Big Man Judas

A note from the editor:
“When Jonathan Maas told me he was about to submit a Western based on the life and times of Bob Ford and Jesse James, I was intrigued. Fans of his are accustomed to tales of Historical Fantasy and Time Travel, perhaps―but not Historical Fiction.
What was more, this novel was not written by Jonathan Maas alone. It is based on an old manuscript Jonathan found from his father Dr. James Maas―
It is a co-authorship between father and son, over three decades in the making.

And the tale is one you may know, but it shows a side you don’t
It starts with Jesse James and ends with Robert Ford, a man who history has given short shrift.
The tale begins in the most tumultuous of times: it’s after Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War, where the United States is rebuilding itself, and the few rules that are set are not always enforced.
Jesse James, also known as ‘Mr. Howard’ is on the downside of his career as a beloved bank robber, and is finding that the Pinkerton agents, along with local law enforcement like Sheriff James Timberlake, are getting closer and closer to his trail.
And then there is young Bob Ford, who enters history with a split-second decision, and then deals with the unexpected aftermath immediately after.
But this is not a hagiography of Jesse James―and it is certainly not a condemnation of Bob Ford. Instead it shows two men thrust into a difficult world, and forced to make impossible decisions to survive.”
- J. Shaw, Cynical Optimist Press

For fans of genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction, Cowboys, Cowboy Fiction, Shootouts, Fathers and Sons
For readers of authors: Larry McMurtry, Thomas McGuane, James Michener.
Also inspired by: Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies, Field of Dreams