"Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War" by T.J. Stiles

510 pages

This biography follows the story of Jesse James from the time that his parents arrived in Missouri to his death, putting his life in the context of the social and political environment of western Missouri during and after the Civil War. Jesse James is often portrayed as a sort of hero, but here it appears that he was quite the opposite: a cold-blooded killer. The author makes a good case for viewing Jesse as a political terrorist rather than a legendary Wild-West outlaw. Stiles has done very extensive research, and his claims are supported by some pretty solid evidence. He shows Jesse's upbringing in a Southern, white supremacist family; the James family's unwavering support for the Confederacy; and the way that Jesse and his brother Frank's group of bandits targeted Unionist and Republican individuals and institutions.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. It's pretty dense, but I like that Stiles backs up what he says with references. It's repetitive at times, but most of the stories are exciting and told well. I learned a lot about not only Jesse James but also the Civil War in Missouri. I knew that it was especially chaotic here in the middle of the country, where everything--North and South, East and West--meet, but this story brought that to life and made me realize how dangerous life was at that time.