Wild Women of the Old West, Vol. 1 Book

An in-depth history book with biographies of nine different figures, including prostitutes, cowgirls, and "almost outlaws."

I read the included biography of Calamity Jane. It was a comprehensive overview of her life with entertaining anecdotes and a critical analysis of the many ways Jane's life was fictionalized and embellished both while she was alive and after her death. Included in the back of the book is a list of sources and further reading for each figure.

The book is well-researched and manages to keep each biography short enough to be read in a few sittings. It's not a textbook, it's not creative nonfiction, and it's not going in depth enough for a true scholar of the era; perhaps it's targeted towards someone like me, who wants an engaging, scholarly overview without having to go to all the primary sources myself.