Video Description: In this video, veteran journalist Paul Schankman interviews bestselling author Tom Clavin about his gripping book, “Tombstone, the Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday and the Vendetta Ride From Hell.” Clavin dives into the lives of the famous figures involved—Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the notorious Cowboys—shedding light on the lead-up to the showdown and the chaotic aftermath that helped shape the mythos of the Wild West. Set in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881, the gunfight was more than just a violent clash; it marked a turning point where lawlessness began giving way to order, and the Old West as it was known started to disappear.

Clavin also explores how the discovery of silver in Tombstone was rapidly transforming the dusty frontier town into a booming center of commerce and modernity. As progress marched in, the outlaw lifestyle clashed with lawmen trying to bring stability to a changing West. The O.K. Corral gunfight became one of the most iconic events in American history—not just for its drama, but for what it represented: the beginning of the end for the untamed frontier. This episode takes you behind the legend and into the true story of the final days of the Wild West.

• 1. Use the video in conjunction with a student activity that has them focusing on character development. What insights from the author as he discusses the real individuals at the center of his story can they use as they develop characters in their own stories?
• 2. Use the video in conjunction with a student activity that has them writing stories in the western/adventure genre. What insights do they gain from the authors and the discussion of the genre that they can use as they write their own stories?
• 3. Use the video as your students study America’s expansion west. How does the story of the gunfight at the OK Corral perpetuate certain myths about that history? How does Mr. Clavin seek to dispel those myths?