Randy Stapilus – författare

This book offers an inside look at over 30 interesting and unusual episodes that shaped the history of the Gem State.

The frontier towns of Idaho were populated by some of the toughest and most dangerous characters in the West. Serial killer Lyda Lewis poisoned her unsuspecting husbands to cash in on their life insurance. The Eddy and Splawn families created counterfeit U.S. gold pieces. And "Diamondfield" Jack Davis, a notorious killer, even shot a child's dog. From Butch Cassidy to George Levy, Harry Orchard to Caleb Lyon, read about the most notorious desperados in the history of the Gem State. Through these astonishing true stories, Outlaw Tales of Idaho introduces you to a state you thought you know--and a West wilder than you even imagined.

Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in Idaho History features fourteen short profiles of notorious bad guys, perpetrators of mischief, visionary if misunderstood thinkers, and other colorful antiheroes from the history of the Gem State. It reveals the dark side of some well-known and even revered characters from Idaho’s past—both part-time Jerks and others who were Jerks through and through. They include:Ezra Pound, native Idahoan and celebrated poet, who followed the slippery slope of socialism into full-on fascism, became a sycophant of Hitler and Mussolini, and eventually stood trial in the US for treason.Lyda Shaw, Idaho’s most notorious serial killer, whose marry-and-bury modus operandi enabled her to make a literal killing on her late husbands’ life insurance policies.Caleb Lyon, the second territorial governor of Idaho, who used his social prominence and political connections to make a very comfortable living (sometimes shored up with his own embezzled funds), dodging any of the actual duties that came with his political appointments, and doing precious little else.

In 1988 journalist Randy Stapilus wrote and published Paradox Politics, a history of the last half-century of Idaho politics. As in many other places, politics in Idaho has changed a great deal since then, and now Stapilus has published The Stuck Pendulum, a sequel to the book from the 80s bringing the story of Idaho politics up to date.

Massacres, mayhem, and mischief fill the pages of Outlaw Tales of Idaho. Ride with horse thieves and cattle rustlers, stagecoach, and train robbers. Duck the bullets of murderers, plot strategies with con artists, hiss at lawmen turned outlaws. A refreshing new perspective on some of the Rocky Mountain''s most infamous reprobates.

Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in Idaho History features fourteen short profiles of notorious bad guys, perpetrators of mischief, visionary if misunderstood thinkers, and other colorful antiheroes from the history of the Gem State. It reveals the dark side of some well-known and even revered characters from Idaho’s past—both part-time Jerks and others who were Jerks through and through. They include:Ezra Pound, native Idahoan and celebrated poet, who followed the slippery slope of socialism into full-on fascism, became a sycophant of Hitler and Mussolini, and eventually stood trial in the US for treason.Lyda Shaw, Idaho’s most notorious serial killer, whose marry-and-bury modus operandi enabled her to make a literal killing on her late husbands’ life insurance policies.Caleb Lyon, the second territorial governor of Idaho, who used his social prominence and political connections to make a very comfortable living (sometimes shored up with his own embezzled funds), dodging any of the actual duties that came with his political appointments, and doing precious little else.

Looking for the ideal spot to pitch your tent or park your RV? Camping Idaho will take you there.This comprehensive guidebook gives detailed descriptions of more than 300 public campgrounds throughout Idaho's widely varied scenery. These are campsites managed by national, state, city, and county parks; the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management; and the Idaho Power Company. They're in the remote wilderness areas and near cities, in deserts and on mountaintops, along roaring streams and by popular fishing and boating lakes.Easy-to-use maps and charts will help you choose the perfect site for your next camping trip, whether you're going alone, with your family, or as part of a group. You'll also find vital information on campground elevations, facilities and hookups, fees and reservations, recreational activities, and zero-impact camping.Whether you want to fish, hunt, or just get away from it all, let this book be your guide.

From President Cleveland’s alleged love child to the UFO highway, Idaho Myths and Legends of makes history fun and pulls back the curtain on some of the Gem State’s most fascinating and compelling stories.

From President Cleveland’s alleged love child to the UFO highway, Idaho Myths and Legends of makes history fun and pulls back the curtain on some of the Gem State’s most fascinating and compelling stories.

Looking for the ideal spot to pitch your tent or park your RV? Camping Idaho will take you there.This comprehensive guidebook gives detailed descriptions of more than 300 public campgrounds throughout Idaho's widely varied scenery. These are campsites managed by national, state, city, and county parks; the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management; and the Idaho Power Company. They're in the remote wilderness areas and near cities, in deserts and on mountaintops, along roaring streams and by popular fishing and boating lakes.Easy-to-use maps and charts will help you choose the perfect site for your next camping trip, whether you're going alone, with your family, or as part of a group. You'll also find vital information on campground elevations, facilities and hookups, fees and reservations, recreational activities, and zero-impact camping.Whether you want to fish, hunt, or just get away from it all, let this book be your guide.