Dodge City (Tom Clavin) - St. Martin's Press - 2017 - 384 pages

Author Clavin has sifted through the myths and legends to recreate the history of Western expansion in the 19th century with a focus on Dodge City, Kansas two of the lawmen/gamblers/entrepreneurs (Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson) who played major roles.  This book was written based on extensive research that included census records, newspaper reports and numerous first-hand testimonies.  Having read many of the early stories of the Earp family, I can appreciate the effort taken to find and relate the true story.  The young men who sought adventure and fortune in the "Wild West" were a special breed.  Whatever faults they had, the Earps and the Mastersons deserve much credit for the good deeds they accomplished against enormous odds.  If you read one book about this time of U.S. history, this is the one.  [JAM 5/4/2017]