Gunfight at the O.K. Corral [Paperback]

Thom Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

Artist Thom Ross has long had a fascination with the "good guys" and "bad guys" of the Old West. Through rich paintings and a vivid telling of the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, he shares his colorful, dramatic interpretations of the event and of the mythic figures who were there-Doc Holliday, the Earp Brothers, the Clantons and McLaurys. The famous gunfight, which took place on October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona, was a very real event in which two men were wounded and three men were violently slain. However, as a number of movie versions have shown, the showdown neither resolved grievances, nor was it an end in itself. Instead, the killings went on for months afterward. Thom Ross uses the famous confrontation as the inspiration for his bold images, suggesting that the players in this historic drama have long since transcended the real circumstances of the shootout. Today, they embody the universal struggle to face and overcome the dangers and obstacles that await us all in our lives.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A powerful illustrated narrative of one of the Old West's most mythic events.

About the Author

Thom Ross is a Seattle-based artist whose work appears regularly in a number of galleries throughout the West. He has also had exhibits in New York. His images of famous western events and figures have graced the covers of a number of western history books. This is his first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing; First Edition edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555911846
• ISBN-13: 978-1555911843
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,744,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Western myth captured in paint, October 13, 2001

By 

Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (Paperback)

Thom Ross knows his O.K. Corral history -- there's no doubt about that -- but it is the O.K. Corral myth that he really seeks to translate into the painting contained in this book. Whereas most Western American art is firmly realistic, often almost photographic in intent, Ross's art dares to venture into the realm of the abstract to better capture those elements of myth. In nearly fifty paintings, accompanied by his own text, Thom Ross tells the story of this most famous gunfight in history. I cannot think of another book which has ever sought to achieve such an end, so I believe that Ross deserves double praise for his creativity. If you don't know much about this event, then "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" is not at all a bad place to begin learning. But even if you have read a dozen books about that day in Tombstone, Ross's book will still have a powerful impact. And after you close the covers of this slender volume, those images remain in your vision, haunting and somehow very alive.

4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stop running Ike, you're safe here, October 26, 2001

By 

EARL CHAFIN - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (Paperback)

Normally on the 26th of October, I view the 1957 movie
"Gunfight at the O. K. Corral" with Burt Lancaster and
Kirt Douglas. I know exactly what I am getting which is
entertainment.

This year I flipped through the Thom Ross book by the
same title and again I was entertained. The Preface said
History but my gut reaction said entertainment. The
history here is fast and loose. Like the movie this book
is FICTION and should be accepted as such.

Enjoy the exquisite paintings. but ignore the connection
between the paintings and the text. And between the text
and History because it isn't here. In fact ignore the text
altogether. Buy this book for the paintings.
and you have a bargain

I do not wish to list the many historical errors of the Ross
and Hutton book here. That might ruin your enjoyment of the
paintings. On this the 120th anniversary of the gunfight
between good and evil, stay focused on the main event.
Don't worry about desecration. Think consecration. History
can wait. this is the age of art and entertainment. If you
have to blame anyone, blame the proofreader. What does he
know?