Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West

In the words of Cody's horrified bride, "I knew now that I was going into a strange land where men often killed for the love of killing, where saloons and fights were common, where the life was coarse and and rough and crude." And that's not the half of it. People and animals die by disease, accident, and violence by the thousands here. One of the book's photos features a blurry image of a scalp Cody took from an Indian he killed in combat. Thoughtful 21st century readers may well be shocked by the level of everyday violence. The 19th century was a bloody period in American history, and violence was a solution to every conflict. Buffalo Bill acquired his name for his ability to slaughter vast numbers of bison in a single day. In that climate, violence could strike because you had the wrong politics (a pro-slavery mob stabbed and beat Cody's father nearly to death) or were living in the wrong place (Cody took part in the Jayhawkers, who robbed homesteaders and burned down their homes during the Civil War). Battles and violent events between the U.S. Army and Native Americans.

Buffalo Bill's marriage was rarely harmonious, and there's a brief mention of some of the ladies he had affairs with over the years.

Occasional "hell" in direct quotes, such as, "That's a hell of a lot of wind, even for Bill Cody."

Booze and tobacco were key parts of the rough-and-ready Western lifestyle;. As the Wild West shows develop a following among the wealthy, champagne flows freely. Cody admits to periods of drunkenness, gambling, and hanging out with bad characters; he awakens from one drunken binge in his youth to find he's joined the Union Army.