Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, the Wild West's Most Notorious Woman Bandit

As seen on Netflix's Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War
Winner of the 2022 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards

“[A] true-life adventure saga about the female outlaw who robbed a stagecoach at gunpoint in Arizona in 1899.” —New York Times Book Review

History was made when Pearl Hart, disguised as a man, held up a stagecoach and robbed the passengers at gunpoint. A manhunt ensued, and she became a media sensation, hailed by many as “The Bandit Queen.” Her early life, family and fate have long remained a mystery—until now.

Drawing on groundbreaking research, John Boessenecker’s Wildcat is the first book to uncover the true story of Pearl Hart. Her legacy as a female trailblazer provides a look into the lives of women who made their mark on the American West.

“Mr. Boessenecker proves a tenacious researcher, with a particular knack for coaxing telling details from newspaper archives.” —Wall Street Journal

“Boessenecker continues to surprise us by pulling back the curtain on assumptions and legends about Western events and characters… The questions he asks are fresh and reveal new perspectives, and his prose is literary and highly readable.” —True West Magazine