The Jesse James Scrapbook

Jesse James is, all these years later, one of the most famous American characters who has ever lived. Not only an American paradox, James is a symbol of "the haunted stillness" of a post Civil War America, scarred for life by "that terrible conflict," the bloodiest battle ever experienced on American soil. Jansen's novel examines the James legend through the firsthand historical voice of the press and people of America, fictionally recreated by Jansen, based, however, on "actual" historical documents. George Jansen has successfully written a provocative and entertaining work of fiction worthy of the true legend of Jesse James.