Books of the old west gunfighters

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

revolverman357

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2006
Messages
344
Location
Indiana
Can anyone recommend some good books on the lives of old west gunfighters.
Men like Wild Bill, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson..etc... Recently I have had a desire to learn about the lives of these men. My birthday is coming up and my wife wanted some ideas as to what I wanted. A couple of old books may be just what I wanted.
 
Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters by Bill O'Neal, copyright 1979 by the University of Oklahoma Press. 386 pages with a short biography of the gunfighter and a short synopsis of their fights.

Jeff
 
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll start making a list to choose from.
Hope this thread gets a lot of responses so I can make it a big list.
 
THE GUNFIGHTERS, THE AUTHENTIC WILD WEST, by James D. Horan, Crown Publ's., New York, (c) 1976.

PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THEW WILD WEST, by James D. Horan & Paul Sann, Crown Publ's., New York, (c) 1954.

TULAROSA, LAST OF THE FRONTIER WEST, by C. L. Sonnichen, Univ. of New Mexico Press, (c) 1960.


Have fun!

L.W.
 
Books listed above are all good reads. Accuracy of some is another issue. Windys were so common in older books that a guy named Ramon Adams wrote BURRS UNDER THE SADDLE which lists books by author and points out the errors.

In the "entertaining but not always accurate" catagory of older books that are worth a read for the yarns include: Stuart Lake Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshall; Frank Wilsatch- Wild Bill Hickock; Tom Rynning -Gun Notches; Billy Breakenridge -Helldorado; John Myers Myers -Last Chance; Walter Noble Burns -Tombstone and The Saga of Billy the Kid.

For serious studies I recommend Casey Tefertiller -Wyatt Earp, The LIfe Behind the Legend; Gary Roberts -Doc Holliday, The Life and Legend; Robert Utley -Billy the Kid, A Short Violent Life; Robert Dearment -Bat MAsterson: The Man and the Legend.

Locate these and others through Abebooks.com for best prices.
James
 
If you can find a copy, "Peacemakers: Arms and Adventure in the American West" by R.L. Wilson is one of my favorites. Yes, Wilson got nailed for illegal practices in his gun valuation business but the books are still beautfiul and informative.

"Age of the Gunfighter" by Joseph G. Rosa is another good one. Both books are well written with terrific photos, and are free of some of the tall tales and purple prose you get with a lot of books about Old West gunfighters.
 
Probably the best ever written on Wild Bill Hickock is "They Called Him Wild Bill, The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickock" by Joseph G. Rosa.

This is a far more balanced book then the usual "homicidal maniac" or "Pistol Prince" that most others present.
In this one, Wild Bill seem to be a pretty nice guy outside of "business".

"Heck Thomas, frontier marshal" by Glenn Shirley covers famed lawman Thomas and the other two of the "Three Guardsmen" Chris Madsen and Bill Tilghman.

"The Shooters" by Leon Claire Metz covers a number of famous gunmen.

"Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier 1840-1900" by Joseph G. Rosa is very good.

"Doc Holliday: The Life and Legend" by Gary L. Roberts is THE definitive book on Doc.

"The Gunfighters" book of the "Old West" series by Time/Life books is good.
 
"Age of the Gunfighter" by Joseph G. Rosa is another good one. Both books are well written with terrific photos, and are free of some of the tall tales and purple prose you get with a lot of books about Old West gunfighters.
Click to expand...

As noted in other posts, Rosa has also written several good books about Hickock and his "The Gunfighter: Man or Myth" is one I'd consider essential for this list.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top