Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves

Race and Ethnicity in the American West Series #1

De: Art T. Burton

Narrado por: Ron Butler

Deputy US Marshal Bass Reeves appears as one of "eight notable Oklahomans", the "most feared US marshal in the Indian country". That Reeves was also an African American who had spent his early life as a slave in Arkansas and Texas makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable. Bucking the odds ("I'm sorry, we didn't keep black people's history," a clerk at one of Oklahoma's local historical societies answered a query), Art T. Burton sifts through fact and legend to discover the truth about one of the most outstanding peace officers in late 19th-century America - and perhaps the greatest lawman of the Wild West era. Fluent in Creek and other Southern native languages, physically powerful, skilled with firearms, and a master of disguise, Reeves was exceptionally adept at apprehending fugitives and outlaws, and his exploits were legendary in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

A finalist for the 2007 Spur Award, sponsored by the Western Writers of America, Black Gun, Silver Star tells Bass Reeves' story for the first time and restores this remarkable figure to his rightful place in the history of the American West.

©2006 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (P)2015 Tantor

The story!

The level of detail was impressive - particularly for a Black character during that period. The story adds new meaning to the phrase “The Wild West!”

An exceptional life story.

though sometimes it gets a bit like an encyclopedia. thousands of great western tales. Bass Reeves is a great American Hero.

Review of Bass Reeves book.

One of the great stories of a Black Deputy Marshal under the hanging Judge in Little Rock.

Great Story, not great storytelling

i understand the author wanted to portray the story as factual as possible with limited veriafle information but I think it could have been portrayed better than reading old cases and newspaper articles word for word.

Loved it

This is American history untold in American schools. Not only was the story of US Marshall Bass Reeves dynamic and inspiring but the period and location of his story is very revealing. From the sad transition through slavery to Plessy and legal segregation via "separate but equal" and the lost of Indian land into the State of Oklahoma the listener is sitting in a classroom of a story untold.

I highly recommend this audio and it's great narration by Ron Butler even if you're not looking to understand the true American story.