Additional information
by Charles River (Author)
Includes pictures of important people and places.
Explains the origins of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the controversial details that continue to be debated today.
*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.
"The 26th of October, 1881, will always be marked as one of the crimson days in the annals of Tombstone, a day when blood flowed as water, and human life was held as a shuttle cock, a day to be remembered as witnessing the bloodiest and deadliest street fight that has ever occurred in this place, or probably in the Territory." - The Tombstone Nugget
Space may be the final frontier, but no frontier has ever captured the American imagination like the "Wild West", which still evokes images of dusty cowboys, outlaws, gunfights, gamblers, and barroom brawls over 100 years after the West was settled. A constant fixture in American pop culture, the 19th century American West continues to be vividly and colorful portrayed not just as a place but as a state of mind. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the West series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most famous frontier figures in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
Though they have long been overshadowed by their more famous brother Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp played decisive roles in some of the most famous events in the history of the Old West. Most notably, the two brothers were at Wyatt's side for America's most famous gunfight, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Though the gunfight lasted less than a minute, it is still widely remembered as the climactic event of the period, representing lawlessness and justice, vendettas, and a uniquely Western moral code. Fought in the middle of Tombstone, Arizona, the gunfight pitted the three Earp brothers and Doc Holliday against Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury. By the time the 30 second gunfight was over, the McLaury brothers were dead in the street, Billy Clanton had suffered a painful and fatal gunshot wound to the chest, and Holliday, Virgil and Morgan Earp were all wounded.
To this day, the motives behind the gunfight, and exactly how it all went down, remain heavily debated, but the aftermath of the gunfight is much better known. Both Virgil and Morgan were the targets of assassination attempts in the coming months, precipitating the Earp Vendetta Ride in 1882.
The attention spent on the Gunfight and the Earp Vendetta Ride, as well as the fact that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are two of the most famous men of the West, have largely obscured the personal details of Virgil and Morgan. Legends of the West: Virgil Earp and Morgan Earp chronicle the lives and deaths of the two infamous brothers, while examining the roles they played in some of the West's most famous events. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about Virgil and Morgan Earp like you never have before, in no time at all.
