This is a terrific bio of an American legend. Well written and well told. This author always delivers. Fast paced and very thorough in it's depiction of the famous American.

This was probably my favourite Non-Fiction book of 2019. I learned a lot about the civil war and the wild west era. Wild Bill was an enigma and I really wish I could sit and have a conversation with him

Great research. This book fleshed out the legend of Wild Bill Hickok and grounds him as a man behind the legend.

An excellent book on the life of one of America's best known gunmen. Wild Bill Hickok was larger than life during his lifetime. After his death his fame only grew. Tom Clavin presents a very full picture of this man who is the subject of so many myths. Hickok took part in so many famous events in American history. He fought in Bloody Kansas. He was an undercover scout for the Union Army during the Civil War. He fame as a gunman both helped and hurt ho in life. It made him famous and allowed him to work many jobs. It also meant that he was in constant danger from those who sought to win fame for themselves by killing Wild Bill. From his youth in Illinois to his death in Deadwood, Hickok was a fascinating man. This all come through quite clearly in Clavin's book.

I really liked this historical account of Wild Bill Hickok. It was interesting to find out his ancestry, and to read about some of his exploits in the west. Overall a really good story about an iconic western gunfighter.

A well-written and accessible biography of Wild Bill Hickok, a man who had already become a legend in his own lifetime and whose legend has continued to grow and be embellished since his death. This account claims to be the “definitive” biography. Well, I can’t comment on that, although there certainly are some dissenting voices out there. Nevertheless I found it an engaging read. It places Hickok in his time and place, gives a vivid picture of the Wild West and the characters who bestrode it and offers a sympathetic portrait of a man who still today exerts a deep fascination.

I enjoyed this book. It's well written and truly encompasses "the life and times" aspect of James Butler Hickok - more famously known as "Wild Bill".

The author did a fine job of presenting the times and circumstances that shaped Hickok's life. Setting straight some of the legends which are more close to fiction than fact, and going deeper into the truths that made Wild Bill a legend during his own lifetime.

One of the things I found most impressive was the way author Tom Clavin set the scene in terms of historical perspective: The towns, trails, camps, gunfights, and people - just an overall atmosphere of the times when it was all happening. Well done!

***Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publishers for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

The author you can tell once you start reading this book had spent long hours on research. By the time you get to the middle of the book some of the stories about this were not true. Finding out that he was going blind and the need for wearing glasses, walking with a cane, falling for a woman that ran a circus and would marry her many years later. He did not want anything to do with Calamity Jane, and most of the stories about were started by her after his death. The author also debunked the person who killed him for I had read many years ago that it was the son from the famous fight he had protecting a woman. Also that his life really started going downhill after he killed his friend one night which is explained in the book. Overall I found this to be a good and entertaining read and like I said I did not know that he married a woman who ran a circus but it was said they were in love. A good book.

A well researched and written biography on one of the most famous figures from the Wild West days. Although non-fiction in parts it often rattles along like a novel. The part dealing with his death by being shot in the back of his head is vividly described. Wild Bill's life also included other famous names from that period, namely Calamity Jane, George Custer, and Buffalo Bill Cody.

*3-3.5 stars.

A few years back, I saw a one-man performance by Walt Willey entitled Wild Bill: An Evening with John Butler Hickok (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg6jo... ) and learned that Hickok was born and raised in Troy Grove, IL in LaSalle County, not far from where we are currently living. Walt Willey himself is from nearby Ottawa, IL. Troy Grove is still a small rural town but shows its pride in its most famous son with a memorial: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio....

He was born in 1837 and died in 1876 so his lifespan is an interesting slice of American history, encompassing the Civil War and explorations into the west. He was a frontier plainsman in every sense of the word and got the reputation of a gunslinger, quick on the trigger. "A more picturesque sight than Hickok on horseback could not be imagined."

This biography was well-researched and written with an eye to disproving some of the old myths about the man. One thing I found fascinating was that back then, the west was Kansas, Hickok's adopted state. And how quickly the wild west became civilized, leaving no place for free-living men like Wild Bill.

I received an arc of this new biography from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

My husband and I are true Western fanatics. We watch western films and documentaries on a weekly basis. This book delighted both of us. Although it is a true biography of Wild Bill Hickok, it is never boring or dry reading. Tom Clavin obviously enjoyed the research and writing of this book. I'm checking for more works by this author.

A riveting and well-researched history of Wild Bill and his accompanying cast of characters including Calamity Jane, Charlie Utter, George Custer, and Buffalo Bill Cody. A page burner for anyone interested in the Wild West and its important part in the making of American history.

Insightful biography of Will Bill Hickok. The author does a good job of separating fact from fiction and introduces many colorful, lesser known compatriots.

This was a fascinating book that I enjoyed more than I expected. I learned quite a lot, both about Wild Bill, his peers and the geography whose borders shifted with the politics of the day. It's a great read for any Western history buff!

Dispelling the myths and searching for the true story of a Wild West legend, Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter is one of the most historically accurate looks at the history of one of the best-known gunfighters in American history.

From birth to assassination, this story covers the details and travels of the life of Wild Bill and those around him. It's an interesting story that has too-often been filled with fabrications and tall-tales, but Tom Calvin tries to cut through all that and find the more accurate information about the history of this Wild West legend.

An interesting read for those interested in this larger-than-life figure.

Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter is a fascinating read. I highly recommend it for history buffs.
Five stars.

Wild Bill by Tom Calvin describes the life of this western legend. I found it difficult to read because it digresses throughput the book. When the author introduces any fact about Wild Bill, he then examines the backstory of any new person who comes into contact with Wild Bill. This technique seems to detract from the biography and makes it difficult to follow the narrative. Also, the story will advance the story only to return to previously given facts. The most confusing was near the middle of the book when the author states that Wild Bill was dead, only to then continue with the further adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. To the author’s credit,though, the basic biographical story he tells is complete, well-researched, and interesting.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a prerelease digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. I enjoyed Tom Clavin's earlier Dodge City and was excited to see that he had done a biography of Wild Bill Hickok. The book did not disappoint. The story of James Butler Hickok, aka Will Bill, was well researched and well written. The author has a very easy to read writing style that while conveying all the facts never feels like a textbook. From the story of his childhood to his later days as soldier, spy, scout, teamster, gunfighter, gambler, lawman and showman Wild Bill was a hard man not to like. With his long blonde locks and fringed outfits he was our first rock star, the subject of countless dime novels. But Clavin does a masterful job of cutting through the legend to the true story, and the true story was every bit as exciting as the legend. It is hard to imagine anyone leading a more colorful life. And through him we get to meet other colorful western characters like Buffalo Bill Cody, General James Armstrong Custer, John Wesley Hardin, Ben Thompson, and Calamity Jane. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the true story of the old west.

This was such an interesting and enlightening book. You really get to know the Wild Bill as a person and not just an iconic figure from the past. Overall a great book.

4 stars!

A thorough and fascinating look at the life of Wild Bill!!

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.