I am an avid fan of the Wild West and anything to do with cowboys so when I heard about this book I was super excited to read it.

As a future history teacher, I love that the book shows a more diverse view of the West and just how important Bass Reeves was for this time period but overall I found the book hard to finish.

I felt that while it was easy to read, I did not latch onto it like I do other history books and especially other Western books such as Dan Clevy’s Tombstone. I felt like this was more of a textbook than a historical biography but I did learn a lot which is important for a book like this.

A book on Bass Reeves has been a long time coming, and Art T. Burton is just the person for the job. Burton is a history professor and long-time author about African Americans in the American Old West, and he blends facts and stories together with an expert, confident prose. As the author himself mentions in the introduction, Reeves- one of the greatest American lawmen of all time- has not received the attention he deserves, largely because care of records for African Americans in the Wild West and beyond have not been properly taken care of. Burton, however, lighted on the idea of scouring court archives for cases that Reeves was involved in. This results in what can sometimes be a difficult read- you may find yourself bogged down in a case file being recounted and wonder where this is going. But that's because this book is not only one that sheds light on Bass Reeves, but on the law system in the West itself.

By the end, if you're like me, you will inevitably come out wanting simply more about Reeves- there are still holes and gaps in his life, even when he was involved in something sensational, that may never be filled. But this book is worth the effort you'll put into reading it, and if you persist you will come out understanding more about the American West beyond the films as well as an extraordinary character such as Bass Reeves.

Free ARC from NETGALLEY

Incredible story about the MAN and not his skin color

Yes, the fact that he was black makes the story even more amazing but a good historical account of what one good man (person) can do if they truly have a desire to do good.

Kids should read this in the 7th grade to get a clue. You will enjoy!

Fascinating account of Marshal Bass Reeves. I read this because of a Masterpiece Theater show I watched, in which Reeves was a character portrayed. I was intrigued to know about his life, and this book more than served that goal. Definitely a worthwhile read for fans of the 'Old West' and the role African Americans played in it.
Thanks to NetGalley and University of Nebraska Press for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

This was a tough one to rate. While I found the topic intriguing, particularly since I recall hearing periodically of Bass Reeves' possible connection to the Lone Ranger, a favorite show of my horse loving childhood, it wasn't an easy read. The author is obviously a researcher and scholar and, as such, he provides us with a wealth of documentation and information as any research project should do. Unfortunately, research papers, which I believe this is/was, don't necessarily make for good reading. I'd find myself fascinated at one point, then not many pages afterward, I'd feel my eyes glazing over. Don't get me wrong, this isn't to slam the book. It's simply that it's far more research paper than the average, mildly interested reader can digest with the wealth of often contradictory information and detail. Thus, for the average reader, this one might be a 3 star at best. For those of a more research oriented mind, it might easily rate a 4+ rating. I've opted to rate for the average reader, however, so take all this into consideration when deciding whether to read or not.

As for the content, as noted, there is an abundance or documentation and information, all fact based and checked. Personal memories were probed and the stories of the real Bass Reeves were fascinating. Were they all true? Who knows? Sadly, for the simple fact that he was a black man, records on his history and exploits were scarce. Author Burton has done an admirable job pulling it all together in this well researched volume.

Whether Reeves was the inspiration for the Lone Ranger or not, his story is one that deserves to be told. Born into slavery, he escaped and became one of the West's best lawmen ever. Those who knew him personally claimed he outshone the likes of the legendary Wyatt Earp. He was conscientious. He even arrested his own son at one point. An excellent horseman, he was also said to be a dog-lover, a real plus to me. Some say he rode a white horse, or maybe gray, which, of course, calls to mind the TV Lone Ranger's Silver. Reeves was known to distribute silver dollars, however, not silver bullets. Hmm, another tie. I understand there are ongoing talks about a movie featuring Reeves, so will be intrigued to see if that happens and how the research within this book is utilized. The story of a respected and authoritarian black man in a decidedly white world is definitely one that deserves to be heard.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the #UniversityOfNebraskaPress - #BisonBooks for giving me the chance to delve into a childhood legend in depth.

One of the most well known African American lawmen in the west, Bass Reeves has long been rumored to be the inspiration for the Lone Ranger and has currently started to gain interest in from popular culture with the announcement that the tv show Yellowstone is producing a spin off show of their spin off show about Bass Reeves. This book has never been more timely with the growing interest in Reeves.

Reeves himself was a former slave and lived to become the first black US Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. Arresting more than 3000 criminals and never bringing the wrong one in, He even arrested his own son when he broke the law, proving his integrity. Reeves was a man to be reckoned with and the appeal to learn more about him is understandable. That is unfortunately where the biggest problem with this book comes in. Author Art Burton has done an admirable job piecing together what he can about Reeves' life. You'd think with a career so noted and a track record so impeccable that there would be many fascinating stories about Reeves. Sadly you would be wrong since there are incredibly limited sources about the man and that is the problem the author seemed to run up against. Because of that almost every story he could find about Reeves was added to the text whether it was interesting or fit into the flow of the book or not. This made the text start to read rather like a laundry list than an exciting adventure. When it comes to actual research about the man, this would be an excellent reference source, which is why I rated it so high. When it comes to being a casual read this book unfortunately suffers from dryness related to a lack of source material to give the narrative a decent flow. Records about Reeves's exploits should have been as well chronicled as Wyatt Earp and a bevy of other western lawmen. Unfortunately because of his ethnicity the fascinating history of Bass Reeves has been lost to time, heartbreaking based off of the thinking that this man's life had to have been epic, just not chronicled.

Black Gun, Silver Star tells the true story of Deputy US Marshal Bass Reeves, one of the few Black marshals in the wild West...or at least author Art T. Burton tries to tell the story. Unfortunately, few records exist, mainly because basically none were kept about Reeves except for the arrests he made. The book devolves into a sort of text book account of the arrests with some information from trials. I was really hoping for more of a biography of Reeves, but you can only work with what's available, and there just isn't enough available about Reeves to make compelling, full length book.

I was very excited to finally read an autobiography about Bass Reeves after learning about him on my sadly cancelled favorite time travel show "Timeless". I will say this book could use some help from a ghostwriter because it come off more like a dry research paper. I think this will make most abandon finishing it, but those who really want to learn more about the legendary Marshall who inspired the Lone Ranger will be able to muster on.

I got a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wasn't familiar with this trailblazing lawman, so I'm very happy that I found this book. Bass Reeves was a fascinating person and this book does a great job of bringing him to life.

Bass Reeves was a fascinating man. Born a slave in Arkansas Bass Reeves would serve as a "Lawman" for thirty two years in some capacity. Making over 3,000 arrests, including his own son for the murder of his wife. This is a great history for anyone who is enchanted by the old west and the largely unsettled rural south.

Very interesting read.. History of a law man in the west. The west was certainly wild at that time. If you love western history this is a must read.

I learned a lot about Bass Reeves from this one. The author did a good job of separating fact from fiction.

I enjoyed how this book sifted through fact and fiction but found it repetitive in some parts. I’ve been curious about Bass Reeves since I discovered that he was the lawman the Lone Ranger was based on. I’m not usually a nonfiction reader but found this on interesting. Most of the information is from court records and got a bit repetitive.

I received this book for free for an honest review.

I love this book. No one talks about people of color in the west. Very happy with all the writing style to.

This is the second full book that I have read about Bass and each one has been for the most part the same. most of the information in this book was from the last book that I read so I am glad about that which for me confirms most of the stories. it always surprises me how some people will try and discount Bass because of his color and then also say well it is because of the West, yet most people will believe anything written about a white man that is a criminal or marshall from the same period with no disregard for the same information. I found this to be a good book and worth the read.

I thought, this was a fascinating read. It was enjoyable and I will be doing more research on my own.