St. Louis County Library Presents Wild West Historian Mark Lee Gardner Today

The St. Louis County Library Foundation is pleased to present historian Mark Lee Gardner for a discussion and signing of his new book "Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape." The event will take place at Library Headquarters (1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.) today, September 20, at 7:00 p.m.

The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from Left Bank Books.

The event is sponsored by Maryville University.

It was the most famous bank robbery of all time, involving the legendary James-Younger gang's final shocking holdup-the infamous Northfield Raid-and the thrilling two-week chase that followed. Mark Lee Gardner, author of the critically acclaimed "To Hell on a Fast Horse," takes us inside Northfield's First National Bank and outside to the streets as Jesse James and his band of outlaws square off against the heroic citizens who risked their lives to defeat America's most daring criminals. With vivid detail and novelistic verve, Gardner follows the James brothers as they elude both the authorities and the furious citizen posses hell-bent on capturing them in one of the largest manhunts in the history of the United States. He reveals the serendipitous endings of the Younger brothers-Cole, Jim, and Bob-and explores the James brothers' fates after the dust settled, solving mysteries about the raid that have been hotly debated for more than 130 years.

A galloping true tale of frontier justice featuring audacious outlaws and intrepid heroes, "Shot All to Hell" is a riveting slice of Wild West history that continues to fascinate today.

Mark Lee Gardner has written a broad range of books and articles, both popular and scholarly, focusing on the American West. He has been an on-air consultant for several television documentaries and has worked with National Geographic Magazine and numerous museums and historic sites. "To Hell on a Fast Horse," Gardner's account of western legends Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett received stellar reviews, with Library Journal raving that the book was "as gripping as any thriller."

Program sites are accessible. Upon two weeks notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Contact St. Louis County Library by phone 314-994-3300 or visit http://www.slcl.org.

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