Bonnie Parker possessed 'no noticeable moral code except a fierce loyalty to Clyde Barrow, who was a pretty mangy sort even on his good days. It was a shame she hooked up with him, because Bonnie was a good deal smarter than Clyde and had some talent. Clyde had none, and wasn’t very bright.' So contends University of Oklahoma law professor Robert Barr Smith in this informative, engaging, . . . and darkly droll history of Southwestern outlaws during the 1860s–1930s. . . .[Smith] boldly, wryly, and convincingly refutes the romanticized image of frontier desperados, who were, in reality, nothing but 'a plague' to law-abiding citizens of the West.

– Panhandle-Plains Historial Review

. .. .As this suggests, the author spends little time analyzing the bad guys portrayed on its pages. Instead, the book is a fun occasionally tongue-in-cheek series of vignettes about outlaws, some famous, many relatively unknown. .. .The Outlaws offers an enjoyable read that supplements some of the earlier works. .. .. To be honest, Smith never intended to write an analytical history, and this leaves the broader interpretations from future researchers. - Historian

– Historian