Was Jesse James a rebel, or was he merely a criminal?

We have at least come far enough that we no longer see biographies that make James a Robin Hood, a man purely wronged and guilty of no crime. Everyone admits that he committed crimes. But the question is, Why? Every modern biographer must face this question.

This book never really does. It begins with Jesse the Confederate raider (not soldier -- not really. He was a guerilla). But it never faces what he became after that.

The evidence is pretty strong that Jesse came back from the war with post-traumatic stress disorder or something like it. Brother Frank eventually settled down and became a fairly decent citizen. Jesse was prone to fits of rage all his life, and he never did give up his wild ways. Traumatized, perhaps -- but, still, a dangerous and unstable man. And this book doesn't really see it.

The folklore about Jesse James is vast. Almost all of it is wrong. And, sadly, too much of it can be found in this book. Far better to read the honest biographies, such as those by Settle and Yeatman. ( )