Wyatt Earp by Matt Braun

Wyatt Earp
Matt Braun
ST. Martins Press
£3.99


I'm not sure what to call this novel. Some would say it's faction but I prefer the term biofict since that's what it is.

Matt Braun does a good job in bringing the Earp's and Doc Holliday to life as characters in the novel and his story is chiefly concerned with the so-called Gunfight at the OK Corral which actually took place outside a disused lot on Fremont Street across from Fly's Photographic studio.

We get the build up to the infamous gunfight and then the direct aftermath. One point rankled with me - the trial of Earp for murder is depicted in the book but there is no mention made of the fact that it was charged that Tom Mclaurey was unarmed. In fact there are historians that claim this was the case and yet the book doesn't cover this fact. Though the detail is superb the court case is only given brief coverage with the author preferring to concentrate on the action elements of the story.

The book, in fact, is a better experience of the gunfight than any of the movies made on the subject and in structure it is most similar to the excellent Kurt Russel starring Tombstone. And the Wyatt Earp of the book did feel like a real living character as did all the others in the novel. Sheriff Behan and Ike Clanton are particularly well painted as two side of the same coin and the period is brough to life so effectively that the reader can smell in gun smoke in Tombstone's air.

A oddity of style, is that the author refers to Wyatt in the narrative as Earp while his brothers are called by their Christian names. This results in awkward sentences like Virgil said to Earp or Earp grinned at Morgan. I just found this a little off-putting and would have preferred it if Wyatt had been refereed to by his Christian name as is every other character in the book, with the possible exception of Doc Holliday who is either simply Doc or Holliday. But that's just a personal niggle and may not bother anyone else.

Still it's a great novel and works first and foremost as an entertainment but the reader does come away feeling that he's learned something about the West's most well known gunfight. I recently read Casey Tefertiller's acclaimed Wyatt biography - Wyatt Earp: The Life behind the legend and I must say I felt that Braun's fictional account took me closer to the action.

I'd rate this book very highly and love Braun's precise style of narrative. As satisfying as any good piece of fiction but with the added attraction of bringing the reader actual historic events.

A brilliant book that is hard to put down.

And onto


I found this book on Ebay and although I've yet to read it I thought I'd feature it here to highlight other uses of Wyatt Earp in works of fiction. There have been many others but I'll have to do some research - maybe that's a good idea for a future post - fictional novels using real historical figures as character.

This was originally published in 1960 by Collins and is subtitled: The story of Wyatt Earp.

And this one takes in Earp's time in Dodge and then goes all the way to the gunfight but it seems to be much more juvenile in style than Braun's adult book. The extract shown below shows the old fashioned style and I'ne no idea who the hell Cherokee was/is!

"I hate killing - but there are times when the Law has no other choice,' said the Marshall of Tombstone Territory.

"I know," said Cherokee gently as he took Wyatt Earp's arm and led him to where Doc Holliday treated Virgil's broken leg. "That's why you are the greatest Marshall in the West."


In fact I think this book may have been intended for children given that Jennings is advertised on the inside fly leaf.
Still I'll probably get around to reading it one day.