Movies have often shown the wide-open plains of the West, complete with cowboys silhouetted against the setting sun and dramatic gunfights in saloons. It's easy to think these images truly depict the freedom and beauty of the Wild West. But you'd be wrong! In fact, most cowboys didn't change their clothes much and had few gunfights! This volume invites readers to the gritty, real Wild West that had few upstanding lawmen, long work days, and fighting with Native groups. Fact boxes, a timeline, and historical images engage readers further.