My f2f book club just finished reading, what I feel is a wonderful book, by Mary Doria Russell, titled "Doc". It is primarily about Doc Holliday from Tombstone fame, but it has all the other characters, i.e. the Earps, and takes place before the O.K. Corrall happening in Tombstone. This novel set in Dodge City, KS in the prime of cattle drives, lawlessness, gambling, drinking, prostitution and politics. It is an in-depth study of John Henry (Doc) Holliday from the time he left Atlanta, GA
until just before they all ended up in Tombstone, Arizona and the OK Corral. The author did exhaustive research, and it definitely shows in the story. Our group was totally surprised at the level of dentistry practiced by Doc. While a lot of so-called "doctors" of this era were primarily quacks/charlatans, dentistry had progressed professionally.
I recommend this book highly. As befits the time period, the location, it reflects the rough-hewn characters, and is definitely "raw" in places, i.e. language,but nothing like in today's movies. I think it is a very honest portrayal of life as lived in the "wild West" if you will.