Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900 [Paperback]

Joseph G. Rosa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1995

Based upon contemporary and informed opinion, Age of the Gunfighter tells of a tempestuous time and many a notorious gunfighter. Few of those who achieved fame and a reputation lived into old age. Ed Masterson, Tom Smith, and Bill Tilghman, for example, died in the line of duty. Others, like Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James, and Billy the Kid, were murdered because of their reputations, at the hands of the law or for personal or financial gain. And the few who survived into old age in the twentieth century, such as Wyatt Earp, were men out of place and time, steeped in nostalgia for an era gone but immortalized as the age of the gunfighter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph G. Rosa, who makes his home in Ruislip, Middlesex, England, is the author of the definitive biography of Wild Bill Hickok, They Called Him Wild Bill: The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickok, as well as The Gunfighter: Man or Myth? And (with Waldo E. Koop) Rowdy Joe Lowe: Gambler with a Gun, all published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (September 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806127619
• ISBN-13: 978-0806127613
• Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you buy one book on gunfighters..this should be the one., April 2, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Clayton, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900 (Paperback)

Of the many books I have on the subject of the West from 1840 - 1900, GUNFIGHTERS is one notch above them all. The pictures and drawnings are superb. The stories and history of each individual rely on fact and not on folk lore that so many other books do.

I am a member of an Old West Re-enactment group and this book is our Bible

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview of The Violent West, April 30, 2000

By 

James Williams (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900 (Paperback)

Rosa's book is the best general overview of the West's violent history I have come across. It's the first book I reach for when someone asks me a question about Old West gunfighters. Although he doesn't go into a great deal of detail on individuals, Rosa provides enough accurate historical information about the pertinent events of gunfighters' lives to satisfy most curious readers. There are few notable gunfighters who aren't given mention in Rosa's book. For those who seek a deeper look into the history of the period, or of an individual gunfighter, Rosa's bibliography will point them in the right direction. Unlike many historical treatments which concentrate on events after 1870 and west of the Mississipi, Rosa's treatment includes several antebellum examples of gunfighter/outlaws. My only complaint regarding this aspect of the book is his relatively sparse discussion of the role of the Civil War and Reconstruction in the creation of the culture that fostered the development of the Old West gunfighter. In my opinion, what makes AGE OF THE GUNFIGHTER a real gem is its plethora of superb photos and illustrations. In particular, the many photographic plates of Old West firearms are truly exceptional. The firearms enthusiast or Cowboy Action Shooter who wants to know more about the weapons of the West will find these plates a veritable treasure trove. The book also provides photgraphic portraits of most of the gunslingers, sometimes multiple photos, and some of which I've not seen elsewhere. Rosa also included several of my favorite gunfighter paintings by N.C. Wyeth including the "action" portrait of Wild Bill Hickok sported on the cover. This book is a must buy.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Trust All of the Hype, August 5, 2000

By 

Jay T Pearce (Grand Prairie, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900 (Paperback)

Dr. Rosa's work is indeed beautiful to look at, illustrated with many period photos, lithographs, and modern color photos and pictures as well; however, the above reviewers may have been too quick to suggest his historical accuracy. In one instance, for example, when he is giving the narrative of "Longhaired Jim Courtright" he writes that his name was James Courtright when in fact it was Timothy Isaiah Courtright (thus the name of his private firm was T.I.C. in Fort Worth, TX). Given that Rosa will dedicate several pages to giving a narrative of Courtright's life and death, it might have been nice if he had paid attention to minor details, like, say, getting Courtright's name correct. Such discrepancies undermine the authority one might otherwise attach to Dr. Rosa's work. I would urge the people who are using his work as a "bible" to gather a slightly larger library rather than trusting any single source for their reference purposes. As a single work, this one is pretty, but ultimately, simply a retelling of the same old shootist stories with less than scrupulous attention to historical fact.