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Customer Comments
ALIAS SOAPY SMITH
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL
♣ Future comments
♣ it is a brilliant book well researched
and I think your great grandfather was a very intelligent man, with his skill and backing from so many people is his group
I think if he was alive and changed from what he did today he would have made a great president.
—Michael
Murphy.
♣ "Alias
Soapy Smith" is one BIG book -- meticulously and professionally documented and well written in the extreme.
Pard, if this wasn't your Ph.D. dissertation, it should have been. Very scholarly work!
Beyond that, the
illustrations and photographs are just phenomenal. What a masterpiece!
Thank you so much for the 25 years you devoted
to writing this. God, that sounds so paltry compared to your work.
— “Roscoe” (Scoundrels
forum).
♣ Hi Jeff, I just finished your book,
and enjoyed it a lot. It really gives a thorough picture of the time, place and people, as well as of Soapy himself. Well
done!
— Mike Blackstone.
♣ It is
an astonishing piece of research.
—Rebecca, Copper Valley Historical Association
♣ Jeff: I received my copy of your book 'Alias Soapy Smith' today.
Wow! What a monumental work.I cannot put it down...No joke. I am going to have to discipline myself in the coming days....so
I can get other things done.
Let me just say this.If any members here are interested in the Old West, the way it
REALLY was, and a 'super' well documented account of the life of a true old time bunco artist, saloon owner....who
also was a complex human being with many sides [good and bad]...THIS IS IT!
And get this, I am only up to page
92 of 650! Yes, that is not a mis-type 600 + pages!
Jeff, how you can almost give this huge tome away for under
$30 is beyond me.
Jeff, I am truly impressed by the dedication you put into this work. I can easily understand
why it took 25 years to complete.
Oh yes the wonderful historical photo's and letters etc. really slow me down
because I like to peruse them with a magnifying lens. That's OK...for me it's the closest thing to stepping into a
time machine. Congratulations Jeff!
Happy trails.
—Rich Hennessey
♣ I've skimmed your book several times and now I'm in the process of reading it from cover to
cover. I'm amazed at how well you have been able to tie in detailed and varied accounts into logical chains of events
and conclusions based on all the information available. Your research must have involved countless hours and as a result,
you have come up with data that has been overlooked and unpublished by other researchers. I'm only about 25% thru the
book and I'll send additional feedback when I'm finished.
—Jerry H
♣ The problem I'm having with the book, (which arrived today) is that I'm so intrigued skimming
it, that it is keeping me from work... I can't put it down!
Just thought I'd let you know it DID arrive
today and I can't wait to sit down and start pouring through it seriously!
—David Wright, Colorado
historian, proprietor
♣ I've enjoyed learning
more about Soapy Smith. I did not read the book from front cover to back, but I continue to enjoy it as I read and study sections,
and fill in gaps about different stages and episodes. Now that I have some knowledge, I will be well aware if I stumble across
him on the backroads of my history research and journeys. Your work on the subject has been monumental. I hope it has and
continues to bring you great satisfaction. I think your treatment of the subject has been as fair and objective as it can
be.
The only way I can think to increase your credibility among nay-sayers would be to write more about specific
episodes, and other characters encountered, with Soapy in the background. For instance, I was fascinated by the additional
material you found regarding the Creede Uprising, and your treatment of it. I've since found some of the RMN articles,
and plan to look for more as time allows. Also, it appears that the buildup to the shootout in Skagway could fill a book by
itself. I heard offline from an elderly lady in Canada who had lived and worked in Skagway, who had visited the graves and
was interested in that aspect of the story. Sounds like a wild time and a great topic.
—Joyce B.
Lohse, author.
♣ Alias Soapy Smith by Jeff Smith
is a massive biography of a notorious outlaw of Denver, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska. The author’s zeal is explicable;
Jefferson “Soapy” Smith was his great-grandpa. But Soapy was a pretty small-caliber outlaw compared to, say, Billy
the Kid; much more of a gambler-turned-con-man than a murdous thug. His grandson does not whitewash him in this well-rounded
character study.
—Richard H. Dillon, True West magazine (May 2010).
♣ You've obviously provided a splendid piece of work, which will go a
long way toward preserving your great-grandfathers story and memory. I applaud your work.
—Joyce
B. Lohse, author.
♣ Jeff Smith’s biography
of Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith is now available, in both soft cover and hard cover. We have long had a faint
understanding of the con artist, the “gold bricks etc., but had never dreamt that such a wealth of information could
be unearthed about a character who probably tended to avoid leaving a huge paper trail. But the great-grandson has done a
superb job of gathering material from all types of sources to produce a biography which will challenge anyone to find additional
information.
—Chuck Parsons, author, WWHA Saddlebag (April 2010).
♣ Very nice write-up by Chuck... and great reviews too on your web site.
And 600+ pages ! WOW! That's a lot and especially considering the work u had to do to find all that data and pics! Most
admirable.
—Gary Ledoux, author.
♣ I’ve just
finished your marvelous book, Alias Soapy Smith, the ultimate authority on our great-grandfather, Jefferson Randolph (“Soapy”)
Smith II.
Thank you for your
herculean effort in sorting the wheat from the chaff, and fact from fancy contained in the many myths and accounts of his
life. Throughout the book you dispel inaccuracies, exaggerations and downright falsehoods that have become accepted
as fact.
I particularly enjoyed
your extensive use of first-person accounts. The wealth of letters, documents, artifacts and family history available only
to you, as well as the nearly countless period sources you consulted, guarantee that no other account of his life could be
so complete.
It was obvious to
me that you are willing to pursue the facts, wherever they lead. The book seems to be neither overly sympathetic nor unduly
critical, but rather, fair, thorough and well-documented. As a former journalist and trial lawyer, I greatly appreciate and
applaud your persistent “search for the truth.”
It was a delight to read about the many facets of the personality of this complex character, and
the interesting places and times through which he traveled.
Since we were together in Skagway
in 1998, the internet has greatly facilitated the collection of information, and importantly, provided a forum for descendants
and others to stay in touch and grow our collective knowledge. I look forward to following your blog as you seek more nuggets
of information about our colorful antecedent.
—Jim CarawayYour Cousin, and
A Great-Grandson of Soapy Smith
♣ "As a proud owner of this book, I'm offering my
enthusiastic endorsement. The photos alone are worth the price, but what really impressed me was the extensive research that
is so apparent in your writing. The detailed narrative is complemented by your personal relationship with Soapy and the people
whose stories contributed to this book. If you're a fan of Soapy Smith, you really need to get a copy of this book."
—John Tonsick
♣ "I had
to put your book down for a few days, but I got back into it yesterday. I have
to say that the chapter on the Denver City Hall standoff could be turned into a movie screenplay all by itself. Not sure where
it would end, though. Kinda hard to figure out who the good guys were! Great stuff, Jeff."
—Bungalo
Bill
♣ "I have received a copy of your book. It is
a treasured resource! Thank you very much for writing it."
—Vada Larson
♣ "Your
book about Soapy is the best documented book I have ever read."
—Bob Wood, historian.
♣ "he
[author Jeff Smith] and I don't see eye to eye very often and we have clashed in the past on some internet discussion
boards. I have to say though, he has produced an important book, not only for the general reader, but also for fellow researchers
alike. This book provides a wonderful insight into the 19th century world of gamblers and confidence men."
—Peter
Brand, historian, author.
♣ "I expected a lot from this book, knowing
how many resources you had at your disposal, but it is even better than I expected."
—Scott
Johnson, descendant of Sam and Lou Blonger.
♣ "This book will have
a special place in my 700+ library. ... One of the best researched and documented "Old west" books in my collection.
... The book is spellbinding from first to last page. ... A must read, not only for people interested in "Soapy"
but also a wealth of information about saloons, gambling, prostitution, bunco steering and city politics in the late 1800s.
Congratulations to Jeff, his 20+ years spent on writing and researching for this book have handsomely paid off--for us the
readers. ... Your research is incredible-interesting from first to last page."
—Peter Menyhart,
historian.
♣ "Jeff Smith's book is a serious and significant contribution
to Old West history. Agree or disagree with his conclusions, he deserves major credit for his dedicated efforts. Any future
work on Soapy Smith will need to take Jeff's work into serious consideration. That's the most any historian can ever
hope for."
—Jeff Morey, Tombstone historian.
♣ "I
loved the book! So much so, that after the holiday, I am going to read it again; this time as research. ... As a Colorado
historian, I have often thought of Soapy Smith as the "Forest Gump" in Colorado history-he seemed to pop up everywhere,
but always hard to track down and follow. So much so, that by and large, he only receives a paragraph or two in the annuals
of Colorado history. Not only is this the first book devoted to the history of the con-man, with the supporting documentation
provided, it is the definitive biography of the soap man. "
—Linda Wommack, Colorado historical
author.
♣ "JEFF SMITH. Alias Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel.
Klondike Research. Hardcover, 628 pps., $26. ISBN 978-0-9819743-0-9. Soapy Smith had a colorful history in the Old West. Throughout
his criminal dealings in Denver, and Leadville, to the under-world element in the silver camp of Creede, Colorado, to the
great Klondike gold rush, and Skagway, Alaska, where he met with death, Smith’s exploits have only managed a chapter
at most in the annuals of history. Until now. Jeff Smith is the great-grandson of the con-man of the West: Jefferson Randolph
Smith II. Better known as Soapy Smith. Smith’s biography is the culmination of years of research and verification of
family documents, court records, and personal letters. The details of Smith’s life from his Georgia beginnings to his
murder in Skagway are laid out in neat chronological order. The reader gains an insight into the life of Smith, his dealings
in the under-world, his con games, who he was and why he was. Backed by extensive documentation, enhanced with photos and
personal letters, many never before published, this book is a must for anyone interested in the history of the Old West, games
of chance, and the life and times of Soapy Smith."
—Linda Wommack review in nonfiction category,
Roundup Magazine (Jan 2010).
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♣
"Jeff, I received my book last night I didn’t get to open it up until this morning I opened it up and started reading!
Let me tell you I was late to work for the first time in 14yrs. I just could not put it down I had to force it out of my hands.
I just wish it would have came out about 1 yrs earlier my father would have really enjoyed reading it. I can’t wait
to get home and start up again and Now I am dying to get home and pull my soapy stuff out of the attic and rummage through
it"
—Jay Hartzell, Great Great Grandson of a great Bad Man
♣ "Your
book about Soapy is the best documented book I have ever read. I hope sales are brisk and everyone enjoys it as much as I
did.
I just couldn't put your book down so I managed to finish
it before I thought I would. Your book fits me very well as I am the type of person that wants the unadulterated truth and
I want it backed with documentation. The fact that you included the actual letters was icing on the cake.
Every
once in awhile a writer comes along that pours his heart and soul into a book and pays the price by actually doing the leg
work necessary to create something truly exceptional. You, my friend, have done just that and are to be commended for your
efforts. For the many people who have not heard of soapy Smith, they no doubt cut their teeth on Hollywood's version of
the Old West. It's time they sink their teeth into the true Old West and this book is a great place to start."
—Bob Wood, historian, Old West
Antiques.com
♣
"Having never heard of
Soapy Smith before and remembered reading some of your past postings on the Jesse James Delphi board about him, a good while
ago, peaked my interest in learning more about this man. Your book on Soapy Smith makes one imagine they are there reliving
Soapy's movements through his life. It is very detailed, well written and contains a comprehensive list of research
footnotes. If anyone wants to know more about the life and death of Soapy Smith, then this is the book to read and have in
your research library."
—Gay
Mathis, historian.
♣ "Your book arrived today and I am most impressed! It
is wonderfully presented and a really significant contribution to the field. You have every right to feel proud my friend.
Many Thanks!"
—Jeff Morey,
Tombstone historian.
♣ "I have received
the softcover copy of your book and am impressed by it. I thank you and look forward to receiving tha signed hardbound copy.
The wealth of pictures, which I had not seen in the manuscript copy I first read, add a great deal to the text. Your
years of study and research have paid dividends. From this point on, any writer or researcher into the history of
nineteenth century gambliers or con men must use your book as a primer. Best wishes for your continued success."
—Robert DeArment,
historical author.
♣
"... Just cracked your book, can't put it down - skimmed to the ending of
course to see how you diagnosed the shooting (very thorough) and now am into the intros and the Georgia years. I'm impressed
much the way Art [Art Petersen, the book publisher] was with how detailed and backed up your research
is, and how you contrast it with the many stories told over the years. Very impressive at first sitting and can't wait
to finish it."
—Jeff Brady, The Skagway News
♣ "... I am nine chapters into
"Alias Soapy Smith" and I have to say this is the most detailed biography that I have ever read. I find it fascinating
to read all the details and see familiar names. I was wondering if the Billy Allen and William Allen are the same fellow who
met with a bullet from Doc Holliday up in Leadville?"
—Bill Marquardt
♣ "I predict it's going to be a really good seller for quite a while. I just finished reading
it yesterday and found it to be a very interesting read, especially since it (1) filled a virtual vacuum about the real Soapy
Smith, (2) provided a lot of general history about the period; and (3) served as a good primer on scams. Old Soapy surely
had a very complex personality, a lot of bad mixed in with a lot of good, and I think Jeff did an excellent job of portraying
both sides. In the end I felt a tinge of sadness as I read the account of his death--not for the loss of the bad part of him,
but for the loss of the good part"
—Mel Seibel.
♣ "This
is a very nice account. I am very very impressed by it."
—Darryl Beckmann,
historical author.
♣ "Jeff - Just finished ALIAS SOAPY SMITH and I wanted to let you know how
well done I thought the book is. The writing is crisp and the research exhaustive. It most certainly is the definitive book
on the topic. The little piece I'm writing will tie a Pinkerton detective named Charlie Siringo into pursuit of a couple
of members of the Soap Gang. But mine is only a small corner of the larger story you tell so well and I just wanted to share
how impressed I was with you. Congratulations!"
—Howard
Blum, journalist.
♣ "A wild ride through the old west, what a character!"
—Nathan Thomas.
♣ "It
will be wonderful to have all that information in the same volume!! And so much that was not available before! It'll be
terrific! I can't wait to see all the pictures."
—CJ,
author.
♣ "...This
is the buy of the century."
—Bob Wood, historian, Old West Antiques.
♣ "Anxious
to read it, had no idea it was that big - no wonder it took you 20 years! Congrats on getting it done."
—Jeff Brady, The Skagway News.
♣ "It
is great to see so much new material about this very interesting personality."
—Melanie
Mayer, historical author.
♣ "In this massive account of the life of his great-grandfather,
Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, Jeff Smith has covered in scrupulous detail not only the career of his remarkable
forebear but the fascinating history of conmanship and gambling in the nineteenth century American West. Drawn from unpublished
family records and a wealth of primary sources, it is an engrossing tale and a noteworthy addition to the literature of the
genre."
—Robert DeArment, historical author.
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