The Trial of Billy the Kid, by David G. Thomas
On April 8, 1881, Billy the Kid stood trial for the murder of Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory Sheriff William Brady. The legal proceedings lasted just a few days, but set in motion a series of infamous events over the next three months.
In The Trial of Billy the KId, David G. Thomas argues that the legal proceeding was the most important event in the Kid’s young life. That’s debatable, but Thomas does an admirable job of laying out his argument.
The research is impeccable, with practically every sentence footnoted. Excerpts from newspaper accounts are included throughout the book. When I first picked it up, I thought, “Can somebody do an entire book on an event that took just a few days?” Thomas answers “yes” in this one — and you’ll definitely agree. — Mark Boardman, True West Magazine.
