The Real Deadwood: True Life Histories of Will Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Outlaw Towns, and Other Characters of the Lawless West

• Deadwood: Stories of the Black Hills
• Reading Deadwood: A Western to Swear By (Reading Contemporary Television)
• Deadwood: Music From HBO Original Series
• Deadwood: 1876-1976 (SD) (Images of America)
• Deadwood - The Complete Third Season
• Deadwood
• Old Deadwood Days: The Real Wild West of My Childhood
• Deadwood: The Golden Years
• Deadwood - The Complete Second Season
• Deadwood - The Complete First Season

I can't even recommend this book as an enjoyable work of fiction. Major details about his subjects' lives are omitted. His references appear to be a handful of websites, a museum, and NOVA. Yes, NOVA. The writer frequently veers from historical descriptions into scenes from the series. It's not even a good term paper, mind you.

Another reviewer mentioned that this book reads like a high school term paper, and I agree with that completely. It's truly "dead wood.". It didn't happen. Even when Ames has excellent material to work with, he doesn't take advantage of it. For instance, Ames spends a lot of time waxing poetic about the death of Wild Bill Hickock and dangles a few interesting details, but fails to explain to the reader how and when exactly he died. I picked up this book because it seemed to promise, from the title, an interesting historical look at Deadwood and the characters who inhabited it. I'm not a fan of the series Deadwood, but I do have an interest in the 1800s and ghost towns.

He namechecks it.

If you are into getting down as close as you can to the real history of the town and it's periods of boom and bust, then I highly recommend you consider, "Deadwood: The Golden Years." (Published in 1981, 23 years before the TV show). If you are a fan of the TV series, "Deadwood: Stories of the Black Hills" is a far better choice. To be perfectly clear, avoid this book. It is a clear attempt to cash in on the popular Deadwood TV series. It's easily the fluffiest 128 page book you're likely to read this year (or next).

It's filled with lots of information that seemed lifted from various web sites I've seen, although I suppose that it is possible that various web sites may have lifted their content from this book, although why anyone would do this, I can't begin to contemplate. The content in the book could fit in a high school student's term paper, and I suspect that is actually how the book may have originated.

If you've got any sense at all, avoid this book. This book came out in August 2004). Go to your local Borders or Barnes and Nobel to glance at a copy before you decide to buy it.

Let me go a little bit further. One person reviewing this book wrote that if you're a fan of the Deadwood television series, you should avoid this book. (The series started in March 2004.

I was very disappointed. The book references the tv show "Deadwood" much too often. I didn't know if I was reading about the "real" Deadwood or the tv version.

The book give more insight to the tv show Dead wood.I wish they would not have canceled it.Any way I enjoyed the book quite a bit.and found the grave of one of them.here in St Louis.

I also consider the strong tie in to the HBO series (which is, by the way, my favorite show) generally ill advised.

The positive aspect of doing so is the author makes it clear early in the book that the series is not completely factual, the writers, producers, etc. I'm sure there are a lot of people interested in Deadwood and it's history who haven't watched or have no interest in the series.

The book offers nothing new or interesting for those of us already familiar with Deadwood's history. I love the series, I wanted to learn more about the real Deadwood, I didn't want to read about the series, I didn't get what I wanted or thought I'd get from this book.

Unfortunately, in a few cases, the author discusses fictional characters/situations from the series, it's important to understand the context and details of the reference, the context and details are not included in the book, so only readers who've watched the series would understand the references. Overall, I found the constant references to the series annoying.

If you're looking for a fast, easy read about Deadwood with little detail, insight, or depth, this is the book for you. do not intend for the show to be completely factual, and the book addresses some of these characters, events, situations presented in the series, and "corrects" the facts.