Western Peace Officer

Virgil Earp, Western Peace Officer, by Don Chaput, is really the only go-to book specifically for Virgil Earp. Due to the fact that Virgil is widely overshadowed by his more renowned brother, Wyatt, Virgil just hasn’t had as much attention. Fortunately, the one book that we do have is written by the very capable and intelligent Mister Chaput. He is the Curator Emeritus of the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles and is a bit of an expert on many aspects of the Old West . Besides these impressive laurels, he is also great friends and research partner with my favorite Earp historian, Lee Silva. So we know the man runs in good company, if nothing else.

Western peace officer is a fantastic biography, but it’s also more than just a biography. Chaput does a tremendous job of giving more than just a timeline of moves and events. Along the way we get a great sense of character of both Virgil and his wife Allie, as well as a great understanding of their relationship. In the resulting output is a very human picture of who this man was.

Just as Chaput does with the character of Virgil, he does likewise with his environment and the world he interacted with. The author does a great job of conveying just what the times were like and the conditions in which Virgil operated. Often times he uses Allie as a juxtaposition too more deeply understand their current setting, and the reasons how and why they operated, wherever they were.

The only drawback I might cite in this book is that while the author does a great job in telling a respectable story of Virgil Earp’s life, he seems to hold a bit of disdain for Wyatt and often times that bleeds through a little bit in the reading. There are no cheap shots or unfair attacks, but it does sometimes seem unnecessary when he occasionally spotlights some of the differences between Virgil and Wyatt.

If you would like to learn more about Virgil Earp, and really know his story, then Western Peace Officer is the book you need to read.

Reading Wyatt Earp

Given that there are more books about Wyatt Earp and his world than there are about any other frontier gun-man, it can be difficult choosing which books to start with, which ones to add to your personal library, or even which ones to trust. I wont be tackling each of the many potential lines of inquiry in this post, but we’ll start with where to start with Wyatt Earp.

One of the reasons there are so many books on the life and travels of Wyatt Earp is because there was so much variation in his life with differing purposes. If you thought the first reason I was going to mention was because of all the disagreement among biographers, then you’re already familiar with the Earp field of study, I would have to assume. And though their is plenty of debate and bickering among researchers, it’s not something to wade into for this article.

Wyatt’s life could be broken up into several different eras, which is probably true of most lives worth a biography, but the fact that Wyatt lived so long opens up that many more avenues of study than the typical western gun-hand or lawman. With out getting too specific, we could say there was his youth traveling with his family and in California, his days on the frontier as a Buffalo Hunter, Bouncer, and Lawman, or his California based years as a speculator-capitalist, or his L.A. years as a prospector up until his death. And even in these brackets of time, there are still plenty more arteries to venture down.

This brings us to the subject of this post, and where to start with reading. There are two assumptions that I’ll make regarding this topic: one, that the average enthusiast is more interested in Wyatt’s time as a lawman, engaging in daring entanglements, and two, that looking online for books on Wyatt Earp boggles a persons mind and makes their eyes go crossed. Taking these into consideration, I offer forth what I consider to be the best starting point for someone who wants to study Wyatt Earp. (Please note that I am intentional in the use of the term study, and not meaning a casual one-book venture before moving on to a different topic all-together.)

There are four books that I would strongly suggest be the basis of a Wyatt Earp student’s book collection. I’ll list them in order, and explain the reasoning behind each.

 

Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal by Stuart Lake

People love to bash on this book and call it a fictional tale. The problem that I fear will happen is that new readers to the field will dismiss it thinking themselves one of the gullible masses for having indulged it. But you simply cannot study the life of Wyatt Earp without having first read Lake. There is a lot of discrediting of the book that goes on and some of that has been well founded and deserved, but with even further research, much of Lake’s account has been proven true, with primary thanks to the indefatigable efforts put in by author/researcher Lee Silva, who will be mentioned again later.

Lake’s book is certainly due its fact-checking, and there are some things he got wrong, but keep in mind that his primary source died early on in the development of the project. On top of that he was working in a time without internet, or easy phone calling and records like we have today. The very fact of how much the Lake Notes at the Huntington Library are referenced by today’s researchers shows how much value his work holds. The main fault against Lake is that he invented dialogue attributed to Wyatt, who was known widely for his laconic nature.

But because of, and in spite of, all this, Stuart Lake’s Frontier Marshal is a seminal work in the Earp arena. Essentially everything that comes after, whether in support or in contrast, is a branching out from the tale first told by Lake. It is also, if for no other reason, a very enjoyable read. What it lacks in footnotes and documentational support, it balances with an enjoyable tone and compelling wording. Make this the first book in your start to knowing Wyatt Earp.

 

Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend by Casey Tefertiller

Tefertiller’s book is probably the most prolific book of the new era of Earp research. Much of the book corrects the record on what Stuart Lake had gotten wrong, and with accurate well-researched information, he expounds on what was first recorded by Lake and others. When I had first read this book, I loved it and certainly learned tons, but it also made me realize that I had to read Lake before I really fully understood everything. So I read Frontier Marshal and then re-read Life Behind the Legend.

Tefertiller has proven himself to be level, fair, and understanding of the world he reports on. There is no agenda with his book, aside from straightening out the record where it’s warranted. He takes you through the early years and up to the end. The bulk of the book is very Tombstone heavy, however, and so what came before the Tombstone days, and after it, is not as in depth as Lee Silva, but is a very good book for getting a full story picture of Wyatt Earp, substantiated by all the footnotes and sources a person could hope for. After reading Lake and Tefertiller, a person should have a pretty good understanding of Wyatt Earp and his life. So let’s move on to the third book you need.

 

Wyatt Earp: A Biography of the Legend by Lee Silva

If you want to be an expert on Wyatt Earp you have to read this book. That is not hyperbole. The only other option is to do the same research that Lee Silva did on your own time; the smart enthusiast is going to go the route of reading what’s already published. What Lee Silva offers is an incredibly in depth look at every little facet of Wyatt Earps life, and the assorted claims and accomplishments. By doing so, he not only gives an amazing understanding of his life, but along the way offers a vindication of sorts for Stuart Lake. Silva breaks down any argument he can and often shows where Lake was coming from, and proves almost absolutely, that even when Stuart Lake was wrong, he wasn’t intentionally so; that everything he wrote he believed in, and had the notes and research to back it up.

This knowledge of Stuart Lake is helpful in the study of Wyatt Earp, but what of the lawman himself? Well, Lee Silva does an amazing job here, too. He deftly shows, time after time, that the claims Wyatt made, often interpreted as bluster by the detractors, were true if just researched deeply enough. Take for example Wyatt’s claim about being one of the men who answered the call to a Camp Cadiz when he was a late teen in Southern California. The anti-earpers have used this as an example of Wyatt making stuff up to inflate his importance, but Silva, through his mastery in research, points out that there was a Camp Cady, often referred to as Cady’s. Then with additional details, shows that Wyatt was much more likely than not telling the truth.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Author Silva then goes through question after question looking for all the info that can be had and makes the case for each conclusion. It is, simply, the most in-depth look at Wyatt’s life and his statements about himself. This overwhelming amount of detail and consideration is why the first volume only covers up to his departure from Dodge headed for Tombstone. And even then the book is almost a thousand pages. This is both a blessing and a curse. It is an invaluable item to have, but it’s also big and hard to come by. Online the average low price you can find it for is about two-hundred and fifty dollars. Take heart though, I found my copy for one-hundred on Abe books. So if you keep an eye out, you might find a more affordable copy. But either way, you need this book; I can’t stress it enough. It was the most fun I’ve had reading any biography or western book.

Wyatt Earp’s Cow-Boy Campaign by Chuck Hornung

Hornung’s book is the most detailed account of what happened following the murder of Morgan Earp. He offers some context, giving a look at all the key players in the Tombstone drama, and then follows with a day-by-day chronology of everything that happened in Tombstone leading up to the explosive finale. After this he makes the case showing how Wyatt operated in ridding the territory of outlaws and safely moving his team out of the country, and back again, all with the help of various authorities.

On this alone the book could probably be considered a must for Earp research, but what Hornung does by extension that is so important is that he doesn’t just lay out some interesting facts. Rather, that the culmination of these facts show Wyatt Earp to have been a lawman working in the scope of the law and working for the benefit of law and order. Some have considered him a lawless assassin seeking revenge. The facts show that he was a strongly supported agent of the law, and this is very crucial to the legacy of Wyatt Earp, and should definitely be read when forming an idea of who Wyatt Earp was and what his life was about.

 

So to sum up, these are the four books that need to be read, and realistically owned if possible, when starting your venture into Earpiana. I would suggest reading them in the order presented here. There are other great books that should also be read, but I will do follow up articles stating what I believe are the value of their contributions and where I think they should be placed in a persons buying order.

Recap:

• Stuart Lake’s Wyatt Earp Frontier Marshal (1931)
• Casey Tefertiller’s Wyatt Earp: the Life Behind the Legend (1997)
• Lee Silva’s Wyatt Earp: A Biography of the Legend vol. 1 The Cowtown Years (2002)
• Chuck Hornung’s Wyatt Earp’S Cow-boy Campaign (2016)

Bat Masterson: The Man and the Legend

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.

Wild Bill Hickok – Gunfighter

If we want to be honest with ourselves, the reason we, the gunfighter-enthused, love westerns so much is often, if not now than at our point of beginning, all because of one hero or another gunning down some bad guys. In simple terms, it’s the excitement of the gun duel that really brings us to the show. And Joseph Rosa, in his final book on Wild Bill, really presents a fun volume in analyzing the most dangerous and celebrated moments in his life.

Rosa gives step-by-step, excruciating detail of each and every gunfight that we have recorded for the gunman known as Wild Bill. He gives floor plans and movement-by-movement accounts of where a particular person was standing and where they moved to. He shows you just where Wild Bill was positioned, and where his adversaries stood.

In addition, he gives you the background to each encounter and surrounds each account with context for the diagraming. Plus, beyond just the accounts of the fights, Rosa educates the reader with a complete background on what kinds of guns Hickok used, how he carried them, and how he used them. This volume is a very intentional effort at giving the reader a clear view of what it meant to say that Wild Bill Hickok was a gunfighter.

This one is also just over two-hundred pages, but utilizes a slightly larger font than the other books. It’s a pretty quick easy read, given the font combined with the pictures and diagrams, but certainly worth owning. Though it’s a quick read, there’s plenty to study over, and the time-value in this book is really in the time you’ll spend understanding the fights scenarios and feeling a little bit more what Hickok himself might have felt.

Though it’s the last of the four books Rosa wrote on Wild Bill, it’s probably my favorite follow up, simply based on the fun of breaking down the gunfights. Definitely get this one and enjoy going over the real-life exploits of a man who inspired so many wild west legends.

Wild Bill Hickok – The Man & His Myth

Author and researcher Joseph G. Rosa continues his descent into the understanding of historic lawman and all-around dangerous gun-hand Will Bill Hickok with his third book on the subject, titled The Man & His Myth. After following up his seminal work on Wild Bill (They Called Him Wild Bill) with the photographic collection that takes you into his world, he now takes on another angle by breaking down and examining all the stories about Wild Bill Hickok, and especially those that seem a bit too tall of tale to be believed.

But along the way he does more than just research and share his notes, he also takes a look at the practice of myth building and how it happens, and why it happens. The main purpose, or maybe effect, of this volume is to pull back the curtain a bit more after what had been written in his first. In that biography Rosa was careful to give a fair view of the different stories and claims that existed when studying Hickok, but in this effort he is able to spend more time, given that it is the singular focus of this book, to make sense of some of the seeming craziness that was a part of Wild Bill’s life and legend.

As always, Rosa delivers, and if you are a Hickok reader, fan, or student, then this one should also be in your collection. However, I will say, that of the four books on Hickok that Rosa put out, I would rank West Of and Gunfighter as slightly higher priority than this one.

Wild Bill Hickok – The West of Wild Bill

The West of Wild Bill Hickok is a fantastic resource for study of Wild Bill. Joseph Rosa has put together an intensely in-depth collection of pictures and references to give context to the world that Hickok roamed through. The majority of the book is old images, with enough narrative to set up each chapter. He includes just about every photo of Wild Bill that’s ever been taken (one has to assume), as well as just about every location he ever visited, or every person he ever associated with (again, one has to assume based the bevy of pictures.

Through Rosa’s spectacular pictorial essay it is easy to get a more intimate understanding of J.M. Hickok. We get to see his family and their likenesses to each other, his different moods in different settings, and we get to see the transition of a young man hunting the world transition in to the slowly aging gunfighter who was slowly going blind.

This was Rosa’s second book on Wild Bill and if you find, after reading his first volume, They Called Him Wild Bill, still wanting to know more about the man, then this is the book to take you deeper. Of the three follow up volumes Rosa scripted, one will give you a better picture of his gunfights, one will give you a better understanding of how the myth was formed and where it came from, and this one will give you a better understanding of Will Bill himself, and just what the world around him was actually like.

The West of…was first published in 1982 and is just a hair over two-hundred pages with introduction and notes; meaning there is probably well over 400 images (if I had to guess). All-in-all, a great book, and a must for a western history collection.

Wild Bill Hickok – They Called Him Wild Bill

Your first stop on your way to learning about Wild Bill Hickok should definitely be They Called Him Wild Bill, by Joseph G. Rosa. There are many writings on Hickok previous to Rosa’s book, but the benefit is that he has synthesized everything into a comprehensive, and well documented chronological biography. Rosa’s knowledge is vast, and he is the expert on all things Wild Bill, in much the same way that DeArment is for Bat Masterson or Gary Roberts is for Doc Holliday.

The qualities in Rosa’s book is that he doesn’t make assumptions, nor does he require it of the reader. He gives plausible statements for what he determines to be the most likely truth, and still leaves room for things to change were new evidence to be presented. In fact, his introduction states as much, and cites it as the reason why a second edition follow-up to the first was necessitated.

There were a lot of stories told about Wild Bill; he was a western celebrity while he was still alive, and journalists loved to tell stories about him. Unfortunately this makes for a murky quagmire when wishing to process the truth out of the swamp of lies, but Rosa handles it deftly and thoroughly. When one hears an anecdote, and due to it’s un-believability, Rosa consistently makes a fair case for both ways the conventional thought could. Regarding the claim that Hickok was made a U.S. Deputy Marshal at Fort Riley in the beginning of 1866, Rosa shows that the work he was doing would certainly fall under that title, and also shows why it could be plausible that there may be no documentation of his engagement. And, at the same time, Rosa also shows how the title may have been an exaggeration of what he was actually doing, which was classed as detective work. Almost without fail, when he reaches a conclusion, he will state that it is his belief, and not dismiss what he doesn’t believe.

The book goes, with introduction, almost exactly 350 pages, however, Rosa has written four different books on Wild Bill, and this one serves as the first volume, for all practical purposes. Together with the other three, he has done rather similarly what Lee Silva has done with Wyatt Earp; the prime difference being  that Silva published one very large volume, where as Rosa did four different books. But what results in the end is complete dissecting of James Butler and all the pertinent elements of his life as a gunman. He has covered him in a standard, and very well done, biography, followed by books that break down his gunfights, examine the world he lived in, giving context to his world, and a book solely devoted to examining the stories that made Hickok a legend.

To really study Wild Bill Hickok, a person should read all four of Rosa’s books covering the man, and They Called Him Wild Bill is definitely the starting point. And if you want to know about him, but don’t need to go deeper into follow-up books then this one will set you straight.

Wyatt Earp – A Biography of the Legend

by Lee A. Silva

I’ve been avoiding getting into the Earp books because there is so much of Wyatt Earp everywhere you look when it comes to the old west, and particularly historical research, but my want to get this book mentioned and put up on the blog caused me to finally start into the Earp section of the ol’ personal western library.

Lee Silva’s biography is far and away the best resource for studying Wyatt Earp. I’m going to go ahead and just start with that as my jumping off point. It’s true. Unfortunately most people haven’t read it because it’s out of print and most used copies start at around 250.00 on amazon. Though I did see one the other day going for 95, and I considered getting a second just as back-up at that price. But, to stay on course, let me back up my claims.

Finding a good, I mean really good, biography of Wyatt can be challenging since his life is so enigmatic to so many people. This is generally why there are so many biographies of the man; everyone has an angle to indulge. Thus we get half a dozen books just on whether or not he spent the winter of 1878 in Texas with his brother, saying nothing of the dozens of books covering his time in Tombstone and whether he was a good guy or not. But this is indicative of why Lee Silva’s biography could be safely rounded up to one-thousand pages, or in simpler terms, seven pounds. That’s a heavy book.

Mr. Silva took the time to do more than just collect the newspaper articles, or peruse the many statements of those living in Earp’s general breathing space; he does all that, and then he really weighs things out and breaks things down, comparing this note to that, and generally painting a picture that no other biographer of Wyatt Earp has done. And in the end, the result is that his first volume only covers up until Wyatt leaves Dodge City for Arizona.

So to clarify, volume one is around 900 pages and only covers up until the end of his time in Dodge City.

Take for example the debate over whether or not Wyatt stood down a mob of cow-boys in Wichita. Silva breaks down each move, and then provides a plethora of evidence and remembrances, and slowly structures all the information to make a real solid case for what actually happened. I’m, of course, not going to attempt to recount all this insightful information here, but these sorts of investigations are what make his book so amazing.

Another product of his excessively thorough research is that he presents a refreshed picture of Stuart Lake, proving that he was not the tall-tale-teller that so many have claimed he was. Silva extensively examines Lake’s notes and communications and often proves an indefatigable effort towards finding the truth. Perhaps Lake’s publishers had a hand in intentional mis-information, but when one fully considers all of Lake’s efforts it becomes clear that it is unfair to call the man a hack.

Towards the back of the book there is probably the best investigation of the Buntline Special in an appendix that trumps Shillingbergs’ book The Buntline Special Myth. But this is just another example of why this biography is so invaluable.

I’ll stop giving examples of why I think this book is so wonderful; I’m sure some people might be ready to accuse me of wanting to take the bible’s title of Good Book and appropriate it to this Earp biography, but fear not, I still believe the bible holds the number one spot. Buuuut….if we were talking strictly Earp history I might say it’s earned the title!

Ok, enough hyperbole.

I’ll wrap up with this: in the debate over who is the preeminent Wyatt Earp author and sage; is it Glenn Boyer with his history with the family, or Casey Tefertiller with his journalistic contributions and investigations, or one of the other qualified biographers? The answer is clear: Lee Silva is the main to attain to, and his biography is the one to read. Others are great, and ultimately shorter reads, but this is one heck of a “must” for the Study of Wyatt Earp.

Earp’s Last Frontier

Earp’s Last Frontier is a great little book that covers time spent in Nevada by any of the Earp family, though focusing primarily on Wyatt, and secondarily on Virgil. Jeffrey Kintop and Guy Rocha do a great job of painting the Nevada picture without being overly blustery or trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. For the casual fan who is rabidly eating up history books covering the gunfight in Tombstone may be underwhelmed, but for the in-depth enthusiast, this book really gives a good insight to the years after Alaska and before the California wind down.

The authors provide dates and sources for what is provable, and offer thoughts on the various anecdotes that always abound in the wake of Wyatt’s stroll. One of the things I appreciated was the books thoroughness when it came to these musings. As I always say, I can’t stand when an author merely states that a false story circulated here or there, and then without recounting, just dismisses it. Kintop and Rocha mention the asides, fill you in on what was said, and then offer the origins of these stories, while offering thoughts their swaying towards the veracity of each item. This treats the reader with a little more intelligence, allowing them to digest everything there is and  to ponder it themselves, as opposed to the patronizing practice of saying things like “Someone said a gunfight happened here, but we (the authors) disagree, so we won’t include it.”

There were a couple moments where I felt that their chronology jumped around and I had to glance back to see where in the timeline we were, but this was probably the biggest of issues I had with the book, and it’s a pretty minor one at that.

Last Frontier doesn’t just focus on the mining years. Though done briefly, the times previous to the mining years of 1902-1905 are also covered, such as the boxing match in Carson, or of the stop-over in Austin, though there could have been a little more time given to these occasions.

It’s a short read, but if you’re trying to put together a library that covers Wyatt’s life in full, then pick this one up and add it to your shelf.

The Endless Ride

Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride

by Michael Wallis

Michael Wallis’ book, The Endless Ride, is an interesting piece to discuss. It’s a good book and an easy read, as well being accurate, but it’s not something I would tell everyone to read. If you want to read about Billy and get a great picture of where he went and what happened to him, and you don’t want to have to get into reading multiple books to really piece together a college level survey of his life, then this is a great book. Basically, if you want to pick up a good book about Bonney, read it and be done, and feel like you have the story…this book does that.

What’s interesting about Wallis’ book is that he doesn’t have a lot of new research or discoveries to bring to the table. What he does is use a lot of other authors, such as Utley and Nolan. He also does a lot of first-hand interviewing of present day specialist to get their insight and opinions on the matters at hand. This latter element is a definite break from the norm of western history biographies, but I find it to be a welcome touch.

Regarding his common use of Utley and Nolan, this is precisely why this book isn’t for every Billy the Kid student. If you’re going to read more than Wallis, then you might as well not read Wallis. Utley and Nolan’s deeply researched books are for the enthusiast who wants to really dig in deep beyond the first level, but Wallis is a great summation if you want to put it all together and move on to the next book on your western shelf.

Wallis is an accomplished writer, and for the average reader (the non-professional-critiquer) his writing style flows smoothly and creates an appropriate atmosphere. His use of specialists, as well personal thoughts and insights, add enough to the book to make it truly thoughtful and well-intentioned. Another plus is the illustrations. Fortunately, for the kind of book he’s written, he doesn’t leave the reader wishing for more photos to peruse.

Seeing as the latest Billy bio previous to Endless Ride was Nolan’s college level West of Billy the Kid in 1998, perhaps it was time for an everyman’s biography to be released again. So decide what kind of Billy the Kid reader you’re going to be, and then either grab Wallis’ Endless Ride, or go to Amazon and snag copies of Utley, Nolan, Burns, Garrett, and probably more. Either way you’re on track to a victory.

Short and Violent

Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life

by Robert Utley

By the time Utley first published his comprehensive Billy the Kid biography he had already written two books about the world surrounding The Kid. As he once told it, someone gave him the bright idea to write a book actually about Billy Bonney, since that’s what people really wanted. The result was the up-to-then most informative and most accurate account we had been given.

Utley’s book is a great starting point. Technically I have it as the number two book in a small list of Billy book’s one should read when giving themselves an education on the boy. Utley’s research is impressive to say the least. He was privy, through relationships, to some great information and documents that he is faithful to share with the reader, and this is how we get such a complete final product on Billy’s life.

One of the things about Utley’s writing that I love so much is that when it comes to points where it becomes incumbent upon the author to offer speculation he does so with explanation and alternate ideas. While he makes the case for what he feels is correct, he is essentially giving the reader the chance to disagree with him. This, to me, is one of the most underperformed acts of humility in the arena of western research and writing.

I fail to see why, if you believe your case is strong, and subsequently correct, you would not include the full picture with both sides of an argument for an intelligent person to discern for themselves if they agree with you or not. For to seldom does this happen in western biographies, and an author will often say something to the tune of “Some people say so-and-so got in a gunfight in this town…but we know that can’t be.” So why can’t it? Fortunately, Utley never utilizes this lazy form of argument, and I believe it to be one of the greatest strengths of his book.

On the flip side, one of the things that left me wanting more, was that after a step-by-step walkthrough of Billy’s life from his final Silver City departure up to the end of the Lincoln County War, he just breezes through most of 1879 and ’80. It could very well be that his research hadn’t yet turned up much for that time, or it could also be that he didn’t want to put out a four-hundred plus page biography, and wanted to put the full dissection on the years that defined The Kid; or that thought could even have belonged to the publisher.

Regardless, Utley’s trusted depth of detail returns for Billy’s final days as it picks up again around the time Garrett comes on the scene. Once again we have a relatively movement-precise tracking of what Billy Bonney was up to as he and Garrett played cat and mouse.

Utley is one of the paragons of Henry McCarty research and this book has to be read if you want to be taken serious, or if you seriously want to know about him.

Mysterious Gunfighter

by Jack DeMattos

For a being such a mysterious character, Jack DeMattos does a good job of revealing to us enough to make the man feel somewhat familiar. The knowledge we have is too limited to produce the volumes that you could find on the likes of Wyatt Earp or Jesse James, but for anyone wanting to round out their knowledge of the western gunfighters, Mysterious Gunfighter suffices well.

In what I would consider to be a worthwhile trade-off, the limits of our information are off-set well enough by the excitement of what we do know. Mysterious Dave was an interesting fellow, and I don’t believe it’s just because of what we do know. I would be willing to bet that the more we know about him, the more intriguing he would become. And that’s really the value in this book, learning about the man’s exploits in many different places, with an assortment of different characters, all while filling various roles with regards to the law and legal standing. He really was a fascinating character of the west, and mysterious applies from several different ways.

DeMattos offers a fairly straight-forward telling, which allows for easy following as the reader tracks Mather’s life. Some might consider the first and last chapters to be filler, but I couldn’t agree. The first chapter gives a thorough background of the Mather family from the very early days of the colonies up to the time Dave Mather left for the frontier, and the last chapter enlightens the reader to the family line following the disappearance of Mather. Were  the first chapter to run on for four chapters, or some other significant measure of the book, then I might be inclined to side with the view of excess, but as it is, the bookend chapters work to almost make the man more mysterious. When we have such a clear understanding of where he came from and the family that surrounds him, and then we get a full picture of the surviving family line, it deepens the mystery as to where he went and just how is it that nobody knows anything?

There were probably only one or two points in the book where I felt I might disagree with the authors surmising (which, I think, a little difference of view is healthy), but I always felt that DeMattos was giving us as best a study as we could get, short of new revealing information. If you’re working to put together a complete library of the gunfighters, this is the book you should have when it comes to Dave Mather.