Podcast
American History Tellers
Pat Garrett hired a ghostwriter to produce this account of Billy the Kid's life in an effort to tell his version of the story, though it was riddled with inaccuracies. It was released by a New Mexico publisher in March 1882 and became a major source for subsequent works.
So in an effort to tell his version of the story, the sheriff hired a ghostwriter. In March of 1882, less than a year after Billy's death, a New Mexico publisher released The Authentic Life of Billy t...
— Episode: Billy the Kid | Dead or Alive | 3
Episode: Billy the Kid | Dead or Alive | 3
Pat Garrett hired a ghostwriter to produce this account of Billy the Kid's life in an effort to tell his version of the story, though it was riddled with inaccuracies. It was released by a New Mexico publisher in March 1882 and became a major source for subsequent works.
So in an effort to tell his version of the story, the sheriff hired a ghostwriter. In March of 1882, less than a year after Billy's death, a New Mexico publisher released The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, the Noted Desperado of the Southwest by Pat Garrett.
It was a dramatic, gripping account that was riddled with inaccuracies. The book wasn't a huge seller initially, but it became a major source for many subsequent works.