Give a Boy a Gun: The True Story of Law and Disorder in the American West

By Jack Olsen

Book Overview

Claude Dallas styled himself as a modern-day mountain man. He lived off the land, rejected authority, and romanticized the violent independence of the Old West. But in 1981, his rebellion turned deadly.

When Idaho game wardens Bill Pogue and Conley Elms arrived at Dallas's remote desert camp to question him about poaching, they never expected violence. But Dallas opened fire, killing both officers, executing one as he lay wounded on the ground. He buried the bodies and fled, launching one of the most intense manhunts in Western history.

The nation was horrified. But in the rural West, Dallas became a symbol. To some, he was a cold-blooded murderer. To others, a folk hero standing up to government intrusion. Supporters raised funds and hailed him as the last of a dying breed.

In Give a Boy a Gun, bestselling true crime author Jack Olsen dissects the complex case with chilling detail and journalistic precision. He paints a haunting portrait of Dallas, part myth, part menace, and gives voice to the victims whose lives were cut short.

Olsen explores not just the crime, but the cultural divide it exposed: law and order versus frontier freedom, justice versus vigilante romanticism. Even Dallas's manslaughter conviction and later prison escape only added to the legend.

Tense, tragic, and unforgettable, Give a Boy a Gun is a riveting story of crime, myth, and the cost of turning outlaws into icons.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1091410658
• ISBN13: 9781091410657
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An excellent book that I recommend to anyone

This book was extremely well written, and I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of their particular interests or hobbies. I know it is a cliche to say that "I could not put this book down," but it fits here. Olsen's writing style is easy and flows well. The whole story is so tragic, but I think the author does a good job of analyzing the events surrounding the murders of two Idaho fish and game wardens. Claude Lafayette Dallas, Jr. is clearly a murderer and yet he also has some sympathetic qualities that the author brings forth. It's a shame that the book is out of print, but if you look hard enough you can get a copy (thankfully, Internet searches will make it easier for you).

The Title Says it All...

As the daughter of Bill Pogue, one of the Game Wardens murdered by Claude Dallas, I know the true story of what happened that day. Jack Olson did a wonderful job of interviewing almost anyone involved and investigating the lifestyle of Claude Dallas that led to this tragic event. I learned as much from reading this book as I did sitting through the long and frustrating trial.

Olsen puts you right in the middle of the story!

Jack Olsen puts the reader right in the middle of the exciting true story of the modern wild west. I found it very hard to put down! Unbiased account of a true story. Read and decide who's side you're on.

A superb account of the struugle to keep the west alive

Jack Olsen gives a superb account of the philosophy of the old west in modern times. Dallas' story of running from the law is told in a can't-put-the-book-down style of fast running dialogue. I found myself up until 3 am reading this story of traditional western thought versus modern day bureaucracy.

Good early work by Jack Olsen: Crimes, capture, escape trial

Claude Dallas was a household word in the small town of Soda Springs, Idaho, when I lived there and read this fine work. Dallas killed a game warden and eluded capture for a long time. Once captured, he escaped prison and was retried. Olsen might have been tempted to romanticize Dallas. He didn't. This book portrays events and people of the modern west accurately. The book is probably available in many libraries in Idaho-particularly in small towns like "Soda."