Description
Book SynopsisTells the remarkable story of Emmett Dalton and how he and his brothers drifted from one side of the law to the other in the frontier lands of the late nineteenth century. It is the story of shoot-’em-ups and train robberies, of the closing frontier, and of what desperate men in desperate times do to survive.
Trade ReviewIan W. Shaw has produced a high-powered narrative biography of the notable westerner Emmett Dalton. The author clearly achieves his admirable goal of a first-rate Wild West story of this lively Old West figure. In all ways an enjoyable read." - Richard W. Etulain, author of
Thunder in the West: The Life and Legends of Billy the Kid and
The Life and Legends of Calamity Jane"While many accounts of the Dalton Gang end on the streets of Coffeyville, Ian Shaw goes much further, diving deep into the formative biography and subsequent life of Emmet Dalton, the only outlaw to survive the daring double bank robbery. The author succeeds in providing an impressive level of detail surrounding these iconic events and the people who figured in them. Shaw has written a highly readable narrative that illustrates the complex and sometimes confusing interplay between law and crime, fame and notoriety." - John Kinney, author of Captain Jack and the Dalton Gang: The Life and Times of a Railroad Detective
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. Youth, War, and Alcohol
- 2. Business Success and Statewide Office
- 3. Running for Governor
- 4. 1963’s Political Battles: Liquor by the Drink and the Shaff Plan
- 5. Helping the Downtrodden
- 6. Reapportionment and Reform
- 7. LBJ’s “Favorite Governor” and Reelection
- 8. The Historic 1965 Iowa Legislature
- 9. Where Angels Fear to Tread
- 10. Vietnam, State Politics, and Aid to Alcoholics
- 11. Third-Term Reelection
- 12. Presidential Confrontation and State Reform
- 13. Civil Rights, Crisis Conferences, and a Senate Candidacy
- 14. Political Upheaval in Iowa and the Nation
- 15. The 1968 Democratic Convention and Senate Race
- 16. The Hughes Act and Federal Aid to Alcoholics
- 17. Angry Dove on the National State
- 18. Democratic Party Reformer and Presidential Candidate
- 19. Secret Bombing over North Vietnam
- 20. Election Defeats and Victories and a Maverick War Critic
- 21. Leaving the Senate and Welcoming Charles Colson
- 22. Life Past Politics—Almost
- Epilogue
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
