The Truth about Wild Bill
Like most Old West icons, gunfighter “Wild Bill” Hickok is shrouded in myths. He likely started many of them. A teller of tall windies, he was quoted as saying, “I would be willing to take my oath on the Bible that I have killed over a hundred, a long ways off.” After...
Highways to History
From the earliest days of conquistadors, explorers, fur trappers and pioneer settlers, the vast grandeur of the American West—and its equally bountiful and unforgiving geography—has inspired travelers to write about it. Like oceangoing adventurers, the earliest...
Found: Trumpeter Martin’s Carbine?
“Benteen…Come on. Big Village, Be quick, Bring Packs. P.S. Bring Pack. W. W. Cook.” This eerie last message, written by Lt. William W. Cooke on June 25, 1876, under orders from Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and delivered by Custer’s orderly, Trumpeter...
Building Your Western Library: Steve Friesen
Steve Friesen recently retired after 22 years as director of the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. He is the author of Buffalo Bill: Scout, Showman, Visionary and Lakota Performers in Europe. Here are five books he recommends: 1) The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill by...
True West January/February 2025
In This Issue:
Features
Western Books & Movies
To The Point
