New book explores the rise of 'The Gunfighters' in the late 19th century

WBUR

Published June 25, 2025 at 11:25 AM EDT

The cover of "The Gunfighters" and author Bryan Burrough. (Courtesy of Penguin Press and Bryan Burrough)

Editor’s note: This segment was rebroadcast on Aug. 28, 2026. Click here for that audio.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with journalist and author Bryan Burrough about his new book “The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild,” which looks at the culture that spawned gunfighting in post-Civil War America.

Book excerpt: ‘The Gunfighters’

By Bryan Burrough

Excerpted from “The Gunfighters” by Bryan Burrough. Copyright © 2025 by Bryan Burrough. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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