The legend of Wyatt Earp

[Captain Long Story, US Cavalry]

Guest: Andrew Isenberg

In film and on television, Wyatt
Earp has been portrayed as a heroic lawman of the American Wild West.
But, according to our guest, Temple historian ANDREW ISENBERG,
there's more fiction than fact in those depictions. Earp, he has
found, was an ambitious, hot-headed "drifter and grafter" who often
lived on the wrong side of the law as a saloonkeeper, gambler,
gunslinger, and even a horse thief. . In his new book, Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante's Life, Isenberg tells the real story of Wyatt Earp and how he helped recreate his image as an American legend.

- See more at: http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2013/07/05/the-legend-of-wyatt-earp/#sthash.akJPNvNt.dpuf

[Anvil Al #59168]

^{New book sounds more true.}

 

^{We would all dislike him if he was around today.}

 

^{He would be trying to take our guns. Not even conceal carry in his towns.}

[Captain Long Story, US Cavalry]

He must be getting ready to do a book tour.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/21/the-wyatt-earp-myth-america-s-most-famous-vigilante-wasn-t.html

[Tom Bullweed]

I have built a small library around Mr. Earp, his brothers, Doc, Bat, and even have Josie's 'autobiography'. People come down on either side of that fence believing he was everything right in the western lawman who was faithful to his family and select group of friends, or they believe that most of the rhetoric is myth and Wyatt was an overblown self-centered man using a badge to cover his work.

I tend to fall in the first group when I look at the likes of those opposed to him. I think that there is less polish than Hollyweird, Ned Buntline and Stuart Lake would have us believe. I recommend a book that came out a couple of years ago called 'Wyatt Earp Speaks'. This books brings together court records, newspaper accounts and input from various people on both sides of that fence.

[No Horse Hair, SASS #77464]

I just finished Josie's auto biography. I found it very interesting to learn what he did with the rest of his life after the 30 seconds of the OK Corral. Especially when you consider how times changed in his lifetime.....he lived during prohibition!

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

Myths and Legends, of any characters, be it Wyatt, Cody, Carson, Custer or Hickock will always have controversial sides of their lives. What with Ned Buntline stories, Stuart Lakes book, and Custers wife stories. Their lives weren't of stuff we see of heroes on the screen, the west was wild and wooly yes. None would be a good role model today. As the years and decades past, they and their wives emblazoned their lives with stories, or the author made them bigger than life.

Seems today, the new authors seek to further denounce these men. Using more questionable sources for what reasons? But to sell their material, and make a buck.

What difference will these new books make? They're still Legends, and probable be for all times. What proof is there to the total proof of these new revelation except possibility of the authors manipulation of facts to twist new stories? What were the final words in Liberty Valance------. MT

[Krazy Kajun]

Myths and Legends, of any characters, be it Wyatt, Cody, Carson, Custer or Hickock will always have controversial sides of their lives. What with Ned Buntline stories, Stuart Lakes book, and Custers wife stories. Their lives weren't of stuff we see of heroes on the screen, the west was wild and wooly yes. None would be a good role model today. As the years and decades past, they and their wives emblazoned their lives with stories, or the author made them bigger than life.

Seems today, the new authors seek to further denounce these men. Using more questionable sources for what reasons? But to sell their material, and make a buck.

What difference will these new books make? They're still Legends, and probable be for all times. What proof is there to the total proof of these new revelation except possibility of the authors manipulation of facts to twist new stories? What were the final words in Liberty Valance------. MT

Hold ma beer and watch this!

[StirrupTrouble]

What were the final words in Liberty Valance------. MT

 

"No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

[Uncle Ethan # 94321]

What were the final words in Liberty Valance------. MT

 

"No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

No truer statement was ever said in a move.

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

What were the final words in Liberty Valance------. MT

 

"No, sir. This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

And maybe, that's the way it should be.

Character assassination is the new wave, how much more factual is something a 100 years later, then something 20, 30, or 50 years later? Those men of the Old West are gone, and not able to agree, nor deny, the new stories. Good or bad, their deeds made many of the Lawmen of later, and today.

Its easy to discredit deeds of many of the heroics, and write a different version of the happenings, but it doesn't take away from these men, the times, struggles, and daily life of living with violence, and surviving, of which some didn't. MT

[Tom Bullweed]

A few men of the west that I think probably are very close to the legends are listed below. These men had a consistent track of history, not just a single day or a limited string of events:

Daniel Boone

Davie Crockett

Lewis and Clark (probably Clark more than Lewis)

Theo Roosevelt

Billy Dixon

Tom Horn

Al Siebert

[Rye Miles #13621]

I got just about every other book on Wyatt might as well git this one too! Rye