Buffalo Bill's Wild West: An American Legend [Hardcover]

R.L. Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2008

A panoramic celebration of the colorful characters that made up the Wild West shows, with color and black and white photos throughout.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

A panoramic celebration of the colorful characters that made up the Wild West shows, with color and black and white photos throughout.

From the Inside Flap

No theme in history has captured the imagination like the American West, and no presentation of the drama            surpassed the original Wild West shows. In this unparalleled theater, the cast of characters were themselves authentic heroes: Buffalo Bill Cody, Texas Jack Omohundro, Wild Bill Hickok, Captain A. H. Bogardus, Annie Oakley, Doc Carver ("Evil Spirit of the Plains"), Lillian Smith, Captain Jack Crawford ("Poet Scout of the Plains"), Sitting Bull and hordes of Indians, Pawnee Bill, and May Lillie. These pioneer stars and superstars were predecessors to the Western film and television personalities of later times, and to the troupe in the contemporary extravaganza at Disneyland/Paris.
  
Buffalo Bill's Wild West is a panoramic celebration of these colorful characters, who created the image of the West for Americans, and for the world. The book also celebrates the exciting and often flamboyant accoutrements and costumes, which were part and parcel of the stars' public appearance, and honors such characters as William Mathewson, recognized even by Cody himself as the "original Buffalo Bill."
    
The lavish illustrations feature the Michael Del Castello Collection of the American West, with portfolios of treasures from the Buffalo Bill Museum (Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming) and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage (Los Angeles).
  
Cody and his contemporaries made the West come alive to millions through their Wild West show tours of Europe and America. Lavishly illustrated and unsurpassed in its authenticity, Buffalo Bill's Wild West is a collector's item for anyone interested in the most fascinating array of all objects of Americana, and in the uniquely colorful saga of the West.
    
From the original Wild West shows of P. T. Barnum in Hoboken, New Jersey, to the spectacular entertainments of such headliners as Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, see the arms and accessories of the adventurers who charmed the crowned heads of Europe and brought America's Wild West culture to the world--in the process helping to make Colt, Winchester, Wells Fargo, and the West into American legends.
  
In this unique volume, the authors have produced the most spectacular, lavish, and detailed illustrated tribute ever to Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show-business originals.
  
Buffalo Bill's Wild West is an unmatched chronicle drawn upon decades of research and collecting, augmented with images by master photographers Peter Beard and Douglas Sandberg, and period photo-graphs and archival material from museums and private collections, particularly that of Michael Del Castello--featured at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, in the summer 1999 loan exhibition "Buffalo Bill's Wild West."
  
In over 225 color plates and 160 black-and-white illustrations, with in-depth text and captions, the colorful arms, posters, photo-graphs, costumes, saddles, accoutrements, stagecoaches, and, for the first time, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Winchester Ammo Wagon, are brought to life. The extraordinary, exquisitely detailed illustrations include more than 50 posters and advertising broadsheets, over 100 rare cabinet card photographs, innumerable historic firearms, advertising art and trade cards, and show-business memorabilia.
  
All the renowned exhibition shooters are presented: Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Frank Butler, Doc Carver, Johnny Baker, Pawnee Bill, Lillian Smith, Captain A. H. Bogardus and sons, Captain E. E. Stubbs, Curtis Liston, Arizona Joe, and many more--all of them sports and entertainment luminaries of their day.
    
Designed as a companion volume to the bestselling Colt: An American Legend; Winchester: An American Legend; The Peacemakers; Steel Canvas; and Ruger & His Guns, this new work covers a fascinating period in history and entertainment that will never be seen again. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: Book Sales, Inc. (May 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785818944
• ISBN-13: 978-0785818946
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 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: #933,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buffalo Bill's Wild West: An American Legend is a Legend of a Book, January 5, 2007

By 

R. Sachs (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buffalo Bill's Wild West: An American Legend (Hardcover)

I was looking for a gift for a true western history buff. Many of the books out there sugarcoat the story of the West. This one is the best book I have seen on an amazing man. The details of the adventures along with the non-colorized photos are just excellent. For anyone interested in this section of American history, this book should be on your bookshelf. It's also a very good coffee table book. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knock your eyes out Old West "stuff", November 8, 2007

By 

Rough Customer (on your six) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Buffalo Bill's Wild West: An American Legend (Hardcover)

Great book for anyone who loves the old west, scores of high quality photographs of the best, I repeat the BEST of the old west artifacts, from Colts, to CDV, and cabinet cards, saddles, hats, clothing, etc. Many photos never seen before..accompanied by a strong text, highest recommendations!

5.0 out of 5 stars Buffalo Bill's Wild West - The Most Complete Picture Book Ever!, October 19, 2009

By 

Eugene Jerome "Eugene" (Salt Lake City) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Buffalo Bill's Wild West: An American Legend (Hardcover)

When my wife and I visited Cody, Wyoming, which was the fulfillment of a fifty-year quest, I wanted to pitch a tent in the Cody Museum and stay until forced to leave. I could not get enough of Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show! The book was on sale in the museum gift shop, but, alas, we had spent every last dollar on the museum fee. After seeing the book for sale on Amazon, I was in a better financial condition, so I bought a copy. The book is now on permanent coffee table display. The life of William F. Cody was much too full to chronicle in a single volume, even Cody's own autobiography. But, this book comes closest to fulfilling that task! The beautiful photography and the amazing graphics are expertly interspersed amongst the captivating text, weaving a tapestry of my favorite period of history. For me at least, this book is the next best thing to returning to the long gone days of the Old West!