Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull: Inventing the Wild West (M K Brown Range Life Series) [Hardcover]

Bobby Bridger (Author)

Book Description

Series: M K Brown Range Life Series | Publication Date: November 1, 2002

Army scout, buffalo hunter, Indian fighter, and impresario of the world-renowned "Wild West Show," William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody lived the real American West and also helped create the "West of the imagination." Born in 1846, he took part in the great westward migration, hunted the buffalo, and made friends among the Plains Indians, who gave him the name Pahaska (long hair). But as the frontier closed and his role in "winning the West" passed into legend, Buffalo Bill found himself becoming the symbol of the destruction of the buffalo and the American Indian. Deeply dismayed, he spent the rest of his life working to save the remaining buffalo and to preserve Plains Indian culture through his Wild West shows. This biography of William Cody focuses on his lifelong relationship with Plains Indians, a vital part of his life story that, surprisingly, has been seldom told. Bobby Bridger draws on many historical accounts and Cody's own memoirs to show how deeply intertwined Cody's life was with the Plains Indians. In particular, he demonstrates that the Lakota and Cheyenne were active cocreators of the Wild West shows, which helped them preserve the spiritual essence of their culture in the reservation era while also imparting something of it to white society in America and Europe. This dual story of Buffalo Bill and the Plains Indians clearly reveals how one West was lost, and another born, within the lifetime of one remarkable man.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Best known for his epic trilogy Ballad of the West, Bridger, a descendent of frontiersman Jim Bridger, became interested in the relationship between Buffalo Bill Cody and the Indians while completing the section on Cody in Ballad. That relationship is supposed to be at the heart of this book, but instead Bridger has produced a "life and times" biography reminiscent of those popular a century ago-long on the times and short on the life. What is missing are the details, insights, and understanding that would make both Cody and Sitting Bull real people rather than figures on the stage of history. Bridger relies on a small number of secondary sources, chiefly Cody's own autobiography, Don Russell's The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill, and Stanley Vestal's Sitting Bull: Champion of the Sioux. Libraries already holding these books, as well as Nellie Snyder Yost's Buffalo Bill, His Family, Friends, Fame, Failures, and Fortunes, can safely pass on Bridger's book. However, it is entertaining to read in spite of a few glaring minor errors, and public libraries may wish to consider it.
Stephen H. Peters, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Bridger has penned an epic that should be on every reader's shelf..." -- True West, April 2003

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 502 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 029270917X
• ISBN-13: 978-0292709171
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,794,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The history behind the music, December 4, 2002

By 

Jeff Spradling (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull: Inventing the Wild West (M K Brown Range Life Series) (Hardcover)

For years, Bobby Bridger has been entertaining audiences musically with his Ballad of the West. One of the hour sets, Pahaska, tells the story of Buffalo Bill in what Bridger describes as Homeric ballads. Now, Bridger puts aside the guitar and period garb to show his serious academic side. "Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull: Inventing the Wild West" is the history behind his music. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the old west and is an intriguing look into how the popular vision of it was created.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The history behind the art, November 29, 2002

By 

Jeff Spradling (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull: Inventing the Wild West (M K Brown Range Life Series) (Hardcover)

For years, Bobby Bridger has been presenting the story of Buffalo Bill in a musical act called Pahaska, a one-hour series of enthralling songs that tell the story of Bill Cody. Now, Bridger puts down the guitar and period garb from his act to show the history behind his art. In this historical tome, Bridger shows the serious academic side of his art. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the West. Bridger's look at how the modern romantic vision of the American West was created is intriguing and as captivating as his music.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bobby Bridger, American Historian, author, entertainer, December 13, 2002

By 

Russell C. Ward (Morehead, Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull: Inventing the Wild West (M K Brown Range Life Series) (Hardcover)

Bridger, decendent of the reknown Mountain man, Jim Bridger, has written an outstanding book on two of history's most colorful and enduring icons of the American west and the dynamic process that each dealt with during the late 19th century America. Bridger is one the best entertainers in American today and this book only shows a small example of his profound abilities. Years of research and documentation of historical events pays tribute to truth, justice, and injustices, of the American West. This book should be a standard fare for all collegiate history classes and for the general public at large. History is always multi-sided and Bridger illustrates that to perfection. This is a must read. It will impress both scholars and the general public. BRAVO MR. BRIDGER! We look forward to the next! Sing on Great Spirit!