Robert A. Carter
Entertaining and enjoyable read as well as informative. Published in 2000, the book is not overly laden with political correctness. Only in a few places does the writer display this weakness.
The book is much more than just a biography of the "Great Scout". In telling the tale of this extraordinary personality; a general history of the old West is told as a natural result of Cody being such an imposing figure in the expansion of the West for such a long period of his life. The reader will delight that besides learning the life of Buffalo Bill he or she will also meet the close acquaintance of of other great western personalities including Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickok, George Armstrong Custer, Genral Sherman and many others.
The author gives a relatively objective picture of the history of the relationships; both in peace and war; of the aboriginals with the ever increasing expansion of White settlement. Interestingly, the concept of American Manifest Destiny is explained; the belief and feeling that the destiny of America was to expand across the breadth of the North American continent via the movement of White people bringing civilization and personal dreams as an expression of Americanism. The author explains virtually all White people believed in this mission in varying degrees; even those who were sympathetic to the plight of the Indians as they steadily lost the war to stop White expansionism.
A detailed account of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show is also chronicled. His show brought a sense of living history and entertainment to the ever more urbanized Eastern crowds and to the major centers of Europe as well.
If you have any interest in the history of the old West; then this book on the life and times of Buffalo Bill Cody is a must read.
496 pages ----- Soft Cover
