This book tells the little-known story of the origins of the US Border Patrol, starting during the final days of the "Wild West" on the US-Mexico border and tracing the origins of the modern federal agency as it came into its own during the violence of the Prohibition Era in the 1920s. Given today's headlines, the Border Patrol is currently one of the most visible, and arguably controversial, agencies of the federal government. Few people, however, know the true story of how the Border Patrol came into existence. Spanning a little more than 50 years, from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the beginnings of the drug war on the border at the height of Prohibition, "The Line Riders" introduces the officers that guarded the international boundary when the West was still wild.

About the Author
Samuel K. Dolan is a documentary writer, director and Emmy Award-winning television producer. Growing up in Northern Arizona, Dolan got his start in film and television at age 13, riding horses in feature films and TV shows, including 1993's Tombstone. Since 2004, Dolan has produced dozens of programs for History Channel, Military Channel, American Heroes Channel, and National Geographic.

In 2010, Dolan developed a series for National Geographic called Navajo Cops. For two years he led a camera team on patrol with the Navajo Tribal Police, and wrote four episodes of that seven-part series. He has also appeared as an on-camera expert in numerous segments for the History Channel and other cable networks.

Dolan's first non-fiction book, Cowboys and Gangsters: Stories of an Untamed Southwest, was published by TwoDot in 2016 and was listed as one of True West Magazine's annual "Best of the West." The book chronicled violence in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas during the Prohibition-era. Dolan currently lives in Missoula, Montana with his wife and son.


Book Information
ISBN 9781493055043
Author Samuel K. Dolan
Page Count 416
Imprint TwoDot Books
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 640g
Dimensions(mm) 232mm * 161mm * 30mm