The Wild West

A Captivating Guide to the American Old West, Including Stories of Famous Outlaws and Lawmen Such as Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and More

By: Captivating History

Narrated by: Jason Zenobia

Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Did you know that most Western lawmen were criminals themselves?

Many of the most well-known lawmen of the American Wild West had multiple criminal charges to their name. Some were murderers, some were thieves, and many were corrupt - in fact, sometimes it was difficult to tell who was on which side of the law.

Spanish conquistadors, British explorers, and then the famous Lewis and Clark expedition were some of the first Europeans to set foot in the Wild West. But by that time, the area had been inhabited for millennia by a people who would soon be swept aside in the tide of America’s westward expansion. The West was filled with amazing plants, creatures, and peoples, and all of them would suffer as colonization drove toward the Pacific Ocean.

Cowboys and Native Americans, robbers and sheriffs, courageous lawmen, opportunistic prospectors, frustrated Confederate soldiers turned outlaws after the war - the Wild West was filled with all of these. And their stories are breathtaking.

There is so much about the Wild West that we don’t know from popular culture. Just a few of these interesting stories include:

• What the Native Americans of the West were really like before colonization
• How the Spanish were some of the first Europeans to explore the West
• The seven years during which Texas was its own country
• How the mountain men were the first settlers of the Northwest
• The man behind the tall tales: who Davy Crockett really was
• How the California Gold Rush affected the start of the American Civil War
• Why Clay Allison’s psychotic breaks made him a dangerous outlaw
• How many men Billy the Kid really killed
• What the Earp brothers were really like and what truly happened at the O.K. Corral
• How Seth Bullock tamed Deadwood without killing a single man

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©2021 Captivating History (P)2022 Captivating History

a bit brief on the actual wild portion

there was quite a lot in this book that I didn't know very well, so that was quite interesting. I think at least half of this, though, is more about the lead-in to what most consider the "wild west". I felt like there should have been a few more notables mentioned, like Bass Reeves. perhaps CH has a book dedicated to lawmen of that period?

otherwise, an excellent book

Check it out for a great review of the "Wild West"

The Wild West
This Captivating History does not start with Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, et.al.. It actually begins with the "Wild West" original inhabitants, the Native Americans. It also deals with the influence on the American West of various European countries and their explorers such as Coronado and Francis Drake. It takes into account the great impact that Spain and its plans for settlement had to make up the "Wild West" that popular culture presents. American expansion is then examined and its eventual development of the “Wild West” we primarily identify with today. Now the audiobook starts examining little known and well known “Wild West” Characters.

Lots of interesting stories

I listened to this audiobook as part of the larger compilation: Old West. This audiobook gives a good sense of the Wild West and has many good stories. I wish it had more information/stories about the native peoples but it does have a fair bit.

The narration is very good as well.

the wold west

i liked this book. this book was well written and a pleasure to listen to