“Barra, a sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal, does not attempt an intensive proof of the 'life behind the legend.' Rather, he is concerned here with the process of myth making. He offers fascinating and provocative insights into how various individuals manipulated and twisted aspects of Earp's life for their own purpose. Earp, of course, was not naive and ... Read moreplayed no small part in creating his own legend.”—Jay Freeman, Booklist “Any future arguments will have to reckon with the evidence and explication that Allen Barra presents in this thoughtful, careful book.”—Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World “Engaging, detailed and refreshingly pugnacious. . . . Barra’s well-researched, provocative study of the man and his legend offers us a welcome opportunity to consider what our several versions of Wyatt Earp tell us about ourselves."—Richard E. Nicholls, New York Times Book Review “Barra is no garden variety deconstructionist. . . . [He] lines up the mythmaking process in his crosshairs.”—Chicago Tribune Show Less