Billy Gashade
An American Epic

An unlikely hero for a Western epic, Billy Gashade is a wandering musician whose travels intersect the lives of nearly every legendary character of the Civil War and later era. The characterization of these figures is much deeper than you might expect, and Billy is an unpretentious hero himself with......more

An interesting historical fiction piece, focusing on one musician who encounters all sorts of famous and infamous people throughout the Wild West while strumming his banjo (and playing other instruments). I learned a few things about life in the West, the Civil War, and life in general (and as I was......more

I don't usually listen to Westerns, but I loved this book. It reminded somewhat of Little Big Man.I listened to the audio edition. George Guidall was a great choice of narrator and his performance is worth a standing ovation. Bravo, Mr. Estleman and Mr. Guidall!......more

"This song, it was made by Billy Gashade, Just as soon as the news did arrive ..." So ends the classic American ballad "Jesse James." Nobody knows who Billy Gashade was, but Loren Estleman, a well-regarded writer of many mystery and Western stories, has nonetheless brought him to life. The story is told......more