Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon
An author purports that the gun fight at OK corral has been romanticized and exaggerated and that participants were under the influence. the author debunks the Wyatt Earp myth. Surprise huh
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I have been reading
Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante Life by Andrew C. Isenberg. He does slam Wyatt Earp about a number of lies Wyatt Earp sold to Hollywood about his legend. Isenberg has researched Wyatt Earp's life extensively. One thing he did point out was that Wyatt Earp could not drink because his body could not process alcohol. It made him extremely ill to drink liquor.
Wyatt Earp seems more like a gambler than anything else who used various risks to increase his reputation, monetary rewards, etc. Virgil Earp comes off more as the lawman.
Historians rewrite history as new documents come to light or to promote whatever fad is popular when they write. Isenberg's work seems objective if a bit skewed so as to get people to buy and/or read his book via a library loan.
Wyatt Earp does not seem to be a vigilante really just a very flawed hero.