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Doc Holliday: A Family Portrait
John H. Holliday, D. D. S., better known as Doc Holliday, has become a legendary figure in the history of the American West. In Doc A Family Portrait, Karen Holliday Tanner reveals the real man behind the legend. Shedding light on Holliday’s early years, in a prominent Georgia family during the Civil War and Reconstruction, she examines the elements that shaped his his birth defect, the death of his mother and estrangement from his father, and the diagnosis of tuberculosis, which led to his journey west. The influence of Holliday’s genteel upbringing never disappeared, but it was increasingly overshadowed by his emerging western personality. Holliday himself nurtured his image as a frontier gambler and gunman. Using previously undisclosed family documents and reminiscences as well as other primary sources, Tanner documents the true story of Doc’s friendship with the Earp brothers and his run-ins with the law, including the climactic shootout at the O. K. Corral and its aftermath. This first authoritative biography of Doc Holliday should appeal both to historians of the West and to general readers who are interested in his poignant story.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 1, 2013
After reading Casey Tefertiller's Wyatt Earp, I got interested in Doc Holliay.. Or rather re-interested in him. I was attracted to this book since it's written as a family memoir with archival material not released earlier Though larger book are obviously going to tell a larger story, I found this book in a class by itself.
I always knew that Doc was from a respectable family and was a genuine dentist, but I had no idea how respectable or how good of a dentist he really was. You couldn't get much more respectable and his forebears and family descendants carried on in the tradition. Up until recently they didn't want to open up that can of whop that was their "notorious" relation.
Doc didn't start out bad, and in fact, I don't think he was bad at all, though one may say flawed. With doctors in his background, Doc showed an interest in medicine as a profession, but an uncle, distressed and angry that the medical professional prided itself in unregulation and shysterism, and heroic medicine, suggested dentistry. Off Doc sent to Philly where he became a highly trained dentist,(and it seems a practitioner of painless dentistry) returning to Griffin, GA to set up practice.
Alas, he also came down with TB which sent him West, not only for a recover, which never happened, but to game tables. If there one thing Doc loved in life it were gambling, especially faro. Before long, sometimes unable to work due to illness, Doc was dealing cards, buying into saloons and game rooms and living a high life (more or less). He became friends with Bat Masterson and the Earps. His entanglement in the shootout at the OK Corral really marks his only step into serious notoriety, but it stuck with him. Doc was hardy a hired gun, his reputation as a killer was greatly exaggerated ,but he most likely did knock off one of the McLaurys and a couple others later.
Ever a wanderer, Doc attempted to keep up his practice throughout the West, but the TB got the better of him, and he ended up dealing or playing. He died impoverished (as did Wyatt Earp), but with a reputation that stands today.
The book has lots of family pictures, maps, and diagrams. The real Doc Holliday is much more interesting that the legend.
I always knew that Doc was from a respectable family and was a genuine dentist, but I had no idea how respectable or how good of a dentist he really was. You couldn't get much more respectable and his forebears and family descendants carried on in the tradition. Up until recently they didn't want to open up that can of whop that was their "notorious" relation.
Doc didn't start out bad, and in fact, I don't think he was bad at all, though one may say flawed. With doctors in his background, Doc showed an interest in medicine as a profession, but an uncle, distressed and angry that the medical professional prided itself in unregulation and shysterism, and heroic medicine, suggested dentistry. Off Doc sent to Philly where he became a highly trained dentist,(and it seems a practitioner of painless dentistry) returning to Griffin, GA to set up practice.
Alas, he also came down with TB which sent him West, not only for a recover, which never happened, but to game tables. If there one thing Doc loved in life it were gambling, especially faro. Before long, sometimes unable to work due to illness, Doc was dealing cards, buying into saloons and game rooms and living a high life (more or less). He became friends with Bat Masterson and the Earps. His entanglement in the shootout at the OK Corral really marks his only step into serious notoriety, but it stuck with him. Doc was hardy a hired gun, his reputation as a killer was greatly exaggerated ,but he most likely did knock off one of the McLaurys and a couple others later.
Ever a wanderer, Doc attempted to keep up his practice throughout the West, but the TB got the better of him, and he ended up dealing or playing. He died impoverished (as did Wyatt Earp), but with a reputation that stands today.
The book has lots of family pictures, maps, and diagrams. The real Doc Holliday is much more interesting that the legend.
August 13, 2012
This book on one of the Wild West's most famous figures is written by his great-grandniece. Holliday came from genteel Southern aristocracy who were horrified at the noteriety he gained in his lifetime. As the author states, they "circled the wagons" and never talked to outsiders about him.
Now that it's been so long, Tanner decided to write a book on her ancestor based on family memoirs and stories. What we get is a sympathetic look at Holliday, especially his early years and family.
The best part of the book is the details. For example, it turns out Holliday was born with a cleft palate that was succesfully operated on, although it left him with a speech impediment in his early years that made him a quiet and bookish child. He later went on to study dentistry. When he contracted TB, he headed out West to practice his trade and clean out his lungs.
He soon got sucked into the frontier world of saloons and gambling houses. He'd learned lots of card games and tricks from one of the family slaves and this served him well. His time in Tombstone is covered well, although not in the detail that many coming to this book will probably like.
The book is illustrated with numerous never-before-published photographs of family figures and personal items of Doc's. All in all, it's a fascinating and lively read.
There are two reasons I don't give this five stars. First, I get the impression that Tanner is a bit too sympathetic, hardly surprising considering she's writing about family. While Doc's gunfighting and resultant body count has been vastly exaggerated over the years, he comes off much cleaner than even academic readers make him out to be. i also think she went a bit too lightly over the key elements of Doc's career, namely Tombstone. Those wanting to know more about that will not find this a standalone book.
Now that it's been so long, Tanner decided to write a book on her ancestor based on family memoirs and stories. What we get is a sympathetic look at Holliday, especially his early years and family.
The best part of the book is the details. For example, it turns out Holliday was born with a cleft palate that was succesfully operated on, although it left him with a speech impediment in his early years that made him a quiet and bookish child. He later went on to study dentistry. When he contracted TB, he headed out West to practice his trade and clean out his lungs.
He soon got sucked into the frontier world of saloons and gambling houses. He'd learned lots of card games and tricks from one of the family slaves and this served him well. His time in Tombstone is covered well, although not in the detail that many coming to this book will probably like.
The book is illustrated with numerous never-before-published photographs of family figures and personal items of Doc's. All in all, it's a fascinating and lively read.
There are two reasons I don't give this five stars. First, I get the impression that Tanner is a bit too sympathetic, hardly surprising considering she's writing about family. While Doc's gunfighting and resultant body count has been vastly exaggerated over the years, he comes off much cleaner than even academic readers make him out to be. i also think she went a bit too lightly over the key elements of Doc's career, namely Tombstone. Those wanting to know more about that will not find this a standalone book.
November 27, 2018
I have always found Doc Holliday a fascinating person. This book by a cousin is well written and easy to read. If you are interested in the truth about this Western legend, I highly recommend.
December 14, 2017
This book is mentioned as a source for the book I just finished, Doc by Russell. I wanted the facts behind the fictional account of this renown, quintessential Western gunman. Written by one of Holliday's (distant) relatives, this slim, short book is "just the facts, ma'am.". Two family trees and lots of footnotes, which are usually signs of a good book for me.
July 7, 2011
This book was written by a Holliday family member, using family papers not available to other researchers. I was more interested in this than in The Last Gunfight. I would expect as much as I am more interested in the workings of people than of events.
December 18, 2020
Karen Holliday Tanner's Doc Holliday: A Family Portrait has been on my reading list since I read the fantastic fictionalized account of his life and times, Doc, much of the background for which the author, Mary Doria Russell, credits Tanner's book.
For better or for worse, Russell has made excellent use of the most interesting bits, such that even six years after reading Doc, Tanner's work felt extraneous. (Which, yes, I recognize is completely backwards, given that hers is the original source material, but there you have it.) The most interesting parts of A Family Portrait are, perhaps not surprisingly, the early bits that really focus on the family portrait. Once Tanner places Doc out west, there's little new; far more in-depth writing exists on Doc's years out west, from his relationship to the Earp brothers to, most notably, the shootout at the O.K. Corral.
As noted in the forward, Tanner "brings fresh insight into the history and culture of the antebellum South, the cataclysm of the War Between the States, and the catastrophe of the Reconstruction period." That is, in writing about Holliday, and particularly the Holliday family, and especially the pre-"War Between the States" Holliday family, Tanner's language is certainly that of an apologist or, as the forward also notes, "Tanner's empathy for her biological subject tends to extend to Doc Holliday's friends and close associates." Certainly, as a Yankee with twenty-first century sensibilities, Tanner's portrayal of Reconstruction goes a bit far, and the extent to which she portrays the family's slaves as happy as loving their masters has a whiff of I-think-thou-doth-protest-too-much, but on the whole, this is still an interesting and highly readable book - particularly the early chapters that deal with Doc's childhood and adolescence.
For better or for worse, Russell has made excellent use of the most interesting bits, such that even six years after reading Doc, Tanner's work felt extraneous. (Which, yes, I recognize is completely backwards, given that hers is the original source material, but there you have it.) The most interesting parts of A Family Portrait are, perhaps not surprisingly, the early bits that really focus on the family portrait. Once Tanner places Doc out west, there's little new; far more in-depth writing exists on Doc's years out west, from his relationship to the Earp brothers to, most notably, the shootout at the O.K. Corral.
As noted in the forward, Tanner "brings fresh insight into the history and culture of the antebellum South, the cataclysm of the War Between the States, and the catastrophe of the Reconstruction period." That is, in writing about Holliday, and particularly the Holliday family, and especially the pre-"War Between the States" Holliday family, Tanner's language is certainly that of an apologist or, as the forward also notes, "Tanner's empathy for her biological subject tends to extend to Doc Holliday's friends and close associates." Certainly, as a Yankee with twenty-first century sensibilities, Tanner's portrayal of Reconstruction goes a bit far, and the extent to which she portrays the family's slaves as happy as loving their masters has a whiff of I-think-thou-doth-protest-too-much, but on the whole, this is still an interesting and highly readable book - particularly the early chapters that deal with Doc's childhood and adolescence.
February 5, 2025
Written by a descendent of the Holliday family, this book presents some unique pictures and lots of detail regarding family connections. It also gives a lot of detail around locations and dates along with a very helpful family tree. However, its representation of the civil war period and slavery in particular are deeply flawed and echo old insulting stereotypes and fallacies. Doc's life in the west is better explored although his complexity and motivation are not always clear or persuasive. His final years are poignant and movingly portrayed. The epilogue ends abruptly with the curious supposition that Doc embodied 'amoral familism' (a questionable and outdated anthropological term) which is frustrating and unsatisfactory. Overall, this book is a mixed bag but is still a worthwhile read for those deeply interested in the life of Doc Holliday.
June 27, 2025
As someone who is neither a historian nor a journalist, Tanner writes well. She is also an apologist for the family. While recognizing Southern honor is still a thing, she is protective of the family and family name. John Henry (Doc) moving west became an enduring embarrassment for the family. Tanner relies on family stories and letters and the bibliography is extensive for the writing. Tanner gets caught up in details not related to the story and add no color.
I bought the book in Glenwood Springs after the hike up the mountain to the cemetery where Holliday is supposed to be buried. I don't believe Tanner had been as her description is vague. But then she doesn't really describe the places Doc lived. The contrast between Tombstone or Tucson and Glenwood Springs or Leadville are vastly different.
I bought the book in Glenwood Springs after the hike up the mountain to the cemetery where Holliday is supposed to be buried. I don't believe Tanner had been as her description is vague. But then she doesn't really describe the places Doc lived. The contrast between Tombstone or Tucson and Glenwood Springs or Leadville are vastly different.
November 18, 2021
My favorite Western HERO! Great book! Very factual, interesting, and gives you the true DOC HOLLIDAY! A GENTLEMAN, QUIET, AND KIND. Tomestone is TRUE. After having to leave his family, meeting Wyatt Earp and his brothers became his family. He was not the joy headed killer or deleted he was made out to be by others. He enjoyed dark and poker which kept him with money, because he couldn't practice being a Dentist due to his T.B..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2017
This was a fun read which shows how the Holiday family was related to the author of Gone with the Wind and how the actual Doctor Holliday may have served as a model for the character Rhett Butler. The book also documents how the person we know as Doc Holliday was on the cutting edge of Dentistry and science of the time. Interestingly he was a mamas boy who love classical music
October 14, 2018
Six tedious chapters written by the family genealogist before anything interesting happens. Really, you could just skip to the last three chapters. Some insight which disproves fantastic claims, but Doc really was an epic figure of the Old West. A true Southern gentleman and professional. Too bad alcohol shortened his journey to the grave.
January 30, 2019
A direct and concise biography of one of the most famous shapers of the old west. It is important to remember one day's outlaw was the next day's lawman and of such was the West tamed. In conjunction with the Earp brothers, (who straddled the line between outlaw and peace officer themselves) John Henry "Doc" Holliday was one of these.
January 31, 2020
This is the second biography of Doc Holliday that I've read, and I quite enjoyed it--although I do wish it had been a bit longer, as I found the history of early Texas/Old West railways and the influx of gambling halls and saloons in the post-Civil War U.S. fascinating.
October 25, 2008
Doc Holliday: A Famil arched and written. Karen Holliday Tanner draws on family history, papers, albums and oral stories to augment hard research of libraries, museums, historical societies and personal collections. Through her exhaustive research, Ms. Tanner puts to rest some of the wild exaggerations of killings, life of a con man, and criminal schemes supposedly perpetrated by Doc during his life.
Young John Henry Holliday’s early days were spent in Griffin, Georgia with his father Henry Holliday and mother Alice.
Henry Holliday was a prominent Griffin citizen, first clerk of the court of Spalding County, and was involved in real estate and land speculation. The elder Holliday had a military background and had fought in the Mexican War. Early in the Civil War he served in the Confederate Army in Virginia. Following his military service Holliday purchased land in South Georgia and moved his family there.
Alice Holliday contracted tuberculosis and died in September of 1866. John Henry mourned the loss of his mother and felt that his father had betrayed her name when he married Rachel Martin less than three months after the death of mother Holliday. The marriage caused a schism between father and son that never quite healed.
John Henry was a bright student and eventually chose dentistry as a profession. He graduated from The Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1872 and returned to Atlanta where he practiced dentistry until he contracted tuberculosis and traveled west in search of a dryer climate.
While in Dallas John Henry stayed with the dental profession, but added another to augment his income. He spent time at the gaming tables and eventually became a skilled Frontier Gambler. After several years in Dallas he joined the gambling circuit and traveled to Denison, Denver, Deadwood and points in between.
He became known as Doc Holliday and using his charm, wit and gambling skills Doc made a name for himself and collected an array of friends Kate Elder, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Luke Short and Eddie Foy just to name a few.
While in Dodge City Doc saved Wyatt Earp from an angry mob of drunken cowboys and Wyatt never forgot it. Doc and Wyatt were both well known in gambling circles, but the incident that turned them into legends was the shootout at the OK Corral.
Doc stood with Wyatt and his brothers on the side of law and order against Cochise County’s political ring. The Earps and Holliday won the gunfight, but ring outlaws caused a bloodbath that eventually, to get out of the line of fire, Doc and Wyatt moved to Colorado.
Wyatt dug for silver in the Gunnison and Doc played the tables at Leadville. But due to failing health Doc quit the games and retired to Glenwood Springs, Colorado where he died of tuberculosis on November 8, 1887.
A must read to flesh out the full Holliday picture
Young John Henry Holliday’s early days were spent in Griffin, Georgia with his father Henry Holliday and mother Alice.
Henry Holliday was a prominent Griffin citizen, first clerk of the court of Spalding County, and was involved in real estate and land speculation. The elder Holliday had a military background and had fought in the Mexican War. Early in the Civil War he served in the Confederate Army in Virginia. Following his military service Holliday purchased land in South Georgia and moved his family there.
Alice Holliday contracted tuberculosis and died in September of 1866. John Henry mourned the loss of his mother and felt that his father had betrayed her name when he married Rachel Martin less than three months after the death of mother Holliday. The marriage caused a schism between father and son that never quite healed.
John Henry was a bright student and eventually chose dentistry as a profession. He graduated from The Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1872 and returned to Atlanta where he practiced dentistry until he contracted tuberculosis and traveled west in search of a dryer climate.
While in Dallas John Henry stayed with the dental profession, but added another to augment his income. He spent time at the gaming tables and eventually became a skilled Frontier Gambler. After several years in Dallas he joined the gambling circuit and traveled to Denison, Denver, Deadwood and points in between.
He became known as Doc Holliday and using his charm, wit and gambling skills Doc made a name for himself and collected an array of friends Kate Elder, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Luke Short and Eddie Foy just to name a few.
While in Dodge City Doc saved Wyatt Earp from an angry mob of drunken cowboys and Wyatt never forgot it. Doc and Wyatt were both well known in gambling circles, but the incident that turned them into legends was the shootout at the OK Corral.
Doc stood with Wyatt and his brothers on the side of law and order against Cochise County’s political ring. The Earps and Holliday won the gunfight, but ring outlaws caused a bloodbath that eventually, to get out of the line of fire, Doc and Wyatt moved to Colorado.
Wyatt dug for silver in the Gunnison and Doc played the tables at Leadville. But due to failing health Doc quit the games and retired to Glenwood Springs, Colorado where he died of tuberculosis on November 8, 1887.
A must read to flesh out the full Holliday picture
July 31, 2008
It was interesting to read this just to get a sense of what life was like in the west at that time. It's crazy the way people moved around. Holliday lived in Houston, west Texas, Denver, Dodge City, Tombstone, Deadwood, Leadville, Las Vegas (new mexico), Glenwood Springs, and I'm forgetting some too. It seems that gamblers especially just moved to new towns as soon as possible, and after a little while the new towns would pass anti gambling laws, so the gamblers would pack up and go to another town. But they really covered a LOT of ground.
I thought at first that Holliday was just a gunfighter because he knew he was going to die of tuberculosis and figured, "what the hell", but actually he didn't do that much gunfighting. Maybe he was better at it because he knew he was going to die, but really if the OK corral thing hadn't happened, most of the other stuff was quick and angry, pulling guns at the card table kind of stuff. No high noon shootouts.
Anyway, this is interesting stuff if you want a case study of how people moved around and made a living in the old west. The author seems a WEE bit defensive about the ol' slavery issue, which leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. She protests a little too much about how attached the Holliday's slaves were to the family, back before Doc went west. And she dismisses as nothing Holliday's only real shootout in the east, when he apparently shot at some black kids who were in a white swimming hole. Frankly, that does say something about his character, plus his willingness to use a gun to show off and solve problems. Not to mention his attitude towards blacks. But the author here doesn't seem to think it's very important.
I thought at first that Holliday was just a gunfighter because he knew he was going to die of tuberculosis and figured, "what the hell", but actually he didn't do that much gunfighting. Maybe he was better at it because he knew he was going to die, but really if the OK corral thing hadn't happened, most of the other stuff was quick and angry, pulling guns at the card table kind of stuff. No high noon shootouts.
Anyway, this is interesting stuff if you want a case study of how people moved around and made a living in the old west. The author seems a WEE bit defensive about the ol' slavery issue, which leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. She protests a little too much about how attached the Holliday's slaves were to the family, back before Doc went west. And she dismisses as nothing Holliday's only real shootout in the east, when he apparently shot at some black kids who were in a white swimming hole. Frankly, that does say something about his character, plus his willingness to use a gun to show off and solve problems. Not to mention his attitude towards blacks. But the author here doesn't seem to think it's very important.
January 26, 2022
Karen Holliday Tanner’s Doc Holliday is overall an easy reading book. The first few chapters may be seen as cumbersome to some as she spends a fair amount of time telling the family background.
The pace picks up once Doc Holliday heads west. Overall well researched, yet it feels laking in some details in places.
Some traditional Holliday stories are dismissed as likely fabrications and relegated to the notes section in the back of the book.
There is a bit of family bias In places yet also the feel of some family stories. Also the author covers certain aspects of Doc’s life in which there are strong opinions as to the events actual facts. Depending on your familiarity with Holliday this will likely influence your opinion of the book.
My first time reading about Doc Holliday, Tanner leaves me wanting to read more. A good easy read overall, easily finished in a couple days
Decent pictures and town maps detail various parts of his life.
The pace picks up once Doc Holliday heads west. Overall well researched, yet it feels laking in some details in places.
Some traditional Holliday stories are dismissed as likely fabrications and relegated to the notes section in the back of the book.
There is a bit of family bias In places yet also the feel of some family stories. Also the author covers certain aspects of Doc’s life in which there are strong opinions as to the events actual facts. Depending on your familiarity with Holliday this will likely influence your opinion of the book.
My first time reading about Doc Holliday, Tanner leaves me wanting to read more. A good easy read overall, easily finished in a couple days
Decent pictures and town maps detail various parts of his life.
June 11, 2015
I first read this book a few years ago while trying to learn the facts behind the legends of the Old West. I thought that rereading it may offer further insight, though I think I over estimated that. The book is enjoyable and full of real information - though it is a bit dry and academic. Of course, the idea is to get the facts rather than one of the many overly embellished tall tales that make for a more exciting read.
Ms Tanner had access to unique research materials and presented them well, if a bit pedantically. As expected, much of the legend of Doc Holliday is hyperbollic and greatly exagerrated - but it is still interesting. I do wish that Doc himself had written a factual autobiography - it would have most likely been far richer and more entertaining - if probably much more biased.
Ms Tanner had access to unique research materials and presented them well, if a bit pedantically. As expected, much of the legend of Doc Holliday is hyperbollic and greatly exagerrated - but it is still interesting. I do wish that Doc himself had written a factual autobiography - it would have most likely been far richer and more entertaining - if probably much more biased.
June 4, 2015
Tanner has done an excellent job on her biography of her cousin Doc Holliday. It must have taken her years to complete the research to verify dates, court appearances, etc. She did have access to her own extensive collection of family history to draw upon, but I'm glad she made the effort to make her work more complete by the research for additional facts.
I was led to her book by Mary Doria Russell, author of Doc, a fiction version of his life on the frontier. And I'm glad to have read Tanner's book now.
I was led to her book by Mary Doria Russell, author of Doc, a fiction version of his life on the frontier. And I'm glad to have read Tanner's book now.
October 7, 2011
I admired Tanner's meticulous research and am almost envious that she has put it together in such a readable fashion -- while my own research is stuffed in folders and file drawers. Despite this admiration, I found her writing to be rather dull, and her method of pushing every detail she discovered into the story grew rather tedious.
July 6, 2011
there aren't a lot of facts about DH so it felt a bit light but it was a nice followup to the Russell book (amusing that she managed an entire book out of what is covered in 3 or 4 pages in this bio).
Read
August 13, 2015Went through both of Mary Doria Russell's books about Doc and the Earps. This biography was written by a family member with access to their archives and gives the real story debunking most of the myths about the man
April 14, 2025
I topical look at the infamous, Doc Holliday. Written by a family member with access to family documents previously not available to other biographers...this book works hard not to embellish and further proliferate the tall tales of other writers.
September 7, 2008
Fantastic book. Slow begininng but real insight to the real actions of this well know hero.
October 12, 2008
Very interesting book. Always wanted to know about Doc's life. Very detailed. Realized now how "Hollywood" the movie Tombstone is.
July 8, 2011
Used as research into my maiden name... Holliday.
Not related to Doc, though. At least not directly.
Not related to Doc, though. At least not directly.
August 7, 2012
A really interesting look at the "family" side of the legend.
April 26, 2013
very interesting point of view
June 8, 2014
one of the best books i have read about this colorful character from the wild wild west. it is insightful into who the man was and adds even more to the larger than life personality of doc holliday.
December 16, 2022
Really well done.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews