William "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a "boy extra," a bullwhacker, cattle driver, hunter, and an American Indian fighter on the Great Plains of the 1850s, all before becoming a teenager. He claimed to have killed nearly 5,000 buffalo to supply construction crews of the Kansas Pacific Railroad and to have ridden for the Pony Express. Later, he transformed himself into a showman with the establishment of his Wild West arena extravaganza. Part circus, part rodeo, part history-the show played to enthusiastic crowds across the United States and Europe for three decades. For a time, Buffalo Bill Cody was possibly the most famous man in the world. Though Cody made huge sums with the Wild West show, he died a poor man in 1917. Legends of the Wild West brings to life the fascinating history, lore, and culture of the great American frontier from west of the Mississippi River to the wide expanses of the western prairies and deserts. Each volume is a compelling portrait of the best-known frontiersmen, women, and settlers of the West.

Book jacket.