"Famous Gunfighters Of the Western Frontier" by Bat Masterson

[Andy62]

I have always been a history and biography buff,but with a special interest in the American West. Of all of the sources of information that I have come across over the years I believe that this small 105 page book has given me a greater insight into the psychology and motivation of the gunfighters than any other source that I have come across. After all it was written by a man who was there and was one of them. Bat Masterson was not only a gunfighter himself,but also a very perceptive observer and a talented writer having finished his career as a newspaper reporter. This is not a cleansed Hollywood version,but an authenic account of toughmen who lived in a lawless and threatening environment. You will not find all of their qualities endearing, but they were adventurers and risk takers who lived in an exciting and historically signficant era. I have always felt that the reason that the image of the gunfighter created so much interest all over the world was because, while it may not be with guns, so many things in life ultimately come down to the "OK Corral" where everything is laying on the line.

One of the most interesting things to me was Masterson's listing of the qualities of the successful gunfighter:

1. Courage
2. Experience
3. Deliberation

Even given the first two qualities which are absolutely essential; without "Deliberation" and the required mental control a man could not be successful as a gunfighter and Masterson gives several examples of this principle. Copies of this book can be found at a reasonable price of several dollars on abebooks.com

[Greg Newton]

Hi Gordon,

This is an interesting topic. Like you, I've always been fascinated with the American West and gunfighters. I read up on some of Masterson's exploits and in his first gunfight, it was at point blank range. Two people were killed, the would be killer's accomplice and the man who tried to kill Materson.

The accomplice, a prostitute, knocked on the door and the killer shot Masterson in the groin. The second shot aimed at Materson in the melee missed and killed the girl. Masterson shot once, exploding his gun, but the bullet hit and killed his would be assassin.

Greg

[Andy62]

That was an interesting time in history. The west offered the promise of adventure and the hope for riches and fame. On the other hand the settled part of the country was under the influence of the Victorian Age with it's structured and rule oriented society and limited freedom for men -and especially for women. So you had the push and the pull. I read one historical account that pointed out how threatening the picture of Belle Starr with her sixshooters strapped on must have been to both men and women with their assigned roles in Eastern society. Those that wanted freedom wound up in the west in all sorts of roles - gamblers, dance hall girls, gunfighters and prositutes. What a laboratory for young Alois P. Swoboda to develop and test his theory of Conscious Evolution and how to develop inner strength and personal power.