Wild Bill

The True Story of the American Frontier’s First Gunfighter

De: Tom Clavin

Narrado por: Johnny Heller

“The first thing you will notice about this engaging and delightful biography is that [narrator Johnny Heller] sounds like a character actor who moseyed off the set of an old-fashioned oater. His voice is a little scratchy, a little seasoned and perfectly suits this biography of larger-than-life Bill Hickok and his pals, from Calamity Jane to Buffalo Bill Cody and General Custer.” (The Berkshire Edge)

This program includes a bonus interview with the author.

The definitive true story of Wild Bill, the first lawman of the Wild West, by the number-one New York Times best-selling author of Dodge City.

In July 1865, "Wild Bill" Hickok shot and killed Davis Tutt in Springfield, Mo., - the first quick-draw duel on the frontier. Thus began the reputation that made him a marked man to every gunslinger the Wild West.

James Butler Hickock was known across the frontier as a soldier, Union spy, scout, lawman, gunfighter, gambler, showman, and actor. He crossed paths with General Custer and Buffalo Bill Cody, as well as Ben Thompson and other young toughs gunning for the sheriff with the quickest draw west of the Mississippi.

Wild Bill also fell in love - multiple times - before marrying the true love of his life, Agnes Lake, the impresario of a traveling circus. He would be buried however, next to fabled frontierswoman Calamity Jane.

Even before his death, Wild Bill became a legend, with fiction sometimes supplanting fact in the stories that surfaced. Once, in bar in Nebraska, he was confronted by four men, three of whom he killed in the ensuing gunfight. A famous Harper’s Magazine article credited Hickok with slaying 10 men that day; by the 1870s, his career-long kill count was up to 100.

The legend of Wild Bill has only grown since his death in 1876, when cowardly Jack McCall famously put a bullet through the back of his head during a card game. Best-selling author Tom Clavin has sifted through years of Western lore to bring Hickock fully to life in this rip-roaring, spellbinding true story.

"[Narrator Johnny Heller] ensures that Western aficionados will enjoy listening to the life of Wild Bill." (AudioFile Magazine)

©2019 Tom Clavin (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[Narrator Johnny Heller] ensures that Western aficionados will enjoy listening to the life of Wild Bill" (AudioFile Magazine)

The world around Wild Bill, and Wild Bill, too.

It certainly is a comprehensive account of James Butler Hickok, and shares a lot of information from his private and public lives, A lot of his work, prior to his later fame, as a Union spy was quite interesting, and the book gives a coherent picture of the man.

That being said... Wild Bill is often a supporting character, or even at times absent, in his own book. There are extended periods of time when we learn about George Custer, Buffalo Bill Cody, Tom Smith, John Wesley Hardin, Calamity Jane and many others, making the book half again as long as it might be, if it stayed on the main subject. Certainly crossing paths with these people is noteworthy, particularly in clearing up the relationship with Jane. But even as the tangents stray, fortunately, they stay just this side of reasonable, providing color and context for the life of Wild Bill Hickok.

I Learned Much

I learned a great deal about Wild Bill. The book helped me appreciate the man and all he did and learn about the many famous people who passed through his life in his short lifetime. He truly was larger than life. I recommend this audiobook.

great book

i enjoyed the mix of lore and known facts. the book painted a superb picture of wild Bill's life and the people around him.

Great Western

Apparently interest in the Old West is a generational thing as the well-read twenty something who was cleaning my roof the other day had never heard of Wild Bill Hickok. When he asked me what I’d been reading he had a blank look when I named dropped “Wild Bill” who may have been one of the most famous men in America in his day. The icons of my childhood were the “cowboys” and “Indians”. My friends and I were all up in Custer, Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Geronimo, Crazy Horse, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp, Sitting Bull, Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday. They were the stuff of dime novels, legends in their own time. Wild Bill was certainly one of the most interesting of them all. Hundreds, even thousands of articles and books were written about these folks. There was a lot of exaggeration and hyperbole but much was true. Some even promoted themselves in their own life times with stage plays and Wild West shows starring themselves. Wild Bill made it to Broadway, playing Wild Bill. But he became disgusted with his performance opposite Buffalo Bill and California Jack and left the show and went back West. His eyesight was failing probably due to syphillis and he was drinking heavily. Bill had premonitions and was considered something of a “spiritualist.” He predicted his own imminent death which occurred in Deadwood in 1876 when a low life named Jack McCall snuck up behind him and shot him in the head. The bullet exited his cheek and lodged in the wrist of another poker player at the table who never had the bullet removed. Poker players who don’t know Wild Bill will least know Aces and Eights, the Dead Man’s Hand, what Bill was holding when the bullet ended his life.
James Butler Hickok was described as the best looking corpse anyone had ever seen. By most testimony he was a spectacular looking human when he was alive. You can read the descriptions of him by both Colonel and Mrs Custer if you want proof. Just over six feet tall with broad shoulders, a girlish waist, shoulder length hair and a handsome mustache he made quite an impression where ever he went. Bill was famous for bathing everyday and wearing stylish clothes when he wasn’t dressed in plainsmen buckskins. He wore his six shooters butts forward so he could quickly cross draw, a move that kept his Chesterfield jacket from getting in the way. He was quick and could shoot accurately with either hand and he often would demonstrate his prowess with the handgun by shooting targets or cans thrown in the air. During the Civil War he was a Union soldier who often spied on the South dressed as a Rebel and infiltrating the Confederate army. After the war he gravitated West and worked as a scout, a wagon driver and a law man. He had a broad reputation and in later life, when he ended up in Deadwood, was such a draw that saloon owners would encourage him with free whiskey to make their business his headquarters.
I didn’t know anything about Wild Bill save what I’d learned by watching the HBO show Deadwood. His appearance there was pretty much a cameo and fostered the probably false story that he and Calamity Jane had a romantic relationship. These were her claims, not his. The fact is that Wild Bill had a rather long romance with a woman twelve years older who was one of the most prominent circus owners in the United State. After their marriage, Agnes Lake returned home to reorganize her circus and wait for Bill to send for her to move to South Dakota. That never happened as Bill was murdered.
This book continues my foray into the Old West with biographies of Jesse James, Billy the Kid and a novel about Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. It was a fascinating time I think because of the idea of the “frontier”—that edge of the country where civilization and rule of law confronts wildness and lawlessness. It took tough, hard-nose men to bring order to the cow towns like Dodge City and Abilene. The characters were colorful, interesting and adventurous. In a dystopian novel we move from order to disorder and imagine how one might cope with it. On the frontier we moved from disorder to order as more and more people arrived, got settled and organized family and social life. People like Wild Bill were on the cutting edge of this movement and the fascination of Easterners with the turmoil on the edge of the country made folks like Wild Bill, Billy the Kid and Buffalo Bill (to name all the famous Bills) legends in their own time. Some perhaps were legends in their own mind, like Buffalo Bill, who was a friend of Wild Bill’s from pre Civil War Days and who convinced Wild Bill to become an actor for a short time. Buffalo Bill sounds like a fascinating fellow as well and he will be my next pursuit. Well written, great detailed research, terrific context and a well read audio book.

Fascinating & Well-Written

Wild Bill is a western character I’ve always heard of, but never really knew his whole story. I think Tom Clavin’s research & subsequent book brought Wild Bill Hickok to life. I will definitely be reading/listening to more of Tom Clavin’s works.

Incredibly exciting & informative!

Excellent narrator! beautifully written with excitement, mystery & charm! I will definitely read this author's other books as well.... starting with "Dodge City".

unbelievable

it was an fascinating Epic. I learned so much about a man that I thought I knew. his story stands as a great American tale.

A great look at real Wild Bill!

Excellent narration combined with superb writing ushered me through this book as Clavin swept away fictional accounts of Wild Bill and introduced me to the real man. Clavin confirmed much of what I already knew about Hickok and shared many facts I had never heard before. His writing remained concise and interesting throughout the book. The coverage was so thorough that the book left me with no unanswered questions about Wild Bill. I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in the old West or Wild Bill. I'll also watch for more books narrated by Johnny Heller.

Good book that drags a bit with background info

It was an interesting book but it did drag a bit with background information. Not enough information about Jack McCall, Hickok assassin and his reasons for shooting the famed gunfighter.

Wild Bill

Very interesting and covered others in his life. Easy to followed with coverage on other iconic westerns