Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Deadwood:
Yup, better than the show (and I love the show).
Quick synopsis:
The story of the rise and fall of Deadwood.
Fact for Non-History People:
Within 5 months of the first gold strike in Deadwood, more than 200 buildings had been put up.
Fact for History Nerds:
The fabled “Dead Man’s Hand” of Wild Bill Hickok does not have any primary source documentation about it.
My Take on Deadwood:
There’s just no way around it. You will immediately pick up this book and think, “But will this ruin my HBO Deadwood rewatch?” Great news, folks. Not only will this INCREASE your appreciation of the show, it’s a damn fine book to boot! Let’s review this thing.
Peter Cozzens’ Deadwood knows exactly what it is and what it is up against. Cozzens leans right into it. He name checks the well-received show and reveals he is also a massive fan. Yes, they are all in here. Bullock, Swearengen, Sol Star, Wild Bill, and Calamity Jane all get their time in the sun. Don’t worry, Cozzens doesn’t miss a single one.
With that out of the way, Cozzens can do what he does best (read his other books if you haven’t). He proceeds to tell the story of Deadwood by focusing on the people who made it what it was. You can almost feel how much fun Cozzens is having when he recounts many of the bizarre, exciting, depraved, or just fun anecdotes throughout the book. What makes Cozzens such a great author is that he finds something that he knows the reader will find interesting but will present it in a way that isn’t a diversion. Each story illuminates a part of the town which is so vital to understanding the bigger picture. It’s not just Calamity Jane on another one of her drunken rants. It’s a window into what Deadwood was willing to accept at that point in time that would be frowned upon as the town became well…an actual town as opposed to an illegal group of people on indigenous lands.
What I found so utterly shocking is how much time this book covers. Story after story rolls by. People show up and build businesses. Robberies, murders, and their trials occur. Halfway through the book I thought this must be 10-15 years into the life of Deadwood. Nope, it was 18 months. Deadwood was truly the quintessential Wild West mining town. Cozzens is the perfect author to spin this particular yarn.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by A. A. Knopf.)
Verdict:
Must read. Buy it here!
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