History and Fiction the oxymoronic blend Most of the aficionados of Western history whom I have met, kick-started their passions for all things Western by watching television in the 1950s and 60s. There is no doubt that the “Era of the TV Western” had a profound...
THE WEST THAT WAS… “America’s Wild West created an untold number of notorious characters, and in southwestern Texas, John King Fisher (1855– 1884) was foremost among them. To friends and foes alike, he insisted he be called “King.” He found a home in the...
Judge Roy Bean: The Alleged Hanging Judge of Langtry, Texas Movies have tried to paint Judge Roy Bean, the “Law West of the Pecos,” as a hanging judge. Bean was more of a blowhard with an uncanny ability to know how much money a defendant was carrying and...
Many authors and historians refuse to read historical fiction. I am grateful that in this country, we have the choice to read what we want. Once we got out of the Roy Rogers and Bonanza phase, many moved on to documented history only. Some started with Stuart Lake...
Doc Holliday’s Tucson Pleasures In the last weeks before the OK Corral gunfight, Doc Holliday and his mistress, Kate Elder, were enjoying more pleasant times, visiting Tucson for the annual Fiesta. La Fiesta de San Agustin del Tucson began as a Catholic festival...
I am often asked for my recommendations on the “best” or “most reliable” biographies and studies of Western characters, places, and events. While I am happy to oblige, I will often supplement my suggestions with a few additions of deeper reading. When I was a young...
