Bat Masterson: The Man and the Legend by Robert K. DeArment is one of only two primary biographies on the man; the first being by Richard O’Connor in 1957. DeArment offers approximately 130 pages over O’Connor, and gets more in depth to the details of Bat’s life. Including a pretty thorough portion on the drama of Bat and his writing career. In fact, I would think it’s safe to say that DeArments interest is more in the relational machinations of the man than his time as a frontier tough-guy.
The book is a fairly straightforward biography with a few little nuances to it. The author generally follows a straight timeline, but also does some chapter grouping by topic. This has its pluses and its minuses. On the positive, it help to paint a picture of given occurrences within whatever life-arena is being focused on, but on the flipside of that, there are occasions where the reader may need to cross check some of the items to make sure they’re tracking in the right time frame.
Some of the things I noticed in DeArments book is that he almost seems to consider Bat’s gun wielding as a bit of a bother. Perhaps my take is a bit more sensitive than the average reader, but I often got the impression that the author was very mindful to not give any undue attention to his exploits; almost working to retain a bit of dignity to this hardened killer.
Often times, and this is something I’ve never understood, some who study the old west do so with a bit of a look down their nose at their subjects. I wouldn’t say that DeArment goes this route, but there is a sense that his enthusiasm for his subject is not borne of Masterson’s frontier desperations, and somewhat leans more academic when talking about a man whose life was defined by his adventures on horse and with pistol.
The last note I would make on DeArments style is that he seems to have a dislike for Wyatt and therefore argues against certain claims regarding him as an aside in certain situations where the two are involved. The problem with this is that it creates a subtle vibe of Bat being better than Wyatt when such an offering or conclusion seems out of place.
To switch gears before it seems like I dislike the book, let me be clear that these are nuances in the book and not glaring problems. I also reiterate that my sensitivities may not be inline with the average reader, and may not stand out as they did to me. So please read for yourself. It really is a great book and quite thorough.
The primary value of this book is that you come away with a fairly complete picture of the man, and a great understanding of who he was and what he was probably like. So, in spite of my own previous words, DeArments varying emphases comes together to offer a well rounded look. From his early time on the frontier to his days in Dodge and Colorado as a dueling writer, and where he finally settled to his last days in New York City, this book covers it all.
Handy With A Gun...! 