From: laro@idworld.net   
      
   "Cori"  wrote in message   
   news:6047da4.0402222333.3795e066@posting.google.com...   
   > Gerald Clough  wrote in message news:   
   >   
   > >Aside from considerable knowledge of facts,   
   > > tales, and sources, many here have studied fictional accounts of the   
   > > historical west and may have things to contribute about what made them   
   > > good or bad.   
   >   
   > Thank you, Gerald.  In a way I already have an idea of what I want to   
   > write as far as when/where, but I am really interested in learning   
   > what's previously been done and what made it good or bad.  I do have a   
   > sort of an idea of what's been overdone, but honestly.  Is there ANY   
   > subject in 19th Century history which has been so COMPLETELY overdone   
   > no writer dare touch it from any direction?  Just wondering about   
   > possible pitfalls.   
   >   
   > Cori   
      
   Yep, and the first one that comes to mind is that little event commonly   
   known as the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.   
      
   So many books, so many movies, so much press, I'd call it very overdone.   
      
   But are the books and movies history or fiction?   Call it what you wish.   
   Most of it is largely fiction.  (from my perspective anyway.)   
      
   Also, many writers have written on the Texas Rangers.  John Davis told me   
   that his book on the Rangers was ???, but he was asked to write it and the   
   title is so popular that it still draws interest.   
      
   Also, there was that "little known" shootout at the OK Corral.   I believe a   
   lot of fiction has gone under the bridge, plus some really well-researched   
   history, like Paula Marks' good book on that.   
      
   I'm not sure about your point that no writer dare touch it.  Those have been   
   so much written about because they still draw a crowd, I guess.   But a   
   large part of the crowd just comes to pick at the errors.  Take the very   
   recent and probably already released Alamo flick which was filmed in Texas,   
   near Austin.  There has been enough criticism of its facts to draw interest.   
   Maybe it's the old story, "any publicity is good as long as they spell your   
   name right."   
      
   I generally avoid buying books on those topics; however, YMMV.   
      
   Why don't you subscribe to the Tombstone Epitaph and read a variety of   
   historical topics?  Currently on the front page is an article by Texas   
   writer Charley Eckhardt, writing about Peta Nocona.  (??)   Don't know why   
   that paper carried that story, but   
   whatever sells papers, I guess.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)