Calamity Jane: The Woman And The Legend (Hardcover)

by James D. Mclaird (Author) "A complete and true biography of the life of Calamity Jane would make a large book, more interesting and blood-curdling than all the fictitious stories..." (more)
Key Phrases: Black Hills, Wild Bill, Martha Canary (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Forget Doris Day singing on the stagecoach. Forget Robin Weigert's gritty portrayal on HBO's Deadwood. The real Calamity Jane was someone the likes of whom you've never encountered. That is, until now.

This book is a definitive biography of Martha Canary, the woman popularly known as Calamity Jane. Written by one of today's foremost authorities on this notorious character, it is a meticulously researched account of how an alcoholic prostitute was transformed into a Wild West heroine.

Always on the move across the northern plains, Martha was more camp follower than the scout of legend. A mother of two, she often found employment as waitress, laundress, or dance hall girl and was more likely to be wearing a dress than buckskin. But she was hard to ignore when she'd had a few drinks, and she exploited the aura of fame that dime novels created around her, even selling her autobiography and photos to tourists.

Gun toting, swearing, hard drinking--Calamity Jane was all of these, to be sure. But whatever her flaws or foibles, James D. McLaird paints a compelling portrait of an unconventional woman who more than once turned the tables on those who sought to condemn or patronize her. He also includes dozens of photos--many never before seen--depicting Jane in her many guises. His book is a long-awaited biography of Martha Canary and the last word on Calamity Jane.

About the Author
James D. McLaird is Professor Emeritus of History, Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, South Dakota. He is the author of numerous articles on western history and myth-making, focusing especially on South Dakota and the Black Hills.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 378 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press; First Printing edition (September 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806135913
• ISBN-13: 978-0806135915
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #476,646 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Biography of a Western Myth, February 7, 2006

By	C. Baker "[e-mail]" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This well researched and documented biography of Mary Canary a.k.a. Calamity Jane (1856-1903) lifts the veil behind a Western myth. The real Calamity Jane really did have a calamitous life. She spent most of her life in the roughest spots - as a military camp follower, in rough and tumble mining towns, and in the ever raucous and short lived railroad junction towns springing up as the tracks were laid across the country. She made her living as a dance hall girl, prostitute, laundress, cook, Madame, and similar pursuits. She was a life long alcoholic and was clearly dissipated at an early age. Later in life, some ways, she lived off the kindness of others or cashed in on her unearned fame as a frontier hero.

McLaird does a good job of uncovering the real Calamity Jane and explaining how her myth was built up through Western dime novels and newspaper reporters, thirsty for good stories. For example, stories about Calamity the camp follower turned into her being a scout for the army. As her legend grew, the stories became even more farcical. Later in life Calamity cashed in on these stories to garner sympathy and support from others. But ultimately she died young, most likely simply from alcoholism.

The downfall to this biography is twofold. First, the author could have cited other writers that discuss the process of Western myth building and incorporated that into his thesis. Secondly, the prose is very matter of fact and rather bland. I found the topic fascinating but the writing style a bit boring, so at times the biography gets a little tedious and academic.

Nevertheless, it does offer another solid academic work on Western myth building, with Calamity Jane maybe the biggest farce of them all.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with depth and detail on known facts and you won't find a better coverage elsewhere, December 5, 2005

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Calamity Jane is a major figure in Western history so it's not surprising numerous titles have been written about her previously: what is surprising is that Calamity Jane: The Woman And The Legend has so much new material to reveal. Here's the definitive biography of one Martha Canary, written by one of the best modern authorities and packed with meticulous research. McLaird had to study conflicting accounts of her life and adventures to arrive at the truth: Calamity Jane comes packed with depth and detail on known facts and you won't find a better coverage elsewhere.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The real deal, October 2, 2005

By	Dorman Nelson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Review by Dorman Nelson May 15, 2005

CALAMITY JANE by James D. McLaird

Calamity Jane far outstrips her contemporaries with 213,000 Internet hits; comparing Wild Bill Hickok at 23,400, Liver-Eating Johnson at 4,980 and Colorado Charlie Utter at 29,600. Just so, you will say, after reading James D. McLaird's CALAMITY JANE published by University of Oklahoma Press [...].

James D. McLaird is Professor Emeritus of History, Dakota Wesleyan University, and Mitchell, South Dakota. The award-winning author of numerous historical articles has brought forth the real gal of the west. He notes alcohol, general living and mundane survival to be her mainstay and "she arrested no outlaws, robbed no banks, and killed no Indians", yet, her legend and fame grows with time. He has identified that truths are unpopular and exaggeration of those truths are what folks truly needed. Thus making an expanding icon for generations.

Meticulously researched over 20 years, leads followed, individuals identified and Jane's surroundings, facts and fictions, discussed; this 355 page work with maps will keep you wanting more information--and it's there in the source notes! The photographs speak, no, shout, of the wear of the years on Calamity as they are presented throughout the book.

You'll find Martha Canary (1856-1903) was everything a woman was and is and more. Continually moving, working, drinking and carousing--the trail dust she stirred up from town to town, individual to individual--varied with mother nature, disease, killings, gold rushes, Indian scares, and the building of the railroads. Legends sprang up from those who knew her or of her. Newspapers, dime novels and stories watered the tales that became a forest of Calamity events. Bullwhacker, driver, nurse, companion, buddy, laundress, prostitute, scout, bartender, cook or what ever you want to call her, her life was wrought with excitement, adventure and danger. Good or bad, in the best of times and the worst of times, truly a Calamity Jane.


Addendum: This is a great historical read with excellent notes, maps, photographs and research leads. I am going to say all roads lead to Calamity.....this reader certainly enjoyed the travel in time.
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