Biography of Belle Starr who was often referred to as the Bandit Queen. This book gives a history of Belle, her family and events in her life, behind the myths built up around her. A strong woman in difficult times.

Very well written and narrated book (I listened to the audiobook). Good storytelling of Belle which tries to discover the truth behind the myths built at a time of legendary Wild West desperadoes. Lots of facts and dates.

I would say that is not so much a biography of the girl born Myra Maybelle Shirley, but an indepth look at the men in her life and the key events in American history and that helped mould the woman that would become infamous Belle Starr, infamous outlaw of the wild west.

I get that there's very little primary sources for any woman that lived in the American West during this period, but it's a little infuriating that the first ⅔'s of the story is focused on Belle's father, brother and her current husband.
When the focus does shift more to Belle, the author does a good job of bringing her story back to life and debunking all the myths that have built up around her legend. You can see a strong willed woman who wants to just live her life away from prying eyes, but the story is still told in conjuction with the men in her life.

It's very well researched and ideal if you are looking for a study on one family during the pre and post civil war years, but don't come away expecting to know the real Belle Starr.

This is both a celebration of Belle Starr's life and an epic snapshot of the West. I learned so much in this book because its layout was fantastic: we come onto the scene with Belle's grandparents, follow her Dad's life, then hers. We get a comprehensive backstory for most of the people that orbited Belle throughout her life, illustrating the interconnectedness and overlap despite the State-spanning life Belle led.

I found the book slow to get going because we spend a lot of time with men at beginning and when Belle is a child; but, once Belle takes centre stage, she grabbed me and didn't let go! I found Belle a fascinating character and Wallis brought her to life so authentically. Wallis wasn't sensationalist, and portrayed her as a human, warts and all. We saw a compassionate woman with a deep love of horses that threw off the shackles of societal expectations for women. She got on the wrong side of the law multiple times, yet clearly had the charm and personality to win folks over. I particularly loved when she starred in the Wild West Shows! Belle's cruelty to Pearl when the latter was a teen/young adult was heart-breaking (double so when Pearl repeated history with her own daughter) and showed a conniving and controlling side of Belle. She was multi-faceted and complex - by the time we reached the end of her story, I was so invested in her character that I was distraught that, while there's a widely accepted prevailing theory, her murderer was never brought to justice or officially resolved.

Wallis's historical research was incredible: he crafted a narrative around multiple generations with so many players and, in some cases, scant evidence, and was beyond thorough. Wallis addresses rumours, sensationalism, and outright fabrications around Belle's story and how these (sometimes easily disproven) embellishments and falsehoods took root, which was fascinating. By following Belle's story, I got a vivid picture of life in the 1800s West and I loved this book for it. Adding to the charm was how Wallis read the book himself (no small feat at 15+hours); I really enjoyed his narration and felt it brought an additional layer of authenticity to the project.

I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with this audiobook and recommend it for anyone who is curious about life in the 1800s West or anyone who just loves stories about strong women!

Belle Starr by Michael Wallis
Read by the Author
I wanted this book because I am from the region where this takes place and I had heard about Belle Starr since my childhood because my dad was an Oklahoma history buff. However, it seems that much of what I thought was true turns out to have been fiction. It was good to learn the facts and more about the history of the area.
The author has a craggy voice that fits well with a western story although he uses some odd pronunciations of certain words. Unless he meant perpetuator instead of perpetrator. Also I listened at 1.5 speed because he spoke so slowly.
All in all it was interesting and easy to listen to.

I’ve long been fascinated by the role of women in the pioneering days of the Wild West. Few spring to mind, Belle, Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley being the most famous. I enjoyed the Deadwood take on Calamity which totally dispelled the Doris Day myth! Michael Wallis does something similar with Belle; thanks to what I’m sure us extensive research, he’s portrayed the reality rather than the myth which has become belief. The author narrates and at first, I found the narration a little uncomfortable. Some of it sounded stilted and slow, but I was drawn in by the story and in the end, it was fitting. The author’s voice has resonance.

I enjoyed this right from the start as he explained the family history of these early settlers. European families that arrived and settled originally in Virginia but moved further West as opportunity to follow a new course in life presented itself. Belle’s live for horses May well have come from her grandfather and seemed to be in her blood. There’s a real sense of adventure and although at times the historical detail detracted a little from the central figure, it was all in context and I found it fascinating, Wallis captured the pioneering spirit of these early settlers and the reality if the hardships and difficulties they encountered as part of their lives, Starr was clearly a gal who broke the mould. She was spirited from childhood and there was a sense that she wouldn’t confirm to the strict role of women. She carved out her own path through life and in my view, was to be admired for her values and guts. Really enjoyed this biography and it gave insight into how the west was won too.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

Meticulously and extensively researched and documented in a detailed study of the woman's ancestry and all of their trials and tragedies before and after the American Civil War as well as the prevailing lawlessness in that part of the southwest and sort of ending with her murder in 1889.
The audio is narrated by the author who would make an engaging professorial lecturer.
I requested and received temporary reviewer audio copy from Highbridge Audio via NetGalley. LENGTH 15 hrs and 4 mins @recordedbooks @highbridgeaudio @liverightbooks ***** #review
#BelleStarr by Michael Wallis #historicaltruth #legends #wildwest #fortsmithmuseumofhistory #bellestarr #bandit #outlaw #ushistory #bookbub #goodreads #librarything #storygraph #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @indiebookstoresca

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Leo rated a book did not like it
about 19 hours ago

Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend
by Michael Wallis
Read
Got this audiobook arc for review.

On a postive note it was well researched and gave a lot of information about many parts and people in Wild West but unfortunately very little on Belle Starr. The audiobook was around 14 hours long, it felt to long. I didn't know anything about Belle Starr going into the book and I was very curious to learn about her but she is described mostly as a daughter, sister and mother. those parts was more flushed out but even then there weren't much to learn. Instead there where a lot of facts and stories about other outlaws she was related to, knew or married to. Every legends about her being outlaw and accusations about her crimes was debunked. If the book had a diffrent title and blurb that didn't make it sound like it was a book about Belle, I would probably have enjoyed it a lot more. I get there might not be much history and proofs left of Belle Starr but I'm still disappointed as I expected more.

Audiobook review.
This book sets out to right the wrongs established across multiple narratives based on the life of Myra "Belle" Starr, a notorious Wild West outlaw legend.

Firstly, I will say this is my first Michael Wallis book as well as my first time hearing about this outlaw legend. I have a soft spot for women who "buck" the rules of Victorian and early society in which they lived. Stories of women like Annie Oakley or Mollie Brown are, of course, astounding in their own right, but are always quickly turned into flamboyant works of fiction. Lots of women's history is written by men, and while Michael Wallis is another one of them, at least he aims to correctly portray her story. Additionally, as a girl from Lawrence, Kansas, now living in the Dallas, Texas area, it was enjoyable to read about so much history of the locations I have lived in or currently live in. I do see the big difference in what someone from Lawrence was taught about the Civil War and our State's history versus what an older generation of Missourian might have learned. And in some of these personally noticeable differences do I think Mr. Wallis and I may have to agree to disagree.

My biggest issue with this book was that Myra/Belle herself was the main focus until approximately the last 6 chapters; she exists as more of an occasional interjection in the stories of the men and history surrounding her. No foundation is established for Belle as a woman in the Victorian era outside of the occasional letter she wrote. Although well researched, the long-winded historical overview of the first handful of chapters provides little to the reader to be able to understand or make assumptions about her motivations or desires that lead her to her criminal activities. How did a young, popular woman become a notorious criminal? Was it only due to the men in her life, or was she truly born and raised as a firebrand? I still don't really know. Very little is discussed about the Victorian era and how its ideals and requirements for women of the time shaped Myra. Truly lacking is the buildup of information on the societal and marital requirements imposed on Victorian women to the detriment of Belle's story. Granted, the research information might not be there. For a book that is touted to be an "illuminating portrait of a woman demonized for refusing to accept the genteel Victorian ideals expected of her", I did not feel like that was the story as it was told.

Another thing I'd like to point out is the usage of "Indian" to refer to Native Americans. When referencing historical records or writings is one thing, but the author himself could have chosen to use the decades-old term for First Nations individuals. This felt like an odd choice when the author clearly has other progressive views on history that could be considered more "inflammatory" to the older, white demographic that he belongs to.

All-in-all, the author does a great job reading his book, and I really enjoyed his style of writing. While there was a lot to be desired, personally, I think there is a lot here for history readers to enjoy. If one goes into this book knowing the story is more of an exposé on the men and life surrounding that of Belle Starr, they won't be disappointed. Individuals who love Wild West legend history (Buffalo Bill or Annie Oakley), the history of the States, or infamous outlaw history (a la Jesse James) will enjoy this read.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review of the book!