Thunder over the Prairie: The True Story Of A Murder And A Manhunt By The Greatest Posse Of All Time - Paperback

by Chris Enss (Author), Howard Kazanjian (Author)

Future legends of the Old West, Charlie Bassett, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and Bill Tilghman were the lawmen who patrolled the unruly streets. When a cattle baron's son fled town after the shooting of the popular saloon singer named Dora Hand, the four men--all experts with a gun who knew the harsh, desertlike surrounding terrain--hunted him down like "Thunder Over the Prairie." The posse's ride across the desolate landscape to seek justice influenced the men's friendship, their careers, and their feelings about the justice system. This account of that event is a fast-paced, cinematic glimpse into the Old West that was.

Back Jacket

The gripping tale of a murder in Dodge City in 1878--and how legendary lawmen chased down the killer "Written with cinematic clarity and a galloping pace . . . this charming book is the perfect read for anyone lingering over a drink (or two) in a dusty Western saloon on a lazy afternoon."--Jay O'Connell, author of Train Robber's Daughter "Lawmen, cowboys, songbirds and soiled doves . . . it doesn't get much better. . . . Thunder Over the Prairie is a great story from the history of our American West."--Dakota & Sunny Livesay, Chronicle of the Old West The year was 1878. Future legends of the Old West--lawmen Charlie Bassett, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and Bill Tilghman--patrolled the unruly streets of Dodge City, Kansas, then known as "the wickedest little city in America." When a cattle baron fled town after allegedly shooting popular dancehall girl Dora Hand, these four men hunted him down, it was said, like "thunder over the prairie." The posse's legendary ride across the desolate landscape to seek justice influenced the men's friendship, careers, and attitudes toward the justice system. This account of that event is a fast-paced, unforgettable glimpse into the Old West.

Author Biography

Howard Kazanjian is an award-winning producer and entertainment executive who has been producing feature films and television programs for more than twenty-five years. While vice president of production for Lucasfilm Ltd., he produced two of the highest grossing films of all time: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. He also managed production of another top-ten box-office hit, The Empire Strikes Back. Some of his other notable credits include The Rookies, Demolition Man, and the two-hour pilot and first season of J.A.G.

In addition to his production experience, Kazanjian has worked with some of the finest directors in the history of cinema. He has worked closely with such legends as Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Sam Peckinpah, Robert Wise, Joshua Logan, Clint Eastwood, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola. He is a longtime voting member in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Producers Guild of America, and the Directors Guild of America. The California native is also a trustee of AzusaPacificUniversity.

Chris Enss is an award-winning screen writer who has written for television, short subject films, live performances, and for the movies, and is the co-author (with JoAnn Chartier) of Love Untamed: True Romances Stories of the Old West, Gilded Girls: Women Entertainers of the Old West, and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon: Women Patriots and Soldiers of the Old West and The Cowboy and the Senorita and Happy Trails (with Howard Kazanjian). Her most recent books include Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and How the West was Worn.

Enss has done everything from stand-up comedy to working as a stunt person at the Old Tucson Movie Studio. She learned the basics of writing for film and television at the University of Arizona, and she is currently working with Return of the Jedi producer Howard Kazanjian on the movie version of The Cowboy and the Senorita, their biography of western stars Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.