Description
Book SynopsisRather than attempt to tease truth from fiction, coauthors Paul Ashdown and Edward Caudill investigate the ways in which James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok embodied the culture of glamorized violence Americans embraced after the Civil War and examine the process of how his story emerged, evolved, and turned into a viral multimedia sensation.
Trade Review“An invaluable examination of the evolving interpretations and myths woven around Western demigod Wild Bill Hickok. This study is invitingly written, overflowing with fresh information, and balanced in its approach and conclusions.”—Richard W. Etulain, author of The Life and Legends of Calamity Jane
“In this revealing and entertaining book, Ashdown and Caudill unpack how the ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok legend developed and what it says about American mythology and history.”—Marc Wortman, author of The Bonfire: The Siege and Burning of Atlanta
“A spirited and carefully framed reassessment that is thoughtful, nuanced, and most important, fair to a subject who is otherwise evasive to the claims of mere mortals.”—Bryan Giemza, author of Images of Depression-Era Louisiana: The FSA Photographs of Ben Shahn, Russell Lee, and Marion Post Wolcott
