This is the first book I have read by Tom Clavin. He is very thorough in his research as there were lots of historical facts. So many names mentioned between the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid, Wild Bill Hickock, Geronimo, Cochise, McClintock, Kate Elder. Many names that we know from history and some we know from the movies. I have visited Tombstone and seen the movie but this book brought the event together. The jumping of the timeline was hard at times but the information we read made it worth the effort of keeping track. Enjoyed the read. Thanks to Mr. Clavin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The author begins with an explanation why he chose to cover a subject with so many existing books available. I approached the book with a certain amount of skepticism since I have read the subject exhaustively and seen movies and plays as well. This book seems to shuck off the many myths and stick to well-researched facts about all of the players. It includes comprehensive information about the lives of virtually everyone who lived in and around Tombstone during the boom years. The book focuses on what happened, with very little sensationalism. I look upon it as an authoritative source and an entertaining study of history.

Now I'm hooked. My love of history has never ventured much into the Wild West part of American history. I knew the names and the general sort of history but, after reading Tom Clavin's Tombstone, I'm ready to remedy that. I've added his previous books to my vast TBR list.
Nothing dry and dusty about this book, just the setting of the town of Tombstone. Beyond the shoot out at the OK Coral, this is a vibrant rendering of the history of the famous town. Populated with a long list of people, I never had any trouble keeping them straight in my mind. With lots of very interesting footnotes, my desire to learn more grew from chapter to chapter. I can think of several people who might enjoy receiving a copy as a gift.
My thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a history fan and love lots of detail information this book is for you.
Well written and a lot of research done on the subject.
Personally, and I like to have a lot of detail information but I found some of all the background information to be a bit overwhelming to the point of remembering who is who became a bit of a job. I did learn a lot of new information that I was not aware off. The relationship between the Earp Brothers and their wives (I should say common law wives). The politics that went on in that time. This book shows clearly that the Earp Brothers were not always the good guys even if their intent was mostly good. In the early days of Tombstone there really was a very narrow line between the two sides. If you are interested in that time period of American history and want to learn more I definitely think you will enjoy this book.

Tom Clavin is, above all, an excellent writer. A book of history, no matter how interesting the subject, is of little use if it is dry and boring. Make no mistake, this is a properly foot-noted (and I always read every footnote), well-researched work of scholarship in which the writing flows, carrying the reader along with it. It was a pleasure to read.

The story of Tombstone, the Earps, Doc Holliday and the legendary shoot out at the OK Corral is well known, but not well understood. Too many untrue tales, too many movie dramatizations, too many people who had agendas other than the truth have obscured what exactly happened in October 1881, and its aftermath. In “Tombstone” Clavin cuts through the clutter allowing us to see and understand what has become a seminal event in American history.

One of the things I really appreciated about this book was Clavin’s explanation of how the rumors about the Earps’, especially Wyatt’s, involvement with the outlaw cowboys got started. For more than a hundred years there has been unfounded speculation that the Earps had, to one extent or another, thrown in with the criminal gang(s) known as the cowboys. Clavin shows convincingly that the Earps were on the side of law and order, and that what has been made to look like corruption was in fact merely politics.

I am not going to rehash the meat of “Tombstone.” You will want to read that for yourself. I will say that Clavin’s account of the various personalities is extremely interesting, and he doesn’t pull any punches. Josephine Marcus’ time as a prostitute is not glossed over, nor are the men’s characters. The footnotes, and I am a footnote junkie, are excellent.

I heartily recommend “Tombstone.” It is a complete look at the events which transpired there; how the various actors in the story got to Tombstone, what they did, and why, and Wyatt and Doc’s hunt for the malefactors afterwards. If you have any interest in the period at all, this is the book for you.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.

I have read several historical books by Tom Clavin and he never disappoints. I am an amateur history buff and my husband is a big fan of westerns. So, Tom Clavin books are rapidly populating our shelf of Wild West era history books. While I enjoyed my digital advanced copy of this newest book, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of our pre-ordered hardback copy! This book deserves a re-read after my husband finishes reading it!

Tombstone. The Earps. Doc Holliday. The Clantons. The famous gunfight that occurred in 1881 in Tombstone has been immortalized in so many ways....and most of the stories are based around the legends grown up around the characters involved. Bigger than life characters. But....in reality....those involved were not characters, but real life people. This is a real event.....and Tom Clavin digs past the legends and folklore to get at the real event. What actually happened that fateful day and what is the truth about the aftermath.

For me, this book was pure gold. I love reading about this era of history. And Clavin, as usual, goes into awesome detail. I always feel like a Clavin book is as close as I can get to meeting real historical figures short of inventing a working time machine. :) I enjoyed every bit of this book, and learned facts that I didn't previously know. I love it when an author teaches me something new on a subject in which I felt "well read.'' It reminds me that there is always more to learn!!

I can't wait for my husband to get his copy....I'm anxious to compare notes on parts of the book I found most interesting. We always have the best discussions about history after reading a Clavin book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Tom Clavin here lays out a definitive novel of the American West and the famed Tombstone, including the gunfight at the OK Corral. It was a fascinating, engrossing read, at times moving slowly but building up to a hell of a crescendo. I became interested in Tombstone and the Earps after seeing for the first time, just this year, the 1993 film 'Tombstone' with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton and Sam Elliott. The film is stellar, but I knew that I had to learn more, and Clavin's book came to my attention. Having the opportunity to read before it is formally published was an incredible pleasure.

I particularly liked, although I didn't expect it, that Clavin's book traces the roots of the conflict between the Earps and the cowboys, from every main player's origins to how their dynamics influenced the sides of the law versus the lawless. Everything from politics, economics, personal ambition, love, and pride played a part in leading up to the gunfight at the OK Corral and the reckoning Wyatt Earp visited upon the cowboys. I hadn't thought that so much was at stake, and that there were so many moving parts - Clavin has truly crafted a compelling historical novel, drawing from incomparable resources as well as pop culture, dispelling myths in favor of reality and leaving the reader enriched.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion. First, I am a big fan of the movie Tombstone with Sam Elliott so I was interested in learning a bit more. The author did an amazing amount of research. There are tons of information about all of the players in the shootout at the O.K. Coral including several people I had never heard of. This book is probably better suited for someone with a lot more than a slight interest as all of the details are a bit overwhelming and all over the place. It was hard for me to keep it all straight.

This was a good book- highly readable and well written- giving people unfamiliar with the "Wild West" frontier of Arizona and the infamous Gunfight at the O,K. Corral a good understanding of the highly famous/infamous fight. The controversial and famous figures of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday, their lives, and their sometimes shaky connection with the law are well described. Tom Clavin writes with a slightly tongue-in-cheek, humorous tone, but the reader is left in no doubt as to his dedication to writing history, not historical fiction. People who enjoy Western movies and the myths of the Old West should like reading about the truth behind the stories, and people only vaguely aware of the stories will enjoy learning about a different, and colorful, part of American history.

Tensions in Arizona rise during the long, hot summer of 1881, and things reached a boiling point the fall when nine men – including Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp – confronted each other in what would become the most famous shootout in American frontier history.

This book looks beyond the legends surround the events at Tombstone to learn the true story of what really happened and what led up to the clash. It also follows the ride by lawmen-turned-vigilantes Doc Holliday, Wyatt and Warren Earp. The book is well-written, and was much easier to read than many non-fiction books. Although a lot of background was presented, it was relevant to the story being told, and presented in a manner that made it interesting and relevant. There were quite a few footnotes, but even those were interesting to read, and I like that the author referenced other books dealing with the same subject. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

An excellent history of the events leading up to and the aftermath of the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral. This book is well-researched and interesting. His portraits of the many people involved are excellent.

I just have one small quibble. In relating Doc Holliday's death from TB he fails to account that he was a deathebed convert to Catholicism.

nonfiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-figures, cultural-exploration, American SW

This is a well researched nonfiction presentation suitable for almost everyone from the casually interested to the scholar. Did I mention that it is a history geeks delight? It is not only about those involved in later events but is also a history of the area before the vendetta from the Spanish through the American civil war including the atrocities perpetrated upon the innocents of the various Indian tribes and followed by the development of the types of licit and illicit forms of law enforcement. There are brief bios of the people involved prior to the known events as well as details gleaned from many sources. As one of those history geeks, I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

I just had a wonderful escape into the old west, courtesy of author Tom Clavin. His newest non-fiction gives a detailed look into Tombstone, Arizona and all the people who contributed to the stories that made it one of the most famous towns in the West.

I’m not going to lie—there are a lot of names dropped in this book, but they all have a reason to be included. And there are quite a few footnotes. Normally, I’m not that interested in the footnotes, but the ones included in the book were just as interesting as the book itself.

Clavin also makes quite a few references to other books pertaining to the subject and I loved this! I have read a few that were mentioned, but I was also able to add a few titles to my out-of-control TBR list.

The relationships within the Earp family were very interesting. Clavin includes a bit of family history in the beginning of the book and later there is more information about the brothers and their close relationship as well as what happened to them after leaving Tombstone.

The politics of the day were also at play in creating the combustive atmosphere that led to battle at the OK Corral and the retribution that occurred afterwards. In a nutshell, the west was going through many changes during those days and people were on the move trying to seek a fortune in any way possible, legal or not.

Readers who love westerns and history will not want to miss this one! It’s also a great choice to get out of your comfort zone if you aren’t a non-fiction reader. I loved it and highly recommend it to readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

I have always been interested in Wyatt Earp and other true western stories. . Books about the Old West, Wyatt Earp and other gunslingers have always been of interest to me.. Tom Clavin brought the Old West to life and I appreciate the chance to have been able to read this Advanced Reader Copy. 4.5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book!

Love the movie Tomstone, and think you know what all happened at the OK Corral? Nope, you only have part of the story! This book will have you literally spellbound from page one, and falling back in time, to a frontier where life was hard and the men, good and bad, were harder. Having family history that tied into the Earps, it was interesting to what Clavin brings to light, that I was already aware of (much of the true story), and gives you a much better understanding of just how all these men became legends. Those stories, help the reader to better understand why things happened like they ACTUALLY did at the OK Corral, and how the subsequent legend of it helped to shape our history. This is not a book to miss if you love history, the stories of the old West, or the movie!

I did not feel that this was a book for people like me for people like me for whom Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are basically well-known names. When the author introduces many of the secondary figures in the O.K. Corral shooting, he seems to assume that we are familiar characters. In addition, the author constantly makes refers previously what happened in Dodge City without explaining what happened there which can be frustrating to those who don’t know what happened in Dodge City.

In addition, I wished the author explained more how the legend of Wyatt Earp and the shooting at the O.K. Corral became such a legend. The main characters in the story did not seem to seek publicity.
However, despite these shortcomings, the book did provide with me some interesting information. First of all, I found out that the wild west of the movies really did exist. Many of the circumstances around the shooting at the O.K. Corral seem have relevance to modern times such as: porous boarders between the US and Mexico, a thin line that can exists between law enforcement and outlaws, and restrictions on carrying guns.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Tombstone is a true story of the Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell written by Tom Clavin. A story that takes you back in time to another world, another time. A place where time stands still.

I think a lot of people have seen the movies made out of these events and have some preconceived notions about the historical characters they represent, I know I certainly did. This book was not only entertaining to read, but also very eye-opening from a historical perspective. From finding out more about the actual lives of the Earp brothers to the truth about Doc Holliday's shooting skills, this was an adventure.

I'm not usually one who spends a lot of time reading about the Old West. I currently live in the Great State of Nevada, and that's good enough for me, but this book had an interesting cover and the description sounded good, so I gave it a go. I'm really glad I did. The author uses a conversational tone that is easy to read and he fills the book with humour as well as factual information.

I've never read a book with better names, you can't beat some of the cowboy's nicknames. Overall, this was a lot of fun and I learned a lot from it. You can't go wrong with a book that does that.

I actually learned more from reading this book than I did from actually visiting tombstone a few years ago. (Plus I didn't have to search so hard for a bathroom.)

Recommended. This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars
Tombstone is a well developed and unique read. I was a bit hesitant when I saw the title as it has had many versions and tales, but to my surprise I have to say I liked this one so much more. Great read and one I would and will recommend to readers

This was a wonderful retelling of the Tombstone story: the Earps, the Clantons, the shootout at the OK Corral, and more. I haven't read, but will now, the author's previous books in this "wild west" series about Dodge City and Wild Bill Hickok.