Doc Holliday

by John Myers Myers

"In the figure of the old-time gamblin’ man and cold killer, John Myers has found a subject perfectly suited to his talents and his methods. . . . The result is a solid though lively biography. . . . As for the general reader, interested in the old West, he’ll eat this up and beg for more."—San Francisco Chronicle

Genres: Biography, History, American History, Nonfiction, Westerns, Biography Memoir, True Crime

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Myers was born and grew up on Long Island, New York. He attended the University of New Mexico briefly, but was expelled for being one of the writers in a rebel newspaper, The Pariah. After extensive travel through Europe and the United States, Myers worked for the New York World and San Antonio Evening News. He was also an advertising copywriter. Myers served a short term in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1943, he married Charlotte Shanahan, with whom he had two daughters. He settled in Tempe, Arizona in 1948. John Myers Myers died October 30, 1988.

Reviews

[Theo Logos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doc Holliday was a colorful and fascinating legend of the old West. A tubercular dentist, gambler, and gunfighter, he seemed more like a character designed for literature than life. John Myers Myers brings just the right voice to his story - an idiosyncratic style of telling a tale full of colorful idioms and turns of phrase that perfectly match a history full of people with monikers like Doc, Big Nose Kate, and Curly Bill.

Myers was a great folk historian. While he did solid research, he realized that the legends that grew up around certain characters had as much historical importance as the facts of their life. Often when writing histories of the West, verifiable facts are few, and legends are plentiful. This was certainly the case when Myers wrote Doc Holiday. Yet he was able to use what was known to weave a fascinating tale that rings true. History, after all, is more art than science, and Myer's Doc Holiday should survive more academic efforts that have missed this point in a quixotic quest for "just the facts, ma'am".

Doc Holliday, both by the circumstances of his time and place, and apparently by his own design, left a scant official record of his passing among us, but he blazed a wide trail in the legend that he left behind. Myers did a fine job of ferreting out the former, and a masterful job of portraying the later. He captured the spirit of the man and the times and wild place in which he lived and moved. This is a book worthy of the legend, and I recommend it highly.

[Thom Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Highly entertaining and well researched, not mention Myers can really write with the best of them. If you love westerns and the legend of Doc, this is your book. The words Myers use are like the Victorian jargon in Deadwood. It's a great read.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doc Holliday by John Myers Myers ( Bison Books 1955)(Biography)is one man's take on the legend of Doc Holliday and the historical basis for the stories about the man himself. Legend has is that he was a sworn ally of Wyatt Earp, who was one of the few men who was able to command Doc Holliday's respect and loyalty. Though seriously flawed, he will live forever in Western lore. My rating: 6.5/10, finished 2/25/14.

[Ronn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the subject matter is fascinating. But this book, although written in 1955 [which should qualify as reasonably modern English], is so full of obscure metaphors and archaic spellings that it was very hard to read more than just a few pages at a time. There were many sentences that I had to read through three or four times to make sure that I was understanding them. The historical information [assuming it is correct] is good to know. But it's hard to imagine that it was edited at all. It would surely benefit from modern editing.

[dusty.rhodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thin, quickly read history of Doc Holliday, American Myth. There are moments of subtle humor and interesting writing. It examines the standard stories re: Doc and provides enough fodder to sustain mythology without expanding. I like it. I like the tack it takes, but will remain convinced that it may well have been ghost-written by a college student as an expansion of a HS history essay. A really good one, but nonetheless...

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilariously over-written, to the point of being a work of art.

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it hard going, never able to get a long read for some reason, possibly the author's style.

[Patrick Macke · Rating 4 out of 5]

great take on Val Kilmer's inspiration

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Doc Holliday, and this was an interesting read, but not the easiest read.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, written by a man that built two very separate writing careers, was very interesting. I had read both some of his fantasy works, including the odd legendary book, Silverlock. I had also read some of his other historical works. Both type of book tend to be very literary and require the reader's attention, and this is no exception.
This book cuts through many of the legends about Doc Holliday, but leaves some flexibility, because there is really no solid evidence one way or the other about some of the stories. Even Wyatt Earp, one of his best and most constant friends for years, was unaware of his whereabouts when he died, and this book helps explain that. There is also no accurate total for the number of men that he shot and/or killed, but he was clearly innocent in the only case that was ever brought to court.
His life intertwined with that of the Earps, but also with everyone from Bat Masterson to Johnny Ringo.
The book also untangles the chronology of such events as the O.K. Corral gunfight, and shows where most of the movie versions got it wrong. I've seen revisionist historians try to explain how the Earps were in the wrong, and the Clantons pure and innocent, but this punches plenty of holes in those ideas.
This book is not long, but isn't one to rush while you're reading, because it includes some wonderful snippets from the press of the 1870s and 1880s. Some reviewers complain that the text is written in an archaic style that makes it harder to read, but I have to argue that this makes it more suited to the subject and the era in which the story took place.
I highly recommend this book if you're interested in the gritty side of the American West, with its gunfighters, gamblers, miners and whores in the boom towns, alongside the honest cowboys, rustlers, lawmen, and just regular folks trying to get along.

[Brandon Parman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to give the book three stars, but it really picked up when it got to the chapters on Tombstone, pushing it up to four stars. I really enjoyed the book, but the author's style makes it a slower read than a casual read should be. Myers uses a lot of uncommon words and probably some slang from the old west, which would have been fine except that it was overdone. All in all, he really did his homework and separated legend from fact, giving a great picture of Holliday. I've had this on my shelf for a while and decided to read it in memory of Val Kilmer, one of my favorite actors. I think Myers would have liked Kilmer's portrayal and Doc himself too.

[Dominik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doc Holliday by John Myers is a nonfiction story about a famous historical western character. Doc isn't just a sidekick to Wyatt Earp as you learn a lot about him. I would suggest this book to anyone who loves old western books or movies. I like how the book was a challenge to read.

[Terra Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family is in the book! lmao. I stole this one from the library when I was in High School. (I obviously don't condone stealing books...but it happens. lmao. ) Five stars for the sole reason I have a connection! :D

[Vali Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable and in-depth bio of the outlaw legend, especially for the time in which it was written. Myers' mastery of the English language however will never go out of style. Highly recommended for any fan of the American frontier or the old west.

[Francisco d'Anconia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography of Doc Holliday wrapped in a wonderful story. Well done!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book that goes into the life of one of the west's most famous characters. It shows that he is more than just a sidekick to Wyatt Earp(what he's best known for). I learned quite a bit about this man.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about Doc Holliday, including known facts, unconfirmed facts, and confirmed legends. The movie "Tombstone" takes some liberties! The way this author uses phrases in his writing (copyright 1955) is also quite entertaining.

[bluetyson]

Doc Holliday by John Myers Myers

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good so far.

[Jody Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish the movie industry would do a film on him. What an interesting character and very well-spoken.