Description
Book SynopsisThis is the story of Buffalo Bill, the Wild West and how more than a century before `The Only Way is Essex' the county flocked to see the world's first reality show.
Trade Review5* Andy M Two years ago, David Dunford chronicled the history of horse racing in Chelmsford in his book, 'Full Circle'. Now he’s delved into the archives again to give a colourful account of the appearances in Essex of the extravaganza that was Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. The spectacular show was summed up by the Illustrated London News: ‘It is not a circus, nor indeed is it acti ng at all, in a theatrical sense, but an exact reproduction of daily scenes in frontier life.’Audiences around the world were awed by exhibitions of horse-riding, sharp-shooting and rope tricks and re-enactments of battles. Those taking part were the real deal: the cowboys had actually ridden the range, the cavalry men were veterans and the Indians were real native Americans (at least one had fought in the Battle of the Little Big Horn). The whole caboodle was led by the intrepid Buffalo Bill, Colonel William Cody: guide, scout, hunter, trapper and canny businessman. Dunford’s narrative takes a while to reach Essex, but the build-up information is fascinating, fleshing out characters who’d hitherto just been exotic names from our childhoods: Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickock etc. It’s interspersed with excellent illustrations. The show had Royal patronage when it was in London, and crowds flocked to see it when it moved down to Essex in 1903/4 – the evening performance in Chelmsford attracted an audience of about 11,000. This is a really entertaining and well-written little book that casts a light on what Dunford calls ‘the first reality show in Essex. 5* Clive Stewart. This is a brilliant book, it covers so much of Buffalo Bill from his early life too.
Table of ContentsPage 9 Introduction Page 11 1. The Making of a Legend Page 19 2. Treading the Boards Page 27 3. The Wild West Show is Born Page 33 4. The Early Years - Annie Oakley and Sitting Bull Page 43 5. The Wild West Arrives in Essex Page 49 6. The American Exhibition Page 61 7. Across the Atlantic Again Page 67 8. On the Road Page 71 9. Three Days in September - Leyton, Southend and Colchester Page 87 10. The Final Tour - Chelmsford and Ilford Page 97 11. The End of the Trail Page 106 Selected Bibliography Page 108 About the Author
