The Real Wyatt Earp: A Documentary Biography

by Steve Gatto

Book Overview

In the annals of the West, only Billy the Kid rivals Wyatt Earp as a household name and figure of history. Yet who was Wyatt Earp? Some biographers, many relying on the memoirs of Earp himself, have... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0944383505
• ISBN13: 9780944383506
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: High Lonesome Books
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The Real Wyatt Earp

Steve Gatto's "The Real Wyatt Earp" is a must read for anyone interested in Wyatt Earp. Newspaper items and court documents are often quoted in the text. Making this book a great source of information on this Old West character. Unlike most authors with books on Wyatt Earp, Gatto has no problem at all challenging Wyatt's veracity concerning some of the claims he made. This upsets some die hard Earp fans a great deal. Not because Gatto's statements and theories are provably false, but, instead, because they fear they might be correct. Steve Gatto's "The Real Wyatt Earp" presents the lawman is a much different manner than other Earps books, and that is the precise reason why his book is a must read for anyone interested in Wyatt Earp.

An interested reader!

The story of Wyatt Earp is both controversial and interesting. Many books are available that discuss Earp's role in history but few provide good documentation for the comments contained within them. Steve Gatto's book, "Real Wyatt Earp," is filled with many of the newspaper articles and documents that were created at the time events occurred in Earp's life. Thus, giving the reader a glimpse of what the people of Wyatt's time thought about him and how his actions were recorded in the newspapers when they occurred. I enjoyed the book very much and highly recommend it to others that are interested in Wyatt Earp. However, I should note that the author is very critical of Wyatt Earp's actions and claims. But, perhaps, that is a good thing!

One of the best

After reading almost all of the Wyatt Earp books, this one stands out among the best. It is very well written and easy to understand. This book is not about "hero worship", but the Real Wyatt Earp. I think Mr. Gatto points out that Earp was not the great lawman of west, but instead was a con man and opportunism. This is a Must Read Book.e

Sacrificing the sacred cow of Wyatt Earp

The human condition is replete with examples of how we lift high upon our collective shoulders those individuals whom we deem heroes. All too often, however, these men and women are more mortal than we would like to think. Some, as the author of The Real Wyatt Earp: A Documentary Biography demonstrates, are more fabrication than alliteration. Mr. Gatto brings a refreshing air to biographical investigation: a legal perspective. With each turning page, the reader is drawn into the world as it truly existed in the early 1880s. The documentation is quite clear and convincing to anyone brave enough to open their minds to what the author is exposing: that Wyatt Earp, though not a bad man, was like so many opportunist today in that he chose to cash in early on his "legendary" status rather than wait to see how history would treat him. This should not be seen as diminishing the personage of Wyatt Earp, rather it should be seen as increasing another aspect of his abilities: the showman. Wyatt's own self described attitude toward law enforcement exposes his preference to use his brain rather than his brawn. Why should this stop at the wall of fact or fiction when retelling events as Wyatt saw them? No, Mr. Gatto's thorough, concise and erudite style of writing evinces the true character of Wyatt Earp. He was a man who today, in a grandfather like way, would give a wink and a nod when asked to tell a story, leaving those entertained by its majesty to wonder later whether it actually happened or not.By "facing down" the age old mystique of "Wyatt Earp The Western Lawman," Mr. Gatto has demonstrated a strong resolve to discover the truth behind the legend even at the risk of personal attack. That old west aficionados and scholars, those who make their living on regurgitating the same paltry legends as Earp's, are in disagreement with Mr. Gatto should clear his mind to know that truth is on his side. Good Show, Mr. Gatto! I hope you take on other legends in the same way and let us see clearly our heroes and villains.