Death and Danger on the Western Frontier

In modern times, men and women in America expect to lead long and fruitful lives. In the second half of the nineteenth century in the Old West, contrary to what the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia and popular media suggest, daily existence was harsh and filled with perils that dimmed the outlook for a long lifetime.

This history chronicles some of the dangers--accidents, shootouts, fires, natural disasters, disease and more--that cut lives short on the Western frontier. Thoroughly illustrated and carefully researched, it presents the gritty truth about what life was really like in the Old West--hazardous, unforgiving, and deadly.