Age of the Gunfighter

by Joseph G. Rosa

Age of the Gunfighter tells the story of the tempestuous life and times of the notorious gunfighters of the American West. The book provides a vivid account of this violent time, combining contemporary accounts with meticulous historical research and an unjaundiced appraisal of the facts. Telling the story of every major gunfighter, peace officer, and outlaw of the American West, Joseph G. Rosa places them in the context of an unpredictable frontier and the coming of law and order.

Genres: History, American History, Westerns, Nonfiction, True Crime

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Joseph G. Rosa was a historian of the Wild West, author, and the chief biographer of Wild Bill Hickok as well as several other figures of this period.

Reviews

[Abonrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult book to read, but only because of its physical size.
An educational & well illustrated with vintage pictures & photos of vintage weapons commonly used in the era.
The book focuses on the gunfighter era from 1860 through 1900 & lays to rest much of the myths with contemporary newspaper articles, references to other works of frontier history & Rosa's own research.
The book is divided into four general sections: The Violent West, Feuds & Range Wars, Cowboys & Cowtown Chaos, & Law & Order: From Guns to Gavel.
The narrative is well written & provides both details and an overview of the "taming" of the West from lawlessness to vigilantism to law & order as Eastern civilisation gradually moved westward.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good old west history. Hard to believe it's written by a Brit!

[Mark Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visually, one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.

[Michael Eklund · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tall book, with a rather good storytelling about the historical Gunfighter. Some really cool pictures of the weapons used.

I will read this again.

[Dom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reference book