Edward Zane Carroll Judson aka Ned Buntline (1821–1886) was responsible for creating a highly romantic and often misleading image of the American West, albeit one that the masses found irresistible in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Some scholars estimate that he wrote at least four hundred dime novels over his lifetime, and perhaps as many as six hundred. While he is best known for discovering William Frederick Cody (Buffalo Bill) and making the irrepressible scout a star, Judson—by that time—had already lived five lifetimes himself: he had fought Seminole Indians in Florida; started and bankrupted three newspapers; published dozens of successful novels; agitated for the Know-Nothing party; and fought in the Union Army during the Civil War. Along the way, the fiery redheaded, gray-eyed writer lectured extensively about temperance between drinking bouts. He married eight women, seduced at least one other, and cavorted with prostitutes, one of whom beat him physically and legally. It wasn’t until 1869 that, en route home from a temperance speaking tour in California, he met Cody in Nebraska, while trying to make contact with another Western star, “Wild Bill” Hickok. Judson’s time with his last three wives overlapped his time with Cody. Their subsequent fight over Judson’s Civil War pension provides not only a unique glimpse into the mind of a narcissistic genius, but also a panoramic view of America’s past forcibly displayed by white, Protestant manhood. The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline captures the likeness of a man whose life was a landscape littered with contradictions--a man whose readers often forgave his Jekyll-and-Hyde behavior because of his inventive portrayal of a country trying to subdue the last of its natural landscapes and make sense of its teeming cities. It will be, at last, an open-eyed look at the man who sparked an American legend but whose own scandalous life somehow escaped history's limelight.

Welcome to a West like you've never seen before, where electric lights shine down on the streets of Tombstone, while horseless stagecoaches carry passengers to and fro, and where death is no obstacle to The Thing That Was Once Johnny Ringo. Think you know the story of the O.K. Corral? Think again, as five-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick takes on his first steampunk western tale, and the West will never be the same.

“A fascinating examination of the genesis of the Western novel and its influence on the modern American novel . . . full of rip-roaring yarns.” —James Reasoner, New York Times-bestselling author The Wild West came alive under the pen of Edward Zane Carroll Judson, who wrote many of Americas best-loved ”dime novels” under the pseudonym Ned Buntline. From Buffalo Bill (whom Judson knew first-hand) to Wild Bill Hickok, these vivid tales feature some of the most colorful characters on the American landscape. This anthology gathers a selection of his best-loved work, including four full-length unabridged novels, each with an introduction by author and critic Clay Reynolds. Stories include: Buffalo Bill, the King of Border Men; or, The Wildest and Truest Tale I’ve Ever Told Hazel-Eye, the Girl Trapper. A Tale of Strange Young Life The Miner Detective; or, The Ghost of the Gulch Wild Bill’s Last Trail And more “A valuable work for teachers and scholars of American popular culture. The Hero of a Hundred Fights provides a well-chosen and well-edited selection from the work of an important nineteenth-century popular writer.” —Richard Slotkin, National Book Award finalist for Gunfighter Nation “A welcome addition to both western literature and western history—this volume will be welcomed by any serious student of the American West.” —R. David Edmunds, author of The Shawnee Prophet “Ned Buntline was a legend in his own time. This collection of his iconic western fiction brings the legend to life in our time.” —J. Randolph Cox, editor, Dime Novel Round-Up

Delve into the thrilling world of the Wild West with Ned Buntline's tale, 'Wild Bill's Last Trail'. Join legendary figures like Wild Bill Hickok and Captain Jack as they navigate the treacherous Black Hills alongside the captivating Addie Neidic. Ned Buntline, a renowned writer and publisher, brings to life the untamed spirit of the Old West through his vivid storytelling. From action-packed adventures to encounters with notorious outlaws, this gripping narrative immerses readers in the heart-pounding drama of the American frontier.

Texas Jack: America’s First Cowboy Star is a biography of John B. “Texas Jack” Omohundro, the first well-known cowboy in America. A Confederate scout and spy from Virginia, Jack left for Texas within weeks of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. In Texas, he became first a cowboy and then a trail boss, jobs that would inform the rest of his life. Jack lead cattle on the Chisholm and Goodnight-Loving trails to New Mexico, California, Kansas and Nebraska. In 1868 he met James B. “Wild Bill” Hickok in Kansas and then William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody in Nebraska at the end of the first major cattle drive to North Platte. Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill became friends, and soon the scout and the cowboy became the subjects of a series of dime novels written by Ned Buntline.

"The exploits of the amazing Ned Buntline--king of the dime novelists, Buffalo Bill's promoter, soldier, sportsman, Western trader, roue, political manipulator, adventurer extraordinary"--Cover subtitle.

Based on the lives of two adolescent girls in the late 19th century who became infatuated with the Western outlaw heroes they had read about in Ned Buntline's stories and left their homes to join them. The outlaws the girls find are the demoralised remnants of the Doolin-Dalton gang, led by the aging Bill Doolin. Annie shames, and inspires the men, to become what she had imagined them to be. The younger sister Jenny finds a father figure in Doolin, who calls her Little Britches. Doolin's efforts to live up to the girls' vision of him lead him to be carted off in a cage to an Oklahoma jail where he waits to be hanged.