Authentic Wild West: The Lawmen

James Horan went to the documents, the letters, the current newspaper reports to tell us the truth about the old West. This is something Hollywood never dared to do. For example, the "Shootist" is a fine film, John Wayne's last. It was partly inspired by real life men like Tom Horn and John Wesley Hardin. But compared to their actual lives and deeds the "Shootist" is a dishonest fantasy. Even the novel it was based on was changed by the scriptwriters and director largely on the demand of Wayne who had his hero image to protect. A similar thing happened with Steve McQueen's "Tom Horn". Yes, they're enjoyable movies but know that they have nothing to do with reality. Horan shows how the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which made the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday go down in Western legend, was mostly and assasination rather than a fair gunfight. There is absolutely no connection between the real Wyatt Earp and the way he was portrayed in movies and television. Depressing. But Horan also portrays real hero sherriffs who almost nobody today has heard of: William Wallace, Bill Tighman and Bear River Tom Smith. He describes how Thedore Roosevelt, the great president, caught some rustlers. The book is filled with rare photos and documents. A wonderful book. The truth is evebn more fascinating than the lies.