The Outlaw Youngers

Book excerpt: The Youngers—Bob, Cole, Jim, and John—tested the boundaries of the violent and turbulent post-Civil War society in which they lived. The author investigates the events from the Border and Civil Wars which forged their characters, their intricate relationships, the innovative train and bank robberies in which they participated, and their decades-long fight for freedom. Brant’s extensive research includes unpublished accounts from family members, the families of their enemies and victims, and hundreds of revealing historical documents. The story of the Youngers as more than the folklore figures they have grown to be demonstrates that often the truth is more fascinating than the fiction.