This was an entertaining look at the history, and men, peppering the Wells-Fargo company.
I hadn't realized that stagecoaches were so dangerous before I started reading this book, or that the roots of police and detectives were so unstable. Very little job security there!
This book would be a treat for any Western writer or armchair historian.

Take a ride back to the wild west! Jump on a stagecoach and gear up for the adventure of a lifetime.

This book was amazing in so many ways. We know about the background of the detectives, the pony express riders, and the men who risked their lives to transfer gold dust, bullion and so much more across the plains. With the gold rush in California, there was a more urgent need for bonded men who could safeguard the money and gold dust being transferred, but that did not keep desperadoes from trying to get rob the stagecoaches.
That is where the detectives would pop in, and track down the men that were responsible for the robberies.

We know the stories, but we don't know the men. Now we do. John Boessenecker does a great job in bringing these legendary figures to life, and bringing their stories to a much broader public.
I absolutely loved the book, and getting to read about several places that were familiar. Mount Shasta, Klamath Falls, and so much more - old stomping grounds for me.

Great history, and well done!

This is a well written book, chock full of tales of Wells Fargo drivers, station agents, etc. I had no idea that in its prime Wells Fargo was basically a freight company (think old West version of UPS or FedEx) and passenger services was a very small part of the business.

It was informative and interesting but... I would recommend reading it over a period of time. Set it aside and read something else then come back to it rather than trying to go start to finish. Reason being that after a few chapters many of the stories, while interesting and far from dull, tend to blur together. At least they did for me.

I ended up reading about half way through before getting kind of burned out and putting it down for a few months - according to my stats I began a year ago (Yikes!). I finished it a few months back but neglected to do a review at the time.

So while I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of Old West history I have to add the caveat: Pace yourself. Don't try to read it all at once.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review (sorry it took so long).

This is a fascinating book about a part of the old west you only really saw in moves or read about in old western novels. Riding shotgun, here the author really explains the term and the men who rode shotgun for the Wells Fargo express. Delivering gold mostly but there were other items. Most of the men were also detectives in that they would search or track for the man or men that would rob the stage. From the first chapter when the author takes you through the life of “Chips” Hodgkin’s who would work for them for 25 years and even be acknowledged for his time and for all he did for the company by the owners, to the first detective Henry Johnson, each chapter tells a story of the true west and of men that not only had to fight the ones that stole from Wells Fargo but sometimes from the towns or camps as well. I found this book to be very well researched and by breaking it down by chapter for each person made for an entertaining read. A very good book.

I don't read nonfiction very often but this was definitely worth a read. The author has written a well researched book and even included many pictures from his personal collection of not only the hero's who rode for Wells Fargo, lawmen and stagecoach robbers. Fascinating chapters on the life of the characters I just mentioned and information on the robberies including some teenage girls who were riding in the stagecoaches when they were robbed. I enjoyed reading the chapter about the wild dog named Pony that the driver tamed. Pony became his pet but would never ride in his stagecoach he ran following his stagecoach up to 50 miles a day for 9 years. Fascinating western history for those who like a taste of the lawless and their capture.
Pub Date 30 Oct 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book will be of massive interest to folks who prefer Wild West history over all other eras. For those of us who are not enthusiasts … it's pretty dry, and generally full of people of whom you'll have never heard.

I requested this book as I am fascinated by our history of the American West and it is a new research subject for me for enjoyment. I had not read this author previously and was pleased to receive it as requested for review. Thank you with gratitude to the author for your most exemplary work, to the publisher for sharing the book and to Net Galley for approving my request.

This is a book to savor and absorb. The author has created such a fun read here that I found as a reader I was drawn into the stories and the history. That is the mark of a great historical writer when the reader is engaged.

Here is the history of the brave people that were employees of Wells Fargo when they were transporting the mail and money across the wild west in rough territories in all kinds of harsh conditions. The author has also included those brave men that pursued the robbers. which often meant tracking them through heat,, desert and equally rough condition that were life threatening. There are drawings, photos here that bring their stories to vivid life for the reader. I was thrilled to put a face to the story and see both the good and bad guys photographs.

I recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in the history of the american west . This is exemplary body of work and a joy to read.

I will post a review on Net Galley, Good reads and Amazon in the hope that more people will find and read this great book. .

It took me a while to become really interested in the book, but once I got past the introduction I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was interesting reading about some of the highlights of several Wells Fargo messengers, detectives, etc. Their stories were sometimes funny, sometimes inspiring, and sometimes sad. The photos really helped bring the accounts to life.

The author's regard for the subject really comes through, as well as his feelings about Wells Fargo's more recent dealings. It's clear that he has done a lot of research and worked to get the details right. I enjoyed the book and would be interested in reading more of the authors work.

Shotguns and Stagecoaches: The Brave Men Who Rode for Wells Fargo in the Wild West is an intensely detailed and rich history following the transformation of transportation with the gold strikes in California in 1849, as stagecoach routes followed the Pony Express across the wide staked plains of the U.S. bringing faster, safer travel and the transfer of currency and gold across the west. Wells Fargo (and Butterfield) took weeks- often months - off of the trip west for travelers, and provided a less treacherous journey for both persons and cargo. Wells Fargo and the men 'riding shotgun' took a bit of the 'wild' out of the west.

I found this history both enriching and educational. I will look for more histories by John Boessenecker. This is a book I will add to my research shelf. Thank you.

I received a free electronic copy of this history of Wells Fargo from Netgalley, John Boessenecker and St. Martin's Press, Thomas Dunn Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

From 1852 to 1918 W.F. did a lot more than provide digital service, DEATH service would be more like it. It is a great story of change and some things that remain the same. Beginning in the early 1850's W.F. provided better and faster service than the US Mail service; wow sounds familiar. I did like the way this forgotten history is told with a different employee as the foundation. I found it very enjoyable and also very readable.

If you have a interest in the Wild West and Wells Fargo this is a must read book for you. John Boessenecker has really done his research and this book was fascinating.

Wells Fargo. Today the company is a financial institution offering the usual services....banking, loans, retirement accounts, investments, etc. But from 1852 to 1918, the company offered express services. Wells Fargo shipped mail, packages, valuables, money...even gold...all across the United States. In its heyday, Wells Fargo delivered goods faster than the United States Postal Service. Starting as a small company in the 1850s, by the time World War I ended Wells Fargo express services, the company had 10,000 offices all across the country.

Shotguns and Stagecoaches tells the stories of 20 Wells Fargo messengers and detectives whose job required them to protect Wells Fargo assets from nefarious criminals and robbers. I loved reading the stories of these fascinating characters who protected the integrity of the company by making sure money and valuables entrusted to the company arrived at their final destination. The stories are well-written, interesting and amazing! The history of that era is so fascinating. I've read a lot about Old West history, but I still learned some new facts by reading this book. For instance, Wells Fargo express services ended in 1918 because the United States government required all mail/express services be consolidated into only one carrier -- the USPS -- due to World War I. Only the banking services offered by Wells Fargo survived WWI. I always wondered how Wells Fargo went from a Old West stagecoach delivery type service to the banking institution it is today. I also didn't realize that their express service still operated into the 1900s. So interesting! I find it fascinating that we have come so far in just 100 years....makes books like this one by John Boessenecker incredibly interesting! The United States might have much less history than other nations that are much older, but our history is definitely colorful. Not necessarily always good....but colorful.

My husband loves tales from this era in history. He is fascinated about the wild and woolly days of the Old West and the Gold Rush era. I pre-ordered him a copy of this book immediately after I finished reading my review copy. I enjoyed this book....but he will absolutely love it. It will be a binge reading event I am sure. :) Anyone who enjoys US History or tales of the Old West will love this book.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from St. Martins Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I don't often read history of the Old West, but Shotguns and Stagecoaches: The Brave Men Who Rode for Wells Fargo in the Wild West is a must read for those interested in American history. John Boessenecker has clearly done his research and has done a decent job of making the subject matter accessible to those that don't already have that much knowledge in the topic. I appreciated that the book was broken down by period of the company, and it also includes many fascinating photos of the featured figures. I definitely recommend this if you're interested in the learning more about the American West.

This book is well written and researched. The author's writing style makes it an engaging and easy read. Each chapter in the book is devoted to an employee of Wells Fargo in the early days when they were transporting the mail and money or those who worked for the company and pursued those who robbed the company. Of particualr interest to me is the fact that the author included photos and drawings of not only the good guys, but also the bad guys. During the course of the book the author corrects some of the confusion on who exactly tracked down some of the robbers.

I recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in the history of the american west and in particular those who put their lives on the line on an almost daily basis working for Wells Fargo. 

I received a free Kindle copy of Shotguns and Stagecoaches by John Boessenecker courtesy of Net Galley  and St. Martin's Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.

I requested this book as I am an avid reader of history of the american west.  This is the first book I have read by the author.

This was an entertaining look at the history, and men, peppering the Wells-Fargo company.
I hadn't realized that stagecoaches were so dangerous before I started reading this book, or that the roots of police and detectives were so unstable. Very little job security there!
This book would be a treat for any Western writer or armchair historian.

Shotguns and Stagecoaches: The Brave Men Who Rode for Wells Fargo in the Wild West is an interesting read. I give it four stars.