Wild Bill Hickok: The Man and His Myth

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Synopsis: James Butler Hickok was alternately labeled courageous, affable, and self-confident; cowardly, cold-blooded, and drunken; a fine specimen of physical manhood; an overdressed dandy with perfumed hair; an unequaled marksman; a poor shot. Born in Illinois in 1837, he was shot dead in Deadwood only 39 years later. By then both famous and infamous, he was widely known as "Wild Bill."
Excavating the reality behind the myth, Joseph Rosa delves into the exploits and ego that defined Hickok and shows how the man was overtaken by his own legend. Rosa exposes a controversial and charismatic man - army and Indian scout, wagonmaster, courier, frontiersman, gunfighter, lawman, prospector, addicted gambler, and short-time actor - who was elevated from regional fame to national notoriety by inadvertently being in the right place at the right time.
Culminating four decades of research by one of the top authorities on Wild West legends, this is a highly entertaining account of the larger-than-life character whose reported accomplishments - both real and imaginary - frequently brought him unwanted publicity. Setting the record straight, Rosa exposes some of the deliberate lies that vested Hickok with a "man-killer" reputation he didn't deserve. In the process, Rosa reveals a great deal about how myths were initiated and perpetuated to glorify the nineteenth-century frontier.

From the Back Cover: "A wonderful account of the myths that followed Wild Bill wherever he went. Rosa has solved some mysteries and spiced his text with new tales and many delightful illustrations."--Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

"No one knows more about Hickok than Joe Rosa. Here he sets to paper the fruits of a lifetime of diligent study."--Robert M. Utley, author of The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull

"Pathbreaking. This book will delight everyone fascinated by the fact and fiction of the Old West."--Brian W. Dippie, author of Custer's Last Stand: The Anatomy of an American Myth

"A fresh, fascinating, and highly readable work with broad appeal."--David Dary, author of Seeking Pleasure in the Old West

Bibliographic Details

Title: Wild Bill Hickok: The Man and His Myth
Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas
Publication Date: 1996
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: new