Includes bibliographical references (p. [337]-363) and index.

"This book is a definitive biography of Martha Canary, the woman known as Calamity Jane. Written by one of today's foremost authorities on this notorious character of the Old West, it is a meticulously researched account of how an alcoholic prostitute was transformed into a Wild West heroine, correcting previous depictions as it traces the making of the legend. James D. McLaird has sorted through conflicting accounts of her life and adventures to give us the real Martha - and debunk the myths that other writers have constructed around her." "To believe the stories, Calamity Jane was a frontier scout, stagecoach driver, and pony express rider - a legend in her own time. Always on the move across the northern plains, from boom-town to boomtown, she did in fact ride into Deadwood with Wild Bill Hickok (although she'd only met him recently) and accompanied some military expeditions. But after her death at 47, her adventures were exaggerated and new ones invented: she became Hickok's sidekick, a prostitute with a heart of gold, a frontier Florence Nightingale, even a forerunner of modern feminism." "In truth, Martha Canary was more camp follower than scout, and McLaird has mined countless newspapers and eyewitness accounts to show just what kind of woman she really was. A sometimes wife and a mother of two, she often found employment as waitress, laundress, or dance hall girl and was more likely to be wearing a dress than the buckskin she donned for publicity photos. It was her charisma that got people's attention - especially when she'd had a few drinks - and she exploited the aura of fame that dime novels created around her, even selling her autobiography and photos to tourists." "Gun toting, swearing, hard drinking - Martha was all of these, to be sure. But whatever her flaws or foibles, McLaird paints a portrait of an unconventional woman who more than once turned the tables on those who sought to condemn or patronize her. He also includes dozens of photos - some never before seen - depicting Martha in her many guises. His book is a long-awaited biography of Martha Canary and the last word on Calamity Jane."--BOOK JACKET