At age 65, Emmett Dalton, the sole survivor of the infamous Dalton gang makes a living by selling his outrageous adventure stories to Hollywood. Desperadoes details his memories of the murders, bootlegging and thievery he and his posse committed. The grit and excitement of these violent times are expertly evoked by the sharp pen and authentic voice of HarperCollins' bestselling author Ron Hansen.
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"This is one terrific book...Gunsmoke for literate adults." -- New York
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Ron Hansen is the author, most recently, of A Stay Against Confusion: Essays on Faith and Fiction and of the novel Hitler's Niece. His previous novel, Atticus, was a National Book Award finalist. Other highly praised works of fiction include Mariette in Ecstasy, The Assassination Of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Desperadoes, and the story collection Nebraska. With Jim Shepard, he edited the anthology You've Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories That Held Them in Awe. Ron Hansen is married to the novelist Bo Caldwell and lives in northern California, where he teaches fiction writing and literature at Santa Clara University.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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First Sentence
When Marshal Frank Dalton was murdered by whiskey runners in 1887, the federal government shipped him to Coffeyville, Kansas, in a mahogany box filled with ice. Read the first page
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When Marshal Frank Dalton was murdered by whiskey runners in 1887, the federal government shipped him to Coffeyville, Kansas, in a mahogany box filled with ice. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Angela Belt
Format:Paperback
Desperadoes is a fictionalized account of the exploits of the Dalton gang, but it reads like the truth. Ron Hansen breathes life into these characters.
Hansen's cinematic style put me in the moment. I could smell the nervous horses as Grat crept among them at night, culling a rancher's string of ponies. I could feel the cold trickle down my neck as Bob tipped back his rain-soaked stetson during a stakeout.
Although the Daltons' story is overshadowed by their dreams of greedy glory and instances of thoughtless brutality, as Hansen tells it, they still displayed the occasional burst of honor or gallantry. Emmett, Bob and Grat Dalton became real for me.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars
7 reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cinematic, smell-the-horses writing style
May 8 2000
By Angela Belt
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Desperadoes is a fictionalized account of the exploits of the Dalton gang, but it reads like the truth. Ron Hansen breathes life into these characters.
Hansen's cinematic style put me in the moment. I could smell the nervous horses as Grat crept among them at night, culling a rancher's string of ponies. I could feel the cold trickle down my neck as Bob tipped back his rain-soaked stetson during a stakeout.
Although the Daltons' story is overshadowed by their dreams of greedy glory and instances of thoughtless brutality, as Hansen tells it, they still displayed the occasional burst of honor or gallantry. Emmett, Bob and Grat Dalton became real for me.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
UNFLINCHING REALISM STILL ROMANTIC
Jun 27 2007
By Michael W. Kennedy
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ron's Hansen's first novel, DESPERADOS, is the story of the Dalton gang as related by Emmett Dalton, the lone survivor. Written in gritty Western noir style, Mr Hansen's unflinching realism attempts to tell the tale without romanticism. Yet, strangely, the reader is left rooting for these pathological killers as they shoot down men trying to protect their property and their lives. This empathy, intended or not, may be the product of Mr Hansen's skill as a writer, which is evident in DESPERADOS. Still, I found myself manipulated by the cardboard, unflattering portraits of honest citizens who were shot down by this band of thieves and murderers. Your call. Three and one-half stars.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Murders romanticized
Nov 10 2010
By L. Anderson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book to compliment my research for a novel I am writing about deputy marshals of the Indian Territory, Bob and Grat Dalton being two such men. I found the book interesting in the way the author presents the story through the eyes of the younger brother, Emmet Dalton. He helps the reader experience the dysfunctional life of this ruthless family of brothers, but it is not pleasant. The young men choose early on to disregard their up-bringing and take up the wild ways of the outlaw for the sheer joy of it. As seen from their eyes, the robbing and killing they did are a necessary part of their effort to gain glory and riches. There are many humorous parts but also disgusting parts such as where Emmet describes the outlandish sexual habits of his brothers and the other gang members. I also found that the author took license with some of the details from history describing events which probably did not happen exactly that way. i.e. the Daltons' encounters with Chris Madsen. I found the book worth reading if you can wade through the sadistic parts. The author does not idealize these murderers, but presents them with weaknesses which makes the reader sympathize with them. Do not read it for accurate history but for a more realistic picture from the author's point of view.
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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