A more fact-filled and honest telling of the lives of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday is the aim here. I’d say that it seems the author succeeded in the telling without all the hero worship or bashing that has been common. This is a good book on the subjects and I never tire of its telling.

There are very few times I will say this as a history nerd. I was very afraid of the truth when I started Mark Lee Gardner's Brothers of the Gun. Quite simply, I love the movie Tombstone too much. I already knew it played fast and loose with the facts, but dang it, it plays well with those fictions. I know precisely what Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday actually looked like, but I can only picture Kurt and Val. The bad news is, yes, Tombstone is as fictional as you would expect. The good news is that this book is a hell of a lot of fun anyway.

Gardner is telling the story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. I assure I need not explain any further than that. I'll get to my critique first. Gardner's story is not as comprehensive as others on the subject. Doc feels very much like the second fiddle which makes sense since he basically disappears from the historical record a few times. That said, by far, Gardner's explanations of what happened, who do it, and why are the best I have read. This book is the first where the analysis lines up with what we know about all these characters (good guys and bad guys and well, let's be honest they are all gray at best) and what their motivations might be. While I mentioned the book is not as comprehensive as others, this is not to suggest Gardner skipped his own research. I think he just decided to streamline in a lot of places. Gardner clearly did his research and presented us with what we need to know.

Ultimately, this is a must read for Wild West fans. Non-fans may feel it is a little rushed or high-level, but I don't think anyone will complain much when they finish. It's a great (vendetta) ride.

(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)

Brothers of the Gun by Mark Lee Gardner is a solid read for anyone interested in the Old West. Gardner digs into the real story behind Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday's friendship, showing how they first teamed up in Dodge City before the famous O.K. Corral shootout. The book also covers the aftermath, including Wyatt's quest for revenge after his brother Morgan was killed. Gardner uses letters, diaries, and newspaper reports to paint a detailed picture of these two men and their bond. If you're into Western history and want a clear, well-researched account, this one's worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with man advanced reading copy.

For someone who loves the movie Tombstone I found this book to be both informative and entertaining. The author has a knack for providing a feeling of what the Old West was like and there were points that I felt like I was reading a novel. While Gardner has nothing less than an engaging style he also doesn’t sugarcoat the actions of both Earp and Holliday, and puts their stories within the contexts of their place and time. Highly recommend to people who love Western history or movies!

A well research book about the real legend of Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp's brothers, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holiday. We are treated to what happen at the OK Coral, what lead up to it and what happen afterwards. Very well written with lots of cite to old newspapers, diarys, and eye witnesses. I am not into westerns but I enjoyed reading this old west history. The resources cited were 40% of the book, along with pictures of Wyatt, his brothers, common-law wives,Bat, Doc, Doc's common-law wives and Bat Masterson and some of 'The Cowboys' outfit. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Mark Lee Gardner, Dutton, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are famous and infamous members of the western frontier. As a result, much has been written about them, much of it inaccurate, incorrect, or deliberately wrong.

This well-written book is different. It’s clear from the beginning that the book is backed by thorough research and documentation. The result is a very readable and entertaining saga of the good and bad of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, their friendship, and their actions over the years.

I also appreciate that the author doesn’t whitewash either of the two main characters – they were not innocents. Instead, we are given a comprehensive picture of two men dealing with difficult situations in challenging times. Recommended.

Reads like a western fiction book, but with all the truth of a history. Larger than life characters, and vivid descriptions of the 'wild west', will capture any reader's interest.

This dual biography offers a vivid and unvarnished portrait of the legendary friendship between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, two of the most iconic figures of the American West. Their bond, forged in the saloons and streets of Dodge City, culminated in the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881.

Thank you Dutton and Net Galley for this ARC!

This was a guilty pleasure for me, I have a soft spot for the friendship between Doc and Wyatt, and I hoped to hear an entertaining tale. This was much better than I expected, the author relied completely on verifiable facts, there is no embellishment given to what has been documented and opposing accounts are fully covered. This novel is well written in an easy-to-read style that covers a fascinating time without shading what happened with the authors personal opinions. My only complaint was that I would have liked more information included, if possible a more in depth focus. Otherwise, a very good source of knowledge for someone interested in the story behnd the friendship between those two legends.

Mark Lee Gardner, new to me author, and his latest book, Brothers of the Gun - the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday a Reckoning in Tombstone, published by Dutton.
I read tzhe blurb and was intrigued. I know, another Tombstone novel -- yes, yes, yes. Highl entertaining, informative, eye opening and excellent written this bookhad me right from the start til the very last page. An unputdownable pageturner of its finest, I recommend the book, 5 stars.

Brothers of the Gun is a fact-filled look at two of the West’s most iconic figures; Wyatt Earp and John “Doc” Holliday, as well as the political and social climate at the time.. The stories of legends grow as the legends do, but Brothers of the Gun shows documentation and a wealth of knowledge of the expansion of the ore mining, and the tent cities that came and went as the claims went bust. Those cities were often lawless, and who better to handle miscreants and ruffians than a name that carried weight and threat? While the relationship between Wyatt and Doc are paramount, the book encompasses all the relationships around them at the time, the pleasant and the downright deadly. Next to Doc, Wyatt may have seemed virtuous, but only by comparison. There was no doubting their loyalty to each other. Each had found a friend who “sticks closer than a brother.” After the O K Corral incident, their bond was even stronger as the Earps were hunted down by the Cowboys, who were in turn hunted by the Earps and Holliday. All of the photos in the book are amazing, and reminds the reader that these times were really not that long ago. I look forward to more books by Mr. Gardner.