Since boyhood Cliff Caldwell has continually cultivated his interest in the history of the American West. After a stint in United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and a thirty-five year career working for several Fortune 500 corporations Cliff is now retired and is free to pursue his interests as a historian and writer on a full time basis.

An avid collector of period firearms, cowboy memorabilia and Old West artifacts, Cliff is recognized as an accomplished historian and researcher on the American West. He is a member of Western Writers of America, Inc. and the Wild West History Association. Cliff has been a frequent guest speaker on The Lincoln County War and the legendary cattleman John Chisum. When not deeply involved in writing Cliff volunteers some of his time doing research for the Peace Officers Memorial Foundation of Texas.

Cliff holds a bachelor of science degree in business and is the author of several books and numerous articles and published works, including… John Simpson Chisum: Cattle King of The Pecos, Old West Tales: Good Men, Bad Men, Lawmen, Dead Right: The Lincoln County War, Guns of the Lincoln County War and A Days Ride From Here.

He lives with his wife in the Hill Country of Texas, near Mountain Home.

About My Books…

History came natural to me, not writing. By the age of thirteen I was hopelessly hooked on the American West. My first book, Old West Tales: Good Men, Bad Men, Lawmen was a learning experience in many ways. It is a collection of short stories that are based largely on authentic, but little known old west personalities. It is an interesting and absorbing collection of tales that readers have found delightful.

My fascination with the Lincoln County War began many years ago as an outgrowth of research work on John Simpson Chisum, the Cattle King of The Pecos. In Dead Right: The Lincoln County War the reader will find a concise and historically accurate portrayal of the events and participants of this epic conflict. Well researched and presented, this book has been highly acclaimed by knowledgeable historians as a “must have” for those with an emerging interest in the Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid. You will find no conspiracy theory here…just honest history! The book also contains a helpful chronology of important dates as well as a series of biographies on many of the participants. Now in second printing, and extensively revised to include many period photographs, those new to the study of The Lincoln County War have commented that it is “…the best book of its kind.”

In a unique follow up to Dead Right, my book Guns of The Lincoln County War cover the firearms that were available to the participants of this historic conflict. It is written in such a way that those unfamiliar with firearms can easily gain an understanding of the topic, thereby making their research on the Lincoln County War far more interesting and fulfilling. The book contains some very useful reference material in the appendix section. Although scores of books have been written about Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War no one has tackled this aspect of historical study this far. Guns of The Lincoln County War has been highly praised in numerous reviews. A widely recognized Lincoln County War historian recently told me “…hell, I keep that thing on the front seat of my pickup.”

The Hill Country of Texas has a rich history that goes far deeper than simply being a vacation and hunting destination. It has been claimed by some that no less than 3,000 badmen were rounded up or brought to their just end in Kerr County before the turn of the last century. In A Days Ride From Here, I provide the reader with a wealth of fascinating stories about people, places and events of the late 1800’s in the Texas Hill Country.

After many years of research I decided to tackle the daunting task of attempting a biography of John Simpson Chisum, Cattle King of The Pecos. Chisum was perhaps the first “larger than life” personality of the American West who captured my interest as a youth. His exploits, as portrayed by childhood hero John Wayne, drove me to consume every scrap of information I could discover about this somewhat mysterious and often misrepresented champion of the untamed west. In due course I realized that much of what had been written about Chisum was hopelessly flawed, and that it failed to offer a fuller view of this great man’s character, let alone his significant contributions to the development of large scale cattle ranching along the Pecos River in New Mexico. John Simpson Chisum:The Cattle King of The Pecos Revisited is the product of considerable research done over decades. It incorporates the landmark work of noted historians like Dr. Harwood P. Hinton Jr. and local Texas historian Skipper Steely of Lamar. It has been updated to include a great deal of recently uncovered facts about the legendary Cattle King and is a “must have” for any true fan of the American West.

Through my volunteer work with the Texas Peace Officer Memorial Foundation I quickly learned that most of the fascinating stories about the hundreds of Texas lawmen who served, and died, during the 1800’s would likely be lost to time but for the efforts of a handful of men and women who have labored to recognize these fallen heroes. The satisfaction derived by those who have labored so diligently on the research work necessary to compile this information comes, in large part, from knowing that the passing of some of these obscure lawmen will now not go unrecognized. With the assistance of co-author Ron DeLord, former police officer and founder of the Peace Officer Memorial Foundation, I began to assemble Texas Lawmen 1835-1899, The Good and The Bad. Aided by the work of Bexar County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Kyle Coleman, retired Dallas County Sheriff’s Assistant Chief Terry Baker, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Doug Hudson, Fort Worth Police Sergeant Kevin Foster…along with a host of other volunteers, I am pleased to announce that the completion of this enterprise is now in sight. Ron and I expect to finally publish Texas Lawmen 1835-1899, The Good and The Bad in February 2011.

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