When All Roads Led to Tombstone: A Memoir

by John Duncklee and John Plesent Gray

In 1940, Gray wrote this manuscript containing reminiscences about the Gray family's settlement in Arizona and New Mexico in the 1880s and 1890s. He relates his father's problems with land purchases... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1886609136
• ISBN13: 9781886609136
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Tamarack Books
• Length: 197 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

When All Roads Led to Tombstone

I have gotten in the habit of buying any book that has Rogers' name on it. He is an astute historian, a superb writer and a wonderful editor. Gray's account of Tombstone's early years is particularly important--he was there and saw it all. Rogers' annotation adds considerable depth to Gray's story, and makes this an important book. As one who has spent a lifetime reading Arizona history, it doesn't get any better than this.

Be careful of first editions!!

This is a superb book, well indexed, footnoted, etc. The notes in other reviews about misinformed captions and lack of chapters is bogus. The historic memoir had no chapter headings. The photo captions are absolutely accurate. Mr. Rogers has done western history a marvelous service by his obviously through research that has provided the readers of the Gray Memoir with valuble insights into the people, events and places that Gray wrote about... Enjoy!!! When is Rogers going to bring out another book? This and his Crimes and Misdeeds: Headlines from Arizona's Past are wonderful reads.

Invaluable as primary history

I loved reading this book, even without chapter headings and even with dubious captions (I cannot point these out, as I am not an expert.) I do, however, live in the Sulphur Springs Valley, and have some knowledge of the Chiricahua Mountains where the Rucker Ranch was located. Gray's memories of the tall grass and red clover that filled our valley before it was overgrazed by the cattle consortiums, his stories of life as a cowboy and its dangers from Apaches and outlaws cannot, in my opinion, be replaced by technically correct second-hand histories however accurate. This is like sitting on the veranda listening to your grandfather spinning tales of cattle drives, Apache raids, and trips to Tombstone, with glimpses of the characters we have grown up knowing. His view of them is personal and reflects his preception and experience. As primary history, I recommend this most colorful account. Read it with a salt shaker if you must, but enjoy it as an authentic memoir of his life and times.

Eye witness offers different version of the Wild West

There is an intrinsic value to this memoir that rivals the one book about Tombstone in which Wyatt Earp provided personal accounts. Gray, too, was an eyewitness as was Earp and he provides the Yang to the Hollywood Yin hype that surrounded Earp. If you want to have some idea of the truth, you should read W Lane Rogers book of Gray's Memoir. The REAL truth as is usually the case probably lies somewhere between. I have seen Tombstone and I have read Earp's accounts - I am not really very motivated to read all the 2nd and 3rd accounts. This book gives me a much better idea what it must have been to be a pioneer Westerner and I thank Rogers for bringing it together. Let's have at least one movie out of this - a REAL WESTERN!