In “Wild Bill Hickok, Man and Myth,” McLaird explores the development of Hickok’s legend before and after his death in Deadwood. Hickok at various times has been remembered as a Civil War hero, gunfighter, marshal and frontiersman, and the circumstances of his murder have become a prominent part of western lore. McLaird explores the fact and fiction behind these tales to illustrate how Hickok’s contemporaries and early historians contributed to them.