I have long been interested in Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, having watched as a young boy the old TV show with Hugh O’Brian as Wyatt Earp, and later watching John Ford's great film, My Darling Clemintine and other films based loosely on the legendary lawman and the famous gunfight at the OK Corral.
The 1993 film Tombstone with Kurt Russel and Val Kilmer is one of my favorite films, and I’ve watched it many times.
I began reading about Earp and Holliday and other books about the history of the Wild West as a teenager and I still read them to this day.
One fine book I recently read about Earp and Holliday is Mark Lee Gardner’s Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the Reckoning in Tombstone.
I reached out to Mark Lee Gardner (seen in the above photo) and asked him why he wrote the book.
Gardner: No previous book had focused on the friendship between Wyatt and Doc, nor had they been the subject of a dual biography. The biggest moments in their lives occurred when they were together, be it Dodge City or Tombstone, and you simply can’t tell the story of either individual without talking about the other.
How did you research the book?
Gardner: I seek out both primary archival sources and the locales where my protagonists spent time. This entailed research trips to Iowa, Missouri, Arizona, and California. I also strive to find sources that either haven’t been used before or were poorly used by previous historians: letters, diaries, contemporary newspaper accounts, etc. I never write books by only reading other books (that’s what AI does), and you’ll never find me quoting another historian in my books. I provide my own perspective/interpretation based on the primary sources available to me.
How would you describe Wyatt Earp?
Gardner: Tall, mild-mannered, not known to brag, ambitious, rarely drank liquor, exceptional lawman, accomplished professional gambler, ladies’ man, and an extremely brave individual. Fellow lawman Bat Masterson wrote that Wyatt was “one of the few men I personally knew in the West in the early days whom I regarded as absolutely destitute of fear.”
How
would you describe Doc Holliday?
Gardner: Like Wyatt, also mild-mannered or quiet – except when drinking, at which time he could be hot-headed, quarrelsome, and dangerous. Always a sharp dresser and a gentleman to ladies. He suffered from tuberculosis for years, which finally took him at the young age of 36. An only child, he looked upon the Earps as the brothers he never had, especially Wyatt. “Doc’s whole heart and soul was wrapped up in Wyatt Earp,” wrote Bat Masterson, “and he was always ready to stake his life in defense of any cause in which Wyatt was interested.”
Why were these two very different men fast friends?
Gardner; According to Wyatt, their friendship began in Dodge City in August 1878, when Doc, a revolver in each hand, saved Wyatt from a crowd of cowboys about to do him deadly harm. Wyatt firmly believed that Doc saved his life. “It was because of this episode,” Wyatt explained years later, “that I became the friend of Doc Holliday ever after.”
What
was Tombstone like during the Wyatt Earp era?
Gardner: A true boomtown: exciting, violent, and corrupt with saloons and gambling halls open day and night. Silver mining was the economic driver of the town, and despite its remoteness, any number of delicacies were readily available to its inhabitants, from fresh oysters to the best cigars to the finest wines and champagnes.
Why has the story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday continued to fascinate readers and film goers after all these years?
Gardner: Put simply, it’s an incredible tale featuring larger-than-life characters, the Old West’s most famous and unusual friendship, and the greatest gunfight of all time.
Do you have a favorite film about Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday? If so, why is the film your favorite?
Gardner: I think it must be Tombstone (1993), with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer playing Wyatt and Doc. I believe it’s the best at conveying the depth of their friendship, although the film, like most about the O.K. Corral gunfight, fails to explain the origins of that friendship. Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Doc is truly memorable. But let’s not forget Dennis Quaid’s Doc in the Kevin Costner’s film Wyatt Earp (1994), which was also quite impressive.
Please tell us about your background and career.
Gardner: I was
born and raised in Missouri and spent my summers during college and graduate
school as a National Park Service seasonal ranger at Bent’s Old Fort National
Historic Site, Colorado, and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West
Virginia. I next worked as a historic site administrator on the Santa Fe Trail
in Trinidad, Colorado. I’ve since published several books on iconic Westerners,
from Billy the Kid to Jesse James to Sitting Bull. In addition to my writing,
I’m also a professional musician specializing in the historic music of the Old
West. My most recent album is Outlaws: Songs of Robbers, Rustlers, and
Rogues, available on Spotify and other streaming apps.
Thank you for speaking to us.
Brothers
of the Gun is published by
Dutton.
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