"When the Daltons Rode" by Emmett Dalton. Short Review

When the Daltons RodeWhen the Daltons Rode by Emmett Dalton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My wife and I stopped at the “Dalton Gang Hideout” in Meade, Kansas at the end of Fall 2019. After hearing the tales and touring the tunnel and house, we returned to the gift shop. And there was Emmett Dalton’s book, “When the Dalton’s Rode,” originally written in 1930 and republished in 2012. I thought to myself that this was an opportunity not to be passed by and purchased a copy. I was not disappointed! Apart from the Foreword by Kith Presland, the 313-page paperback was worth the time and enjoyable. Here is a piece of Oklahoma and Kansas history told by one who sat in the dusty saddle and traveled through the windblown prairies. It is a retailing, from the memory of one of the Dalton Gang, of history as it was recalled. Dalton does not glamorize “outlawry,” nor does he seem to bloat the episodes with balderdash. All in all, it is a volume worth diving into. It can be ready with pleasure by older and younger alike. I highly recommend the book.


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