Historian Peter Cozzens brings the infamous Wild West South Dakota town to life with Deadwood, his highly entertaining and meticulously researched account of a place whose history is even more colorful than the myths and legends that have sprung up around it.
A mining town established in 1876 after the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, Deadwood not only hosted gamblers, gunslingers, and desperados, but was, itself, an illegal settlement founded against the orders of the federal government on land sacred to the Lakota people. The lure of gold proved to be a stronger force, however, and within months, Deadwood was populated by miners, prostitutes (or "soiled doves," as they were known), and all manner of chancers looking to make a profit. Cozzens offers in-depth profiles of Deadwood's most memorable characters, many of whom were brought to life in the HBO show of the same name. There is villainous saloonkeeper Ellis Albert "Al" Swearingen, for example; outspoken prostitute Martha Jane "Calamity Jane" Canary, who often dressed in men's clothing; and, of course, James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, who met his end during a poker game.
As captivating as these portraits are, the town itself is the real star of Deadwood. Cozzens's descriptions of frontier life, which was especially harsh for women--who often found refuge in opium--are brilliantly detailed. Most revealing, however, is how, despite its lawless reputation, Deadwood became a prosperous and self-reliant town that was unique in its acceptance and integration of Chinese immigrants, Jews, and African Americans. Revelatory and multilayered, Deadwood is a fascinating portrait of a complex and singular place. --Debra Ginsberg, author and freelance editor