Transcript
The last legal duel in Mississippi was fought over a cow, at least that is what the official account cites as the cause. But in the moments around the explosion of gunpowder, what truly guided the combatants: courage, cowardice, hatred, or fear? Recounting conflicts as various in their form as they are in their notoriety—ranging from John Henry’s race against the steam engine, to the last legal cockfight in Louisiana, to Burr and Hamilton’s infamous moment—The Book of Duels captures the final moments of thirty-three duels in flash triptychs, considering each battle from three perspectives: each duelist separately, and then, finally, their witness. The result is a fascinating exploration, as fierce as it is darkly funny, of what becomes of the human spirit in the pressure cooker of conflict. http://milkweed.org/shop/product/341/the-book-of-duels/
