West of Wild Bill Hickok

by Rosa

Of all the Old West figures whose images eventually found their way into our popular culture, none was better known than Wild Bill Hickok. This book, a companion volume to Joseph Rosa’s exhaustive biography, They Called Him Wild Bill, reproduces in one volume nearly all the known portraits of Wild Bill, together with photographs of his family, his friends, his foes, and the places that knew him.

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1982

Reviews

[Jacques Coulardeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book does not keep its promise. You will not discover the West of Hickok because there is no real description of it. Data and detail are only provided when they are attached to one particular picture and the pictures are essentially centered on people. But that does not provide us with a full coverage of the period, the region and even the actions of the people who are laboriously stilted into immobility.

One example will be enough by citing General, who is not really a general, Custer. He is present in the book because he came across Hickok, but in a marginal way and his action against Indians is definitely not clearly both explained and exposed. It is alluded to. The same thing can be widened to Indian life, Indian rejection, Indian killings, etc. All that is anecdotal and superficial. We could say the same thing about the west itself, the farming, cattle raising, the economy of this west. It is not explained, nor exposed when necessary.

The only thing then that comes out of the book is a sketch of Hickok’s life, and interesting portraits, photographic as well as other types of printed representations of people. Unluckily do not believe it is in any way some press photography of real life, events, actions, happenings or whatever. It is only the formal portraits of the people who have dressed up for the occasion and who stand in an unnatural and stiff way. It can only give some indication of how these people would dress on a special occasion, maybe going to mass on Sunday, maybe going to some local celebration like a marriage or a funeral.

In other words it does not give us the feel, the smell, the looks even of this western life on the frontier. This is to be regretted because there would be so much to say about the various stages of Hickok’s life, including his period when he was a showman with or without Buffalo Bill. Skimpy; skimpy! Like a mouse dancing on a frozen lake, Mice Lake I guess, a ballet that could be interesting. But in the west, in Cody, in Bordeaux, in the Dakotas or Montana, in Illinois or Kansas, there is so much more to say.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

[Brad Butturff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now Wild Bill Hickok is probably the most famous citizen in the history of Deadwood ( and like a neighbor to me in his place at Mount Moriah Cemetery ). There have been quite a number of books written about him; books about the man, books about his guns, books about his adventures and misadventures. None quite like 'The West of Wild Bill Hickok' by Joseph G. Rosa. This is essentially a collection of photos and lithographs of Wild Bill Hickok and many of the people who surrounded him in life. There is commentary with each picture explaining the significance of each image and sometimes even some surprising facts about the man we think of as 'Wild Bill'. Well written and lively in style, I highly recommend it.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know I'd care about Wild Bill Hickok enough to read this book, but I enjoyed it. There are so many good photographs to study. I could probably find the same photos on-line, but Rosa has written detailed and informative captions for each image.