Wildest Lives of the Wild West: America through the Words of Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, and Other Famous Westerners Paperback - 2016

Reading line: Firsthand accounts of adventures told by the greatest celebrities of the Wild West Featuring the personal accounts of Pat Garrett, Frederic Remington, Geronimo, Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Teddy Roosevelt, Calamity Jane, John Wesley Hardin, George Armstrong Custer, William Pinkerton, Emmett Dalton, Deadwood Dick, and others By and about some of the most prominent characters in the American West, these are the stories of their exploits told in their own words through excerpts from autobiographies, articles they wrote, newspaper interviews, private journals, personal letters, and court testimony. The accounts range from an attempt to dispel some myths about former Union scout-turned-grudging actor Wild Bill Hickok to an acquaintance of Billy the Kid recounting the outlaw's last days. This book offers a rare glimpse into the world of these legendary figures as they describe their own personal experiences, tragedies, triumphs, and impressions on life in the Wild West. Although many a reputation was blown out of proportion through journalistic sensationalism and the increasing popularity of dime-store novels, these eyewitness accounts reveal the remarkable character and talents that made these individuals truly famous.