The Shooters: A Gallery of Notorious Gunmen from the American West

by Leon Claire Metz

Book Overview

With a scholar's authority and a storyteller's passion, Leon Metz chronicles the lives of famous gunfighters like Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, and Wild Bill Hickok, as well as lesser-known desperadoes who left just as many corpses and whiskey bottles in their wake. Rich in detail, and woven with wit and insight, these fascinating portraits reveal the Shooters as they really lived, fought, and died.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425154505
• ISBN13: 9780425154502
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

True Tales of the Old West

A compendium of interesting biographies of emminent gun-fighters in Western lore. Inside you will find the factual, un-mythologized accounts of several well-known historical figures, of the American West: Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp, John Wesley Hardin, Billy the Kid, and Pat Garrett, for example. You will find the stories of some who should be more well-known than they presently are! -Clay Allison was medically-discharged from his original Confederate regiment because he went into enraged psychotic fits during battle. He finished the war in a regiment that didn't care about his psychological state as long as he fought. When sober, Clay was said to be a well-mannered fellow. However, when intoxicated...he caused a public disturbance once by riding about the main street of town, firing off his pistols, wearing nothing but boots, hat, and gun-belt...and waving his member at passing ladies! -Sheriff Elfego Baca once withstood a siege from over 100 outlaws, taking shelter in an old shack. They blasted the shack with dynamite, but Baca survived, and took a terrible toll of them with his superior marksmanship. When the bodies began to pile up, the outlaws decided it was better to retreat. -Pearl Hart, a petite and attractive woman, was one of the last stagecoach robbers. After her stint in prison, where she was the only inmate to become pregnant...and the only female inmate, she was largely forgotten. Many of the famous westerners described within spent considerable time on both sides of the law. Some were fully criminal, some were fully law-abiding. All were dangerous. Mr. Metz' book also features interesting historical eras and events from the period, besides biographical sketches. If you like this book, you will very likely enjoy "Deadliest Men", by Paul Kirchner, as well.

Is that really what happened?

The Old West has given us an unbelievable number of stories,books,songs,movies and above all a seemingly endless list of characters. But what was the real truth,what was embellished,and what was pure legend? Long time fans of the Old West will probably say it is a mix of all that,and much more. This book goes a long way in giving what the author has been able to research and find what the facts were on a number of the more famous as well as a number of those we don't hear so much about.I tend to think of the Old West being the period 10 years before the Civil War,roughly 1850, up to the turn of the century.The limits are not precise as many of the characters and events proceeded this period,and many of the characters lived well into the 1900's. The author presents a lot of facts that will surprise you for the simple reason that you have probably just not thought about some of these things. The characters were generally a lot younger than you think,many still in their teens at the height of their careers.Many were shot,hung,or otherwise met their demise in their 20's or 30's;and even more surprising a number lived to a ripe old age. The author also fills us in with a lot of details about their place of birth,family backgrounds,why they came west,why they chose the paths they did,who their friends were ,their siblings and their spouses and children. The author gives a lot of detail about the towns of Deadwood,Tombstone,Socorro,El Paso and a number of others and is very specific on locations for events and what now occupies the spots where things took place.Some of the landmarks may now be gone as this book was first published some 30 years ago. Another thing the author shows is that the weapons and skills were a far cry from what we see in the movies. The division between good guys and bad guys was indistinguishable at times and in many cases went back and forth.It will also surprise you how many times some got shot before dying or recovering from multiple located bullet wounds.It seems that the one shot,one kill was a rare event.The fact that any recovered with such rudimentary medical help is surprising. Our "old friend" Ned Buntline shows up as he does in many books on the Old West.He is the writer whose real name was Edward Zane Carroll Judson, was born in upstate New York in 1823,after many adventures,arrived out west,teamed up with Buffalo Bill,and wrote many stories of the Old West and is often credited with creating much of the legendary aspects of the stories and characters we all enjoy. If interested ,you'll find more about him in "The Real Wild West" by Michael Wallis.(see my review on December 17,2003). Any western reader must wonder at the differences between the titles of Marshals,Sheriff,Deputies,Rangers,Pinkertons aand other Lawmen.I know I have and we are given some pretty good distinctions here;but I suppose there were many inconsistancies;particularly in how they were appointed and controlled.However;that is not sur

Read this book

If you are like me and care to know the real story behind the usually embellished legends of the Old West, then this book is for you. Metz offers a personal glimpse into the real lives of the West's famous and infamous lawmen and killers with such detail that you can almost smell the powder burning. He dispels long held falsehoods and fairly shows all sides of any given story.An exceptionally fast read, The Shooters is a biograph of men you've heard of and some you likely have not.

"the Shooters" is a fast read.

"The Shooters" by Leon Claire Metz is a must-read for any fan of the Old West.The author covers both the popular and relatively little-known gunman in a book that is informative and witty. Some of the characters in this book are the ones you'd expect(Billy the Kid,the James gang,Wild Bill Hockok,the Daltons)then there are others that I knew very little about;Tom Smith,Dave Mather,John Larn.Mr.Metz wrote a book that gives details about the lives of these gunman without making it boring.Great book!This book was what I hoped it would be and I recommend it.

A truly exallent work

Having spent the vast majority of my life in the South West and the very city where Mr. Metz live I have had a chance to see first hand the fabrications that a formed about such me as Billy the Kid, John W. Harden, Wyatt Earp, and others. With this in mind it is nice to find a true to life and exqisitly written book about the lives thease men really lead. This book is a literary gold mine for all those interusted in the history of the American West.