And Die in the West: The Story of the O.K. Corral Gunfight

Was it murder or self-defense when the three Earp brothers and Doc Holliday confronted the Clanton and McLaury brothers on the streets of Tombstone, Ariz.? Each side has had its partisans, and the subject is still debated by historians. Marks delivers an exhaustive account of this episode in frontier history, reviewing the political, economic and social conditions of the region, noting that other frontier communities struggled with the same issues. A succession of characters--cattle rustlers, tinhorn gamblers, law officers of questionable integrity--are introduced with biographical sketches. There is a detailed reconstruction of the gunfight, with conflicting evidence from witnesses, and a full report of the coroner's investigation and subsequent trial with Marks, a professor at St. Edward's in Austin, Tex., inclined to accept the verdict, giving the Earps the benefit of the doubt. She also recounts the bloody aftermath and follows the major characters to the ends of their lives. Diehard Western buffs will enjoy this definitive account of the affair; others may be overwhelmed by minutiae. Photos. (July)