The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid

1882 book cover
Authors	Garrett, Pat F. (Upson, Ash – ghostwriter)
Original title	The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid, The Noted Desperado of the Southwest
Language	English
Genre	biography · history
Published	Versions: 1882 (Santa Fé, New Mexico Printing and Publishing Company) 1927 (New York, The Macmillan Company) 1946 (New York, Atomic Books, Inc.) 1953 (Houston, The Frontier Press of Texas) 1954 (The Western Frontier Library, Norman, University of Oklahoma Press) 1994 (New York, Indian Head Books)

The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid is a book about the famous outlaw Billy the Kid. It was written by Pat Garrett, who was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico. He worked with a ghostwriter named Ash Upson.

Sheriff Garrett was the one who shot and killed Billy the Kid in 1881. The book was first published in 1882. At first, it didn't sell many copies because the publisher couldn't get it out to many places. But over time, it became a very important book for historians studying Billy the Kid's life.

For many years, people thought everything in the book was true. However, historians have since found that the book contains some made-up stories and details that don't match other accounts of Billy the Kid.

Why the Book Was Written

After Billy the Kid died, many newspaper articles and cheap novels (called dime novels) made Sheriff Pat Garrett look bad. They spread rumors about how he killed Billy the Kid. Garrett wanted to set the record straight.

He wrote the book for two main reasons:

• First, he wanted to answer the untrue stories about him and Billy the Kid's death.
• Second, he wanted to tell the true story of Billy the Kid's life, from his early days until he died.

Many people were talking about whether Garrett's final meeting with Billy the Kid was fair. So, his main goal was to clear his own name.

Garrett also hoped to make money from the book because people were very interested in the outlaw. He published his story in 1882. The first 15 chapters were a mix of facts and made-up stories. These parts were written by Ash Upson, who was a journalist. The rest of the book was written by Garrett himself. These later chapters are generally more accurate.

Even though the book had some mistakes, The Authentic Life became the main source for most books about Billy the Kid until the 1960s. It helped create the popular idea of Pat Garrett as a hero and Billy the Kid as a dangerous but exciting outlaw.

Who Was the Ghostwriter?

Pat Garrett

Ash Upson

Pat Garrett didn't think of himself as a writer. So, he asked his friend, Marshall Ashmun "Ash" Upson, to help him write the book. Ash Upson was a traveling journalist who was very good at writing exciting stories.

Upson and Garrett shared the money (called royalties) they made from the book. As a later version of the book explained:

Garrett and Upson became very close friends, and this friendship lasted until Upson's death in 1894. He was buried in a cemetery plot owned by Pat Garrett. Garrett and Upson—friends and a writing team that produced a remarkable book.

— Pat Garrett and his Book, by J. C. Dykes

Many people believe that the legend of Billy the Kid would not be as well known today if this book had not been published.

Different Book Versions

The only authenticated photograph of Billy the Kid

There have been several different versions of Garrett's book published over the years. These versions share Garrett's original story. Many smaller publishers also offer copies of these versions.

Images for kids

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  1882 book cover

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  Pat Garrett

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  Ash Upson

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  The only authenticated photograph of Billy the Kid