Full title: The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West
Author: Chris Wimmer
Narrator: Johnny Heller, Chris Wimmer
Playback: 8 hrs
Publisher: MacMillan Audio
Genre: Nonfiction, American History
First Published: May 30, 2023
Book description: This program features a preface and acknowledgments read by the author. 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.
Review:
I was really excited to read this book, as the subtitle promised a collection of great stories from the old west. However, I was disappointed to find that the majority of the book was focused on Custer's last stand. Don't get me wrong, it was an interesting read, but I was hoping for more variety in the stories. If you're specifically interested in Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn, this book would be a good choice. But if you're looking for a broader collection of old west tales, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.
It does branch out a bit to cover several other people and events in less detail.
The Summer of 1876 was a time of great activity and drama in American history. Many notable figures made their mark during this time, including George Armstrong Custer and his infamous last stand. Jesse James and his gang were also causing trouble with their daring robberies throughout the country. Meanwhile, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp were making names for themselves in Dodge City. Sitting Bull was also a prominent figure during this time, leading his people in their fight against the United States government. And surprisingly enough, the National League of baseball was also making headlines, captivating crowds with their exciting games. It was a summer to remember, filled with both triumph and tragedy.
It's interesting to note how much space is dedicated to Custer's actions and his last stand in the narrative. However, there are so many other stories that deserve their own explanations. It can be a bit jarring for the reader when the first half of the book is dedicated to explaining the backstory of all these people, only to have nothing else get enough attention. Even the inclusion of the National League's creation seems a bit odd, as it's usually just tacked on at the end of a chapter with no real effect on the rest of the book. While Wimmer did state that he didn't intend to write exhaustively on any of his subjects, the book could have benefited from a more in-depth analysis of fewer characters and events.
I enjoyed reading this book. The author, Wimmer, did a fantastic job of conveying his enthusiasm for the various people and events featured in the book. I also appreciated his ability to condense the information in a way that was easy to understand and digest. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about these topics.
This book was picked up on a whim and I didn't look into what it was about. I just needed to get something done and it lent itself to do so while listening to an audiobook. I have never been a huge fan of History and much less of American History so for me all these tp[ics it was the first time I heard about them, maybe if you grow up in USA you might have more backstory to grasp for. But this story was engaging enough and provided enough o understand most of it.
This book was used for the challenges:
Published 2023
Nonfiction
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