Prairie Fever

by Peter Pagnamenta

From the 1830s onwards, a succession of British aristocrats headed for the American West, taking with them their valets, their dogs – and their prejudices. This sparkling account describes the newcomers' experiences as they crossed the country to meet Native Americans, hunt buffalo and build cattle empires. Packed with lively incident and colourful personalities, it also charts their reception by Americans often less than pleased at the return of their former colonial overlords.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, 19th Century, Westerns, The United States Of America, British Literature

368 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 2012

About the author

Peter Pagnamenta is a writer and social historian who lives in London. He is the author of Sword and Blossom: A British Officer's Enduring Love for a Japanese Woman.

Reviews

[Izzie (semi-hiatus) McFussy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in "Prairie Fever". Maybe I had the wrong expectations when I opened the cover. I thought the book would go into detail about 19th British communities on the prairie, not focus on old news--the slaughter of thousands of buffalo, elk, and bear strictly for amusement. But wait, the photo on the dust jacket showed a community of settlers, and the first two pages of the introduction referred to the towns the British constructed. Unfortunately, this slim volume of 300 pages spent only 50 describing the phenomenon.

I was impressed with the author's objectivity of his subject. He didn't shy away from showing spoiled, clannish, younger sons of the aristocracy bringing British Imperialism to the prairie and Rockies.

[Richard Starks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-researched and well-written book that's an enjoyable and easy read - especially if, like me, you have British roots and now live in the United States. If nothing else, the book underlines the thoughtless greed and bullheaded stupidity of the British aristocracy and its inability to cope with the egalitarianism of the American West. It describes the way the British upper classes bought and slaughtered their way across the prairies ("Saw 50,000 buffalo through the day," one of them says, "and hunted them from morning till night... And so on until the prairie was strewn for miles back with the bodies of the dead bison"). Many of the aristocrats were second sons unlikely to inherit, so, like modern-day bankers, they hoped to get rich while making little or no contribution to the societies that supported them. Even when they made an effort, they were usually hampered by their inability to do much more than quote the classics, ride to hounds, and lean on their servants. Of the Indians they met along the way, one of them says, "Happily, I think, the tribes are dying out from illnesses and epidemics, and this is surely not to be regretted." That pretty much sums up the prevailing attitudes.

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book on the British adventurers who came west to explore, hunt, cattle ranch, or simply to have a good time. Full of stories, maps and a slim insert of photos. I had never heard of these stories and found them fascinating to read about this part of hidden American history. Four stars overall and recommended.

For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Peter_...

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book about the British aristocrats who headed out West in the 19th Century. Some fed on tales such as those of Fenimore Cooper, wanted adventure. Some went for money. Younger sons with no inheritance to support them, came to (hopefully) make their way in the world. Pagnamenta devotes a chapter to each of the driving hopes behind these travels: farming, cattle ranching, travel, hunting, adventure, land investment. He concludes with a section about the souring of American attitudes towards the British visitors (or immigrants) and attempts to prevent their land holding.

[Fionnuala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent overview of the subject, which is good as this is something I knew absolutely nothing about when I picked it up. It's very much an introductory work, but it provides enough information that even if this was something you picked up out of curiosity rather than to do any serious research, you'd still come away with a working knowledge of the time period and the people involved. It would also provide a solid staring point to look into the subject in more detail.

The writing avoided becoming dry or stale, but there are certain sections that aren't as lively as others. These deal with the technicalities of farming and cattle trading, important context to know but as you can imagine, not the most gripping of reading. The book more than makes up for it with the kinds of people and events it profiles; typically of the time period, everyone was insane. I also appreciated the fact that the dispicable treatment and horrific fate of the Native Americans was not glossed over in the slightest -- while not the focus of the book, which is more a general history, the author is constantly aware of the atrocities taking place in parallel to the events he is chronicling, as a direct result of the desires and needs of the people featured. It is impossible to forget the cost of these land expansions, the over-farming, and the greed and complete disregard shown by the European settlers, both American and British. Something that Pagnamenta made very clear, without having to say it in so many words, was the blatant hipocrisy on show: Americans eventually got angry at the fact that British aristocrats were coming over and buying up all the land that they felt entitled to, and passed laws to prevent it with one hand, while the other hand signed away tens of thousands of Native Americans to pathetic reservations a fraction of the size of their ancestral lands. Combining these atrocities with the destruction of the native prairie and the systematic eradication of the buffalo herds, and threaded through this book comes a powerful story of irreversible loss.

Reading this has given me the urge to look more deeply into certain areas of this subject, which is a good sign for all informative books -- they keep and encourage your interest, rather than kill it. This was a pretty solid place to start.

[Sandy Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nonfiction book, but the story reads like a fictional action adventure; you can't believe some of the things that happened, and some of them are laugh-out-loud crazy.
It's the story of younger sons of the 19th century British aristocracy - young men that have too much money and not enough to do. At that time in history, the most exciting place they know of is the Wild West of America, and they chase out there in search of adventure. The antics they get up to, and the way they burn through their money, is hilarous. They have no understanding of or respect for local cultures; they just think that flashing the cash will solve all their problems. But out in the wilderness, their wealth and status are absolutely useless.
I loved the book so much, I used it as the basis for my novella 'Prairie Gold'.
I highly recommend this book - you'll wish the West was still wild, and you could join in the adventure!

[Macey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this one - the same few things kept happening to people - pretty much, a rich British guy who like shooting and hunting gets bored with Britain, takes a massive load of stuff across the prairie, shoots more Bison than they could ever use, confuses the locals and says some unpolitically correct things about Native Americans. And writes a book about it. It was less amusing than I thought it would be, especially because the joke of the high-class guy having to 'rough it' ran on too long. Overall pretty boring. The cover of the edition I found pretty much sums it up - a guy with a moustache wearing a pink suit and tie (with matching bowler hat) riding a frightened horse away from a huge angry bison.

[Steelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book contains at least two factual errors:

1. Lord Aylesworth built his ranch at Big Spring, west of Dallas, not at Silver Spring, south of Dallas.
2. Fort Gibson is in Oklahoma, not Kansas.

Aside from these known issues, I found this book entertaining on the whole. I suspect I would have enjoyed it more if I were more familiar with all the British personalities involved. The author names several dukes and lords and marquises and viscounts with whom I am unfamiliar. But the story well underscores the uneven relationship that Americans and the British have had over the years.

[Michele Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book so much. I have always had an interest in British history and now, as a new Texan, adding that to my interests. Having already read about British ownership of cattle companies in Texas, I was amazed at the sheer number of British aristocrats who were involved in the settlement of the West and the impact they had in this country.

The writing was engaging and the author took pains to introduce each individual to create a better understanding of their British connections and their place in creating this interesting time in the history of the American West.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and highly readable book on the fascination British aristocrats had with the American Wild West. From shooting trips to cattle ranches, they came in waves and helped shape Britain's view of America, and American's views of the British. Well researched, full of interesting stories and first hand accounts. A must read for those interested in the history of the American West, or Britain from 1830-1890.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to learn about how British sporting enthusiasts with unlimited resources became engrossed with the American West. This book is very much written as a study of a time and phenomenon. It was factual, but not very entertaining. I most enjoyed the earlier parts of the book that described the earliest explorations of the unsettled West by British & Scottish lords.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of how the British helped settle the prairie states. The British practice of primogeniture helped to motivate this movement since second and later sons received no land or privilege from their "noble" birth.

[Rickeclectic · Rating 3 out of 5]

About how British money and families invested in ranches in the American West. Interesting topic and detailed account, but fairly dry telling.

[Laurie Sytsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected at all. Not an easy read - more like a textbook. But I forced myself to finish it.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book

I enjoyed reading this book .
It is very informative & very interesting to read about British Aristocrats who moved to the USA to have a new life .

[Grant Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turns out Victorian-Era British aristocrats were just as annoying in the American West as they were literally everywhere else.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The British love of all things western has very deep roots, stemming almost from the days of the Revolution itself. There have always been close links between the Old and New World, not least the 'special relationship' of today. Much less well known, however, is the role the British aristocracy played in the settling of the West. A small role, to be sure, but a colourful one.

From the earliest days of western exploration British readers were inspired by the tales of writers such as Fennimore Cooper and Irving, and those with the means viewed the newly opened west as a place for travel, for leisure pursuits. It was considered perfect hunting territory, and many are the stories of British lords and dukes and barons venturing out onto the prairies with enormous trains of mules and wagons conveying all the luxuries one might need. Many determined to purchase their own land and pursue the life of the landed aristocracy on the American plains.

Still later it was seen as a place to solve the problem of landless younger sons, with the creation of a number of British 'colonies' in Kansas, Iowa and elsewhere, where they could pursue the agricultural life without needing to mingle with the 'democratic' Americans. Few of these colonies survived more than a few years, but some foresighted individuals saw that cattle ranching was where the money was to be made, and soon there were enormous cattle ranches owned by some of the most illustrious names in the British peerage, owning up to a supposed 21 million acres.

This was a really fascinating read, an insight into an otherwise familiar era of American history from a truly unusual angle. Whilst I had heard tales of British nobility sporting on the Plains, I had no idea of the length or scope of the British presence. The book is well-written, lacking any kind of bias or judgement one way or the other, and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. I could hardly put it down - definitely recommended.

[Kate Arcangeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I oddly enjoyed reading this non fiction book by Peter Pagnamenta. I say this because this is not a topic that would normally interest me: hunting. I originally picked it up because I liked the author's name, I had recently named my second son Peter...I know that's odd but sometimes I do this, I am compelled by people's names.

I was unaware of this part of American history but I thought it was especially interesting in light of the popularity of Downton Abbey. I kept picturing Mary and Matthew going on the fox hunt in the beginning of the first season when she falls in love with the Turkish boy. I kept thinking of that scene because it gave me a visual of how important "the hunt" was to the British aristocracy and how it was so much a part of their culture.

I have two little boys (2 years old and 1 years old) and I am firm believer in letting boys be boys. I can understand why so many young men were compelled to hunt in the USA...how exciting would it be to hunt enormous animals thousands of miles from home? I was not raised by hunters, so I am not endorsing hunting here as sport, but I can understand the excitement, especially at that time.

I also loved the chapter about Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show that came to England and I kept chuckling picturing Queen Victoria watching that show! She was so refined and the idea of the Queen watching the complete opposite of refined just made me laugh.

I would recommend this book to one who enjoys reading about American history, especially in relation to the UK, which has been and always will be a huge part of our American culture from our early founding fathers to the mid 18th century aristocrats.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What to do with younger sons?"

Primogeniture has much to answer for in British history. The need to find employment for those who would not inherit the estate sent thousands of young men darting about the empire -- but not just the empire, it seems. They were also packed off to America.

While admittedly something of a historical sideline, the exodus described in Prairie Fever is engagingly told. There are the laughably Wodehousian episodes involving fox hunting and amateur dramatic societies out on the prairie, but there are also striking descriptions of the rendezvous of hunters and trappers out in Wyoming and vivid portrayals of aristocrats such as Sir St. George Gore, who viewed the frontier “in purely recreational terms.”

Pagnamenta chronicles more than a minor demographic trend, however. The years from 1832 to 1890 witnessed the conversion of a frontier to homesteads and cattle ranches, many accessible by railway. As this happened, much of the romance that initially drew British aristocrats faded but new financial interests took hold. As the 19th century drew to a close, one British visitor was disappointed upon arrival in Indian Territory to find four native Americans playing an affable game of croquet next to the railway platform. She need hardly need to have left home to witness that.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and often entertaining summary of the involvement of the British upper crust in the development of the western United States—a subject most often treated only in the small magazines of western historical societies. This is, I think, the first time the topic has been treated in depth by a British author, so the book has a different perspective than that provided in 1989 by Lawrence Woods in his excellent but long out-of print “British Gentlemen in the Wild West: The Era of the Intensely English Cowboy.” New material from British journals, and quotations from letters and diaries found in British repositories make the presentation fresh, and Pagnamenta also benefited from, as he acknowledges, his access to previously unavailable electronic databases of early western newspapers.

The chapters chronicling the role of early British entrepreneurs and sportsmen in romancing the region to their countrymen and inspiring them to follow in their footsteps are particularly strong, as is the “epilogue” that chronicles the American reaction in the late nineteenth century to what was perceived as a British attempt to recreate its system of property landlordism in the American West. All in all, a well-written, well-paced, and eminently readable book.

[Miriam Murcutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, well-researched book about British aristocrats who felt the pull of the American prairies in the mid to late 19th century. First they went there to hunt, killing off thousands of head of bison purely for sport, depriving others who needed the animals for food, clothing and shelter. Then they tried to set up wholly British communities on the prairies and, with a fatal combination of ego and ignorance, chose their spots badly. The majority of the communities failed. Finally, they bought up hundreds of head of cattle and tried - and failed again - to acquire vast tracts of American land for ranches or to manage as absentee landlords (just as they had done in Ireland). By 1890, the British aristocracy had had enough of the America west,and had decided that America was best left to the Americans. They turned their attention to Canada, South Africa, Australia and Siam (now Thailand)for the overseas investment opportunities they were seeking.

This book is full of good writing and really, laugh-out-loud quotations which the author uses to great effect to illustrate the way the 'special relationship' functioned way back then.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It literally took me years to read this book. I started it on a road trip west to Colorado, Utah and Kansas, which are among the areas discussed in this book. I put it down for long periods of time and picked it up again, periodically, usually while walking on the treadmill. In a nutshell, it tells of the British enthusiasm for the American far west when land was cheap and largely populated with buffalo, wolves, bears and other wildlife. British aristocrats, especially younger sons who did not inherit family estates, bought large swaths of land for sport and profit. Some grew large cattle ranches, others rented property to tenant farmers. But there was a predictable backlash from native Americans who did not appreciate the British setting up serfdoms or estates on American soil. Finally, through mismanagement, bad weather, and American legislation limiting immigrant landowners' rights, the boom ended and most British either sold their interests or settled into more modest lifestyles as farmers or ranchers.

[Jan Polep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago I read Larry McMurtry's "Berrybender Narratives" about a British aristocratic family's fictional 1830's adventures exploring the West...where if things could go radically wrong, they did. Prairie Fever seems tame by comparison. The author describes British planned communities, land grabs, exhibitions, and business empires that wax and wane in connection with the weather, foreign funding, and changing attitudes of American citizens towards the British colonization efforts...which brought on America enactment of the Alien Land Bill of 1887. I totally understand the lure of the wide open spaces, the cleverness of finding meaningful work for 2nd sons, but give me the Berrybenders in a fight against man and nature over the history of a failed attempt at reinstating the British caste system on the great plains.

[Rey Dekker · Rating 3 out of 5]

...good book, over all...lots of stuff I had no idea about...due to the nature of this beast though there was a lot of Lord This-ing, Duke of That-ing, etc. that got a little tedious and space consuming...but by and large, lots of stuff new to me which is what I expect when I read a historical book...flavour sort of reminded me of David McCullough and that is not a bad thing...anyone interested in Great Plains history or British influences in "the colonies" would find this a good read...now...Time Traveler's Wife...???...dear god, I don't want to SOB...

[Raymond]

This is an original and quite extraordinary volume. The British aristocracy judged land in America to be a sterling investment. These wealthy Englishmen purchased, in total, land which, if laid out in a strip, would be 10 miles wide, extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. There was no threatening scheme; men were buying land to sell land. But to exaggerate a bit, England could defeat America so England's most wealthy citizens set out to buy America. A memorable book.

[Deigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first half of the book much better than the 2nd half. The first half dealt with the English aristocrats that came out and hunted with the fur trappers and early explorers of the West while the 2nd half dealt with the farming and ranching efforts of a group out to make money and really never connected with western ideas.

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

British snobs run rampant across the American plains during the Victorian era, shooting everything in sight, claiming/buying all the land as their own, making gobs of money on the fledgling cattle industry, attempting to start new colonies, and generally pissing off the American homesteaders and westward emigrants.

A good historic read. Well researched and easy reading.

[Architeacher]

As someone with a special interest in the British presence in Dakota Territory—especially as it is still manifest in a series of Episcopal (read "Anglican") church buildings from the 1880s and early 1890s—I'm anxious to read what Pagnamenta has to say about the larger topic of Britons in the American West, whether for sport or as investors.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combined two of my great loves - the West (many Colorado-specifics) and the British. A different side of travel/immigration to go into and especially interesting to see how these visitors/settlers/investors shaped parts of the west.

[Ellen Baranowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am just beginning this book here on vacation in Estes Park but it covers places I have lived by and never knew about....really LaMars Iowa home of Blue Bunny Ice Cream? If the British had stayed would it be called the Azure Hare???? Easy read BYW.