Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons of the Frontier 1840-1900

by Joseph G. Rosa

Profusely illustrated with 250 period photographs, an evocative study of the American West from 1840 to 1900 provides an informative look at the role of gunfighters in the history of the region, profiling the lives and exploits of these famous--and infamous--individuals.

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