Buffalo Bill: Scout, Showman, Visionary
Beyond all the hype and self-promotion generated by dime novels and his own Wild West shows, the truth remains that William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was the real thing. Born in Iowa in 1846 and raised in Kansas, Cody worked as a wagon driver, trapper, gold prospector, Pony Express rider, and pro-Union guerrilla fighter while still in his teens. In his twenties, his reputation grew as he served as a valued Army scout, Indian fighter, and, of course, as a buffalo hunter. Still, Cody’s lasting fame is the product of his creativity, showmanship, and organizational skills as the owner and star of the Wild West shows. Friesen, who is director of the Buffalo Bill Museum in Golden, Colorado, has written an excellent photo-biography of Cody that relies on numerous photos of artifacts from the musuem. Supported by well-written and incisive text, these images paint a vivid, often inspiring portrait of the man and the American frontier that shaped him. This is a tribute rather than a critical biography, so some scholars may blanch at Friesen’s non-stop admiration of Cody. However, it remains a useful and enjoyable chronicle of a life well lived. --Jay Freeman