Tough Times in Rough Places: Adventure, Death and Survival on the Western Frontier

Western lore is replete with romanticized, revisionist, second-hand accounts of the notable events of the Old West, but how were these events experienced and recorded by those who were there? In this anthology the editors focus on fifteen of the most captivating incidents in Western history, each offering an authenticity and immediacy that only a participant can bring to a story. In "Custer's Last Battle," Captain Edward S. Godfrey renders the most complete and even-handed account by a soldier of what happened on June 25, 1876, along the Little Bighorn River in Montana. Further south, in New Mexico, Pancho Villa's raid on the border town of Columbus is recounted by Colonel Frank Tompkins, one of the cavalry officers who pursued Villa into Mexico. From Arizona, two stories are herein presented in book form for the first time: Wyatt Earp's own version of what happened at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral; and William S. Oury's unapologetic account of the vicious slaug! hter of Apaches at the Camp Grant Massacre.

From a woman's perspective, Virginia Reed Murphy's gripping, bitter-sweet account of the Donner Party tragedy reveals humanity even in the worst of times. And from Mexico come two of the lesser known but most horrifying events in Western history: George Naegle's eye-witness account of a grizzly hunter killed by a bear; and Jack Hoffman's incredible story of endurance, death and survival on the Sonoran desert. For these and eight other narratives the editors provide succinct, incisive introductions, illuminating but never changing the stories, which stand as they were written. The sum is a unique, first-hand look at the frontier, 1835-1916, an era when men and women were lured west by romance and adventure, only to find "tough times in rough places."

Carmony and Brown have gathered an anthology, told by survivors, of fifteen of the best adventures of the Old West -- some cruel, some uplifting, none without agony. -- Budge Ruffner, author of, All Hell Needs is Water

Editors Neil Carmony and Dave Brown have combed the chronicles of the Old West and have come up with an outstanding selection of stirring and informative accounts that is guaranteed to engage the attention of readers. Here is the authentic frontier in all its drama, tragedy, violence, and heroism. The editors' introductions put each piece in perspective, fitting it into the larger frame of Western history. I read this book with interest and delight and do not hesitate to recommend it to all who have a sincere love for our western heritage. -- Marc Simmons, Historian