Another great book from Tom Clavin. This was an informative and beautifully detailed look at the last great outlaw family. It is tryly amazing how close in time we were to these outlaws. I found the book to be exciting, enthralling, and well written.

I was excited to get this preview copy of "The Last Outlaws" by Tom Clavin from NetGalley to read and review. I have not read anything from Tom Clavin before, but have been reading numerous books set in and around this time period in the west. I found the book extremely frustrating to read. Clavin kept chasing one rabbit after another that often felt like they did nothing to add to the history or story. He also tended to write in a very unsophisticated style that I would not expect from a author seeking to reach an educated audience. Because of the uneven style of the book, I never was able to gain any sense of understanding or compassion for any of the characters in the book. I certainly did not feel like the Dalton's were the main characters. I was just thankful to have been finished with it.

In all his works, Mr. Clavin proves to be a thorough researcher who tells a story in an interesting way. The story of the Daltons and their peers is told through the lens of the end of the “Wild West” and is a compelling, detailed look about the transition from old west world of gunfights and frontier towns and into the more progressive world of settled cities and industry.

The Last Outlaws had a quick pace and it was over before I was ready. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martens Press for the opportunity to read this book and thank you to Tom Clavin for another captivating read.

Tom Clavin books never disappoint (at least in my experience), and this latest book takes us back to the days of the Wild West. The Last Outlaws is the story of the Dalton Gang, perhaps known by more people as the basis for the Eagles second album Desperados.

Clavin takes the reader through the last years of the Wild West, as outlaw gangs slowly come to an end. There are allusions to the James brothers and the Youngers, but this story is about the Bill Dalton gang which later became the Doolin-Dalton gang, aka The Wild Bunch.

The book is full of colorful stories of these infamous outlaws and the lawmen who hunted them down, in some cases crossing numerous states and taking months to reach a standoff. We also meet many of the victims, as well as the wives and sons/daughters of the outlaws.

This book brought me back to all the great Westerns that were on TV when I was growing up in the 1960s--Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, etc. It was a fun read and if you enjoy reading about this era you will enjoy the book.

I give the book four and one-half stars, rounded down to four. No major criticisms, just found it hard to follow some of the narrative. Some charts of the gang and its members or a map of locations would have helped add to the context..

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this new work.

I love nonfiction historical books, especially those having anything to do with the old "wild west", so you can imagine how excited I was to read this book. I'm always a bit nervous when I start said books because I'm afraid they won't live up to my expectations, but I needn't have worried about this one! The Last Outlaws was everything I hoped it would be, and more. Not only did we get to learn everything we wanted to know about The Dalton Gang, but side stories about other major players in the Dalton Gang saga were included, as well. The book was very detailed, and gave you a bunch of information in a short amount of time, but it didn't feel like it was being dumped on you. It was told in such a way that you were able to take it all in and process it quite easily.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book so much, I intend to get my hands on more of Tom Clavin's work.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Tom Clavin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The Last Outlaws by Tom Clavin

Growing up with Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson on weekly television, I thought I had a pretty clear idea of how the good guys ended the terror of outlaw gangs in the Old West. Not so fast! Tom Clavin's book The Last Outlaws, based on the painstaking research of Nancy Samuelson and others, clearly demonstrates just what these lawmen were up against: men like Fred Dodge, Heck Thomas, Chris Madsen and Bill Tilghman and the often fruitless heroics as they attempted to wipe out the infamous Dalton Gang. These "descendants" of the James/Younger days will terrorize small towns, kill without remorse, lie and cheat as they plan bank and train robberies.

The Last Outlaws features some jaw-dropping facts that help put the characters into perspective. For example, Cole Younger's mother, Adeline, had 15 children: the oldest was born during Franklin Pierce's administration; the youngest child lived into Lyndon Johnson's administration! Four of her 15 children took up with a life of crime and three died criminals' deaths. Only Emmett Dalton would live to write and attempt to justify his family's crimes.

The ease of breaking out of jails, the low number of lawmen to capture outlaws, the slow payment of reward money and rival lawmen sabotaging each other for the reward money are just some of the reasons that the Dalton Gang thrived in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Author Tom Clavin also relates to the Hollywood portrayals of outlaws and will make the reader think twice when watching GRIT TV.

288 pages

4 stars

This is a comprehensive telling of the life and times of the Dalton Gang. They were American outlaws in the 1880’s and 90’s. Their most outrageous heist was the robbing of banks in Coffeyville, Kansas. The citizens recognized them and a vicious gunfight ensued. Several people died and four of the gang were also killed.

The book goes very far back and tells of the history of the Dalton - and related - families. The size and names of the family members are listed, as well as their occupations and what eventually happened to them. I enjoyed this deep dive into history.

Mr. Clavin’s research into the lives was exhaustive. I admire his work ethic. He writes in a conversational style which I appreciate. There is nothing dry about this book. It is easy to comprehend and follow. I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes to read about outlaws or the Old West.

Mr. Clavin also includes a bibliography for those who would like to further explore the subject.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

This was a great book on the closing chapter of the Old West and the Old West outlaw. I thoroughly found this story of the Dalton gang to be fascinating. Clavin tells a great story of this gang and the end of an era that many Americans come to find interest in. I would highly recommend this book to those Americans!!