Born in November 1859 as William H. Bonney, Billy the Kid—as he soon became known—started his criminal career at the age of twelve by stabbing a man in a bar fight. He then moved on to stealing horses, gambling, participating in the Lincoln County War, and even perpetrating mass murder. Billy the Kid&;s extraordinary exploits were followed in newspapers around the country, and his legend reached epic heights. Garrett, the Sheriff of Lincoln County and Billy&;s ultimate arbiter of justice, provides an incredible, firsthand account of the small-town kid who became a killer in The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. Written just eight months after killing Billy in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, during a happenstance meeting in the home of Pete Maxwell, this fascinating, sensational book takes us play-by-play through Billy&;s life. From his earliest days in New York and eventual move west to his adventures in Mexico and repeated arrests and escapes, this original account tells all.