Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters

If you are a western history buff this is a must book for you. I have always been fascinated by western movies and books. The most exciting people have always been the gunfighters. The author has done an excellent job of organizing the vast material on 255 gunmen. This is the most well researched book I have ever read on this topic. The author has collected the dates, places of birth, aliases and nicknames, the occupations and a brief biography of each gunfighter. Some of these gunfighters are well known such as Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the kid, Jesse James and John Ringo. However, unless you are a western history buff, most of the names will not be familiar to you. Nevertheless, each gunfighter in this collection is unique and interesting. One of the many things I loved about this book was how it gives an explanation of every gunfight incident for each of the gunmen. You will also find it interesting how many people these gunmen actually killed. In conclusion, this is a book that will be of interest to western history researchers, law enforcement officers and anyone interested in western history. Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Monadnock Defensive Tactics System, Use of the Monadnock Straight Baton, PR-24 Police Baton Advanced Techniques, Martial Art Myths, Season of the Warrior, Never Trust a Politician).

This will spoil your ideals of the wild west gun slinger-but if you want the facts this is your book!

What a great book for Western gunfighter nerds! O'Neal did his research and presents it in a highly accessible manner. I've had this book for over a decade and I still return to it with a gleam in my eye once or twice a year.

This book is fascinating because it separates truth from fiction. All documented gunfights of the old west are included here (as of the book's writing), & all gunfights that are undocumented are excluded. It's as simple as that. I don't buy the author's premise that if it was a real gunfight, it must have been documented at the time (wouldn't most killers have wanted to keep their killings a secret if at all possible, & wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that a good number of gunfights occurred in deserted, out of the way places where there likely would be no witnesses?). Other than that, this book is an old west fan's bible! It's that good!

Bill O'Neal has included information on 255 gunfighters including Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, amongst lesser known 'shootists' with equally sensational feats. It is an excellent source of reference. Where possible dates have been provided for births, deaths and gunfights. He has been careful not to glamorize the gunfighters achievements by concentrating upon hard facts, rather than speculating into more contentious issues. However, it is by no means exhaustive and in some areas could do with updating, in view of recent material surfacing. A good example of this would concern the careers of such characters as Wyatt Earp and Curly Bill Brocius. Nevertheless, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and an excellent acquisition for any personal library on 'Western Gunfighters'.