Western Biographies

[Coal Creek Griff]

Probably my favorite old west books are biographies.  I've read a number of them and some are far better than others.  Do people have recommendations?  Those that are well-written and informative are often only found by trial and error--or by recommendation.  I'd like to hear about the really good ones.

A couple of my favorites are Heck Thomas: Frontier Marshal and Guardian of the Law (about Bill Tilghman), both by Glenn Shirley.

What are your recommendations?

CC Griff

[Stillwater]

"Wyatt Earp, The life behind the legend" by Casey Tefertiller

At last, a decent book about Wyatt Earp, his brothers, the cowboy crowd, and the Tombstone, AZ era. There are a lot of pictures of participants in the Tombstone activities.

The gun fight at the OK Corral, and the events leading up to it are extensively examined from the Earps point of view, Ike Clantons poiint of view, and Johnny Behans point of view, and by several eye witness accounts, that I haven't read before. And I have read a dozen books about Wyatt Earp.

The book doesn't slavishly adore Wyatt Earp, like Stuart Lake did in his book. When something needs to be said, it is said, good or bad.

There is a lot said in the book about the Tombstone Epitaph and the Nugget newspapers. There was a on going war of words between the Tombstone Epitaph , which supported the Earps, and the Nugget which supported Johnny Behan and the Cowboy faction. The Nugget was behind a lot of the fictitious stories and false accusations about Wyatt Earp and his brothers during the Earp Tombstone era.

I can give this book a good recommendation. This book can be bought from Amazon dot com.

Bill

[Forty Rod]

Orrin Porter Rockwell: Man of God / Son of Thunder - Harold Schindler, University of Utah Press, 1966.

Warrior: The Story of General George S. Patton - Editors of The Army Times ,G. P. Putnam's Sons N. Y., 1967.

No matter how you feel about them (and they are two of my personal heroes) these are great books, filled with history and great reading.

[Advertising]

[Coal Creek Griff]

Thanks for the replies, gents.  I always appreciate good book suggestions.

CC Griff