The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline: A Tale of Murder, Betrayal, and the Creation of Buffalo Bill

by Julia Bricklin

Edward Zane Carroll Judson aka Ned Buntline (1821-1886) was responsible for creating a highly romantic and often misleading image of the American West, albeit one that the masses found irresistible in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Some scholars estimate that he wrote at least four hundred dime novels over his lifetime, and perhaps as many as six hundred. While he is best known for discovering William Frederick Cody ("Buffalo Bill") and making the irrepressible scout a star, Judson--by that time--had already lived five lifetimes himself: he had fought Seminole Indians in Florida; started and bankrupted three newspapers; published dozens of successful novels; agitated for the Know-Nothing party; and fought in the Union Army during the Civil War. Along the way, the fiery redheaded, gray-eyed writer lectured extensively about temperance between drinking bouts. He married eight women; seduced at least one other; and cavorted with prostitutes, one of whom beat him physically and legally. It wasn't until 1869 that, en route home from a temperance speaking tour in California, he met Cody in Nebraska, while trying to make contact with another Western star, "Wild Bill" Hickok. Judson's time with his last three wives overlapped his time with Cody. Their subsequent fight over Judson's Civil War pension provides not only a unique glimpse into the mind of a narcissistic genius, but also a panoramic view of America's past forcibly displayed by white, Protestant manhood. Murder, Betrayal, and Buffalo Bill captures the likeness of a man whose life was a landscape littered with contradictions--a man whose readers often forgave his Jekyll-and-Hyde behavior because of his inventive portrayal of a country trying to subdue the last of its natural landscapes and make sense of its teeming cities. It will be, at last, an open-eyed look at the man who sparked an American legend but whose own scandalous life somehow escaped history's limelight.

Genres: Biography, Westerns, History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2020

Reviews

[Kathleen Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to meticulous research, masterful writing and illuminating details, Julia Bricklin has no equal, and with The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline, she's outdone herself once again. All I knew about him before was he had written some western stories and the Buntline Special was likely named after him. A pretty shallow pool, but now, I realize this man's life was a deep lake. While admittedly a scoundrel and a shameless deceiver, he lived life to its fullest and accomplished with full measure things other men of his time, and really, any time, only fantasize about. The story of Edward Zane Carroll Judson aka Ned Buntline is a wild ride from start to finish, incredible in its scope and comes to into sharp focus thanks to the talented Ms. Bricklin. Can't wait to see what she delves into next, but I'm eagerly looking forward to it. Thanks to her for giving us a glimpse into the past of this unique man.

[Randi Samuelson-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to be given a review copy of this book.

Fabulous book on a fascinating man (to say the least). Ned Buntline was a bombastic personality, ladies' man (notice the plural) and is best known today for being the man who "discovered" Buffalo Bill. As the reader will discover, he was much more than that. In a way, Ned Buntline confirms the old adage that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.

Not intending to give spoilers - let's just say that Buntline was a very odd assemblage of contradictions. Here was a man who was a habitual drunkard that gave rousing temperance lectures. He is largely responsible for the loss of life as witnessed in the Astor Place Riot (among other incidents). He was a successful dime novel writer (whom Mark Twain apparently admired) - but is he is largely forgotten today. At the time, he was a prolific writers whom the public could not get enough of.

Bricklin's writing style is entertaining and engaging. She has assembled a historically accurate and entertaining content - she manages to capture the era in fabulous word pictures that bring the book to life. The assembled photographs are a startling grounding note, contrasting the perceptions Buntline (along with contemporary accounts in newspapers) managed to weave.

This book is a significant contribution to the study of a character that had a large hand in shaping the lore of the Wild West.

Highly recommended.

[Charles Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Bricklin takes us into the world behind the pen name of Ned Buntline, who is considered the creator of the dime novel. Our real person is Edward Zane Carroll Judson. Mr. Judson was a cad, a scoundrel, a womanizer, a storyteller, a walking contradiction. In the well written 180 pages, Ms. Bricklin introduces the reader to a man who takes his attitudes of life to ludicrous and warped dimensions. Did I say scoundrel? See also liar, cheat, charlatan and then add in manipulator. In short, Judson made P.T. Barnum look like a stuffy Wall Street banker. It makes a book reviewer want to write the review like a circus poster.
Ms. Bricklin has discovered that Judson’s life was one escapade after another – eight marriages, some at the same time. Military experience in the Seminole Wars in Florida and in the Civil War where the term AWOL was common for him. His womanizing started early and lasted all his life, including marrying in an instant the young lady in the bar – or the 18-year-old when he was 50 years old himself. Some of the ceremonies were suspect, so bigamy doubled back on itself for Judson, culminating in the form of a battle of several of his wives challenging his will. As good as he was with words on the page (having written hundreds of those dime novels) he became a powerful orator of burning rhetoric for the cause of temperance. No problem, you say? Wait. He’d finish his speeches and then go out and get totally soused in a drinking binge that you would think single-handedly kept the booze companies in business.
As if this wasn’t enough, Judson “discovered” Buffalo Bill Cody. Judson included Cody in some of his dime novels, but eventually the two connected, resulting in a play written by Judson all about the adventures of the buffalo slayer Cody. The play became wildly successful as it barnstormed its way across America.
And still within the framework of the theatrical arts, Mr. Judson caused a riot or two in his time – most notably at a theatre on Astor Place in New York, where Judson’s penchant against immigration provoked a riot because an Englishman, instead of an American, was playing a part in a Shakespearean play.
How did he make this all work? His writings earned him a good deal of money, so his travel expenses across the country were covered. He founded several newspapers of his own to foster his opinions (the horrors of Irish immigration, for one) and to bring about the “KNOW NOTHING” political party of the mid-1800s.
In all this, researching his life must have been difficult. Ms. Bricklin followed the trail all over the United States to find corroboration of the Judson tales. Those tales were so fluid, so slippery, that even she needed to concede at times that some of the issues in Judson’s life were so bizarre that it was hard to say with any concrete evidence that they occurred. Trying to track down the facts of his life was like being blindfolded, having your hands tied behind your back, and flying a kite during a hurricane while trying to keep a candle lit.
The good news is Ms. Bricklin’s research and writing reflect a spectacular, professional job in every way. THE NOTORIOUS LIFE OF NED BUNTLINE offers a concise, informative story that is a multi-dimensional thrill-ride through the middle of the nineteenth century of America.

[Katya Cengel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read two of Bricklin’s books now one of the things that impresses me most about her writing is her ability to describe historical happenings in a way that makes them relevant today. I have to confess I am not a huge western fan. I am however a Julia Bricklin fan. I say this because otherwise my lack of knowledge of Ned Buntline might not make sense. Before I picked up this book, I had never heard of the writer who brought Buffalo Bill to readers. I had heard of Buffalo Bill. What I hadn’t realized was what went into the creation of his character and the character of Ned Buntline. Because that is what we learn in this book, about how an author, political figure, politician and actor, invented himself. That is also where the past crosses into the present.

Buntline was a shameless promoter who incited division and even violence in order to help himself and his cause. Bricklin provides the details that show just how little Buntline cared about the human cost of his actions. In “The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline” Bricklin provides a sad reminder of how words can be used to manipulate. Although it took place more than a century ago, Buntline’s path will sound eerily familiar to today’s readers. The specifies of his attacks are different, but the rhetoric is largely the same. Reading about his escapades one is reminded how they mirror those of modern politicians.

And yet as troubling as some of Buntline’s actions were, he was a prolific writer who laid the foundation for the western genre. Bricklin does a good job balancing Buntline’s accomplishments with his unsympathetic actions. You may end up hating Buntline for the way he treats women, immigrants and Native Americans, but it is hard to ignore his vast output. Then there is Buffalo Bill. Without giving it away Buffalo Bill’s early acting attempts provide levity. While trying to learn his lines Buffalo Bill becomes flustered by “this cue business”. An engaging, informative and all too relevant read.

[Matthew Kerns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ned Buntline. He is remembered now as "the creator" of Buffalo Bill, but in his day he was indeed notorious. He incited riots and married multiple women (often at the same time) and murdered jealous husbands of the women he wooed and was as widely read as Mark Twain or any other writer alive at the time.

I'm very glad that Julia Bricklin wrote this book. By that, I don't just mean that I'm glad someone researched and wrote a modern biography of Ned Buntline, but that I'm glad that it was Julia who chose to focus her keen eye on Mr. Judson as a subject. Most western writers/biographers (read: men) would have mishandled the human part of dealing with his misdeeds, which were many and often quite unique. Bricklin provides the cultural context to soften the blow, but without excusing the man solely because he created something lasting and important in the western and in his frontier heroes Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack.

Reading The Notorious Ned Buntline, I found myself in equal parts abhorring Buntline while kind of pulling for him too. Bricklin's words paint him as an awful and awfully endearing man, one capable of treating his loved ones terribly in one moment and in the next acting with tenderness and care. The way the author weaves Buntline's wives in and out is really fascinating, and I felt like they each had a personality and a place in the story beyond just "one of Buntline's women."

This is a story of a man whose duality and hypocrisy rise to heights that seem almost unbelievable. A man whose life was as uniquely full of adventure as any of the subjects of his many dime novels. With incredible clarity and narrative drive, this book takes that life and shows why it was both repellant and relevant. If you want to understand the American West, read this book about the man that wrote it wild.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

History (especially western(s) occupies a rather limited space on my bookshelf. I've read a fair number of Tony Hillerman, Louis L'amour and a few by Zane Grey. Ned Buntline was out there on the edges of my interests. I knew of him as the author of 400-500 "dime novels"...a popular genre in the mid-nineteenth century. Plots were thin and the writing can best be described as "pulpy". But they sold as fast as they could be printed. It's fair to say that Buntline deserves the title King of the Pulps.

Then I picked up a copy of The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline by Julia Bricklin.
Not only was he a copious author who make several fortunes, he was also a bigamist, swindler, murderer, soldier of fortune, part-time politician, crazy drunk, liar and a leader of several riots including the Astor Place riot in New York City.
One aspect of his public 'platform' was his fervent "America First" beliefs. This has dark foreshadowings of our present political situation.
Buntline wore many hats. He could be a proper civic leader and generous individual.
He had mixed success with making Buffalo Bill Cody a hero to his fans along the east coast. But, it was not for want of trying. Money was his God.
I am grateful to Bricklin for providing many illustrations and a wide and complete bibliography.
The book reads like a novel...a compliment to hard working historians.
This is a great read that will educate you on corners of the Wild West you never knew existed.

[Mary Aalgaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book and asked me to read and review it. It's not really my cup of tea, so take this review with a grain of salt. First, it deserves more stars for how well Julia Bricklin has written this book, and all the research that went into creating it. The pictures were interesting, and she provides numerous quotes and samples of Ned Buntline's writing. His birth name was Edward Judson, not nearly as catchy, so he wrote under the pseudonym Ned Buntline. He knew how to put together an interesting sentence and spin a yarn. He was a great storyteller, both on paper and in real life, and his stories of Buffalo Bill gave him great success. I had a hard time reading about this privileged ass, who was a womanizer that perpetuated stereotypes, if not full on invented them, especially about Native Americans. This book is for anyone who is interested in the invention of the "Wild West" and the character of Buffalo Bill. Full disclosure. I read about one third of this book and skimmed to the end.

[Sandy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bricklin’s biography reveals Edward Zane Carroll Judson’s few meritorious virtues but plenty of his entertaining-to-read-about vices. If Judson followed Shakespeare’s advice to be true to thine own self, unfortunately, his own self landed him in several bigamous marriages, at least two riots he instigated, several arrests, and a near-hanging. Those, besides his unremarkable military record (though he did like wearing the uniform), a reputation as a drunken temperance lecturer, and a failed politician, pretty much defined his life. His role in creating what is now known as dime novels, however, cannot be underestimated, nor can his discovering and promoting William F. Cody as Buffalo Bill. If Judson/Buntline did nothing else in his life, we have him to thank for that.

[Kris Knorr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ned Buntline described his life's work of churning out 'dime' novels’, as "writing trash for the masses."
Brickiln's recent historia, Buntline, follows the life of the man who popularized American characters Bat Masterson, William Bonney, Kit Carson, and Bill Cody. He wrote with imagination about their episodes of wild daring, never letting absolute fact get in the way of a sensational story. Historians of American Western culture will find the details of E. Judson's (Buntline) life drawn together from the many scattered sources. Bricklin's book provides a very interesting glimpse into our history.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guys life is fascinating. Book was a very interesting read. I don’t know how he got away with so much 😅. It’s weird he’s kind of like a conman in a lot of ways but that’s not the correct term for him because he’s got a lot of genuine talent as a writer. Just gives off that vibe i guess.

[Deborah Swenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ned Buntline, a man of many contradictions, was born Edward Zane Carroll Judson in 1821. A child eager for his father’s direction and approval. Receiving little to none of either, more than likely, set into motion a life full of trials and error. In his pursuit of notoriety, Ned’s search led him in many tumultuous directions.
Julia Bricklin, a member of Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West, once again has proven herself as an outstanding researcher and author of the lesser-known characters in American history. Ned Buntline is one such person who, on his one and only trip West in 1869, discovered the then twenty-three-year-old William Frederick Cody, soon to be Buffalo Bill, who had already established himself on the Western Frontier. In 1872, Ned wrote and co-starred in New York City with Cody in the play, The Scouts of the Prairie, and Red Deviltry As It Is.
When asked, Ms. Bricklin states, “This is a story I thought needed to be told.” Thankfully, she did. In this fascinating work of non-fiction, Bricklin’s eye for detail and truth is evident in her thorough account of Ned Buntline’s life. While she draws you into his captivating story, the reader may need a scorecard to keep up with Ned’s chaotic existence.
By the time Judson was twenty-six years old, he was known to many on the East Coast as a famous author and adventurer. Unfortunately, he was also a provocateur. Famous for the latter as the instigator of the Astor Place Riots of 1849 in New York City, a dark moment in his life, where he showed little remorse. Many innocent bystanders and rioters alike were killed, leading Ned to stand trial for murder. Sentenced, he served time in the Blackwell’s Island prison.
This didn’t stop Judson’s search for infamy. In his sixty-five years, he was, to mention a few, a soldier, an alcoholic, polygamist, want-a-be politician, instigator of riots, and a murderer. Having served in several military conflicts, he used his experiences, expounding on the exploits of his service throughout his writing. All the while, Judson woo many a young woman, at least eight that he married, even some at the same time. A known polygamist and adulterer, he left behind broken hearts, penniless wives, mothers, and numerous children.
Judson’s life reads like one of the ‘Dime’ novels he so famously coined. In the mid to late 1800s the notorious Ned Buntline published over four-hundred Western genre novels, creating fictional and real legends that Americans, at the time, couldn’t get enough of.