Discussion: The Life of Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp is arguably the most famous of all the Western lawmen. He is an iconic figure whose life has inspired many books and Hollywood movies. In this solution I will explore the heroism and controversies surrounding Earp through a historiographical comparison of three very different accounts of his life. The first book by Stuart Lake entitled Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal can be seen as a glorification and justification of Earp and his deeds. The Earp Brothers of Tombstone by Frank Waters paints a dramatically different viewpoint of Earp and his clannish extended family while the final book written by Casey Tefertiller, Wyatt Earp The Life behind the Legend sets forward a more balanced and unbiased account of the man and his exploits.