Book excerpt: Badasses of the Old West brings together thirty-six tales of the worst (and best) robbers, rustlers, and bandits who shaped the history of the Wild West in one compelling volume. From the famous, such as Billy the Kid and the Wild Bunch, to the lesser-known but still colorful and wicked Charles Brown and Bud Stevens. Here are just some of the fascinating and forbidding faces you’ll meet: -Bud Stevens, whose murder of a cattle king’s son rang a death knell for an entire South Dakota town -William Quantrill, the terror of Civil War–era Missouri -Legendary bandits Frank and Jesse James -Cold-blooded Sam Brown, who sneered while cutting out a man’s heart but screamed in terror when the tables turned -Jack Slade, a composite of gentleman and murderer who was such an enigma across much of the West that he charmed both Mark Twain and Buffalo Bill Dust off your six-shooter and settle into your saddle because this collection compiles the stories of the most notorious black-hat wearers of a notorious age.