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The Life of Honorable William F. Cody: Known as Buffalo Bill the Famous Hunter
The Life of Honorable William F. Known as Buffalo Bill the Famous Hunter
239 pages, Kindle Edition
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About the author
William F. Cody
130 books6 followersWilliam Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917) was an American soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), in Le Claire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US Army as a scout. One of the most colorful figures of the American Old West, Buffalo Bill became famous for the shows he organized with cowboy themes, which he toured in Great Britain and Europe as well as the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
June 25, 2019
From his words, it seems like Buffalo Bill never missed a shot, and maybe he didn't. His autobiography was exciting at times, but left out most of my interests. It would have been nice to read an explanation for the war against Native Americans, but that apparently wasn't important to a man of his time-period.
February 6, 2017
I am not an American, but am nevertheless fascinated by this period in their history. It was a boiling pot of adventure and violence. This is one of those rare occasions in history where many factors came together to create the perfect environment for extreme heroism and evil to flourish.
I had no idea who Buffalo Bill was when I started this book, but the name sounded familiar so I gave it a go.
Pros:
1. Many adventure stories. Young boys and men will love it.
I especially enjoyed the one where Bill and a friend had their own wagon and two oxen when they met with calamity. What a story! I would read a whole book just on that entire experience.
2. A glimpse into the Pony Express.
3. Adventures concerning cross-country wagon trains.
There's an excellent story about three men who were separated from the rest who were attacked by a band of Indians and their ingenuity in getting out of the fix.
4. He spent time in the Scouts and acted as a spy once (for the confederates, in the union army).
5. It is explained where he got his title "Buffalo Bill" from, later in the book. There was a competition. It was entertaining.
6. it is also explained how he got into showbiz.
Cons:
1. A lot of animals were killed. When Bill shot his mule for running away from him, my estimation of his character took a dive.
2. When people love the spotlight I tend to not want to shine it on them. Bill liked his fame.
3. One feels bad for the Indians.
4. One suspects embellishments.
I'm glad I read this. I just wish that I could retain all the information, since there are some wonderful stories. Definitely recommend to those who love real-life adventure.
A note on the audiobook:
The Librivox recording I listened to was jarring. Each chapter was read by a different person and some chapters were read by people whose native language is not English, which is fine, but it does takes you out of the book. If you are going to listen to it, try to find a version where the whole thing is read by one person.
I had no idea who Buffalo Bill was when I started this book, but the name sounded familiar so I gave it a go.
Pros:
1. Many adventure stories. Young boys and men will love it.
I especially enjoyed the one where Bill and a friend had their own wagon and two oxen when they met with calamity. What a story! I would read a whole book just on that entire experience.
2. A glimpse into the Pony Express.
3. Adventures concerning cross-country wagon trains.
There's an excellent story about three men who were separated from the rest who were attacked by a band of Indians and their ingenuity in getting out of the fix.
4. He spent time in the Scouts and acted as a spy once (for the confederates, in the union army).
5. It is explained where he got his title "Buffalo Bill" from, later in the book. There was a competition. It was entertaining.
6. it is also explained how he got into showbiz.
Cons:
1. A lot of animals were killed. When Bill shot his mule for running away from him, my estimation of his character took a dive.
2. When people love the spotlight I tend to not want to shine it on them. Bill liked his fame.
3. One feels bad for the Indians.
4. One suspects embellishments.
I'm glad I read this. I just wish that I could retain all the information, since there are some wonderful stories. Definitely recommend to those who love real-life adventure.
A note on the audiobook:
The Librivox recording I listened to was jarring. Each chapter was read by a different person and some chapters were read by people whose native language is not English, which is fine, but it does takes you out of the book. If you are going to listen to it, try to find a version where the whole thing is read by one person.
dnf
August 13, 2020What the author says in the Foreword is enough of a forewarning why his life and deeds are less than admirable to at least this reader. Why did he kill 4280 buffalo in 18 months? That is a lot of meat for the railroad workers: 237 per month or almost 8 per day. The natives are included 185 times in this autobiography so there was a greater concern with them. I did not care to get to the details nor about his second career in circus shows.
E.E. Cummings put it far better in one of his best poems:
Buffalo Bill ’s
defunct
who used to
ride a watersmooth-silver
stallion
and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
Jesus
he was a handsome man
and what i want to know is
how do you like your blue-eyed boy
Mister Death
E.E. Cummings put it far better in one of his best poems:
Buffalo Bill ’s
defunct
who used to
ride a watersmooth-silver
stallion
and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
Jesus
he was a handsome man
and what i want to know is
how do you like your blue-eyed boy
Mister Death
December 30, 2011
This is a fantastical read, which makes me take nearly everything Col Cody says with a big pinch of salt. Still, for the larger than life figure Buffalo Bill has become, it is fitting that his autobiography is a tall tale.
About 15 chapters in and I had to give up. This tales are the same, he rolls into a town, is almost attacked by bandits/Native Americans/Confederates and not only manages to heroically save himself, he saves a few damsels that happen to be in distress. All at the age of 10. Lather, rinse, repeat.
About 15 chapters in and I had to give up. This tales are the same, he rolls into a town, is almost attacked by bandits/Native Americans/Confederates and not only manages to heroically save himself, he saves a few damsels that happen to be in distress. All at the age of 10. Lather, rinse, repeat.
April 11, 2023
Mmmmmm it was well written, but I learned I don't like Buffalo Bill, the author and main character of the book
October 4, 2023
During our trip out West, we spent several days in Cody, including one at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Lots of Buffalo Bill stuff there, and in case you didn’t know, the town of Cody is named after him: William F. Cody was Buffalo Bill’s name. I thought I’d enjoy learning more about this larger-than-life character, so I read his autobiography, “Buffalo Bill’s Life Story,” which he wrote in 1879, when he was 34.
Bill Cody was born in 1845, which I noted with interest was the same year King Ludwig II was, over in Bavaria. But the two lived very different lives. He was the very image of what you think of when you think of the “wild west.” I kept thinking of tall tales when I read the book. Either he was extremely impressive (riding a galloping horse while standing, jumping on and off galloping horses, killing dozens of buffalo at a pop, killing various Indians, etc) or he exaggerated. Either way, it was fascinating to look back at a place and time so different from our own.
Some interesting bits:
* What we now call the Great Plains were known at that time as the “American Desert.”
* As a child, Bill saw a military dress parade. This was the first time he’d seen soldiers, and the horseback maneuvers and precision made a deep impression on him (these would be seen again in the Wild West show he created).
* There was SO MUCH about Indians in this book. Bill spent a lot of time with Indian boys as a child, and from them he learned to be an expert shot with a bow and arrow. He learned some of their Kickapoo language as well. I was reminded of Ma in the Little House books with her opinion of Indians, when Bill wrote of showing someone “five ‘good’ Indians, that is dead ones.” Lots of animosity in those days between Indians and “the white man.”
* I felt for Bill’s mom and later his wife. He undoubtedly had the “restless spirit” that Pa Ingalls and others had. At 10, he left home to herd cattle. As an adult, he often left his wife and children for months on end, off fighting Indians, performing in shows, or doing other bits of derring-do. At age 13, at his mom’s urging, he attended school for 2.5 months (“the longest period of schooling that I ever received at any one time in my life”). He soon became restless, though, and “longed for the free and open life of the plains.”
* Around age 20, he met Louisa Frederici, who he married about a year later. “From that time to this I have always thought that I made a most fortunate choice for a life partner.” I was anxious to learn more about Louisa, but she is barely mentioned again. Once, his young son is very sick, so Bill hurries home from New York where he is performing in a show. Soon after, though, the boy dies. I’m still curious about Louisa.
* Bill got his famous nickname due to what a great shot he was at killing buffalo. In one 18-month period, in fact, he personally killed 4280 of them. This made me sad; he frequently went out with others on buffalo killing sprees. They always mentioned eating well, and sometimes saving the heads to mount as trophies, but the number killed seemed way out of proportion to what they could have eaten. And today I think buffalo have become almost extinct due to all the killing of them that happened at this time.
* Bill served in the military for a bit during the Civil War, as an employee on the pony express, as a cattle catcher, and he led expeditions all over the west. As the book wraps up, he was only in his early thirties, and was in shows on the East coast, playing himself. The book didn’t even get to his “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” that he was so famous for.
* It was interesting how many times Bill would meet different people he knew previously, even though all these people seemed to travel over the huge western expanse of the US. This isn’t the first book where I’ve noticed that. Just seems strange and unlikely, since in my own city there are various people I haven’t seen in decades.
I found this book really interesting. I would also enjoy reading a book about Buffalo Bill from an outside perspective, to see if the narrative is pretty much the same.
Bill Cody was born in 1845, which I noted with interest was the same year King Ludwig II was, over in Bavaria. But the two lived very different lives. He was the very image of what you think of when you think of the “wild west.” I kept thinking of tall tales when I read the book. Either he was extremely impressive (riding a galloping horse while standing, jumping on and off galloping horses, killing dozens of buffalo at a pop, killing various Indians, etc) or he exaggerated. Either way, it was fascinating to look back at a place and time so different from our own.
Some interesting bits:
* What we now call the Great Plains were known at that time as the “American Desert.”
* As a child, Bill saw a military dress parade. This was the first time he’d seen soldiers, and the horseback maneuvers and precision made a deep impression on him (these would be seen again in the Wild West show he created).
* There was SO MUCH about Indians in this book. Bill spent a lot of time with Indian boys as a child, and from them he learned to be an expert shot with a bow and arrow. He learned some of their Kickapoo language as well. I was reminded of Ma in the Little House books with her opinion of Indians, when Bill wrote of showing someone “five ‘good’ Indians, that is dead ones.” Lots of animosity in those days between Indians and “the white man.”
* I felt for Bill’s mom and later his wife. He undoubtedly had the “restless spirit” that Pa Ingalls and others had. At 10, he left home to herd cattle. As an adult, he often left his wife and children for months on end, off fighting Indians, performing in shows, or doing other bits of derring-do. At age 13, at his mom’s urging, he attended school for 2.5 months (“the longest period of schooling that I ever received at any one time in my life”). He soon became restless, though, and “longed for the free and open life of the plains.”
* Around age 20, he met Louisa Frederici, who he married about a year later. “From that time to this I have always thought that I made a most fortunate choice for a life partner.” I was anxious to learn more about Louisa, but she is barely mentioned again. Once, his young son is very sick, so Bill hurries home from New York where he is performing in a show. Soon after, though, the boy dies. I’m still curious about Louisa.
* Bill got his famous nickname due to what a great shot he was at killing buffalo. In one 18-month period, in fact, he personally killed 4280 of them. This made me sad; he frequently went out with others on buffalo killing sprees. They always mentioned eating well, and sometimes saving the heads to mount as trophies, but the number killed seemed way out of proportion to what they could have eaten. And today I think buffalo have become almost extinct due to all the killing of them that happened at this time.
* Bill served in the military for a bit during the Civil War, as an employee on the pony express, as a cattle catcher, and he led expeditions all over the west. As the book wraps up, he was only in his early thirties, and was in shows on the East coast, playing himself. The book didn’t even get to his “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” that he was so famous for.
* It was interesting how many times Bill would meet different people he knew previously, even though all these people seemed to travel over the huge western expanse of the US. This isn’t the first book where I’ve noticed that. Just seems strange and unlikely, since in my own city there are various people I haven’t seen in decades.
I found this book really interesting. I would also enjoy reading a book about Buffalo Bill from an outside perspective, to see if the narrative is pretty much the same.
February 24, 2025
This is 100+ years old auto biography so it is dated in language and reads with a bit of hyperbole like a campfire night of stories. Still I don't doubt their veracity and this gives a flavor of the times a century and a half ago. Enjoyable and illuminating.
April 4, 2015
This is the ninth book of my American history series. I finished Mark Twain's book Roughing It and it not only whet my appetite for some more Wild West material but I was also looking for a book to take me into the 1900s. William Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, lived from 1846-1917. As a young boy my grandmother gave me old copies of a series of biographies she had. They included "Wild Bill" Hickcok, Kit Carson, Chief Black Hawk, and Buffalo Bill. From reading those stories at a young age I've always been interested in the heroes of the Wild West. (I accept that the term "hero" is problematic but I am merely writing casual reviews for my own remembrance for the most part).
I am perhaps being generous by giving this book three stars, but giving two is simply not fair. Someday I should read a really objective, in depth, bio of Buffalo Bill because I think that Cody exaggerates some of his tales. At the very least he sees his accomplishments through rose-colored glasses. His ingrained view of the American Indian as an enemy was probably necessary for survival in his line of work as a scout and guide in the American West at that time, but I still find it jarring today even with that knowledge.
A few things that stuck out to me from this work besides all the typical "cowboy and Indian" stories are the recollections of the Pony Express (such a fascinating bit of American history), further information on the character of Joseph Alfred Slade (who appeared in Twain's Roughing It), and Cody's theatrical show called "Scouts of the Plains" including the humorous interactions with "Wild Bill" Hickok in that arena. Unfortunately I did not bother to check that this book was published in 1879 when Cody was only 33. So it naturally did not include stories about "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" the show that followed "Scouts of the Plains." The Wild West show was something I distinctly remember reading about as a child and it played into the 20th century. Alas, I leave this book with a desire to learn even more about Buffalo Bill and to find a book to take me into the next century.
I am perhaps being generous by giving this book three stars, but giving two is simply not fair. Someday I should read a really objective, in depth, bio of Buffalo Bill because I think that Cody exaggerates some of his tales. At the very least he sees his accomplishments through rose-colored glasses. His ingrained view of the American Indian as an enemy was probably necessary for survival in his line of work as a scout and guide in the American West at that time, but I still find it jarring today even with that knowledge.
A few things that stuck out to me from this work besides all the typical "cowboy and Indian" stories are the recollections of the Pony Express (such a fascinating bit of American history), further information on the character of Joseph Alfred Slade (who appeared in Twain's Roughing It), and Cody's theatrical show called "Scouts of the Plains" including the humorous interactions with "Wild Bill" Hickok in that arena. Unfortunately I did not bother to check that this book was published in 1879 when Cody was only 33. So it naturally did not include stories about "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" the show that followed "Scouts of the Plains." The Wild West show was something I distinctly remember reading about as a child and it played into the 20th century. Alas, I leave this book with a desire to learn even more about Buffalo Bill and to find a book to take me into the next century.
February 3, 2011
Getting a Kindle has gotten me into reading much of the 19th century (it's all free, which helps pay for the Kindle).
This one's from 1879, soon after Buffalo Bill had switched from scout and buffalo/Indian slaughterer to theater producer, but a few years before he established his Wild West show.
Cody's an odd bird. From the off-hand way much of the book's written (and I'd presume at least partly ghost-written) I tend to think it's largely truthful (and later accounts by others back this up in most cases). An amazingly accomplished all-around-hotshot, he killed more buffalo, more effectively than probably any other "hunter"--but he gives as much credit to his horse as to himself. He admits to being so embarrassed his first time on stage that he could barely mumble a half-dozen words and vowed never to go near a theater again--yet with three years had established his own flourishing theater troupe. He seems both deeply proud of what he's accomplished in shooting, scouting for the army and of both his mental and physical prowess--yet almost seems at time to be an observer as much as a participant. He killed Indians in a completely matter-of-fact way--yet two years after Custer's massacre, when his friends were writing poems of vengeance against the Sioux, he was hiring these Indians to join in his productions and protecting them from government intervention.
He may have had a strange ability to objectify himself. He also had a mordant sense of humor, pulling elaborate practical jokes that sometimes seemed to place himself and those around him in danger.
An interesting side view is of the West as a 1,000-mile-wide small town, where the few white men, riding hundreds of miles, regularly meet up with "old friends" in the middle of nowhere and seem to see nothing at all strange in the encounters.
I ended up liking Buffalo Bill quite a bit, but I don't think he's someone who's really comprehensible. Which may be true of all Great Men.
This one's from 1879, soon after Buffalo Bill had switched from scout and buffalo/Indian slaughterer to theater producer, but a few years before he established his Wild West show.
Cody's an odd bird. From the off-hand way much of the book's written (and I'd presume at least partly ghost-written) I tend to think it's largely truthful (and later accounts by others back this up in most cases). An amazingly accomplished all-around-hotshot, he killed more buffalo, more effectively than probably any other "hunter"--but he gives as much credit to his horse as to himself. He admits to being so embarrassed his first time on stage that he could barely mumble a half-dozen words and vowed never to go near a theater again--yet with three years had established his own flourishing theater troupe. He seems both deeply proud of what he's accomplished in shooting, scouting for the army and of both his mental and physical prowess--yet almost seems at time to be an observer as much as a participant. He killed Indians in a completely matter-of-fact way--yet two years after Custer's massacre, when his friends were writing poems of vengeance against the Sioux, he was hiring these Indians to join in his productions and protecting them from government intervention.
He may have had a strange ability to objectify himself. He also had a mordant sense of humor, pulling elaborate practical jokes that sometimes seemed to place himself and those around him in danger.
An interesting side view is of the West as a 1,000-mile-wide small town, where the few white men, riding hundreds of miles, regularly meet up with "old friends" in the middle of nowhere and seem to see nothing at all strange in the encounters.
I ended up liking Buffalo Bill quite a bit, but I don't think he's someone who's really comprehensible. Which may be true of all Great Men.
August 5, 2014
Extremely interesting first hand accounts of what it was like taming the American west. Accounts of many, many scouting trips and Indian skirmishes gets a little boring along the way. However, a good American history refresher. If you read this be sure to google and have handy a map of the American frontier that notes all of the American army forts and the major rivers. These are a helpful reference to understand exactly where things were happening. Very well written considering he only had a few years of schooling!
October 1, 2019
A fascinating look into the blustering life of one of America's great iconic western figures, and a fascinating look at the mores of his times from his perspective. I've heard it said of this autobiography that Cody exaggerated something fierce, but I didn't get that impression from his writings. Exaggeration? Sure, definitely some. But not so much that you don't feel the record is pretty close to authentic.
July 2, 2019
After reading a biography of Buffalo Bill, it's even better to read Cody's own description. Opposite of the biography, Cody talks mostly about his childhood and scouting years, describing many adventurous expeditions, and only in the last chapter mentions the Wild West Show.
February 18, 2019
Pure youth sentiment. I completely loved these stories between my tenth and thirteenth. Owned a dozen books of Cody. Of course, now I see how these novels were 'coloured' (literally).
March 6, 2017
Great story
An excellent read, one I thoroughly enjoyed. It is well written and ties in with what McCollough has written about Buffalo Bill's reception in Paris.
An excellent read, one I thoroughly enjoyed. It is well written and ties in with what McCollough has written about Buffalo Bill's reception in Paris.
August 22, 2017
This was an awesome book.
September 28, 2017
I enjoyed reading this autobiography. It was well written and very exciting although it only covered the first part of his life.
April 3, 2018
Absolutely loved this book especially with the pictures & letters. I would definitely recommend this book!! :)
April 6, 2018
Riveting!
Buffalo Bill had the gift of storytelling, that's for sure. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Wild West.
Buffalo Bill had the gift of storytelling, that's for sure. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Wild West.
May 30, 2019
Wild tale with empathy for the American Indian for the final chapter .
March 19, 2025
I’m a sucker for first hand accounts from people through history and Cody’s book here stands as one of the best ‘Western’ primary source accounts out there. Serving as an ‘origins story’ of sorts, Cody documents his upbringing and life as a frontier scout of the American plains and concludes right as he begins to launch his notorious ‘Wild West Show’.
Written with compelling flare and novel-like grip this story of how one of the greatest Western legends, Buffalo Bill, came to true fame is breathtaking.
From wild gunfights with hostile Native Americans braves that last days on end to hardcore survival in ruthless conditions, to friendships with other iconic American figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and General Custer to say his tale is bold is an understatement.
Of course, it may well be a biased account but what really surprised me was how genuine he came across, and whilst yes his mass slaughter of hundreds of buffalo across his years is, through a modern lens, highly repugnant his relationship and respect for those friendly Native Americans and African Americans stands as very unique and quite ahead of his time. Retrospectively we see the creation of his show as something of questionable nature in modern terms it appears he really conducted it in all due respect; hoping to showcase the beauty and awe of his shared world with other key figures from across multiple backgrounds.
This core historical autobiography will forever remain a favourite of mine and a must read for any lover of the American West in its heyday.
Written with compelling flare and novel-like grip this story of how one of the greatest Western legends, Buffalo Bill, came to true fame is breathtaking.
From wild gunfights with hostile Native Americans braves that last days on end to hardcore survival in ruthless conditions, to friendships with other iconic American figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and General Custer to say his tale is bold is an understatement.
Of course, it may well be a biased account but what really surprised me was how genuine he came across, and whilst yes his mass slaughter of hundreds of buffalo across his years is, through a modern lens, highly repugnant his relationship and respect for those friendly Native Americans and African Americans stands as very unique and quite ahead of his time. Retrospectively we see the creation of his show as something of questionable nature in modern terms it appears he really conducted it in all due respect; hoping to showcase the beauty and awe of his shared world with other key figures from across multiple backgrounds.
This core historical autobiography will forever remain a favourite of mine and a must read for any lover of the American West in its heyday.
November 30, 2024
Who better to give a first person account of the taming of the wild West the wagon trains and Pony Express than William F. Cody, aka Buffalo Bill. From his hardscrabble childhood and early boyhood throughout it is an incredible and first hand account, by none other than the boy, the man the legend he became, by simply leaning on what everyone else did, Pioneers, trail bosses, Sioux, Lakota, Confederates and Union Soldiers, and outlaws - the skills to survive. Fascinating and incredible, the preface maintains that throughout all Bill remained a gentleman and humble- which is an incredible feat considering all. Tale after tale it reads like a frontier Forrest Gump, and yet all verifiable, historical and correct. Not for every reader, it is accurate for the times and a little hard to grapple wit, the Indian wars, the slaughter of the buffalo, the heartlessness of robbers and the loss of life, but alas, it was all of that and that's just the way it was. He was though unschooled literate, glib, mannerly and as much as each encounter allowed, man who held to a code of honor. We have, I fear,taken serious liberties in our critique of history, for we have nothing of our experience to compare it to and less than even negligible skill in any of the superhuman skills, experience and disciple of those living in the everyday chore of remaining alive, much less caring for family, and saving the countless lives of others. An incredible read.
October 24, 2023
Audiobook. Fascinating first person account from his youth (accosted by Mormons - the Danites - as a 12 yr. old scout), through his time as a spy for the Union to his work with the Armyl and the Indian wars. Exciting tales, full of detail, intrigue and danger. He became close to many great leaders, even tried to stop the Indian “Ghost War” by visiting Sitting Bull (was called back by President Harrison before he could meet with him, Sitting Bull was subsequently killed in battle). He was offered commission in the Army, preferred the life on the plans. Elected to legislature and turned it down, eventually developing his Wild West Show (was at NY, left for more Indian uprisings) that traveled all over the U.S. and Europe. He closed his narrative with a heartfelt statement of respect and admiration for the Native Americans, hoping that they would be treated honorably and fairly. He did, however, feel that the white man was necessary to maximize the potential of the country, something that the Indian was not doing.
December 8, 2021
The Adventures of Buffalo Bill Cody is Cody’s autobiography that was published in 1904 and republished as a young person’s book with a laudatory preface after Cody's death in 1917. I want to place an excerpt from this book into my American Literature class. I am trying to set the stage for both the popular literary novel and the popular dime novels of the post-Civil War. I found this quite entertaining. It is clearly and simply written. Cody is obviously exaggerating (or so it seems to me), but for years his stories where believed as being 100% true, when they were probably true with embellishment. Some of it is appalling by our standards, and even by many people of the era, such as the horrific slaughter of Buffalo. Still, this was fun, and the excerpt should be one component to a good start to the class.
August 1, 2018
Colorful saga of the rape of the West
Oh, how colorful to have contests of who can kill the most buffalo with the short time with a rifle from a horse! And leave most of the carcass on the grasslands.
The only relatively positive thing I can say about him regarding “Indians” is, well, at least they were trying to kill him, too. A fairly revolting personal tale of land-grabbing and waste in a very savage era.
Oh, how colorful to have contests of who can kill the most buffalo with the short time with a rifle from a horse! And leave most of the carcass on the grasslands.
The only relatively positive thing I can say about him regarding “Indians” is, well, at least they were trying to kill him, too. A fairly revolting personal tale of land-grabbing and waste in a very savage era.
February 19, 2019
Kovin pintapuoliset muistelmat. Mitään tapahtumaa ei kuvailla tarkasti tai pitkään, ja kun leijonanosa kirjasta käsittelee kertojan kokemuksia intiaanisodissa, sekoittuvat seikkailut harmaaksi massaksi joita ei enää erota toisistaan. Intiaanien kohtelu, etenkin kyläkuntien takaa-ajo ratsuväen voimin ja biisonien silmitön lahtaus närästivät myös. Toinen tähti tulee muutamista mielenkiintoisista kohdista.
July 17, 2021
Some of this was really interesting -- some of it less so. The biggest reason it didn't get 4 stars from me is that I'm not 100% sure how much of his information I can truly trust. Right off the bat, Cody included two pieces of information that were incorrect, which unfortunately, makes me question the total accuracy of the rest of the book. Other than that, I enjoyed it.
October 22, 2023
An interesting view of the life of William Cody. As with any autobiography, parts of the story seem unbelievable, but there is no way to know what actually happened and what didn't. Also, as with many e-books made from public domain works, the person who created the Kindle version didn't do a good job of editing their own typos, etc.
January 12, 2024
This was a really fun book.
In terms of history, I'm comfortable assuming that Cody exaggerates at times, such as when he and a couple dozen comrades supposedly fought off about a thousand Indians. That said, Cody's style of writing is very pleasant and easy to read. He's a great storyteller, and he kept me interested all the way.
A neat glimpse into one man's experience of the West.
In terms of history, I'm comfortable assuming that Cody exaggerates at times, such as when he and a couple dozen comrades supposedly fought off about a thousand Indians. That said, Cody's style of writing is very pleasant and easy to read. He's a great storyteller, and he kept me interested all the way.
A neat glimpse into one man's experience of the West.
March 3, 2019
Interesting read that provides a glimpse of the history of the American frontier through the lens of one of it’s more famous (infamous?) characters. Great for historical context, but the stories are likely exaggerated and brutally racist in our current time.
April 3, 2020
Buffalo Bill
This autobiography my daughter and Iread during the Corona Virus outbreak of 2o20. It was very educational and written by himself so the history was how he witnessed it to be. We really enjoyed this and hope others do too.
This autobiography my daughter and Iread during the Corona Virus outbreak of 2o20. It was very educational and written by himself so the history was how he witnessed it to be. We really enjoyed this and hope others do too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews