Finally finished reading (my signed copy of) “Wyatt Earp In San Diego: Life After Tombstone” by Garner Palenske. The book is packed with fascinating early San Diego history, which I loved learning about, and the first half is very interesting. But the second half slowed down a bit because it seemed to be more about giving information than telling a story. While there are plenty of accounts of where Wyatt and his wife Josie lived, where he gambled, who he befriended (either public official or fellow capitalist), the mining operations he invested in, and where he raced his horses, they were presented in an almost colorless way. Too factual and not enough evocative vignettes. After a while I was just glancing over names and places. On the plus side there are plenty of amazing photographs, especially of early San Diego, but unfortunately very few of Wyatt Earp. That’s not the fault of the author. There just aren’t that many photos of him.
