Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bill O'Neal has included information on 255 gunfighters including Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, amongst lesser known 'shootists' with equally sensational feats. It is an excellent source of reference. Where possible dates have been provided for births, deaths and gunfights. He has been careful not to glamorize the gunfighters achievements by concentrating upon hard facts, rather than speculating into more contentious issues. However, it is by no means exhaustive and in some areas could do with updating, in view of recent material surfacing. A good example of this would concern the careers of such characters as Wyatt Earp and Curly Bill Brocius. Nevertheless, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and an excellent acquisition for any personal library on 'Western Gunfighters'.

This book is entertaining and well-organized; unfortunately, it's not very accurate. Some of the author's mistakes are due to credulity (it's possible, but not likely, that Butch Cassidy survived his final gunfight in South America; O'Neal reports it as fact); some to partisanship (he's an unabashed Clantonite in the matter of the OK Corral, and thus again reports speculation as fact); and some to ignorance (he doesn't seem to be aware that Florentine Cruz and "Indian Charlie" were probably the same person). The history of the American West is treacherous territory, and nobody can avoid a few mistakes, but Mr. O'Neal seems to make more than his share. I can't recommend this book.

This book is fascinating because it separates truth from fiction. All documented gunfights of the old west are included here (as of the book's writing), & all gunfights that are undocumented are excluded. It's as simple as that. I don't buy the author's premise that if it was a real gunfight, it must have been documented at the time (wouldn't most killers have wanted to keep their killings a secret if at all possible, & wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that a good number of gunfights occurred in deserted, out of the way places where there likely would be no witnesses?). Other than that, this book is an old west fan's bible! It's that good!

Bill O'Neal's work is not a simple re-hash of old facts. Instead it is a refreshing and factual look at the men who made the frontier into the myth that survives today. The most interesting aspect of the book is that it shows, over and over, how truth often far outshines fiction in its detail and graphic nature. It is apparent in one read that O'Neal has an intimate knowledge of his subject. This book is destined to become a cornerstone of reference libraries for any and all western history aficionados.

What a great book for Western gunfighter nerds! O'Neal did his research and presents it in a highly accessible manner. I've had this book for over a decade and I still return to it with a gleam in my eye once or twice a year.

This book provides a detailed history of the western gunfighter with a very short description of the event. The Gunfighters and the towns where the fights occurred are easily researched with towns and men's names being alphabetized. Excellent book for researching the old west. I even found a couple Gunfighters that were killed in my area of Texas. Enjoyed the book.

Mr. O'Neal has done the research necessary to accurately portray the true story of the Old West.

If you are a western history buff this is a must book for you. I have always been fascinated by western movies and books. The most exciting people have always been the gunfighters. The author has done an excellent job of organizing the vast material on 255 gunmen. This is the most well researched book I have ever read on this topic.

The author has collected the dates, places of birth, aliases and nicknames, the occupations and a brief biography of each gunfighter. Some of these gunfighters are well known such as Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the kid, Jesse James and John Ringo. However, unless you are a western history buff, most of the names will not be familiar to you. Nevertheless, each gunfighter in this collection is unique and interesting.

One of the many things I loved about this book was how it gives an explanation of every gunfight incident for each of the gunmen. You will also find it interesting how many people these gunmen actually killed.

In conclusion, this is a book that will be of interest to western history researchers, law enforcement officers and anyone interested in western history.

Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Never Trust a Politician).

Bill O'Neal's Encyclopedia is one of the best sources for any student of Western history. It is hard to imagine, exactly, just how much O'Neal would have to know, and to have researched to put this volume together. An earlier reviewer had quibbles with O'Neal's accuracy, and that reviewer sounded like he knew what he was talking about, but in a book of this scope, there will always be places to quibble. The Encyclopedia is a vast overview of Western gunmen and Western gunfights, best used by the reader as a jumping off point for further research. And for that purpose, there's simply no better book on the subject every written.

O'Neal is also a bit of a myth-buster, and he is perfectly willing to let the facts get in the way of the legend wherever he feels necessary, which is the mark of an historian rather than an entertainer. O'Neal's book has been an invaluable resource for me, and as I was writing this, I was racking my brain for one significant or even obscure gunman or woman that I know of who is not in the Encyclopedia: the result, I could not think of one.

The Encyclopedia also has this going for it: because the entries are short and very well-written, it is a perfect grab and read, a wild book to pick up when you have only a few minutes. I did this with the book for years, gradually working my throuugh it, and as a result, I have the rudiments of all these true stories dancing in my head, and whenever I am reading a more intensive work of Western history, I immediately recognize characters and places and conflicts that I first encountered in the Encyclopedia - the best kind of cross referencing, the kind that can lead to really understanding an historical event.

The Encylopedia belongs on the shelf. Of almost any book lover.

Hal Herring[
author of

This will spoil your ideals of the wild west gun slinger-but if you want the facts this is your book!