The Summer of 1876
Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West
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- 11,99 €
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- 11,99 €
Publisher Description
From the creator of the "Legends of the Old West" podcast, a book exploring the overlapping narratives of the biggest legends in frontier mythology.
The summer of 1876 was a key time period in the development of the mythology of the Old West. Many individuals who are considered legends by modern readers were involved in events that began their notoriety or turned out to be the most famous — or infamous — moments of their lives. Those individuals were Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James.
The Summer of 1876 weaves together the timelines of the events that made these men legends to demonstrate the overlapping context of their stories and to illustrate the historical importance of that summer, all layered with highlights of significant milestones in 1876: the inaugural baseball season of the National League; the final year of President Ulysses S. Grant’s embattled administration; the debut of an invention called the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell; the release of Mark Twain’s novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer;” and many more.
Contextualizing these events against the backdrop of the massive 100th anniversary party thrown to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, The Summer of 1876 is the ultimate exploration and celebration of the summer that defined the West.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Legends of the Old West podcaster Wimmer debuts with a fascinating, multiangled account of a consequential season in the history of America's western frontier. In a 90-day period from mid-June to mid-September 1876, three major events happened: the Battle of Little Big Horn, the murder of Wild Bill Hickok, and the Northfield Raid by outlaw Jesse James and his gang. Weaving these threads into a cohesive and entertaining narrative, Wimmer contends that 1876 was "the beginning of the end" for Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and other Indigenous chiefs fighting the U.S. Army, and discusses how the advent of the telegraph turned Custer's death at Little Big Horn into national news. Also making headlines was the James-Younger Gang, who terrorized bank tellers and stagecoach drivers across the West until they were hunted down by policemen and vigilantes in Minnesota. Wimmer vividly describes Deadwood, S.Dak.; Dodge City, Kans.; and other boomtowns where lawmen including Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson made their names, and even takes note of the launch of the National League of Base Ball Clubs, precursor to the modern MLB. Though Wimmer's brisk pace leaves little room for digging into the details, he is an amiable and well-informed tour guide of the Old West. All readers have to do is saddle up and enjoy the ride.
