What They Didn't Teach You About the Wild West

by Mike Wright

Correcting the history of the American West with facts, the author reveals that twenty-five percent of cowboys were African American, the word "dude" was derived from a German word that means "lazy fellow," and many other interesting tidbits.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published July 19, 2000

Reviews

[Joe Murphy]

This is an interesting read, fast and sometimes funny. The sections about the Native American massacres are terrible. I found some of the stories contradicting previously known tales I have read about the west.

[Amanda]

Since I am a fan of the Old West, I have read much on the topic, so quite a bit of what Mike Wright wrote in this book was familiar to me. The more I read of Wright's What They Didn't Teach You books, the less I like them. This one in particular seemed disorganized in the presentation of the information. I also found the way Wright shared some of the more lewd facts of Old West history somewhat crass and lacking in decorum. Granted it would be difficult to write the material without some less-than-delicate wording (and if you have ever read the book, you will know one chapter in particular stands out), but it seemed that Wright took advantage of the situation and went out of his way to use what I found to be borderline offensive language. I also question his credibility more and more. Near the beginning of the book, he discusses the pigs brought to America, describing them as sweating. Pigs don't sweat. Not enough to fit Wright's description. It makes me wonder what else he has written that is incorrect that I have not caught.

[Coral]

I don't know anything about the author, but I'm willing to bet that he's an Easterner. The text reeks of someone from the East Coast writing about the "real" Wild West.

For most people who paid attention in their US History class or watch some public television, much of this information won't be new. There is a bibliography included at the end of the book but there are very, very few source citations throughout the text and no footnotes at all. An asterisk here and there with some additional notes on a statement but no source citation does not count. For a book that professes to be history, this is a huge red flag...especially when it's written in a conversational tone, with judgment about its subjects included throughout the narrative. Where do the facts end and the speculation and colorful "interpretation" begin?

I cannot recommend this book to anyone.

[Susan]

This book was fun, but too general. The author introduces a little bit of information about a lot of people/places/events. It's a wonderful introduction to the "Wild West" but if you're looking for more than Jeopardy answers to specific questions, this is not what you're looking for.

[Juicy_Groot]

This is a good book that you always go back to and I really liked it.