Allen used to be a political editor and columnist with the Atlanta Constitution, and is known for writing the history of Coca-Cola. Here he recounts how a small corps of armed horsemen swept through the goldmining towns of southwest Montana and hanged 21 troublemakers, one of them a duly elected but rogue sheriff. His story begins years before those first six weeks of 1864, as he tells how the culture of crime became established in the territory, and extends years after as he traces the impact of the lynchings on the people and the politics of the state. The 2004 edition is cloth bound. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)