The Bank Robber

A lifelong Texan, Giles Tippette was a rodeo cowboy (the basis for his 1972 novel The Brave Men), owned a gold mine, worked as a mercenary pilot (which inspired his acclaimed 1975 novel The Mercenaries), and as columnist for Sports Illustrated and Texas Monthly.                                                                                                                                                                  He turned to writing westerns in the 1970s and quickly developed a loyal following. His 1971 western, The Bank Robber, was made into the 1974 movie The Spikes Gang, starring Lee Marvin and Ron Howard. When asked if he enjoyed the movie version of his novel, Tippette commented, “I don’t know. I didn’t see it.” His other westerns include The Sunshine Killers (optioned by Clint Eastwood), The Texas Bankrobbing Company, Bad News, Jailbreak, Cherokee, Crossfire, Dead Man’s Poker, Gunpoint, Hard Luck Money, Hard Rock, Heaven’s Gold, Sixkiller, The Horse Thieves, Southwest of Heaven, and the popular Wilson Young series, which included Wilson’s Choice, Wilson’s Gold, Wilson’s Revenge, and Wilson’s Woman.   Mystery Scene magazine said of Tippette’s work, “He writes crime novels set in the Wild West. His books are gritty, violent, and show the American west in all its harsh beauty.” Mr. Tippette passed away in 2001 and, per his last request, was cremated and had his ashes spread over his first love, West Texas.