Bloody Bill Anderson: The Short, Savage Life of a Civil War Guerrilla Book

20 b/w photos & 4 maps & 6 x 9 . From two of the foremost historians of the Civil War in the West & First book-length account of Bill Anderson and the Centralia Massacre Praise for previous books by the authors: "Castel's study of Kansas during the Civil War has achieved the status of a classic in the genre."--James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom ". . . native Kansan Goodrich tells a violent tale of insurrection, rioting, drunkenness, principle, politics, and self-interest. . . . Goodrich has made effective use of sources . . . to present a coherent and credible vision of the dress rehearsal for the Civil War." --Library Journal One of the most notorious of Confederate guerrillas from Missouri, "Bloody Bill" Anderson was the perpetrator of the Centralia and Baxter Springs Massacres, as well as innumerable other atrocities in 1863-64. Using newly discovered material, the authors trace how a seemingly pleasant young man from Missouri was turned into a psychopathic murderer by a combination of personality, circumstance, accidents of war, and opportunity. Mythic figures of the American West abound in this biography--from William Clarke Quantrill to Frank and Jesse James--as they enter and influence Anderson's life. Albert Castel is the author of several titles, including the Lincoln Prize-winning Decision in the West. He currently lives in Michigan. Thomas Goodrich is also the author of several books on the West, including Scalp Dance and War to the Knife. He is a native Kansan and lives near Topeka.Read More