Tombstone

The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell

By: Tom Clavin

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

The true story of the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, and the famous Battle at the OK Corral, by the New York Times best-selling author of Dodge City and Wild Bill.

On the afternoon of October 26, 1881, eight men clashed in what would be known as the most famous shootout in American frontier history. Thirty bullets were exchanged in 30 seconds, killing three men and wounding three others.

The fight sprang forth from a tense, hot summer. Cattle rustlers had been terrorizing the back country of Mexico and selling the livestock they stole to corrupt ranchers. The Mexican government built forts along the border to try to thwart American outlaws, while Arizona citizens became increasingly agitated. Rustlers, who became known as the cow-boys, began to kill each other as well as innocent citizens. That October, tensions boiled over with Ike and Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLaury, and Billy Claiborne confronting the Tombstone marshal, Virgil Earp, and the suddenly deputized Wyatt and Morgan Earp and shotgun-toting Doc Holliday.

Best-selling author Tom Clavin peers behind decades of legend surrounding the story of Tombstone to reveal the true story of the drama and violence that made it famous. Tombstone also digs deep into the vendetta ride that followed the tragic gunfight, when Wyatt and Warren Earp and Holliday went vigilante to track down the likes of Johnny Ringo, Curly Bill Brocius, and other cowboys who had cowardly gunned down his brothers. That "vendetta ride" would make the myth of Wyatt Earp complete and punctuate the struggle for power in the American frontier's last boom town.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

“With a former newsman’s nose for the truth, Clavin has sifted the facts, myths, and lies to produce what might be as accurate an account as we will ever get of the old West’s most famous feud." (Associated Press)

©2020 Tom Clavin (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Great fun read, western history.

I have read two other books on tombstone and the gunfight at the OK corral. this is a really great read, full of historical facts, information which other books normally overlooked. the narration was fantastic. I highly recommend this one.

Absolutely Fantastic!

First, and foremost, Johnny Heller as narrator is a complete game changer. Having read 3 of Clavin’s books, “Wild Bill,” “Dodge City,” and now “Tombstone,” Heller makes Wild Bill & Tombstone come to life. I liked Dodge City, but the different narrator made it less interesting.
If you’re like me, and love the 1993 movie Tombstone, this book does an excellent job of connecting the dots of an otherwise condensed story in the movie. You will come away with a better understanding of the context surrounding the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. You won’t be disappointed!

Incredible story!

As in his book Dodge City, the author gives background on all parties in the story which really gives it depth. That such men lived... Wow!

I'm your Huckleberry, that's just my game!

Excellent story and performance! It was interesting to discover how many facts the movie "Tombstone" got right.

It's a daisy!

This is an excellent book as a follow up to the Tombstone & Wyatt Earp movies because of all of the background history of all people involved. Cant wait to listen to again and will probably buy the Book to put on the shelf.
Enjoyed it very much.

Great Listen

Narrator and story were fantastic will listen again in the future.Enjoyable in depth on all the characters

A good history of tombstone

The backstory is extensive. The narration seems good... except... I notice that the narrator seems to be unsettled as to how to pronounce certain names/words consistently. For example... John Clum... about half the time, he'll pronounce it "Clum"... the other half, it's 'Cloom'. And often enough, he'll pronounce it both ways, in the same paragraph, or even, within the same sentence!
And it's not just 'Clum'... there are a number of other proper names he does the same thing with.
After a while, it became so noticable, it was a major distraction for me... as well as an irritant.
Still- I like the book.

The true story of the taming of the American West

This well researched book - and in the printed version well footnoted - tells the truth of what happened in Tombstone, from post-civil war politics to an election stolen by ballot box stuffing, to selective law enforcement by one political party, to smash and grabs of business' and merchants' assets, to an outlaws' false defense of "hands up don't shoot" after law enforcement had to defend themselves, to false legal charges and political targeting of people threatening to expose corruption. The same political parties and sides which were involved then are involved now, in the exact same situations. Nothing has really changed much in 140 years of American politics. One side is still lawless, one side still stands for law and order.

interesting

Gave more detail than necessary, but was very interesting. Enjoyed learning more about what happened, however had hoped it had been a little more like the movie, which I thoroughly loved.

gripping narrative and perspective

an excellent accounting of an event we all know at least a little about. the narrator was perfect for this book. I will definitely listen to this one again.