The Encyclopedia of Lawmen, Outlaws, & Gunfighters by Leon Claire Metz

 

Perhaps the “purest” gunfight, in the technical sense of the word, stemmed from the eastern and European practice of dueling, where two men stepped off 10 paces, turned, and fired. In the western sense, this was epitomized during a showdown on July 21st, 1865, between Wild Bill Hickok--a Unionist who won the sobriquet “Wild Bill” during the Civil War—in  Springfield, Missouri, when he killed Dave Tutt. The men, who had quarreled over a gambling debt, approached each other from across the city square. They drew their sidearms at about the same time, roughly 100 yards apart, stood still, aimed, and fired. Hickock scored a direct hit, sending a bullet squarely into Tutt’s heart. But truth be known, Hickok was only a so-so shot. On this particular day, he had phenomenal luck.

This is exactly as described by the title, a reference work from the folks at Facts on File.

Usually, such volumes are meant to be what the word implies, a tool for referencing, perhaps a discursive browse now and again.

Me? I read it straight through like a novel and enjoyed it just as much.

There are many such compendiums, but this one comes in towards the top of the tier as being historically reliable and less prone to romantic exaggeration.

A prime resource for authors, historians [amateur or professional], or simply the avid devotee of this amazing period.

The volume earns an Easy A.