The Kid

By: Ron Hansen

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

A new novel from Ron Hansen, the award-winning author of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, about an iconic American criminal of the old West: legendary outlaw Billy the Kid.

Born Henry McCarty, Billy the Kid was a diminutive, charming, blond-haired young man who, growing up in New York, Kansas, and later New Mexico, demonstrated a precocious dexterity at firing six-shooters with either hand - a skill that turned him into an American legend of the old West. He was smart, well spoken, attractive to both white and Mexican women, a good dancer, and a man with a nose for money, horses, and trouble. His spree of crimes and murders has been immortalized in dime Westerns, novels, and movies. But the whole story of his short, epically violent life has never been told as it has been here.

In The Kid, Ron Hansen showcases his masterful research and inimitable style as he breathes life into history, bringing listeners back into the late 1800s and into Billy's boyhood as a ranch hand just trying to wrest a fortune from an unforgiving landscape. We are with Billy in every gunfight and horse theft, and we get to know him in full before his grand death in a hail of bullets in 1881 at the age of 21. Original, powerful, and swiftly told, The Kid is an unforgettable listen about a uniquely American antihero.

©2016 Ron Hansen (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A fine old yarn

Having relistened to Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides, I became interested in the history of New Mexico and stumbled across The Kid. Fine story, colorful language, and superb narration - and learned a bit about the wild west use of a corn cob.

loved it

had me laughing and rooting for the kid even though I knew how it all turned out. great story

An Outlaw Brought to Life

The brief and violent life of William H. Bonney is fleshed out in this work of historical fiction, painting Billy the Kid as an inventive young charmer who happens to be ambidextrous with a six-shooter. Orphaned at 14, shot dead by Pat Garrett at 21, he packed the years between as a horse thief, rustler, gambler, escape artist and outlaw who charmed the ladies as well as his public.

Ron Hansen’s account is chock full of droll cowboy humor.

“I’m a motherless child and I’m so broke I can’t even pay attention,” says a prospective gunslinger. The Kid replies, “Well, I grew up with nothing and I still got most of it. Welcome to our fraternity.”

Be prepared to remember lots of names. One of them is Lew Wallace, a former Union general and the governor of New Mexico Territory with whom Billy tried to negotiate clemency, but Wallace was mostly distracted by authoring “Ben Hur,” the greatest US bestseller until “Gone With the Wind.”

Personally, I grew weary of the recitation of full-length song lyrics of the era. Maybe it would be less intrusive in print form. But it’s a well-told yarn, and Mark Bramhall is just the one to spin it.

A misunderstood hero? Or a crazed gunslinger?

I'm glad I enjoyed this book in audio book versus reading as like so many other reviews as it would've been reading a history book & been quite dry. The narrator Mark Bramhall made the book so much more enjoyable with his talents of voices & accents. Having been a child of the '80s & enjoying the movies "Young Guns" & its sequel was all I knew about Billy the Kid. This having been my first Ron Hansen novel I did enjoy what story telling there was. If you have an interest in Billy the Kid I would recommend the audio book over the novel.

Good listen!

For any fan of old west history this is a good listen. While hard to separate fact from fiction, it was a wonderfully entertaining tale of the life and times of Billy the Kid. The narration was easy to listen to and kept me entertained throughout. Enjoyed it!

great listen

Great biography on Billy the Kid, author has a great writing style that takes you back in time.

A good easy listen

Narration is perfect for the story, interesting without being too imposing of a story. Enjoyable, engaging and intervals of humor make for a good listen.

Excellent story telling!

I really enjoyed this book. Billy the Kid has always been an enigma, gaining so much fame and subsequent lore after only 21 years of age. The narrator for this book is one of, if not the the best I’ve heard yet. Superb in every respect.

Really Enjoyed this

I thought I knew a lot about the Kid but this book really enlightened me and turned the Kid into a real person for me. Reader was exceptional.

Amazing!

Loved it! Definitely a great read if you love westerns! Full of great details you won’t hear anywhere else