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Ride the Devil's Herd: Wyatt Earp's Epic Battle Against the West's Biggest Outlaw Gang
A Pim County Public Library Southwest Books of the Year 2021
A True West Reader’s Choice for Best 2020 Western Nonfiction
Winner of the Best Book Award by the Wild West History Association
The little-known story of how a young Wyatt Earp, aided by his brothers, defeated the Cowboys, the Old West’s biggest outlaw gang.
Wyatt Earp is regarded as the most famous lawman of the Old West, best known for his role in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. But the story of his two-year war with a band of outlaws known as the Cowboys has never been told in full.
The Cowboys were the largest outlaw gang in the history of the American West. After battles with the law in Texas and New Mexico, they shifted their operations to Arizona. There, led by Curly Bill Brocius, they ruled the border, robbing, rustling, smuggling and killing with impunity until they made the fatal mistake of tangling with the Earp brothers.
Drawing on groundbreaking research into territorial and federal government records, John Boessenecker’s Ride the Devil’s Herd reveals a time and place in which homicide rates were fifty times higher than those today. The story still bears surprising relevance for contemporary America, involving hot-button issues such as gang violence, border security, unlawful immigration, the dangers of political propagandists parading as journalists, and the prosecution of police officers for carrying out their official duties. Wyatt Earp saw it all in Tombstone.
A True West Reader’s Choice for Best 2020 Western Nonfiction
Winner of the Best Book Award by the Wild West History Association
The little-known story of how a young Wyatt Earp, aided by his brothers, defeated the Cowboys, the Old West’s biggest outlaw gang.
Wyatt Earp is regarded as the most famous lawman of the Old West, best known for his role in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. But the story of his two-year war with a band of outlaws known as the Cowboys has never been told in full.
The Cowboys were the largest outlaw gang in the history of the American West. After battles with the law in Texas and New Mexico, they shifted their operations to Arizona. There, led by Curly Bill Brocius, they ruled the border, robbing, rustling, smuggling and killing with impunity until they made the fatal mistake of tangling with the Earp brothers.
Drawing on groundbreaking research into territorial and federal government records, John Boessenecker’s Ride the Devil’s Herd reveals a time and place in which homicide rates were fifty times higher than those today. The story still bears surprising relevance for contemporary America, involving hot-button issues such as gang violence, border security, unlawful immigration, the dangers of political propagandists parading as journalists, and the prosecution of police officers for carrying out their official duties. Wyatt Earp saw it all in Tombstone.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
January 31, 2021
Lost two stars at the end, and probably lost himself a reader, as well.
(Update: Based on part on my reading of Philip Fradkin's Wells Fargo history "Stagecoach," who in one chapter covers things related to Tombstone and clears away as much myth about the OK Corral or more than Boessenecker does in his whole book, and Goodreads' BS blurb about "little-known story," this has dropped to two stars.)
That's when Boessenecker pivoted from talking about Wyatt Earp to spouting a big, humongous load of drivel about "the poor persecuted cops" of today.
As we continue to have more young black men killed by racist cops and more white "Karens" thinking they can sic cops on black men, Boessenecker is full of it. There's lots of bad cops out there, and racism, while the biggest, and most obvious, portion of the problem, is not the only part of it. Militarization of cops, by both weaponry and mindset, is another part of the problem.
Especially on killings by cop, but also on some of the other problems, the legal doctrine of qualified immunity, which the Supreme Court again took a pass on reviewing earlier this month, aids and abets these problems.
I've read two previous books by Boessenecker; four-starred one and five-starred the other.
IF I pick up the next book he writes, I'll go immediately to the back of the book to see what time bombs are lurking before I decide to actually read it.
It's a shame, because not only is he factually wrong, this has no historic connection to the actual account of Earp, which likely would have gotten a solid four-star review from me.
I wouldn't have gone five, with hindsight, because of the lack of maps, I've been to Tombstone, Bisbee, Coronado National Memorial, Stein's and Shakespeare on the NM side, etc. Maps still would have been helpful.
(Update: Based on part on my reading of Philip Fradkin's Wells Fargo history "Stagecoach," who in one chapter covers things related to Tombstone and clears away as much myth about the OK Corral or more than Boessenecker does in his whole book, and Goodreads' BS blurb about "little-known story," this has dropped to two stars.)
That's when Boessenecker pivoted from talking about Wyatt Earp to spouting a big, humongous load of drivel about "the poor persecuted cops" of today.
As we continue to have more young black men killed by racist cops and more white "Karens" thinking they can sic cops on black men, Boessenecker is full of it. There's lots of bad cops out there, and racism, while the biggest, and most obvious, portion of the problem, is not the only part of it. Militarization of cops, by both weaponry and mindset, is another part of the problem.
Especially on killings by cop, but also on some of the other problems, the legal doctrine of qualified immunity, which the Supreme Court again took a pass on reviewing earlier this month, aids and abets these problems.
I've read two previous books by Boessenecker; four-starred one and five-starred the other.
IF I pick up the next book he writes, I'll go immediately to the back of the book to see what time bombs are lurking before I decide to actually read it.
It's a shame, because not only is he factually wrong, this has no historic connection to the actual account of Earp, which likely would have gotten a solid four-star review from me.
I wouldn't have gone five, with hindsight, because of the lack of maps, I've been to Tombstone, Bisbee, Coronado National Memorial, Stein's and Shakespeare on the NM side, etc. Maps still would have been helpful.
October 26, 2023
Fascinating! There’s so much more to the story than you’re ever likely to see in a novel or movie.
One thing that really blew me away was how partisan the media and citizens were back then. Tombstone had two newspapers, one Democrat one republican and they printed competing, sometimes fictional narratives. The democratic one always siding with sheriff Behan and the cowboys the republican one with the earps.
I knew that Wyatt Earp wasn’t the saint the movies make him out to be, not that he’s a complete villain either but the amount of trouble he and his brothers had with the law was quite extensive.
This book is very detailed and goes a long way towards separating fact from fiction and legend. Quoting different sources like the newspapers, eyewitness testimony and court transcripts.
It ended on a strange note though, after spending a whole book separating fact from fiction and opinion to make a more full, if muddier picture of the whole story, it ended with a bit of a pro policing rant that just didn’t belong in a credible history book weather you agree with it or not.
One thing that really blew me away was how partisan the media and citizens were back then. Tombstone had two newspapers, one Democrat one republican and they printed competing, sometimes fictional narratives. The democratic one always siding with sheriff Behan and the cowboys the republican one with the earps.
I knew that Wyatt Earp wasn’t the saint the movies make him out to be, not that he’s a complete villain either but the amount of trouble he and his brothers had with the law was quite extensive.
This book is very detailed and goes a long way towards separating fact from fiction and legend. Quoting different sources like the newspapers, eyewitness testimony and court transcripts.
It ended on a strange note though, after spending a whole book separating fact from fiction and opinion to make a more full, if muddier picture of the whole story, it ended with a bit of a pro policing rant that just didn’t belong in a credible history book weather you agree with it or not.
July 22, 2020
Learned more about the Cowboys outlaw gang. A better book cover would have criminals on it, kind of get the impression that Wyatt Earp is one of the bandits the way it is.
February 22, 2021
As the subtitle mentions, this is about Wyatt Earp and his battle against the Cowboys. The chapters alternated on describing the origins and actions of the Cowboys and the Earp family. One of the most interesting parts of the book described how each of the Earp brothers had brushes with the law. I won’t say how, as it made for interesting reading. Overall, the book was ok. The writing wasn’t terrible, but it seemed more of a listing of events and dates, as a sort of chronicle; the overarching topic was barely present at times in the narrative. I was wondering when the author was going to get to the meat of the story and talk about what the title said the book was to be about.
The last couple of chapters of the book describe what happened to all of the main characters of the Cowboys, and he takes the Earp family story to the very end, explaining what happened to each brother. The author had several interesting pictures throughout the text, and included a roster of who were members of the Cowboys, and an extensive listing of endnotes. I found it interesting that most of the source material are contemporary newspapers from Tombstone, other towns in Arizona, as well as California.
Overall, an ok read, and while the book didn’t ruin the movie, I will never be able to watch the “Tombstone” the same way again.
The last couple of chapters of the book describe what happened to all of the main characters of the Cowboys, and he takes the Earp family story to the very end, explaining what happened to each brother. The author had several interesting pictures throughout the text, and included a roster of who were members of the Cowboys, and an extensive listing of endnotes. I found it interesting that most of the source material are contemporary newspapers from Tombstone, other towns in Arizona, as well as California.
Overall, an ok read, and while the book didn’t ruin the movie, I will never be able to watch the “Tombstone” the same way again.
May 7, 2021
Content: 5, this is fascinating history.
Fair dealing with the dead: 5, even handed and clearly reasoned.
Editorializing application to the modern world: 4, his comments on the media are spot on (it's always been about the $); I also agreed with his comments on policing, but they were stretching a little farther.
Editing: 3, this book could have been structured with a clearer narrative, shorter by a third, less redundant in places, and it would have been a faster and more compelling read.
In sum, if you want to know more about the Earp brothers or 19th century Arizona, this book is for you.
Fair dealing with the dead: 5, even handed and clearly reasoned.
Editorializing application to the modern world: 4, his comments on the media are spot on (it's always been about the $); I also agreed with his comments on policing, but they were stretching a little farther.
Editing: 3, this book could have been structured with a clearer narrative, shorter by a third, less redundant in places, and it would have been a faster and more compelling read.
In sum, if you want to know more about the Earp brothers or 19th century Arizona, this book is for you.
August 25, 2020
Just when you thought there would be nothing new to come out on Wyatt Earp, here comes "Ride the Devil's Herd" with more new information that fleshes out Wyatt Earp's story. Boessenecker and the late Paul Cool have given us a major contribution in history.
October 11, 2020
Nothing really new.
Fun little book and with it if you aren't familiar with the characters, but...
Fun little book and with it if you aren't familiar with the characters, but...
June 11, 2025
The Cowboys were the largest outlaw gang in the American West. Numbering around 200-300 men, Americans and Mexicans, the gang targeted Wells Fargo stagecoaches and also engaged in cattle rustling. They had murdered at least 30 people. When things got too hot for them in Texas, they moved into New Mexico and Arizona. Enter the Earps and Doc Holliday, lured to the area’s silver mines and for Holliday, gambling opportunities. Success eluded the Earps in this quest, however, and they fell back on law enforcement. The writing is easy to follow, engaging and well researched. I found myself getting really involved as violence escalates. I gave this book four stars on the Goodreads app.
March 23, 2020
For someone like me, who knew nothing about the Earp brothers, or the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, this book was interesting, but a bit of information overload. "Ride the Devil's Herd" gives readers as complete a history on the lawlessness of the West, cattle rustling, stagecoach holdups, etc as it is probably possible to do. Each of the main so-called "Cow Boys", sheriffs and other lawmen both on the Earp's side and against them, as well as the Earp family, get extensive biographical details here. After awhile I couldn't keep track of who was who among the Cow Boys and their many illegal adventures, swindles, deals, etc. all blurred together. Similarly, I didn't necessarily need to know how so many of them lived their post-Tombstone lives (especially since many weren't involved in the O.K. Corral fight in the first place).
The research behind "Devil's Herd" is extensive and Boessenecker clearly finds his subject fascinating. I would have enjoyed more details about life in Tombstone, but details of how Western law worked do a good job of laying out the differences between the West and law elsewhere in America at the time. Overall an interesting book, very informative, but one that had maybe a little more detail about extraneous, or at least side issues and people than needed. It would have helped the pace move faster and might have left the reader less bogged down in different names largely committing the same acts, as well as unable to keep track of who was on whose side when and why.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The research behind "Devil's Herd" is extensive and Boessenecker clearly finds his subject fascinating. I would have enjoyed more details about life in Tombstone, but details of how Western law worked do a good job of laying out the differences between the West and law elsewhere in America at the time. Overall an interesting book, very informative, but one that had maybe a little more detail about extraneous, or at least side issues and people than needed. It would have helped the pace move faster and might have left the reader less bogged down in different names largely committing the same acts, as well as unable to keep track of who was on whose side when and why.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
March 7, 2020
This is quite a different book to read, it almost reads more like a classroom history lesson instead of a book told by or experienced by characters. It is told in third person, like you are outside the circle listening to someone tell you how things happened. I had trouble with that concept.
I will admit, I only got 40% into this one and I had to give up. After multiple hours of reading or listening using VoiceView on my Kindle, I was still not any farther into understanding or being able to keep track of who was who and what was going on. So many names, so many things happened, lots of people killed in shootouts, lots of horses were rode to hard and lots of cows were stolen. But I just could not keep track of all of it nor find a character that I could relate to and care about.
So much historical research went into this book, that is where the 3 stars come from, the research was exhausting I’m sure, but the 2 stars I removed was because if this story would have been told first person by Wyatt it could have been so much better. Great concept, bad execution.
I was allowed an ARC from Harlequin and NetGalley for my honest unbiased review. This one gets 3 stars.
I will admit, I only got 40% into this one and I had to give up. After multiple hours of reading or listening using VoiceView on my Kindle, I was still not any farther into understanding or being able to keep track of who was who and what was going on. So many names, so many things happened, lots of people killed in shootouts, lots of horses were rode to hard and lots of cows were stolen. But I just could not keep track of all of it nor find a character that I could relate to and care about.
So much historical research went into this book, that is where the 3 stars come from, the research was exhausting I’m sure, but the 2 stars I removed was because if this story would have been told first person by Wyatt it could have been so much better. Great concept, bad execution.
I was allowed an ARC from Harlequin and NetGalley for my honest unbiased review. This one gets 3 stars.
September 19, 2025
My main entry point to the Wild West has always been the movie Tombstone. It's one of my favorite films, even though I'm not a western fan. Because of that, my idea of Wyatt Earp was the pure lawman, the guy who brought justice to a lawless town. My knowledge was pretty much surface level, shaped more by Hollywood than history books.
This book painted a much more human picture of a very complicated man. I learned for the first time about his whole family, not just Virgil and Morgan, but his other brothers too. The author shows you the whole person, from Wyatt's time as a pimp and gambler ("sport") to the folk hero he became. The story of his dealings with The Cowboys was fascinating, and it was great to finally understand the complicated history that wove all those characters together.
What I really enjoyed was learning about daily life on the rugged frontier and what made the West so wild. The author includes a lot of quotes from old newspapers, which helped paint a clear picture of the time. Learning the true, and frankly disappointing, story of Johnny Ringo was a highlight, as was seeing how Wyatt and Doc Holliday's friendship really played out.
I am actually excited to rewatch Tombstone now. I'm ready to be that guy, pointing out historical inaccuracies to anyone who will listen. I am happy to say that I'll also be glad to point out the things the movie got right. If you love history and your main source on the Earps has been Hollywood, this is an awesome read.
This book painted a much more human picture of a very complicated man. I learned for the first time about his whole family, not just Virgil and Morgan, but his other brothers too. The author shows you the whole person, from Wyatt's time as a pimp and gambler ("sport") to the folk hero he became. The story of his dealings with The Cowboys was fascinating, and it was great to finally understand the complicated history that wove all those characters together.
What I really enjoyed was learning about daily life on the rugged frontier and what made the West so wild. The author includes a lot of quotes from old newspapers, which helped paint a clear picture of the time. Learning the true, and frankly disappointing, story of Johnny Ringo was a highlight, as was seeing how Wyatt and Doc Holliday's friendship really played out.
I am actually excited to rewatch Tombstone now. I'm ready to be that guy, pointing out historical inaccuracies to anyone who will listen. I am happy to say that I'll also be glad to point out the things the movie got right. If you love history and your main source on the Earps has been Hollywood, this is an awesome read.
June 11, 2021
Ride the Devil's Herd: Wyatt Earp's Epic Battle Against the West's Biggest Outlaw Gang by John Boessenecker (Hanover Square Press 2020) (978.02092) (3540).
Here's a cowboy book from an author who has written ten books about America's Wild West in the nineteenth century. This time out he takes on the legend of Wyatt Earp, gunslinger, sheriff, and all-around “sport,” which was the parlance of the day for a gamblin' man.
As John Boessenecker tells it, Wyatt was a real sport, by golly. All the Earp brothers were, in fact.
This volume appears to reprint every published fact known about Wyatt Earp, who lived into the 1920's. He spent a lot more time as a gambler than as a lawman, says the author.
The most interesting assertion in this volume is Boessenecker's claim that in the 1850's, “...heavy drinking was customary; American males consumed an average of half a pint of liquor a day.” Ride the Devil's Herd, p. 41. I would have appreciated a citation for what seems to be an exaggerated claim.
My rating: 7/10, finished 5/11/21 (3540).
June 2, 2022
This is the first non-fiction book that I have been able to complete in quite some time. The story it tells is a fun adventure in itself. The number of names that go around can be challenging at times. I didn't enjoy some of the political points sprinkled throughout, but that is just me.
October 7, 2024
This took a weird pro policing turn at the very end, idk how to feel. I’m not a person who hates the police per say, but I also understand that the history of policing and how it impacts minority groups is fucked.
Like this author says bad cops should just be fired, not prosecuted and I was like??? If they commit a crime, killing an innocent person and play judge, jury, and executioner, they should be tried in a court of law, like anyone else who murders someone? Idk!
I didn’t realize that “stand your ground” laws date back to Wild West law and the ideas of masculinity back then, where you have the right to kill someone if they disrespect your honor or whatever. It makes total sense.
Biggest take away from this is when you teach men and boys it’s okay to get trigger happy over any perceived slight, you create psychopaths who will shoot someone to defend their “honor”. Makes me think of mass shooters today, taking out their anger on the world. Majority of the fights and shootouts that happen in this book were over stupid ass honor nonsense, or gun accidents.
Also Wyatt Earp was a pimp, I feel like more people should know that - not in a cool guy way, in that he was a literal pimp who sex trafficked women. Tombstone left that part out lmao!!
Like this author says bad cops should just be fired, not prosecuted and I was like??? If they commit a crime, killing an innocent person and play judge, jury, and executioner, they should be tried in a court of law, like anyone else who murders someone? Idk!
I didn’t realize that “stand your ground” laws date back to Wild West law and the ideas of masculinity back then, where you have the right to kill someone if they disrespect your honor or whatever. It makes total sense.
Biggest take away from this is when you teach men and boys it’s okay to get trigger happy over any perceived slight, you create psychopaths who will shoot someone to defend their “honor”. Makes me think of mass shooters today, taking out their anger on the world. Majority of the fights and shootouts that happen in this book were over stupid ass honor nonsense, or gun accidents.
Also Wyatt Earp was a pimp, I feel like more people should know that - not in a cool guy way, in that he was a literal pimp who sex trafficked women. Tombstone left that part out lmao!!
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April 1, 2020Categories
Criminals & Outlaws Biographies & Autobiographies, Law Enforcement Biographies & Autobiographies, Southwest US History
Criminals & Outlaws Biographies & Autobiographies, Law Enforcement Biographies & Autobiographies, Southwest US History
October 21, 2023
I was very disappointed with this book. There was way too many details for me. Too many names that were mentioned, but never developed. I didn’t feel like I got to know the personality of Wyatt Earp, or any of the other characters. I did feel like I got a feel for what the landscape of Southern Arizona was like in the 1880’s, but not the people who lived there.
October 30, 2023
Good book. One star off for ending with a weird rant about contemporary "far left" politicians complaining about police violence.
June 20, 2024
This book could have been 4 stars if the author had just focused on the Earps. It was more about the Cowboys than anything, and that tangent about cops at the end was weird.
March 8, 2022
At times the material covered was too widespread and rambling to maintain a smooth narrative. The ending also took some weird, out of the blue applications to today's world that may have some truth but don't really have a place in this book.
August 8, 2020
Every book I have read by John Bossenecker has been thoroughly and deeply researched, complete, well-written and evenhanded. I look forward to each of his books as they come out for a new slice of western history. This book is about much more then the Earp brothers. While they play a large part in it, the books provides extensive information of the lawlessness in Arizona at the time. I am always astounded by the depth of Bossenecker’s books and highly recommend them to anyone interested in great history.
July 31, 2020
John Boessenecker has tackled other thorny Old West subjects, and here he takes on the myths of Wyatt Earp. Basically, he sees the Earp story as the final taming of the west - the Outlaw Cow-Boys versus the townfolk. It's not entirely inaccurate, although he does note that the Earp men couldn't qualify as law enforcement in most eras due to their gambling, pandering and Wyatt fleeing the Van Buren, Arkansas, jail early in his life while awaiting horse-thieving charges that might have gotten him hung in some areas.
In the end, like many Old West lawmen - Frank Hamer, Bass Reeves, Bat Masterson, Virgil Earp - Wyatt dies an old man in Los Angeles, not from bullet but from old age.
In the end, like many Old West lawmen - Frank Hamer, Bass Reeves, Bat Masterson, Virgil Earp - Wyatt dies an old man in Los Angeles, not from bullet but from old age.
May 11, 2020
I should have realized that the Earp brothers had to be a little edgy, but the legend of Wyatt Earp is such that you don’t realize how many times he crossed the law prior to becoming a lawman, and then after he was a lawman. He was a stone cold killer. And the Earps travelled...a lot, moving 75 miles in a day, or on a manhunt for 16 days where horses literally dropped dead underneath them. And they truly travelled the country from Mexico to Alaska.
Sadly there was an overload of historical names, this Cowboy riding with this group, that killer riding with that group... it was difficult to keep up who was who. Twenty percent of the book is footnotes and appendix.
Of interest, there was a lot of shooting and killing...and a lot of horses died. It made me realize how sanitized movies are. Life during those times was much much more brutal.
Sadly there was an overload of historical names, this Cowboy riding with this group, that killer riding with that group... it was difficult to keep up who was who. Twenty percent of the book is footnotes and appendix.
Of interest, there was a lot of shooting and killing...and a lot of horses died. It made me realize how sanitized movies are. Life during those times was much much more brutal.
January 23, 2021
The author has an axe to grind. That in and of itself is not surprising. Usually, in Earp history books biographers choose a side...deciding the Earps were either good guys or bad guys...peace officers or criminals. However here the author rails against "the left" of today's politics... that mysterious boogey-man the radical right has chosen as its focus. Boessennecker casually suggests that police officers are above the law, and that if "the left" continually demands cops be investigated and tried for criminal acts, the police will have no choice but to form vigilante forces outside the law to enforce their own brand of justice in the spirit of Wyatt and the old west. His comments are irresponisble and unfortunately stain what would have otherwise been an interesting approach to the Earp story.
July 19, 2020
The truth of the old west !!!
I gained more of an understanding of the old west in this book than I did from reading westerns for the last fifty years. John Boessenecker truly seems to have done his due diligence. I really felt like I was reading a true account of the men I was reading about. There are no supermen ( or superwomen )in the world. Just humans, in general, doing their best with the circumstances that they find themselves living with. Please don’t misunderstand me this is one of the most fascinating reads that I’ve had the pleasure to be involved with in years. Don’t miss this one.
I gained more of an understanding of the old west in this book than I did from reading westerns for the last fifty years. John Boessenecker truly seems to have done his due diligence. I really felt like I was reading a true account of the men I was reading about. There are no supermen ( or superwomen )in the world. Just humans, in general, doing their best with the circumstances that they find themselves living with. Please don’t misunderstand me this is one of the most fascinating reads that I’ve had the pleasure to be involved with in years. Don’t miss this one.
July 23, 2020
This fascinating history depicts some if the early days of law enforcement, and the hero-izing of historical figures. The book was incredibly detailed regarding the Earps, the Cowboys, and the assorted supporting cast.
May 16, 2020
This was definitely not a book to sit down and read through on a rainy afternoon.
It was very detailed with information that was thoroughly researched.
You have to have lived in those days maybe to better understand why Wyatt Earp did what he did. Some would call him a "badman" others a good man, but I would say that he was a man for the times, in which he was thrust into.
It was very detailed with information that was thoroughly researched.
You have to have lived in those days maybe to better understand why Wyatt Earp did what he did. Some would call him a "badman" others a good man, but I would say that he was a man for the times, in which he was thrust into.
May 28, 2020
I read just about anything set in the wild west of the Wyatt Earp era, fiction or nonfiction, it doesn't matter. This is a nonfiction that has so much fascinating history that it feels more like fiction. Some of it I knew, some of it I didn't. All of it left me wishing for more. John Boessenecker has written a western my uncles and I will be proud to have on the shelf with our Louie L'Amours.
May 16, 2020
As an arm chair historian and having read several books on the subject I found this book very enjoyable. Meticulous researched, Boessenecker addressed numerous mythical holes in what happened during this time.
May 3, 2025
Brilliant? Bloated? Biased? Yes to all three. Ride the Devil's Heard is comprehensively researched and well written, but John Boessenecker is a bit too ambitious in his presentation of the story of Arizona's lawlessness in the 1870's and 1880's, and he may be a bit too partial to Wyatt Earp's legacy in his presentation of it.
Most of the volume is focused on the rise of the cattle rustling gang known then, as now, as the Cowboys. They steal cattle. They kill a lot of people. They steam some mules. They drink. They carouse. Wyatt Earp, with Doc Holliday and Earp's brothers try to bring the Cowboys to justice but generally fail. The courts are ineffective. The lawmen even mores. That goes on for 100's of pages and, while some of the names of villains may stay in my brain for a while, most of the names won't mean anything to me by the time I awaken tomorrow. There are just too many crimes. Too may criminals. And not enough of a connection to a cohesive story to make me care. More importantly, even the characters who are supposed to be the "good guys" seem to be criminals for the most part. The Earp Brothers fare no better in the telling of the story than the villains.
Boessenecker relies on ample primary source materials to build his time line of events. Apart from personal diaries and journals, local and national newspapers covered the events in Arizona with considerable focus. The stories of criminal gangs in the Old West were sensational even when it was the New West, and readers East of the Mississippi paid as much attention as readers to the West of it. Unfortunately, where the primary materials do not provide information, the author fills in the information with supposition and conclusions. All too often, he tells us that certain things "undoubtedly" happened. That does not ring true, as a reader, and unnecessarily diminishes the great scope of Boessenecker's research.
More to the point, perhaps, because Boessenecker does do a great job of mining primary source materials, especially legal transcripts, I actually find that I doubt whether the Earps were materially better than the Cowboys. Rather, I now have the sense that both the Cowboys and the Earps were little more than rival gangs.
Notwithstanding my criticism, the book is captivating at times, and engaging always. Unless you are an expert on the topic, however, just enjoy the book in the moment and do not expect to retain too much of it.
Most of the volume is focused on the rise of the cattle rustling gang known then, as now, as the Cowboys. They steal cattle. They kill a lot of people. They steam some mules. They drink. They carouse. Wyatt Earp, with Doc Holliday and Earp's brothers try to bring the Cowboys to justice but generally fail. The courts are ineffective. The lawmen even mores. That goes on for 100's of pages and, while some of the names of villains may stay in my brain for a while, most of the names won't mean anything to me by the time I awaken tomorrow. There are just too many crimes. Too may criminals. And not enough of a connection to a cohesive story to make me care. More importantly, even the characters who are supposed to be the "good guys" seem to be criminals for the most part. The Earp Brothers fare no better in the telling of the story than the villains.
Boessenecker relies on ample primary source materials to build his time line of events. Apart from personal diaries and journals, local and national newspapers covered the events in Arizona with considerable focus. The stories of criminal gangs in the Old West were sensational even when it was the New West, and readers East of the Mississippi paid as much attention as readers to the West of it. Unfortunately, where the primary materials do not provide information, the author fills in the information with supposition and conclusions. All too often, he tells us that certain things "undoubtedly" happened. That does not ring true, as a reader, and unnecessarily diminishes the great scope of Boessenecker's research.
More to the point, perhaps, because Boessenecker does do a great job of mining primary source materials, especially legal transcripts, I actually find that I doubt whether the Earps were materially better than the Cowboys. Rather, I now have the sense that both the Cowboys and the Earps were little more than rival gangs.
Notwithstanding my criticism, the book is captivating at times, and engaging always. Unless you are an expert on the topic, however, just enjoy the book in the moment and do not expect to retain too much of it.
October 14, 2022
I’m a big fan of books and publications dealing with the old West. I bought this book some months ago as it was highly recommended by True West magazine.
So, who was the real Wyatt Earp? Who was Curly Bill Brocius and his band of Cowboys or, as they may have been known, the Cow-Boys? What happened at the O.K. Corral? What about Holliday and Ringo?
John Boessenecker makes a very concerted, all-encompassing effort to detail answers to these questions and much, much more in his Riding the Devil’s Herd.
Likely, many who read this book have watched movies like Tombstone or Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp. They are aware or should be aware that over the years, many writers, TV, and movies have in general mixed grossly exaggerated fantasy with reality in portraying this complex man as well as his relationships with his brothers, Doc Holliday, and the notorious gang of outlaws known as the Cowboys.. The author, in my opinion, presents a realistic portrait of Earp as well as his kinfolk, friends and enemies. Although he draws on a massive amount of historical information regarding Earp’s conflicts with the Cowboys and their leaders, he unravels it and presents it all in a clear and engrossing manner which is a joy to read. I personally loved his numerous footnotes than referred to the chapter by chapter reference materials at the back of the book; it is very extensive, covering 51 pages itself, far greater than any other book I’ve ever read on this subject.
I was tempted to rate this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, with 5 stars; instead, I rated it at 4 1/2 stars—my only minor criticism is that the author presents so many characters in his storylines, I found it difficult to keep track of or remember who they all were, other than main characters like the Earp brothers, his posse, Holliday, Curly Bill, Johnny Ringo and more than a few dastardly villains! But then again, being in my mid-70’s, it is more likely just my aging memory that might be at fault!
John Boessenecker has a rock solid reputation as a master of presenting historical western stories. Ride the Devil’s Herd has, in my opinion, fully succeeded in maintaining that sterling reputation.
I have just purchased his newest book, Wildcat, The Untold Story of Pearl Hart and very much look forward to diving into this unique story.
So, who was the real Wyatt Earp? Who was Curly Bill Brocius and his band of Cowboys or, as they may have been known, the Cow-Boys? What happened at the O.K. Corral? What about Holliday and Ringo?
John Boessenecker makes a very concerted, all-encompassing effort to detail answers to these questions and much, much more in his Riding the Devil’s Herd.
Likely, many who read this book have watched movies like Tombstone or Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp. They are aware or should be aware that over the years, many writers, TV, and movies have in general mixed grossly exaggerated fantasy with reality in portraying this complex man as well as his relationships with his brothers, Doc Holliday, and the notorious gang of outlaws known as the Cowboys.. The author, in my opinion, presents a realistic portrait of Earp as well as his kinfolk, friends and enemies. Although he draws on a massive amount of historical information regarding Earp’s conflicts with the Cowboys and their leaders, he unravels it and presents it all in a clear and engrossing manner which is a joy to read. I personally loved his numerous footnotes than referred to the chapter by chapter reference materials at the back of the book; it is very extensive, covering 51 pages itself, far greater than any other book I’ve ever read on this subject.
I was tempted to rate this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, with 5 stars; instead, I rated it at 4 1/2 stars—my only minor criticism is that the author presents so many characters in his storylines, I found it difficult to keep track of or remember who they all were, other than main characters like the Earp brothers, his posse, Holliday, Curly Bill, Johnny Ringo and more than a few dastardly villains! But then again, being in my mid-70’s, it is more likely just my aging memory that might be at fault!
John Boessenecker has a rock solid reputation as a master of presenting historical western stories. Ride the Devil’s Herd has, in my opinion, fully succeeded in maintaining that sterling reputation.
I have just purchased his newest book, Wildcat, The Untold Story of Pearl Hart and very much look forward to diving into this unique story.
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