Synopses & Reviews
The gunfight at the OK Corral occupies a unique place in American history. Although the event itself lasted less than a minute, it became the basis for countless stories about the Wild West. At the time of the gunfight, however, Wyatt Earp was not universally acclaimed as a hero. Among the people who knew him best in Tombstone, Arizona, many considered him a renegade and murderer.
This book tells the nearly unknown story of the prosecution of Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holiday following the famous gunfight. To the prosecutors, the Earps and Holiday were wanton killers. According to the defense, the Earps were steadfast heroesand#151;willing to risk their lives on the mean streets of Tombstone for the sake of order.
The case against the Earps, with its dueling narratives of brutality and justification, played out themes of betrayal, revenge, and even adultery. Attorney Thomas Fitch, one of the eraand#8217;s finest advocates, ultimately managedand#151;against considerable oddsand#151;to save Earp from the gallows. But the case could easily have ended in a conviction, and Wyatt Earp would have been hanged or imprisoned, not celebrated as an American icon.
Review
After the gunfight at the OK Corral, Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holiday faced the gallowsand#8212;many in Tombstone considered them wanton killers. This book tells the nearly unknown story of the prosecution of the Earps and Holiday, how their extraordinarily talented attorney defended them, and how Wyatt became an American icon.
Review
"This trial has everything: a family feud, famous outlaws and lawmen, politics, sex, and the most famous shootout in frontier history. It's Rashomon set in the Old West. Steven Lubet's accessible and highly original book will set a standard for scholarship in a field laden with folklore."and#8212;Allen Barra, author of Inventing Wyatt Earp
Synopsis
The gunfight at the OK Corral is legendaryand#151;but what happened once the shooting ended? This book tells the nearly unknown story of the prosecution of Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday following the gunfight and shows how a talented defense attorney saved them from the gallows.
"[One of the] gems in the vast . . . literature on Wyatt Earp. . . . Lubetand#8217;s study of the complicated legal aftermath of the OK Corral manages to be stylish and . . . elegant, a virtue not often found in outlaw studies."and#151;Larry McMurtry, New York Review of Booksand#160;
and#147;This is the first book to examine in depth these legal proceedings, and no one could have done a better job. Lubet explains, in a clear and interesting way, how Arizona territorial law worked in the 1880s.and#8221;and#151;Michael F. Blake, Chicago Tribune
About the Author
Steven Lubet is professor of law at Northwestern University, where he is the director of the Program on Advocacy and Professionalism. He is the author of numerous books on legal strategy and trial advocacy.