The era of the gunfighter in the Wild West began during James Butler Hickok's life. Better known as "Wild Bill", he was the first and most famous gunfighter. A man without equal, who was said to have killed hundreds of outlaws in valiant and bloody struggles to the death, from which he invariably emerged the victor and the hero. Hickok himself was not above adding his own embellishments to the stories about himself to any reporter who sought him out. "Wild Bill - The Story of James Butler Hickok" is about the man and his adventures. Hickok was much more than his image and reputation as a gunfighter. He was in reality a man of impressive character, courteous and gentlemanly, a generous and loyal friend, a fearless and dangerous foe. But behind his calm, confident presence lay an acute wariness, a sense of foreboding and paranoia. He had become the best man with a gun, a fearsome and feared killer, but Wild Bill had also made himself a target for every aspiring gunslinger with nerve enough to try to become known as the man who killed Hickok.
The era of the gunfighter in the Wild West began during James Butler Hickok's life. Better known as "Wild Bill", he was the first and most famous gunfighter. A man without equal, who was said to have killed hundreds of outlaws in valiant and bloody struggles to the death, from which he invariably emerged the victor and the hero. Hickok himself was not above adding his own embellishments to the stories about himself to any reporter who sought him out. "Wild Bill - The Story of James Butler Hickok" is about the man and his adventures. Hickok was much more than his image and reputation as a gunfighter. He was in reality a man of impressive character, courteous and gentlemanly, a generous and loyal friend, a fearless and dangerous foe. But behind his calm, confident presence lay an acute wariness, a sense of foreboding and paranoia. He had become the best man with a gun, a fearsome and feared killer, but Wild Bill had also made himself a target for every aspiring gunslinger with nerve enough to try to become known as the man who killed Hickok.
