Wild West Shows [Paperback]

Paul Reddin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 1999

The Wild West: a term that conjures up pictures of wagon trains, unspoiled prairies, Indians, rough 'n' ready cowboys, roundups, and buffalo herds. Where did this collection of images come from? Paul Reddin exposes the mythology of the American frontier as a carefully crafted product of the Wild West show. Focusing on such pivotal figures as George Catlin, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Tom Mix, Reddin traces the rise and fall of a popular entertainment shaped out of the 'raw material of America'. Buffalo Bill and other entertainers capitalized on public fascination with the danger, heroism, and courage associated with the frontier by continually modifying their presentation of the West to suit their audiences. Thus the Wild West show, contrary to its own claims of accuracy and authenticity, was highly selective in its representations of the West as well as widely influential in shaping the public image of life on the Great Plains. A uniquely American entertainment-colorful, energetic, unabashed, and, as Reddin demonstrates, self-made-the Wild West show exerted an appeal that was all but irresistible to a public hovering uncertainly between industrial progress and nostalgia for a romanticized past.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Historian Reddin ... kicks up the dust with this fast-paced and fact-packed book on how Wild West shows from the 1830s through the 1930s capitalized on new methods of mass entertainment and presented the American West as the essence of 'national character.'... With a sure eye and a steady hand, Reddin hits the mark every time in his insightful and very readable book." - Library Journal "With acute historical insight, Reddin examines the contribution not only of Catlin and Mix but, most fully, William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody and the Miller brothers 101Ranch show... Reddin's book offers analysis and scope missing in these volumes; it is superior for the shades of meaning and thematic discussions that the author expertly explores beyond the stated essence." - Choice "A work of prodigious learning... The author has delightfully crafted a history of a uniquely American entertainment." -- L. G. Moses, Western Historical Quarterly "Very thorough research. Fresh readings using new material." - Silver City Press "An important history of wild west shows ... equally valuable for its contribution to ongoing debates about the meaning and function of American mass culture products, especially in terms of their export to Europe and reception by Europeans." -- Robert W. Rydell, Nebraska History "Wild West shows are a highly visible and oft-mentioned fact of early American popular culture, yet the scholarly literature on this important subject is relatively thin... Wild West Shows expands and revises our understanding of this important facet of antebellum and postbellum American popular culture." -- Mike Allen, Oregon Historical Quarterly "A valuable book... For teachers and students this book is a wonderful departure point for research and discussion on popular culture and the American West." -- Canadian Social Studies "An entertaining and informative look at four important contributors to a decidedly American invention." -- Denver Westerners Roundup ADVANCE PRAISE "Prodigiously researched, clearly organized, and lucidly written, Wild West Shows addresses a highly popular and significant element of nineteenth-century American popular culture that has been largely overlooked by scholars."-Paul Fees, curator, Buffalo Bill Historical Center "Reddin presents valuable interpretations of notable shifts in American culture between the 1830s and 1930s. His thorough, probing study of cultural and image formation particularly expands our understanding of American popular culture and the American West."-Richard Etulain, author of Reimagining the American West: A Century of Fiction, History, and Art

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press; First Edition edition (June 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252067878
• ISBN-13: 978-0252067877
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,925,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Rodeos

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A prespective on the college level, August 25, 2000

By 

Wiley S. Brady (Cedaredge, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild West Shows (Paperback)

Reddin's book takes a look at America's reaction to the closing of the west as a frontier. Reddin takes his reader from the rise of wild west shows to its eventual demise along the way you get to know not only the people that were involved to the shows but an insight into how it went from the idea of preservation of a cultural history to an entertainment for world wide audiences. The book is painstakingly researched by the author and fits well in any library of western americana or study of the Guilded Age in America. A must read for anyone with an intrest in the history of America between Civil War reconstruction and WWI.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buffalo Bill: Quite a Dude, December 11, 2000

By 

"hermanator1" (Ellensburg, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild West Shows (Paperback)

This is an outstanding book. It is well researched, well written, engaging, and fun. Reddin discusses not only Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West show, but also the painter and showman George Catlin, the Miller brothers and their 101 Ranch and wild west show, and Tom Mix, the silent film cowboy. The Catlin segment of the book is fascinating and well conceived. I recommend this book highly.