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Blood Brothers: The Story of the Strange Friendship between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill
The little known story of the unlikely friendship of two famous figures of the American West—Buffalo Bill Cody and Sitting Bull—told through their time in Cody’s Wild West show in the 1880s.
It was in Brooklyn, New York, in 1883 that William F. Cody—known across the land as Buffalo Bill—conceived of his Wild West show, an “equestrian extravaganza” featuring cowboys and Indians. The idea took off. For four months in 1885 the Lakota chief Sitting Bull appeared in the show. Blood Brothers tells the story of these two iconic figures through their brief but important collaboration.
Blood Brothers flashes back to 1876, when the Lakota wiped out Custer’s 7th Cavalry unit at the Little Big Horn. Sitting Bull did not participate in the “last stand,” but was nearby—and blamed for killing Custer. The book also flashes forward to 1890, when Sitting Bull was assassinated. Hours before, Cody rushed to Sitting Bull’s cabin at Standing Rock, dispatched by the army to avert a disaster.
Deanne Stillman unearths little told details about the two men and their tumultuous times. Their alliance was eased by none other than Annie Oakley. When Sitting Bull joined the Wild West, the event spawned one of the earliest advertising slogans: “Foes in ’76, Friends in ’85”—referring to the Little Big Horn. Cody paid his performers well, and he treated the Indians no differently from white performers. During this time, the Native American rights movement began to flourish. But with their way of life in tatters, the Lakota and others availed themselves of the chance to perform in the Wild West. When Cody died in 1917, a large contingent of Native Americans attended his public funeral.
An iconic friendship tale like no other, Blood Brothers is truly a timeless story of people from different cultures who crossed barriers to engage each other as human beings. And it foretells today’s battle on the Great Plains.
It was in Brooklyn, New York, in 1883 that William F. Cody—known across the land as Buffalo Bill—conceived of his Wild West show, an “equestrian extravaganza” featuring cowboys and Indians. The idea took off. For four months in 1885 the Lakota chief Sitting Bull appeared in the show. Blood Brothers tells the story of these two iconic figures through their brief but important collaboration.
Blood Brothers flashes back to 1876, when the Lakota wiped out Custer’s 7th Cavalry unit at the Little Big Horn. Sitting Bull did not participate in the “last stand,” but was nearby—and blamed for killing Custer. The book also flashes forward to 1890, when Sitting Bull was assassinated. Hours before, Cody rushed to Sitting Bull’s cabin at Standing Rock, dispatched by the army to avert a disaster.
Deanne Stillman unearths little told details about the two men and their tumultuous times. Their alliance was eased by none other than Annie Oakley. When Sitting Bull joined the Wild West, the event spawned one of the earliest advertising slogans: “Foes in ’76, Friends in ’85”—referring to the Little Big Horn. Cody paid his performers well, and he treated the Indians no differently from white performers. During this time, the Native American rights movement began to flourish. But with their way of life in tatters, the Lakota and others availed themselves of the chance to perform in the Wild West. When Cody died in 1917, a large contingent of Native Americans attended his public funeral.
An iconic friendship tale like no other, Blood Brothers is truly a timeless story of people from different cultures who crossed barriers to engage each other as human beings. And it foretells today’s battle on the Great Plains.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2017
39 people are currently reading
1331 people want to read
About the author
Deanne Stillman
27 books36 followersDeanne Stillman is a widely published, critically acclaimed writer. Her books of narrative nonfiction are place-based stories of war and peace in the modern and historical West.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
September 18, 2022
A lot of conjecture as to how the people in this book might have felt. It was really just a mini biography of Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, very little information about the two of them interacting while spending 4 months on the road.
October 19, 2017
Snapshots from past.
History reawakened.
Chapters that evoke in the readers mind the terrible and the beauty, a revisiting of people at battle, and friendships made, great showmanships and mysteries of the world upon the blood filled plains set aright with the greatly researched and representing before you in this narrative.
Many scenes, one savage and mysterious with Sitting Bull, a ceremony of flesh cut and many others, may read as newly learned or learnt of old, the stark and unsettling, disquieting, profoundly haunting narrative, and haunting history.
We follow with captivating narrative Sitting Bull’s various sojourns upon the Land but ultimately not a stranger in a strange land but his encounters with those that were strangers, settlers, interloping his ancestral birthplace.
The Wild West show was a real tale on the stage, the birthplace of American theatre. the blood spillage told real, center stage Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull with the sure shot Annie Oakley. Real mysterious legends told of in the stillness of the night.
I know this much is true upon finishing this read, William f Cody is Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull was Lakota leader and Hunkpapa chief, wasichu are white europeans, and buffalos, rituals, scalpings, wild west shows, waring for lands and foods, all will be known to the reader, as well as a tale of friendship, courage, bravery, justice and injustice.
Some interesting unknowns to the casual reader, for example when Sitting Bull moved a ghost dance away due to the pleas of a white woman, of whom he had a place in his heart for.
This was an outstanding, insightful truth work, narrative was clearly layered out and proved to be captivating reading.
A legacy retold, stark and savage beauty, memorable characters and a homage to Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill.
Review with Excerpts @ https://more2read.com/review/blood-brothers-deanne-stillman/
History reawakened.
Chapters that evoke in the readers mind the terrible and the beauty, a revisiting of people at battle, and friendships made, great showmanships and mysteries of the world upon the blood filled plains set aright with the greatly researched and representing before you in this narrative.
Many scenes, one savage and mysterious with Sitting Bull, a ceremony of flesh cut and many others, may read as newly learned or learnt of old, the stark and unsettling, disquieting, profoundly haunting narrative, and haunting history.
We follow with captivating narrative Sitting Bull’s various sojourns upon the Land but ultimately not a stranger in a strange land but his encounters with those that were strangers, settlers, interloping his ancestral birthplace.
The Wild West show was a real tale on the stage, the birthplace of American theatre. the blood spillage told real, center stage Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull with the sure shot Annie Oakley. Real mysterious legends told of in the stillness of the night.
I know this much is true upon finishing this read, William f Cody is Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull was Lakota leader and Hunkpapa chief, wasichu are white europeans, and buffalos, rituals, scalpings, wild west shows, waring for lands and foods, all will be known to the reader, as well as a tale of friendship, courage, bravery, justice and injustice.
Some interesting unknowns to the casual reader, for example when Sitting Bull moved a ghost dance away due to the pleas of a white woman, of whom he had a place in his heart for.
This was an outstanding, insightful truth work, narrative was clearly layered out and proved to be captivating reading.
A legacy retold, stark and savage beauty, memorable characters and a homage to Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill.
Review with Excerpts @ https://more2read.com/review/blood-brothers-deanne-stillman/
November 19, 2017
The subject was of great interest, so I plugged along. The history is told in a disorganized manner, jumping around in time, place and historical figures. It claims to be about the “strange friendship” between Sitting Bull and William Cody, yet they do not actually meet until 75% of the way through the book. Absolutely brimming with what I can only call “personal musings” about what Sitting Bull MAY have thought or questions about what he and others MAY have thought; presents no clear thesis. Obviously a more journalistic exploration, though apparently well-researched, has little to add beyond the quoting of better books. Having never read about Sitting Bull or Cody, this book at first excited me and then began irritating me. I did find fascinating anecdotes, but ultimately, it left me anxious to find a better history.
March 21, 2018
A beautifully written and researched portrait of the last days of the American West, featuring the parallel and eventually intersecting lives of Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody. There is a chapter devoted to the Battle of Little Bighorn, in which it was mistakenly believed that Sitting Bull killed Custer, marking him as a hated and hunted man. Another chapter recounts the life of Annie Oakley and her rise to fame as “Little Miss Sure Shot,” a nickname given to her by Sitting Bull, who admired her. I found all of this utterly fascinating, and not only for fact that Annie Oakley is in my family tree. Stillman drew me in with her storytelling and the little known, totally absorbing historical tidbits she scattered throughout. The lives of Cody, Sitting Bull and Oakley intersect as the frontier days come to an end and they become perhaps America’s first reenactors, playing themselves in Cody’s famous Wild West show.
There were some problems, though. The book is not strictly chronological, moving back and forth in time in a way that is unnecessarily confusing. And there are annoying interludes where the author posits her thoughts about what a given character “may have” felt or said or did. Another problem lies in the fact that the title isn’t a good representation of what is found within the book and is, therefore, misleading. Sitting Bull and Cody definitely were larger than life figures in parallel and clashing cultures. For most of their lives they were adversaries, but upon meeting each other, they seemed to have a relationship built on mutual respect. I have to conclude that they were blood brothers only in a metaphorical sense. Still, an engrossing read if you are a fan of this era and it’s iconic figures as I am.
There were some problems, though. The book is not strictly chronological, moving back and forth in time in a way that is unnecessarily confusing. And there are annoying interludes where the author posits her thoughts about what a given character “may have” felt or said or did. Another problem lies in the fact that the title isn’t a good representation of what is found within the book and is, therefore, misleading. Sitting Bull and Cody definitely were larger than life figures in parallel and clashing cultures. For most of their lives they were adversaries, but upon meeting each other, they seemed to have a relationship built on mutual respect. I have to conclude that they were blood brothers only in a metaphorical sense. Still, an engrossing read if you are a fan of this era and it’s iconic figures as I am.
November 27, 2017
very good book.very informative.
January 25, 2018
Fascinating story of the friendship between Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull, which was an uncommon friendship to have in those days. The book is well written and well researched and really captures this unlikely friendship. The author also has another book about mustangs in the American West, that I also love.
Reviewed by Kendel, Senior Library Page.
Find it at the library, here.
Reviewed by Kendel, Senior Library Page.
Find it at the library, here.
July 6, 2017
Well-researched biography of two icons of the American West, Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody, and how their lives intertwined in a meaningful way. Both were celebrated and misunderstood, their names linked together by the buffalo, symbols of the American West.
The author has a definite viewpoint on the betrayal of the Native Americans, which she illustrates through an account of the lives of these two men (and one woman, Annie Oakley). Buffalo Bill is shown, in the 1870’s, as part of the problem, taking part in wiping out the buffalo and killing scores of American Indians. Around the same time, in 1876, Sitting Bull participated in the Little Big Horn battle where Custer met his end. Many thought Sitting Bull killed Custer (he didn’t). Thus, Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull started out on opposing sides as enemies.
Once the Hunkpapa tribe of the Lakota were forced onto reservations, Sitting Bull became less of a threat, and Buffalo Bill experienced a change in perspective. In establishing his Wild West show, Cody attempts to right the wrongs of the past. These shows were intended to help Native Americans preserve the spirit of their culture while also conveying its essence to the rest of society. It also played a part in the early efforts to preserve the buffalo. The two men became close friends during the few months after Sitting Bull had joined the Wild West show. This dual story of Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull portrays the significant changes to the American frontier during the lifetime of these two extraordinary men.
The author has done extensive research, drawing on many historical accounts to set straight many misconceptions. I found the book very interesting, particularly the description of the assassination of Sitting Bull and the subsequent massacre at Wounded Knee, along with the part played by the Ghost Dancers influenced by Wokova (an obscure Paiute Indian). I did not feel compelled to read it, but enjoyed it when I picked it up. Recommended to those interested in the history of Native Americans or the American West.
An advance copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in return for a candid review.
The author has a definite viewpoint on the betrayal of the Native Americans, which she illustrates through an account of the lives of these two men (and one woman, Annie Oakley). Buffalo Bill is shown, in the 1870’s, as part of the problem, taking part in wiping out the buffalo and killing scores of American Indians. Around the same time, in 1876, Sitting Bull participated in the Little Big Horn battle where Custer met his end. Many thought Sitting Bull killed Custer (he didn’t). Thus, Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull started out on opposing sides as enemies.
Once the Hunkpapa tribe of the Lakota were forced onto reservations, Sitting Bull became less of a threat, and Buffalo Bill experienced a change in perspective. In establishing his Wild West show, Cody attempts to right the wrongs of the past. These shows were intended to help Native Americans preserve the spirit of their culture while also conveying its essence to the rest of society. It also played a part in the early efforts to preserve the buffalo. The two men became close friends during the few months after Sitting Bull had joined the Wild West show. This dual story of Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull portrays the significant changes to the American frontier during the lifetime of these two extraordinary men.
The author has done extensive research, drawing on many historical accounts to set straight many misconceptions. I found the book very interesting, particularly the description of the assassination of Sitting Bull and the subsequent massacre at Wounded Knee, along with the part played by the Ghost Dancers influenced by Wokova (an obscure Paiute Indian). I did not feel compelled to read it, but enjoyed it when I picked it up. Recommended to those interested in the history of Native Americans or the American West.
An advance copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in return for a candid review.
December 2, 2017
Thank you Goodreads for the copy of Blood Brothers. I was so looking forward to reading about the friendship of Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull. Unfortunately very little of the book even had them at the same place at the same time. I never got the feeling they were friends at all. This author really researched her subject matter, I’ll give her that. So many other books were cited within her story, her words didn’t flow well. The same is true for the story she was trying to tell. All in all a real disappointment.
January 28, 2018
This is my 4th non fiction book that has dealt with the harsh reality of how the Indians were treated. I have to say it doesn't get any easier to stomach. The book is really a 3.5 as parts a repeated and there is a lot of filler, not a huge amount about the actual friendship but it's still an interesting book. This book deals also with the decline of the buffalo and the senseless killing of them. Another fact that's hard to stomach. I literally felt sick in parts as it bothers me so much. I do think we need to know these facts though. People are quick to judge and point fingers, we need to step back and examine history before we make the same mistakes again. We all know history repeats itself.
It did occur to me that these people like Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill who seemed to live to entertain that they would have been in their element in todays times, it was much harder then and they persisted. It has made me want to learn more about Annie Oakley. I'd recommend it as a quick easy read.
It did occur to me that these people like Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill who seemed to live to entertain that they would have been in their element in todays times, it was much harder then and they persisted. It has made me want to learn more about Annie Oakley. I'd recommend it as a quick easy read.
March 9, 2020
The saving grace of this book was the subject it covered. The narrative spans over the lives of many legends of the American West, mainly Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull, and Annie Oakley and their common experiences in the Wild West Show. Countering the bloody history of the conflicts in the American West between Native Americans and the U.S. Army, Ms. Stilman writes on a lighter episode within that troubled history, of the friendship shared between people who were once enemies, then bonded during their time together in the Wild West Show. Interesting subject material, but poorly presented. I found the author’s narrative to be terribly disorganized. There are too many side stories and backstories that interrupt the flow of the main subject. There are even moments when the narrative jumps back and forth between timelines, and I believe the book would’ve been better written if presented in chronological method. Further, for being a history, there was very little citation to source material, and too much subjective inference from the author on how the historical figures “felt” or “thought” in certain circumstances. Lastly, I found that the author spent too much time making these inferences and merely brushed over key historical events that influenced these characters lives, such as Custer’s Last Stand at Little Big Horn and the Massacre at Wounded Knee. I recommend finding another book if you’re interested in this time period or historical figures.
December 15, 2025
It goes off on a few tangents, but it manages to convey how impossible the relationship between Sitting Bull and Bill seemed on paper, yet transcended the reality of the time. I'm particularly impressed by the dignity and power Sitting Bull managed to retain and cultivate even in defeat...a truly remarkable man.
October 17, 2017
I received a free Kindle copy of Blood Brothers by Deanne Stillman courtesy of Net Galley and Simon & Schuster, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review to Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I have read a previous biography of Sitting Bull, but nothing about William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and I have an interest in the history of the American Wewst. It is the first book by Deanne Stillman that I have read.
This book is well researched and well written. It covers the brief time period covering the relationship between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody, although Annie Oakley also plays a major role in the book. The author starts with alternating chapters on each of the two main characters laying the groundwork for later chapters detailing their relationship.
I found this book to be engaging and a fairly quick read. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the history of the American West or an interest in learning more about the relationship between two of the main characters in the late 1800's.
I requested this book as I have read a previous biography of Sitting Bull, but nothing about William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and I have an interest in the history of the American Wewst. It is the first book by Deanne Stillman that I have read.
This book is well researched and well written. It covers the brief time period covering the relationship between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody, although Annie Oakley also plays a major role in the book. The author starts with alternating chapters on each of the two main characters laying the groundwork for later chapters detailing their relationship.
I found this book to be engaging and a fairly quick read. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the history of the American West or an interest in learning more about the relationship between two of the main characters in the late 1800's.
January 28, 2019
I'm not a big fan of non-fiction. If I read about history, I need there to be a linear line of beginning to end. Not only did the book jump around in the life of Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, but also of Annie Oakley. Three lives jumping around in history and just as they begin to meet..."Oh, but wait, this happened first". This is a me thing. The writing was good, and interesting, my brain just didn't care for the jumping.
The other thing is that there really wasn't much about the "Strange Friendship". It seemed that there was more information on the friendship between Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley, and the friendship between Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, than between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill.
The other thing is that there really wasn't much about the "Strange Friendship". It seemed that there was more information on the friendship between Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley, and the friendship between Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, than between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill.
January 18, 2019
Overall I liked this book. It had some interesting detail, and the author had some insights worth considering. My primary complaints are that the chapters were almost like separate essays, with the author seemingly forgetting what had been explained or addressed previously, some sloppy editing resulting in historical errors (referring at one point, for example, to Marcus Reno as "General"), an account of the Little Bighorn that doesn't line up with either surviving Native accounts or forensic battlefield research, and far too much speculation - imagining what "might" have been thought or felt.
December 18, 2017
This was an interesting book. It delivered as far as the information that was shared. I learned a lot about Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley. The title is somewhat misleading as really, very little of the book had anything to do with the relationship between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill. The author does a good job of connecting events ,but her habit of surmising or "imagine this" got a little annoying to me but then I tend to be one that just wants what is actually known rather than what possibly was. Overall this book was worthwhile and I would recommend it.
December 8, 2023
Well written, this book grabbed me on page one. I learned of Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill at age 12 in a camp production of Annie Get Your Gun. It was humbling to read a more factual account of their lives.
October 29, 2017
Inspiration takes many forms and many artists struggle to articulate how it strikes. Not so Deane Stillman, whose ‘Blood Brothers. The Story of the Strange Friendship between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill’ begins with the following words:
“For each of my books, there has been a precipitating incident that has caused me to venture into that particular story … I can literally picture them [these portentous incidents] … as the consequence of forces and matters that have long been in play, and when this picture begins to form, I know that the incident will become the prism through which I will tell my next story …”.
The “precipitating incident” in relation to the current book was the legend that the white horse which Buffalo Bill Cody had presented to Sitting Bull ‘danced’ as his master was shot, as Indian police attempted to arrest him, although this initial moment of revelation was also supplemented by seeing the 1885 Wild West Show poster (which adorns the cover of the book) depicting its two protagonists with the slogan, “Foes in ’76 [a reference to the Battle of the Little Big Horn], Friends in ‘85”.
This then is a book about the somewhat unlikely friendship between Wild West showman William F. (“Buffalo Bill”) Cody and Lakota chief Sitting Bull. Given that the two men only worked together for four months in 1885, Stillman expands their story to put the meeting of these two mythical figures and white-Native American relations in context, moving back in time to Little Bighorn in 1876 and forward in time to Cody’s funeral, which was attended by some Native Americans, in 1917.
More than that, Stillman regards “the betrayal of Native Americans” as “our original sin” and “the fault line that runs through the national story” and piously hopes that “perhaps the brief time that Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill were together can serve as a foundation upon which this rift can be repaired”.
Whilst sharing this pious hope it seems to be based upon a very thin foundation. Yes, after Sitting Bull’s four months' employment, Buffalo Bull gave him a hat and a horse but although they may represent tokens of genuine friendship they may also merely have been inducements for Sitting Bull to return to his Wild West show, although given how bad conditions were on the reservation it would not have taken much to persuade him to leave, if he could have obtained the permission of the Indian Agent.
Moreover, Cody’s Wild West show hardly presented a very accurate or flattering picture of the Native Americans, parading them at the end as if they were captured animals. In only one respect could their portrayal be seen as rounded: the show was normally presented in a circus ring, and thus wagons were circled and the Indians rode around them so that they could be seen by all of the audience.
I don’t want to give the impression that this is a bad book. On the contrary, it is very well-researched and easy to read but I can’t help feeling that the cynical and satirical 1976 Robert Altman film ‘Buffalo Bill and the Indians’ ultimately gets closer to the truth of the Wild West show and of Cody and Sitting Bull’s feelings for one another than Stillman’s rather romantic interpretation of their relationship.
“For each of my books, there has been a precipitating incident that has caused me to venture into that particular story … I can literally picture them [these portentous incidents] … as the consequence of forces and matters that have long been in play, and when this picture begins to form, I know that the incident will become the prism through which I will tell my next story …”.
The “precipitating incident” in relation to the current book was the legend that the white horse which Buffalo Bill Cody had presented to Sitting Bull ‘danced’ as his master was shot, as Indian police attempted to arrest him, although this initial moment of revelation was also supplemented by seeing the 1885 Wild West Show poster (which adorns the cover of the book) depicting its two protagonists with the slogan, “Foes in ’76 [a reference to the Battle of the Little Big Horn], Friends in ‘85”.
This then is a book about the somewhat unlikely friendship between Wild West showman William F. (“Buffalo Bill”) Cody and Lakota chief Sitting Bull. Given that the two men only worked together for four months in 1885, Stillman expands their story to put the meeting of these two mythical figures and white-Native American relations in context, moving back in time to Little Bighorn in 1876 and forward in time to Cody’s funeral, which was attended by some Native Americans, in 1917.
More than that, Stillman regards “the betrayal of Native Americans” as “our original sin” and “the fault line that runs through the national story” and piously hopes that “perhaps the brief time that Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill were together can serve as a foundation upon which this rift can be repaired”.
Whilst sharing this pious hope it seems to be based upon a very thin foundation. Yes, after Sitting Bull’s four months' employment, Buffalo Bull gave him a hat and a horse but although they may represent tokens of genuine friendship they may also merely have been inducements for Sitting Bull to return to his Wild West show, although given how bad conditions were on the reservation it would not have taken much to persuade him to leave, if he could have obtained the permission of the Indian Agent.
Moreover, Cody’s Wild West show hardly presented a very accurate or flattering picture of the Native Americans, parading them at the end as if they were captured animals. In only one respect could their portrayal be seen as rounded: the show was normally presented in a circus ring, and thus wagons were circled and the Indians rode around them so that they could be seen by all of the audience.
I don’t want to give the impression that this is a bad book. On the contrary, it is very well-researched and easy to read but I can’t help feeling that the cynical and satirical 1976 Robert Altman film ‘Buffalo Bill and the Indians’ ultimately gets closer to the truth of the Wild West show and of Cody and Sitting Bull’s feelings for one another than Stillman’s rather romantic interpretation of their relationship.
August 22, 2020
Besides the criticism others have made in regards to the actual relationship between Sitting Bull and Bill Cody, whether it could rightly be considered a "friendship" or not, and the amount of speculative or inventive material with inadequate historical data to back up such conclusions—to say nothing of the fact that certain historical facts were misstated, as pointed out by one reviewer—the writing and editing is simply sophomoric. Just in the first two chapters the reader is reminded more than once that Sitting Bull and Bill Cody's name and nickname was linked to the buffalo. The reader is also reminded, again more than once, that Cody was perhaps the best horseman in the West and was responsible for killing buffalo "by the thousands," but by no means the leading killer. Authors ought to assume their readers are intelligent enough to remember these facts or conclusions without beating the proverbial horse.
The follow sentence is not only convoluted but illustrates some of the criticism expressed above—words or phrases highlighted with a star (*). "Once, he was a boy, not a superstar, not *named for the animal that he would kill by the thousands (others, for the record, killed more),* but just a boy who played with Indians on the Great Plains, *perhaps even members of Sitting Bulls's extended tribe* who would pass through territory near his home in Kansas as they followed the buffalo."
And then there is this sentence: "So too, by his own account, did he kill an Indian in his youth (and other later), while he was employed as a wagon train hand." Why the editorial parenthetical statement? Tell the reader about the other kills when we get to that part of his biography.
Another example: "Once he was just a boy, who helped his struggling family eke out a living on the frontier, as many children of the era did, engaged in tasks and acts that would now violate every child labor law on the books." Is this a history about the relationship of Bill Cody and Sitting Bull or a commentary on on modern child labor laws? Who cares? This is beside the point and bogs the writing down in useless sludge.
A final example of poor writing: "William Frederick 'Buffalo Bill' Cody was born near Le Claire, Iowa, on February 26, 1846." The reader is two chapters into the book and Stillman has already used Cody's moniker "Buffalo Bill" or his given name, "William F. Cody," multiple times. The reader knows we are reading about Bill Cody. Why use his full name and his nickname at this point in the narrative. If we are introducing his birth and family background then William Frederick Cody is sufficient, particular since he hasn't been given the nickname at this point.
These may seem like small or trivial writing issues, but over the course of 259 pages of narrative it wears the reader out—at least it did this reader.
On a positive note, and the reason for two stars: Stillman obviously did a tremendous amount of research. I just wish should would have employed it better and written a better book.
The follow sentence is not only convoluted but illustrates some of the criticism expressed above—words or phrases highlighted with a star (*). "Once, he was a boy, not a superstar, not *named for the animal that he would kill by the thousands (others, for the record, killed more),* but just a boy who played with Indians on the Great Plains, *perhaps even members of Sitting Bulls's extended tribe* who would pass through territory near his home in Kansas as they followed the buffalo."
And then there is this sentence: "So too, by his own account, did he kill an Indian in his youth (and other later), while he was employed as a wagon train hand." Why the editorial parenthetical statement? Tell the reader about the other kills when we get to that part of his biography.
Another example: "Once he was just a boy, who helped his struggling family eke out a living on the frontier, as many children of the era did, engaged in tasks and acts that would now violate every child labor law on the books." Is this a history about the relationship of Bill Cody and Sitting Bull or a commentary on on modern child labor laws? Who cares? This is beside the point and bogs the writing down in useless sludge.
A final example of poor writing: "William Frederick 'Buffalo Bill' Cody was born near Le Claire, Iowa, on February 26, 1846." The reader is two chapters into the book and Stillman has already used Cody's moniker "Buffalo Bill" or his given name, "William F. Cody," multiple times. The reader knows we are reading about Bill Cody. Why use his full name and his nickname at this point in the narrative. If we are introducing his birth and family background then William Frederick Cody is sufficient, particular since he hasn't been given the nickname at this point.
These may seem like small or trivial writing issues, but over the course of 259 pages of narrative it wears the reader out—at least it did this reader.
On a positive note, and the reason for two stars: Stillman obviously did a tremendous amount of research. I just wish should would have employed it better and written a better book.
October 14, 2022
I would rate this book 3 stars. I've always enjoyed western history and this book hadn't let me down in this aspect of cool stories from this time but this book isn't really what it is said to be. The title seems like its going to be about the time spent between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, but in reality you hear about Buffalo Bill of the whole beginning and there are cool anecdotes and all but it isn't until way later in the story where the two of them actually meet. When they are together it seems very stale and doesn't really feel like the title says, a friendship.
I my favorite part of the book was hearing about Cody's(Buffalo Bill) past and his childhood. His youth is definitely described as something you'd see in any western movies. Filled with excitement but also sorrow his youth sounded very action packed. But at some point it was noted on how Cody likes to make his stories bigger than they were so I do wonder if he had done all that he claimed. But all the anecdotes he provided definitely made this book a much better read.
What made this book not get the 4 stars was main the title being miss directing. Very little of the book even had them at the same place at the same time. I never really got the feeling they were friends at all. Another thing that I didn't like to much was the beginning I just felt lost a few times because of how many different perspectives we were at and how the time periods kept jumping around.
My favorite quote from this story was near the beginning of the book with Sitting Bull and his people suffering. Sitting Bull said in his language to the White men at his meeting “I hate all the white people. ... You are thieves and liars. You have taken away our land and made us outcasts.” This line was a little funny to me just because of how it was delivered and how his translator kind of enjoyed it as well. Its also very sad that Sitting Bull even felt the need to say this because if their land was never taken than it wouldn't have been a problem.
Spoilers below
The book opened up on Sitting Bull being one of the most wanted men for the killing of a general at the Battle of little bighorn. His tribe would end up being refuges then eventually surrendering. The story would go like this for a while focusing on how hard times were for the Native Americans. But at the same time Sitting Bull became famous and many high class people had wanted to meet him. The book then moves on to Buffalo Bill wanting to employ Sitting Bull in his Western show. Next up there are story from Cody's past. It the goes on to explain Cody's Western Show which would travel all over Europe to show off how great the American life was. Towards the end we hear how Sitting Bull was assassinated and lead to the slaughtering of 150 Sioux Indians. Finally Buffalo Bill dies and his funeral is attended by many Native Americans.
I my favorite part of the book was hearing about Cody's(Buffalo Bill) past and his childhood. His youth is definitely described as something you'd see in any western movies. Filled with excitement but also sorrow his youth sounded very action packed. But at some point it was noted on how Cody likes to make his stories bigger than they were so I do wonder if he had done all that he claimed. But all the anecdotes he provided definitely made this book a much better read.
What made this book not get the 4 stars was main the title being miss directing. Very little of the book even had them at the same place at the same time. I never really got the feeling they were friends at all. Another thing that I didn't like to much was the beginning I just felt lost a few times because of how many different perspectives we were at and how the time periods kept jumping around.
My favorite quote from this story was near the beginning of the book with Sitting Bull and his people suffering. Sitting Bull said in his language to the White men at his meeting “I hate all the white people. ... You are thieves and liars. You have taken away our land and made us outcasts.” This line was a little funny to me just because of how it was delivered and how his translator kind of enjoyed it as well. Its also very sad that Sitting Bull even felt the need to say this because if their land was never taken than it wouldn't have been a problem.
Spoilers below
The book opened up on Sitting Bull being one of the most wanted men for the killing of a general at the Battle of little bighorn. His tribe would end up being refuges then eventually surrendering. The story would go like this for a while focusing on how hard times were for the Native Americans. But at the same time Sitting Bull became famous and many high class people had wanted to meet him. The book then moves on to Buffalo Bill wanting to employ Sitting Bull in his Western show. Next up there are story from Cody's past. It the goes on to explain Cody's Western Show which would travel all over Europe to show off how great the American life was. Towards the end we hear how Sitting Bull was assassinated and lead to the slaughtering of 150 Sioux Indians. Finally Buffalo Bill dies and his funeral is attended by many Native Americans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2020
I was fascinated by the title of this book. I didn't know that Sitting Bull had met Buffalo Bill. As a kid I romanticized both legends, as I think most little boys of my generation did.
Why two stars, then? The book starts well, with some apparently well-researched history concerning Sitting Bull's return to the States from Canada and his surrender of his pony and his rifle to the U.S. Army. Along the way there's some interesting history concerning Buffalo Bill, too, and also of Annie Oakley. My problem is that Stillman feels free to invent stuff when she doesn't know what had happened or what was said. Consider the following excerpt that discusses a white woman's departure from Sitting Bull's standing Rock reservation following insinuations that they'd had an affair:
"...To spare Sitting Bull from more trouble, she announced that she was leaving the reservation immediately. Sitting Bull offered to drive her to the Missouri River, where she could board the ferry for Winona, a small town where the public roads began. What these two spoke of en route we do not know. Catherine had been trying to learn Lakota and Sitting Bull had picked up some English over the years, but no matter. Here were two kindred spirits, both trapped by cultural constraints (though one was certainly free to go anywhere), sharing what was very likely a tender moment, heading across wide-open space that had shaped Sitting Bull and called Catherine Weldon. Perhaps they heard the familiar trill of the meadowlark as they made their way over the rutted trail to the port, or caught sight of ravens on a thermal; maybe there was a passing thundercloud and it smelled like rain, or quite possibly there was a stiff wind blowing across the plains and it might have carried the promise of change and hope...."
In far too many places in this book, there are virtually no facts. Plenty of speculation, and the prose is pretty enough, but far too many sentences contain either "perhaps" or "maybe". This was thin gruel indeed.
Why two stars, then? The book starts well, with some apparently well-researched history concerning Sitting Bull's return to the States from Canada and his surrender of his pony and his rifle to the U.S. Army. Along the way there's some interesting history concerning Buffalo Bill, too, and also of Annie Oakley. My problem is that Stillman feels free to invent stuff when she doesn't know what had happened or what was said. Consider the following excerpt that discusses a white woman's departure from Sitting Bull's standing Rock reservation following insinuations that they'd had an affair:
"...To spare Sitting Bull from more trouble, she announced that she was leaving the reservation immediately. Sitting Bull offered to drive her to the Missouri River, where she could board the ferry for Winona, a small town where the public roads began. What these two spoke of en route we do not know. Catherine had been trying to learn Lakota and Sitting Bull had picked up some English over the years, but no matter. Here were two kindred spirits, both trapped by cultural constraints (though one was certainly free to go anywhere), sharing what was very likely a tender moment, heading across wide-open space that had shaped Sitting Bull and called Catherine Weldon. Perhaps they heard the familiar trill of the meadowlark as they made their way over the rutted trail to the port, or caught sight of ravens on a thermal; maybe there was a passing thundercloud and it smelled like rain, or quite possibly there was a stiff wind blowing across the plains and it might have carried the promise of change and hope...."
In far too many places in this book, there are virtually no facts. Plenty of speculation, and the prose is pretty enough, but far too many sentences contain either "perhaps" or "maybe". This was thin gruel indeed.
December 6, 2022
The book covers the remarkable story of two well known historical figures and their inside story of friendship.
The book has historical facts and side notes beginning with the coverage of the wild west as Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull were the primary figures of reference.
Buffalo Bill was considered an outlaw by the US Army since he was one of the last leaders to surrender his people and live within the confines of a fort. He was also blamed for the killing of George Armstrong Custer. He surrendered his tribe when they were near death due to starvation from the loss of the buffalo and their natural way of life.
Buffalo Bill was a soldier, scout, hunter and showman. Married with four children he often left the family to work for the military or organize acts for his Wild West Show.
The Wild West Show was where Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull formed a friendship of sorts,"former foes now friends" was the tag line used to advertise the show. Mutual respect for horses and character formed a bond between the two men.
The book also gives the history of Annie Oakley the sharpshooter and her background, marriage and strong admiration for Sitting Bull.
I liked the style of writing because it told the story without being so statistical and just listing dates and events. It wove an understanding of the feelings and emotions with antidots and historical documents.
The book has historical facts and side notes beginning with the coverage of the wild west as Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull were the primary figures of reference.
Buffalo Bill was considered an outlaw by the US Army since he was one of the last leaders to surrender his people and live within the confines of a fort. He was also blamed for the killing of George Armstrong Custer. He surrendered his tribe when they were near death due to starvation from the loss of the buffalo and their natural way of life.
Buffalo Bill was a soldier, scout, hunter and showman. Married with four children he often left the family to work for the military or organize acts for his Wild West Show.
The Wild West Show was where Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull formed a friendship of sorts,"former foes now friends" was the tag line used to advertise the show. Mutual respect for horses and character formed a bond between the two men.
The book also gives the history of Annie Oakley the sharpshooter and her background, marriage and strong admiration for Sitting Bull.
I liked the style of writing because it told the story without being so statistical and just listing dates and events. It wove an understanding of the feelings and emotions with antidots and historical documents.
August 25, 2018
From reading others books, I already knew that Sitting Bull was a significant Native American military and spiritual leader. Had he been a white man, there is no telling how far he could have gone. Buffalo Bill was a true-life frontiersman who made the transition to telling the story of the Wild West as a successful entertainer. This book focuses on the relationship between the two men, although it covers much more than that. It was interesting to learn that the Indian prophet who started the Ghost Dance phenomenon essentially was claiming to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. I had never heard that. The book was difficult to put down, and I read it in a couple of days. I do wish the author had explained whether Buffalo Bill asked Sitting Bull to return to the Wild West show for a second season, and, if he did, why Sitting Bull didn't do it.
August 5, 2018
Well-researched and entertainingly written, Blood Brothers includes biographical information about both men, as well as placing their lives and activities in context of the time. Both men are presented in full complexity to provide a complete picture of their relationship, and their relationships to the world at large. Stillman is a respected historian of the American West, and she presents a balanced version of what life was like at the time for both white and Native Americans, including the terrible marginalization that was forced on the latter.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the period.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the period.
January 18, 2018
I was disappointed with this - I think the title is very misleading. I thought it was going to be about the relationship of Cody and Sitting Bull, but that was barely addressed at all. I came away feeling like the two hardly really knew each other at all, but were simply co-workers.
There was a lot of history, which I like, but I just didn't want that from this book. I can find backgrounds on Cody, Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley, the Wild West show, and Native American history in other, better-written books.
I'm not unhappy I read it, but I was let down a bit.
There was a lot of history, which I like, but I just didn't want that from this book. I can find backgrounds on Cody, Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley, the Wild West show, and Native American history in other, better-written books.
I'm not unhappy I read it, but I was let down a bit.
April 5, 2018
Disappointed in this book. There appears to be a story here, but this did not tell it. It tried to jump back and forth between various times and characters (sometimes Buffalo Bill, sometimes Sitting Bull), but without any real indications of how these related to each other. There was little description of the actual "friendship" between the two men - just that Sitting Bull went on tour with Buffalo Bill for 4 months. Annie Oakley is almost a more developed character than either of the two named in the title.
May 1, 2021
Thank goodness for a book with some historical truths that is not being taken from the shelves or the authors have not tried to smudge over with the niceties or measure of our generation and our times. It is sad when we try to measure historical events through the lens' and perspectives of years and generations passed, and not through the times the people were living through. This book is an appreciation of those times with some better perspective of the events more holistically as they occurred simultaneously to characters.
March 22, 2022
This is a book that can't be described in a single genre. It's biography, yes, that ends up being a double biography of two men with fleeting contact over years, one who was more important than he thought he was, one who ended up being less. It weaves in the social context of these two and how unusual it was in white supremacist, Victorian America that two men of hugely different backgrounds would consider each other as friends from the moment they met beyond the fog of war to the day of Sitting Bull's death.
May 14, 2022
Although the book title seems to give equal credit to Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody, it provides much more detail about Sitting Bull. I never realized that the Bull part of his name refers to Buffalo - so both figures have direct ties to Buffalo. The life and decline of Sitting Bull were even more tragic once his story was told in detail - including his assassination in a botched arrest attempt. He was, above all, an honest and caring person who only fought the whites to protect his own people.
January 21, 2018
Wow, I really got into this tale of enemies turned friends and then, like something out of a tragic independent film, drunkenness and evil forces stop a potential life-saving reunion as a besotted Cody is literally directed down the wrong path while Sitting Bull is assassinated.
Lot's here about Annie Oakley too as well as the broader context of postbellum American already mythologizing a rapidly disappearing wild America.
[I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.]
Lot's here about Annie Oakley too as well as the broader context of postbellum American already mythologizing a rapidly disappearing wild America.
[I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.]
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