"This book explores the role and influence of drink and drugs (primarily opium) in the Old West, which for this book is considered to be America west of the Mississippi from the California gold rush o
? From the dime novels of the Civil War era to the pulp magazines of the early 20th century to modern paperbacks, lurid fiction has provided thrilling escapism for the masses. Cranking out formulaic
Many children experience the “cowboy hero” as part of the ethos of their childhood. While cowboys are a part of the historical West, the characterization of cowboys as mythical heroes was largely gene
For many years, movie audiences have carried on a love affair with the American West, believing Westerns are escapist entertainment of the best kind, harkening back to the days of the frontier. This w
Popular theater in the Old West (from 1850 to the early 20th century) entertained miners, loggers, railroad men, and high society, in venues from tents to opera houses. Illustrated with many b&w h
Modern spas are wellness resorts that offer beauty treatments, massages and complementary therapies. Victorian spas were sanitariums, providing “water cure” treatments supplemented by massage, vibrati
Agnew, a consultant in biomedical electronics who has written other books on the Old West, describes how before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, Spanish explorers, soldiers, and missionaries came
The healing arts as practiced in the Old West often meant the difference between life and death for American pioneers. Whether the challenge was sickness, an Indian arrow, a gunshot wound, or a fall
Their heads filled with images of glory and battle, most young men joined the frontier army only to endure a life of tedious drills, bad meals, uncomfortable quarters, and ill-fitting uniforms. Workin
Western movies are full of images of swaggering outlaws brought to justice by valiant lawmen shooting them down in daring gunfights before riding off into the sunset. In reality these mostly invented
