HISTORY:
** The Gunfight at the OK Corral on 26 October 1881 is one of the most enduring stories of the Old West. It led to a series of violent incidents that culminated in the Vendetta Ride, in which Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and several other gunslingers went after their rivals the Cowboys. Like most tales of the Wild West, the facts are buried under layers of myth, and the line between good guys and bad guys is blurry. Wyatt Earp, leader of the so-called “good guys”, was charged with stealing horses in the Indian Territory in 1870 and jumped bail. Becoming a buffalo hunter and gambler, he got into several scrapes and earned a reputation as a gunfighter. Several times he helped lawmen arrest outlaws, but usually his assistance came more because of a personal grudge against the criminal than any real respect for law and order. He even got fired from a police job in Wichita for beating up a political rival. **
** Quoted from the Osprey Publishing website.
THE BOOK:
Osprey Publications has released Tombstone - Wyatt Earp, the O.K. Corral, and the Vendetta Ride 1881–82 as Number 41 in their Raid series. It is a soft cover book with 80 pages and is the standard Osprey Publishing size of 7 1/4 x 9 3/4 inches. Included with the text are black and white and color photographs, full color illustrations, color maps, detailed captions and more. It has a 2013 copyright, a publication date of June 20, 2013, and the ISBN is 978-1-7809-6192-7.
THE CONTENTS:
Introduction
Origins
The Gunmen
- Weapons
- Equipment
The Raid
- The O.K. Corral
- The Vendetta Ride
- Shootout at Iron Springs
Aftermath
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
THE TEXT:
Author Sean McLachlan has done an excellent job of detailing and discussing the before, during and after actions of the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral in a well written and easy to follow and understand manner. The text goes into very specific detail in all areas of the book as outlined on the contents page, please refer to the contents listing that I have provided for the subjects covered throughout the book. The author has provided the history of key individuals involved such as the Earps and Doc Holiday as well as some of the members of the Cowboys. Various incidents that took place between the key individuals are discussed and help to set the stage for the clash at the O.K. Corral and the events that followed in what is now known as the “Vendetta Ride”. In addition to the various individuals and events that took place during the famous incidents, the author also discusses the history of the area and how Tombstone came to be and how it was developed over time and details the types of businesses that were built and how various groups conducted themselves while in Tombstone and why it was tolerated, community politics and other such details. Along with his own words, Sean McLachlan has also provided quotes from key individuals such as Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Virgil Earp, Doc Holliday, Tombstone lawyer William Hunsaker, train engineer H. F. Sills, Mayor and newspaper editor John Clum, engineer S. A. Batman, Mexican laborer Simon Acosta and others. There are also excerpts from articles of various newspapers of the period such as the St. Louis Republican, the Dodge City Times, the San Diego Union, the Graphic Illustrated, the Epitaph, and the Arizona Star. There is also a portion of the resignation letter written and submitted by Virgil and Wyatt Earp when they resigned as deputy U.S. marshals. The author does an excellent job of providing researched facts which helps to eliminate incorrect information that has been given over time due to misconceptions created by such things as period illustrations that were done by artists who had taken creative liberties about the events that took place as well as the multitude of motion pictures and television programs that have been made. The text in the book is nicely written and well detailed. As I read through the text, I didn’t notice any spelling or grammatical errors. Grammar and spelling might not be an important factor to everyone however it is something that I take notice of and pass on my findings. I did notice while reading the section discussing the weapons of the period that the author provided the incorrect manner on how a Henry rifle was loaded. A minor detail but one I thought I should mention. As a reader who had a basic knowledge of the fight at the O.K. Corral and actions that took place before, during and after the incident, I found myself to be well informed on the subject upon finishing the book. Anyone wanting to add an excellent reference and history book on the events, before, during and after the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the vengeful aftermath to their personal library will be pleased with this very informative and interesting book.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS:
A total of 36 black and white photographs and 4 color photographs are included in this volume. Many of the photographs are period photographs, or photographs of drawings and artwork from the period. The photographs range from wide angle photographs to close-up detailed photographs. Some of the photographs are profile studio portraits of the various individuals involved. Due to the photography methods of the period, the period photographs were staged for the photographer and not in-action photographs. Most of the photographs are clear and easily viewable; however, a few have an out-of-focus appearance, and some appear to be too dark, and others appear too light. This is typical for the discussed period of history, and the quality of a few of the photographs is no fault of the author and does not take anything away from the book. Author Sean McLachlan stuck to the title of the book and chose some subject specific photographs. However, it should be noted that there are several period photographs included that are general in subject, such as cowboys, horses, wagons, cattle, dwellings and others as well as random photographs and photographs taken in the 1900s and other such subjects that are not specific to the focus of the book. I personally feel that this was unnecessary as there are several period photographs available of the key individuals, weapons, equipment, locations and other related subjects that could have been used in the book as opposed to some of the random photographs of western subjects that were used.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS:
There are 3 color illustrations included in the volume, and they are well done, nicely detailed and are of:
Plate A
Gunfighters of the Old West
- A two-page spread with four full color illustrations showing various handgun subjects that were used by both outlaws and lawmen with accompanying detailed captions. The subjects shown are:
- The spin
- Fanning
- Spring shoulder holster
- Bridgeport rig
Plate B
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
- A two-page full color action illustration showing a moment approximately halfway through the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Plate C
The Battle of Iron Springs
- A two-page full color action illustration showing Wyatt Earp engaging nine members of the Cowboys in a gunfight while his companion, Texas Jack Vermillion, lies pinned on the ground under his dead horse.
THE CAPTIONS:
The captions are well written and explain the accompanying photographs and illustrations in great detail, eliminating any doubt as to what is shown. The captions go into very specific detail as to the specific individuals shown and, where appropriate, their titles, the actions taking place, the purpose of buildings shown, dates, locations and other such pertinent information. Author Sean McLachlan’s captions are very helpful to the reader due to their detailed content as opposed to other captions that I have seen that are very brief and lacking in detail.
THE MAPS:
There are three maps by Bounford.com included in this volume. The maps are in color and come with detailed keys and/or map/cartographic distance scales. The maps are of:
- Tombstone in 1881
- Arizona and New Mexico in 1881–82
- The route of the Earp posse’s Vendetta Ride.
CONCLUSION:
As with the other Osprey Publishing titles I was impressed with this book. This is a nice reference book that contains a well written informative text, subject specific photographs and illustrations, detailed captions and more, all detailing the events, before, during and after the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the vengeful aftermath that followed. On the negative side, there are several photographs featured that are not specific to the subject of the book. However, as with the other Osprey Publishing titles, I have no hesitation recommending this book to others as it will be a welcome addition to one’s personal reference library.
Osprey Publishing also offers Tombstone - Wyatt Earp, the O.K. Corral, and the Vendetta Ride 1881–82 as:
Ebook (Epub & Mobi) ISBN: 978-1-7809-6194-1
and
Ebook (PDF) ISBN: 978-1-7809-6193-4
Osprey Publishing’s, Tombstone - Wyatt Earp, the O.K. Corral, and the Vendetta Ride 1881–82 is also available as a Kindle version through Amazon.
PRICE:
UK £15.99 / US $21.00 / CAN $30.00
This book was provided to me by Osprey Publishing. Please mention that you saw the book reviewed here on the KitMaker Network when making your purchase. Thank you.
