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Gunfighters

Gunfighters

MeatEater 45 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Gunfighters explores the violent history of the American Old West through the lives of notorious gunmen. Bryan Burrough profiles figures such as Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, and John Wesley Hardin. The series examines how widespread violence shaped the nineteenth-century frontier. It also traces the troubled personal histories of the men involved.

Episodes

Ep. 05: John Wesley Hardin: The Texas Psychopath
Ep. 05: John Wesley Hardin: The Texas Psychopath Oct 13, 2026 2129 Join best-selling author Bryan Burrough as he drills deep into the legend of John Wesley Hardin, the teenaged Texas psychopath who may have been the Old West’s deadliest gunfighter. Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas. Follow now on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and YouTube. MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips Check out more MeatEater's American History audio o
Announcing: Blood Trails, Season Three
Announcing: Blood Trails, Season Three Oct 8, 2026 114 This season on Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars follows eight brand-new cases: hunting trips gone horribly wrong, decades-old disappearances, suspicious deaths, and crimes hidden deep in the woods. Some cases are ice cold. Others have been solved—at least, according to the law. But every case in Season 3 is still haunted by unanswered questions. Through firsthand interviews, archival audio,
Ep. 04: Bloody Texas
Ep. 04: Bloody Texas Oct 6, 2026 2430 Where did all those gunfighters popping up the Old West actually come? Join best-selling author Bryan Burrough as he explores the extraordinarily violent place that gave birth to a whole lot of them: Texas.  Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas. Follow now on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and YouTube. MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips Check out more MeatEater's Amer
Ep. 03: The First Gunfighters
Ep. 03: The First Gunfighters Sep 29, 2026 1863 Join author Bryan Burrough as he delves into the little-known stories of the first notable Old West gunfighters, from the Texans who popularized the first revolvers during the 1840s  to the outlaws of Gold Rush California and the first gunfighter to achieve literary acclaim — thanks to a young Mark Twain. Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas. Follow now on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and
Ep. 02: Wait, Gunfighters Came From Where?
Ep. 02: Wait, Gunfighters Came From Where? Sep 22, 2026 1641 Best-selling author Bryan Burrough explores the surprising origins of Old West gunfights in America’s deep involvement with the duel, a contest used by so many men during the early 1800s, including politicians from Andrew Jackson to Abraham Lincoln, chose to settle their disputes by drawing guns and firing at each other. From the duel that left Alexander Hamilton dead in 1804 to the dozens o
Ep. 01: When Gunfighters Stalked the Old West
Ep. 01: When Gunfighters Stalked the Old West Sep 15, 2026 1710 Join author Bryan Burrough as he begins telling the epic story of the Gunfighter Era, the years between 1865 and 1901, when Old West figures such as Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp became famous for something unusual in 19th century America: Shooting other Americans. From Wild Bill Hickok to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, learn the true stories of the troubled men who left behind the frontier&rs
Introducing: Gunfighters, with Bryan Burrough
Introducing: Gunfighters, with Bryan Burrough Sep 8, 2026 131 Author Bryan Burrough exhumes the gritty history of Old West gunfighters. From Billy the Kid to Wyatt Earp to John Wesley Hardin and dozens more, this collection of stories proves how very violent America's nineteenth century frontier actually was, and traces the blood-soaked history of the troubled men who made it that way.  Follow now on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and YouTube.See omnystudio.co
Ep. 42: Favorite Films About the West | The American West
Ep. 42: Favorite Films About the West | The American West Aug 18, 2026 3960 Since the 1903 showing of The Great Train Robbery, film has steadily become our primary way to tell the stories of the American West to the larger world. More than a century’s worth of movies and television shows later, in this episode of The American West Dan, Randall, and guest Dr. Sara Dant reveal their favorite films about the West. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube,
Ep. 41: Favorite Books About the West | The American West
Ep. 41: Favorite Books About the West | The American West Aug 11, 2026 3544 The 1538 distribution of Cabeza de Vaca’s Relacion about his shipwreck and trek across the Southwest marks the beginning of books that tell the stories of the American West to the larger world. Hundreds of thousands of books later, in this episode of The American West Dan, Randall, and guest Dr. Sara Dant reveal their favorite western authors and book choices. Subscribe now wherever you list
Ep. 40: Becoming Natives of Place in the American West | The American West
Ep. 40: Becoming Natives of Place in the American West | The American West Aug 4, 2026 3326 Two ideas about living in the modern West, bioregionalism and rewilding, emerged in the 1970s and early 2000s, and while neither has gone mainstream they have influenced how residents who prioritize nature have made decisions about a new western lifestyle. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube, Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon. MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, You
Ep. 39: The River That Flowed From Nowhere, Part II | The American West
Ep. 39: The River That Flowed From Nowhere, Part II | The American West Jul 28, 2026 3900 When the U.S. acquired the West with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, President Thomas Jefferson dispatched two scientific expeditions to explore it. Lewis & Clark became legendary. The historical fiction that follows indicates that with a different outcome, Freeman and Custis would have been famous westerners, too. Here, then, is Part II. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. You
Ep. 38: The River That Flowed From Nowhere, Part I | The American West
Ep. 38: The River That Flowed From Nowhere, Part I | The American West Jul 21, 2026 3480 When the U.S. acquired the West with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, President Thomas Jefferson dispatched two scientific expeditions to explore it. Lewis & Clark became legendary. Like Apollo 13, Jefferson’s Red River Expedition into the West was a failure. This is how their story should have gone. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube, Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Pandora,

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