this excellent work of frontier history. His detailing of the Mexican War, the California gold rush and the Pony Express, to cite just three examples, will fascinate anyone interested in the facts behind the Wild West. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of verifiable facts about Slade, often making him a bystander in his own story. Rottenberg states up front he aspired as a boy to write a novel about his hero; I believe that would have been a preferable way to study this enigma. Three and a half stars for a job well done even if it's not the one promised in the title.
December 8, 2013
not bad more of the history of the overland stage then Slade but not mad more 3 1/2 stars
February 19, 2022
Very disappointed to be honest. Turns out Slade was never an outlaw, was never wanted or elusive and was never even in a gunfight. There is a ton of very old West history in this book though, including brief looks into the Mexican war, the Mormon War, overland freight, stage coaching, 3 gold rushes, Indian conflicts, and the pony express. I really liked the book but it is very misleading.
July 24, 2017
I greatly appreciated this book. It is one of the better historical accounts of the west from 1859 to 1864 that I have read, h which included the life of Jack Slade. Very entertaining and sad. Worth the read.
September 9, 2018
Very well researched and documented story on Jack Slade. I learned much about him during a visit to Virginia City, MT. He had an amazing, interesting life - from the Pony Express days to the Road Agents and Vigilantes of Montana Territory. Very well done book on Western history. Recommend!
September 27, 2011
Elusive is the key word in the book’s title. Although this is a book that is a well researched history of the Western Stage Coach Era (1858 to 1964) it is less of a biography and even less about the death of a gunfighter. It tells the story and dissects the legend of Jack Slade who was not even called “Jack” until after his death in 1864. Slade (or his legend) was made most famous by Mark Twain in his book “Roughing It”. Twain wrote Slade’s story some time after the two of them had only spent an hour together at a stage stop. What Twain invented was mostly fiction romanced as fact.
The real Jack Slade was in fact Joseph Alfred Slade (1831-1864) who for most of his life worked to create and maintain the northern transportation route from Missouri to California (including wagon trains, the Pony Express, and stage coaches). Slade was apparently an excellent worker unless he was drunk and being drunk was to become his downfall. When drunk his habit was a love for shooting up salons and disturb the peace. He then would return later when sober and apologize for his behavior and pay for his damages. Interesting is the story that Slade was shot and left for dead and somehow survived to eventually kill his assailant. Slade then cut off the assailant’s ears and Slade used them when telling tales about himself to stage passengers passing through his territory. Slade’s wife Virginia is also a colorful personality and addition to the Slade story. Death comes as Slade is hung by vigilantes for disturbing the peace while drunk. If he was a gunfighter his opponents were mostly whiskey bottles at local saloons and general stores. And it got him hung.
I would recommend this book to a reader who has interest in Western History and especially the period between 1858 and 1864. The background of the Civil War and its impact on this area also is well covered. However, more pages are spent on who created the various transportation companies and who owned, sold and received mail contracts than on Slade’s exploits. This is because so little is known of Slade and so little was written about him. Rottenberg still is able to use Slade’s story to hold the narrative together. The real Jack Slade is rather elusive and his story is perhaps a good metaphor for the elusive history of the old west.
The real Jack Slade was in fact Joseph Alfred Slade (1831-1864) who for most of his life worked to create and maintain the northern transportation route from Missouri to California (including wagon trains, the Pony Express, and stage coaches). Slade was apparently an excellent worker unless he was drunk and being drunk was to become his downfall. When drunk his habit was a love for shooting up salons and disturb the peace. He then would return later when sober and apologize for his behavior and pay for his damages. Interesting is the story that Slade was shot and left for dead and somehow survived to eventually kill his assailant. Slade then cut off the assailant’s ears and Slade used them when telling tales about himself to stage passengers passing through his territory. Slade’s wife Virginia is also a colorful personality and addition to the Slade story. Death comes as Slade is hung by vigilantes for disturbing the peace while drunk. If he was a gunfighter his opponents were mostly whiskey bottles at local saloons and general stores. And it got him hung.
I would recommend this book to a reader who has interest in Western History and especially the period between 1858 and 1864. The background of the Civil War and its impact on this area also is well covered. However, more pages are spent on who created the various transportation companies and who owned, sold and received mail contracts than on Slade’s exploits. This is because so little is known of Slade and so little was written about him. Rottenberg still is able to use Slade’s story to hold the narrative together. The real Jack Slade is rather elusive and his story is perhaps a good metaphor for the elusive history of the old west.
July 23, 2013
Extremely well-written and meticulously researched story, this biography aims to encompass every known fact about Jack Slade, a forgotten character who seems to have played a pivotal role in the development of the Old West.
Slade was a harsh wagonmaster and Pony Express supervisor who seemed to be able to deliver results under incredibly harsh conditions. He survived blinding blizzards (literally) and deadly deserts to make sure that stagecoaches, mail delivery, and wagon trains arrived on time and with materials intact.
Unfortunately, the strain eventually got to him, and when he had no more challenges, he fell into alcoholic rages that made him nearly as much of an outlaw as the outlaws he killed to keep his businesses moving. Eventually he was killed when he got caught by a group of vigilantes who decided to correct the lawlessness that Slade had fought to correct himself, and hanged Slade without trial.
This highly readable book does an amazing job of recreating Slade's life using a combination of the sparse amount of verifiable facts and rigorous research into the time period, particularly the drive to connect the East and West via stagecoach and pony express, in which Slade played an important part. You get a terrific feeling of what that era was like, and how Slade both rose to the challenges of the time, and was eventually destroyed by the stress of his difficult life.
Best of all, the author does not juice up the facts to make the story more colorful. By showing Slade for what he was, both good and bad, you get a fascinating full-color portrait of this pivotal historical individual. Very enjoyable and interesting tale.
Slade was a harsh wagonmaster and Pony Express supervisor who seemed to be able to deliver results under incredibly harsh conditions. He survived blinding blizzards (literally) and deadly deserts to make sure that stagecoaches, mail delivery, and wagon trains arrived on time and with materials intact.
Unfortunately, the strain eventually got to him, and when he had no more challenges, he fell into alcoholic rages that made him nearly as much of an outlaw as the outlaws he killed to keep his businesses moving. Eventually he was killed when he got caught by a group of vigilantes who decided to correct the lawlessness that Slade had fought to correct himself, and hanged Slade without trial.
This highly readable book does an amazing job of recreating Slade's life using a combination of the sparse amount of verifiable facts and rigorous research into the time period, particularly the drive to connect the East and West via stagecoach and pony express, in which Slade played an important part. You get a terrific feeling of what that era was like, and how Slade both rose to the challenges of the time, and was eventually destroyed by the stress of his difficult life.
Best of all, the author does not juice up the facts to make the story more colorful. By showing Slade for what he was, both good and bad, you get a fascinating full-color portrait of this pivotal historical individual. Very enjoyable and interesting tale.
July 22, 2015
This was a gift from my brother for X-mas last year that I finally got around to. It goes along with my collection of American West nonfiction, all of which I've picked up/been gifted in my quest for more knowledge/fiction research, and a general desire to read more nonfiction.
Coming at it from that perspective, I genuinely enjoyed the historical take on one man's controversial life. There's not a lot of validated material out there about Jack Slade, as the author lets you know right away, and yet what Rottenburg is able to do with what is there is phenomenal. It's revisionist history and autobiography at the same time. We get an idea of how hard life was in the west before and during the civil war, and how integral the trails were--especially those that allowed mail to travel from the east to the west coast--to the formation and keeping of the union. Jack Slade's role in that was no small thing, and it's tragic to see someone who performed these herculean tasks ultimately hanged for something as little as being a drunk and a nuisance. I also loved the take on the vigilantes, especially considering how big superheroes are right now. What seems like a justified and wholesome cause from the outset doesn't necessarily stay that way, and both sets of stories are rife with reflection on what it means to take the law into your own hands, what that does to you, and what happens to everybody else. Great, easy, fascinating read.
Coming at it from that perspective, I genuinely enjoyed the historical take on one man's controversial life. There's not a lot of validated material out there about Jack Slade, as the author lets you know right away, and yet what Rottenburg is able to do with what is there is phenomenal. It's revisionist history and autobiography at the same time. We get an idea of how hard life was in the west before and during the civil war, and how integral the trails were--especially those that allowed mail to travel from the east to the west coast--to the formation and keeping of the union. Jack Slade's role in that was no small thing, and it's tragic to see someone who performed these herculean tasks ultimately hanged for something as little as being a drunk and a nuisance. I also loved the take on the vigilantes, especially considering how big superheroes are right now. What seems like a justified and wholesome cause from the outset doesn't necessarily stay that way, and both sets of stories are rife with reflection on what it means to take the law into your own hands, what that does to you, and what happens to everybody else. Great, easy, fascinating read.
March 8, 2016
A very good read. I didn't know what to expect - especially as the author starts out saying that not much is really known about the title character; that most of what is "known" is myth. But the author did an excellent job of placing Slade in his time and place. Learned a lot about freight and stage coach transportation in the early days of the Rocky Mountain West. Also learned a lot about vigilante justice - or lack of justice - in those early gold camps of Montana Territory.
August 18, 2016
Wow. What a book.
I got this book from the library, because I was out of western books to read. And it impressed the heck out of me. I actually bought this book online, I enjoyed it so much.
It's an incredibly well researched book, revealing a character misjudged and misunderstood by history. Rottenberg goes in detail about the Stagecoach lines, the Overland Trail, the history of the Slade family. Superbly researched, highly recommended.
I got this book from the library, because I was out of western books to read. And it impressed the heck out of me. I actually bought this book online, I enjoyed it so much.
It's an incredibly well researched book, revealing a character misjudged and misunderstood by history. Rottenberg goes in detail about the Stagecoach lines, the Overland Trail, the history of the Slade family. Superbly researched, highly recommended.
November 1, 2008
Pretty good history of the Pony Express years out West, despite the lack of hard facts about Slade himself.
July 18, 2012
Good history of Western gunfighter. No relation!
March 30, 2013
Extremely well researched. Give a different point of view to the general idea of a western gunfighter.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews