Separating mythology from actual events in the life of Butch Cassidy has been made extremely difficult by the many stories told about him by family members, acquaintances, and writers after his presumed death in a Bolivian village. In an exhaustive search of reminiscences, newspapers, and books, Richard Patterson has written the definitive biography of the outlaw whose legend is rivaled only by that of Billy the Kid. Born to a devout Mormon family in Utah, Robert Leroy Parker demonstrated early on the acquisitiveness and restlessness that would lead him into a criminal life. As a teenager, he was arrested for stealing a saddle. In this same period, he met Mike Cassidy, a cowhand skilled in using a running iron to change livestock brands. Eventually Parker drifted into Telluride, where he met Tom McCarty and Matt Warner. McCarty taught them how to rob banks and trains, laying out for Parker a career path that would lead him to a new name—Butch Cassidy —and eventually force him from the country.

Patterson has followed every lead to provide a vivid account of Cassidy’s life and has scrutinized the stories of men who claimed to be Butch. Butch Cassidy brings together diverse anecdotes, providing both a wonderful tool for researchers and a lively read.