Joseph G. Rosa

Joseph G. Rosa (November 20, 1932 – January 17, 2015) was a writer of Western history, notable for his many publications about Wild Bill Hickok. Rosa's book, They Called Him Wild Bill: The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickok, was published in 1964 and is considered to be the first authentic biography of Wild Bill Hickok, and was accepted by historians as the definitive work on the subject.
Family
Joseph G. Rosa was born November 20, 1932, in West London, England and grew up in Woodville Gardens, Ruislip, Middlesex. From an early age, Rosa loved movies, and especially Westerns, a passion that he shared with his father.
Career
Joseph G. Rosa's first job was as a copywriter for a firm that printed postage stamps and bank notes for the United Kingdom. He served in the Royal Air Force Signals, stationed in the United Kingdom and in Malta during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Rosa spent much of his career working in the communications industry, retiring in 1999. Throughout his over 50-year career as an historian, researcher and author, he compiled over 25 books and many articles for historic publications. He was wary of glamorization. Joseph died at age 82 on January 17, 2015, in Ruislip, England.
Opinion on personalities of The American Old West in print
Rosa stated "that a biography of a character like Jim Miller or John Wesley Hardin is justified on reputation and a list of killings. I don't agree. People like Hickok, Masterson or Tilghman and to some extent, perhaps, Earp in some way contributed toward the expansion of the United States, whereas the Hardins, Jesse Jameses retarded things."
Publications
Some shooting, Mr. Hickok! - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1958
They Called Him Wild Bill: The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickok - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1964
Alias Jack McCall, a pardon or death?: An account of the trial, petition for a Presidential pardon, and execution of John McCall for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok - By Joseph G. Rosa; Westerners, 1967
The Gunfighter: Man or Myth? - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1969
Wild Bill Hickok, Peacemaker - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1973
The Pleasure of Guns: The Intricate and Beautiful Work of Famous Gunsmiths - By Joseph G. Rosa; Robin May, 1974
Colonel Colt, London: The History of Colt's London Firearms, 1851-1857 - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1976
An Illustrated History of Guns and Small Arms - By Joseph G. Rosa; Robin May, 1976
Gun Law: A Study of Violence in the Wild West - By Joseph G. Rosa; Robin May, 1977
Gunsmoke: A Study of Violence in the Wild West - By Joseph G. Rosa; Robin May, 1977
J.B. Hickok, Deputy U.S. Marshal - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1979
The West of Wild Bill Hickok - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1982
An Illustrated History of Guns and Small Arms - By Joseph G. Rosa; Robin May, 1984
Guns of the American West - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1985
Colt revolvers and the Tower of London - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1988
Rowdy Joe Lowe: Gambler With a Gun - By Joseph G. Rosa; Waldo E Koop, 1989
Buffalo Bill and His Wild West: A Pictorial Biography - By Joseph G. Rosa; Robin May, 1989
Wild Bill - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1992
The Taming of the West: Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900 - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1993
Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900 - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1995
Wild Bill Hickok: The Man and his Myth - By Joseph G. Rosa, 1996
Jack McCall, Assassin: An Updated Account of his Yankton Trial, Plea for clemency, and Execution - By Joseph G. Rosa; English Westerners Society, 1999
Wild Bill Hickok, Gunfighter: An Account of Hickok's Gunfights - By Joseph G. Rosa, 2003
Wild Bill Hickok: Sharpshooter and U.S. Marshal of the wild West - By Joseph G. Rosa, 2004
Wild Bill Hickok, Gunfighter: An Account of Hickok's Gunfights - By Joseph G. Rosa, 2013
References
External links
Worldcat Overview & works, Joseph G.Rosa
Wild Bill and the Englishman, at True West Magazine
Joseph G. Rosa, Author, at True West Magazine
Western (genre) writers
1932 births
2015 deaths