Murder in Tombstone: The Forgotten Trial of Wyatt Earp (The Lamar Series in Western History) - Softcover

Lubet, Steven

Softcover

ISBN 10: 030011527X ISBN 13: 9780300115277

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2006

Synopsis

The gunfight at the OK Corral is legendary—but what happened once the shooting ended?

The gunfight at the OK Corral occupies a unique place in American history. Although the event itself lasted less than a minute, it became the basis for countless stories about the Wild West. At the time of the gunfight, however, Wyatt Earp was not universally acclaimed as a hero. Among the people who knew him best in Tombstone, Arizona, many considered him a renegade and murderer.

This book tells the nearly unknown story of the prosecution of Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holiday following the famous gunfight. To the prosecutors, the Earps and Holiday were wanton killers. According to the defense, the Earps were steadfast heroes—willing to risk their lives on the mean streets of Tombstone for the sake of order.

The case against the Earps, with its dueling narratives of brutality and justification, played out themes of betrayal, revenge, and even adultery. Attorney Thomas Fitch, one of the era’s finest advocates, ultimately managed—against considerable odds—to save Earp from the gallows. But the case could easily have ended in a conviction, and Wyatt Earp would have been hanged or imprisoned, not celebrated as an American icon.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

This trial has everything: a family feud, famous outlaws and lawmen, politics, sex, and the most famous shootout in frontier history. It’s Roshamon set in the Old West. Steven Lubet’s accessible and highly original book will set a standard for scholarship in a field laden with folklore."--Allen Barra, author of Inventing Wyatt Earp

About the Author:

Steven Lubet is professor of law at Northwestern University, where he is the director of the Program on Advocacy and Professionalism. He is the author of numerous books on legal strategy and trial advocacy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 030011527X
• ISBN 13: 9780300115277
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288