Frontiersman, fortune hunter, soldier, duelist - lord among men and servant of women - this was James Bowie, a fabulous and nearly forgotten hero of the American frontier. Three very different and fascinating women helped mold Bowie's strange and conflicting personality. There was Judalon de Bornay, the proud, self-willed New Orleans beauty; Catherine Villars, the sensuous quadroon mistress of of pirate Jean Lafitte; and Ursula de Veramendi, the lovely and tragic daughter of the vice-governor of Mexican Texas. A legend in his own time, Bowie's career sprawled violently across the lawless Southwest. He fought incredible duels. He dealt in slave trading, gambled recklessly, and became involved in gigantic land speculations. He led the Texas irregulars in a spectacular Indian battle. And Bowie was one of the doomed defenders of the Alamo, a martyr in the selfless cause of patriotism.