Samuel LoveNext year marks 20 years since David Milch’s masterpiece Deadwood was cancelled by HBO in one of TV’s biggest injustices. Across three seasons, Deadwood redefined not only the Western, but the television drama itself in much the same way that legendary shows The Sopranos and The Wire did. The impeccably written and highly quotable series boasts career-best performances from its ensemble cast and has a secure spot as one of the finest shows to ever grace the small screen. The true stories behind this infamous settlement are just as thrilling, as Peter Cozzens’ latest tome proves.
Cozzens is no stranger to the Wild West – he has written and/or edited over seventeen books on the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars, with his 2016 work The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West considered one of the essential books on the topic and the era at large. His latest project is Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West, taking readers into the violent settlement that was once described as “the most diabolical town on Earth”.
Fans of HBO’s legendary series will see a lot of familiar names throughout the book, and in many ways it feels like spending time with old friends. It’s a remarkable reminder of the research and attention to detail that David Milch put into the series, and is often surprising that these larger-than-life characters were just as fascinating as they were portrayed on screen.
This fast-paced rollicking ride through the filthy, chaotic settlement and its history is a masterclass in historical writing, bringing the story to life with all the excitement and page-turning thrills of a good novel. The book’s core message seems to be the raw power of greed, and how this town full of debauchery and depravity became such an unrestrained symbol of it. Cozzens illustrates how, just weeks after gold was discovered, a quiet pine forest quickly transformed into a bustling, makeshift town filled with fortune seekers of all kinds from outlaws and gamblers to sex workers and adventurers. In only a few months, over 5,000 people had arrived. The streets were filthy, the ramshackle buildings hastily thrown together with whatever materials people could find, and the town operated outside any official U.S. laws as no jurisdiction touched it.
The book goes into some fascinating context surrounding the town’s rise and fall, and readers unfamiliar with some of the key history of the era might find themselves struggling to keep up. There are a lot of names and historic conflicts cited, and discussions of the time’s political, social, and economic undercurrents can feel overwhelming. This is a book that will be most enjoyed by academics and those with a pre-existing special interest in the era, although fans of the HBO series may have a headstart beyond other novices through their familiarity with the key players.
Peter Cozzens’ Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West is epic in scale and richly detailed, offering a sweeping portrait of one of the most notorious frontier towns in American history. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Cozzens resurrects the lawless settlement with deep insight. As gripping as any Western fiction, and highly recommended to fans of the HBO series who have missed spending time with Al, Seth, and the gang.
Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West is available now from Atlantic Books (Hardback, RRP £25.00)
