The Last Gunfight - The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral by Jeff Guinn

The Gunfight at the OK Corral is easily the most famous gunfight in American history. It has long since ascended into the ranks of mythology. Its participants, particularly Wyatt Earp, have been similarly elevated into the upper echelons of human consciousness…so much so that separating fact from fiction is surely a daunting task.

While I have long been a fan of this historical event, it was not the subject itself that first drew me to this book. In fact, it was the author, Jeff Guinn. I had read his book, "Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde" about another great American myth, steeped in actual history. I was so impressed with the author’s ability to pierce the veil of the legend and tell the real story while simultaneously delivering an excellent, enjoyable read, that I knew I would be searching out more of his work.

This book presents the “facts” of the infamous gunfight in a fairly linear order. Jeff Guinn invests some time with the backgrounds of the major players, including the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, the Clantons, the McLaurys, Johhny Ringo, Curly Bill, and a number of important but much lesser-known people who had an impact on what occurred that fateful day in October, 1881. It is clear from early on that the Earps and Doc Holliday were no saints themselves. Interestingly, Guinn also depicts the history of Tombstone itself, treating it (by design, I think) as its own character. 

The issue of just how to separate the facts from the fiction is surely a formidable task for any chronicler of such an event, especially considering the official record (court documents, eyewitness statements, etc.) are hugely tainted with bias depending on which faction one supported. As the book progresses, the time scale slows as we get closer to the gunfight, going into an almost hour by hour and then minute by minute account. The aftermath is also thoroughly explored, including the various court cases that resulted, the back-and-forth opinion of the townspeople, the murder of Morgan Earp, and the infamous “Vendetta Ride” by Wyatt and friends. A final chapter, entitled “Legends” provides an interesting summation of what happened to each of the participants and where they ended up. This section also includes an examination of Wyatt’s later-in-life attempts to ensure his own legacy as well as how books, television, and movies have transformed the event into the near-myth that it is today. I was especially interested in how it became known as the “Gunfight at the OK Corral”, considering it didn’t actually happen there. But “The Shootout at the Vacant Lot Next to Fremont Street” just doesn’t have that same ring to it.

This is not simply another biography of Wyatt Earp. The author tries (and I think succeeds) to blend all the available information in order to provide a proper context to the entire event. Even today, historians argue the various circumstances of what exactly happened. Was Tom McLaury armed or not? Did Wyatt kill Curly Bill at the end of his Vendetta Ride or did he live? Where was the exact location of the Benson Stage Robbery which played so importantly in the growing rivalry? Where necessary, the author lets us know of the conflicting theories.

I really enjoyed this book. I chose to read it over a couple of weeks rather than just sit down and plow through from cover to cover. Somehow, that seemed appropriate for the subject matter and made the reading experience a little more epic. Mythological, you might say.

Highly recommended.