Doc Holliday (Bison Book S) by John Myers Myers

Doc Holliday (Bison Book S) Reviews

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  Theo Logos

  Doc Holliday was a colorful and fascinating legend of the old West. A tubercular dentist, gambler, and gunfighter, he seemed more like a character designed for literature than life. John Myers Myers brings just the right voice to his story - an idiosyncratic style of telling a tale full of colorful idioms and turns of phrase that perfectly match a history full of people with monikers like Doc, Big Nose Kate, and Curly Bill.
  
  Myers was a great folk historian. While he did solid research, he realized that the legends that grew up around certain characters had as much historical importance as the facts of their life. Often when writing histories of the West, verifiable facts are few, and legends are plentiful. This was certainly the case when Myers wrote Doc Holiday. Yet he was able to use what was known to weave a fascinating tale that rings true. History, after all, is more art than science, and Myer's Doc Holiday should survive more academic efforts that have missed this point in a quixotic quest for "just the facts, ma'am".
  
  Doc Holliday, both by the circumstances of his time and place, and apparently by his own design, left a scant official record of his passing among us, but he blazed a wide trail in the legend that he left behind. Myers did a fine job of ferreting out the former, and a masterful job of portraying the later. He captured the spirit of the man and the times and wild place in which he lived and moved. This is a book worthy of the legend, and I recommend it highly.
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  Thom Young

  I love this book. Highly entertaining and well researched, not mention Myers can really write with the best of them. If you love westerns and the legend of Doc, this is your book. The words Myers use are like the Victorian jargon in Deadwood. It's a great read.
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  Terra Dawn

  My family is in the book! lmao. I stole this one from the library when I was in High School. (I obviously don't condone stealing books...but it happens. lmao. ) Five stars for the sole reason I have a connection! :D
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  Ronn

  Well, the subject matter is fascinating. But this book, although written in 1955 [which should qualify as reasonably modern English], is so full of obscure metaphors and archaic spellings that it was very hard to read more than just a few pages at a time. There were many sentences that I had to read through three or four times to make sure that I was understanding them. The historical information [assuming it is correct] is good to know. But it's hard to imagine that it was edited at all. It would surely benefit from modern editing.
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  Mark

  It's a good book that goes into the life of one of the west's most famous characters. It shows that he is more than just a sidekick to Wyatt Earp(what he's best known for). I learned quite a bit about this man.
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  Janice

  Interesting book about Doc Holliday, including known facts, unconfirmed facts, and confirmed legends. The movie "Tombstone" takes some liberties! The way this author uses phrases in his writing (copyright 1955) is also quite entertaining.
  
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  Matthew

  Good so far.
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  Alicia

  I love Doc Holliday, and this was an interesting read, but not the easiest read.
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  Patrick Macke

  great take on Val Kilmer's inspiration