REVIEW: ‘The Notorious Ned Buntline: A Tale of Murder, Betrayal, and the Creation of Buffalo Bill’
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For readers who know a thing or two about the legend of Buffalo Bill, there will be immeasurable interest in reading Julia Bricklin’s new nonfiction book The Notorious Ned Buntline: A Tale of Murder, Betrayal, and the Creation of Buffalo Bill, out now from TwoDot. For those who are new to the stories of this controversial American icon, this quick read is a perfect opportunity to separate fact from fiction.
Of course, Bricklin’s biography is less about Buffalo Bill and more about Buffalo Bill’s creator, Ned Buntline, real name Edward Zane Carroll Judson, a 19th-century figure who dabbled in politics, prohibitionism and pulp fiction. Bricklin outlines his entire life, from his rabble-rousing days as an instigator of the Astor Place Riot in Lower Manhattan to his many “dime” novels that told exaggerated tales of seafaring, military service and, most enduringly, the American West.
Interlaced throughout these pages are Bricklin’s main thesis: it’s awfully difficult to distinguish truth from fabrication when describing a showman’s life. However, thanks to her meticulous research and reexamination of previous books on the subject, she is able to make a convincing case that this is the definitive tome on Judson. It’s no wonder that much of the writer’s personal story is histrionic; after all, he was a man who played loose with the facts, fired up the masses and never walked away from a good story.
As a person, Judson had some deep character flaws, and he is rightfully portrayed as an unlikable person. He married eight women, a few of them with overlapping marriages, and he had no qualms leaving them behind in economic despair. He was heavily anti-immigrant and became a central figure in the Know-Nothing political party, calling for prohibition on alcohol consumption (“temperance” was the word used at the time). Although he traveled around the 19th-century United States, including his own military service in Florida, he hardly stepped foot in the American West (a trip to California later in his life was about it), but upon his return from this California journey he happened upon William Frederick Cody, known as Buffalo Bill. This military figure and renowned buffalo hunter became a hero in the pages of a novel by Judson, who wrote under the pseudonym Ned Buntline, and both writer and subject shot to fame.
Although Judson was the first to give ink to Buffalo Bill, much of what modern readers know about this western figure is not because of Judson. As a character, Buffalo Bill appeared in a play by Judson and a few dime novels, but truly this figure of the American West (representing America’s controversial and sad exploitation of land and killing of Native Americans) built his own reputation and far eclipsed the fame given to him by Judson. The writer may have been there at the beginning, but Buffalo Bill took the opportunity and ran with it, over the years minimizing Judson’s contribution to his personal brand, which eventually led to successful “Wild West” shows around the world.
Learning about Judson makes for a fascinating read. He lived an outsized life of infamy and despair, holding horrible viewpoints about immigrants, and causing violence and destruction wherever he laid his hat. He was a firebrand whose talent with his fast-paced novels gave him popularity and a means to live a comfortable life, but rather than settling down and enjoying the fruits of his labor, he saw his fortunes — both material and spiritual — rise and fall many times over. Judson seemed to be obsessed with disorder, never taking a breath, never giving in, never finding peace (with the one exception being his life in Upstate New York).
After reading these 200 pages, one doesn’t like Judson that much; in fact, his questionable judgment and deplorable worldview come off as reprehensible. But there’s no denying that his life is worthy of a book. His constant reinventions and strange personal ambitions make for an engaging read into the bizarre world of 19th-century literature, politics and myth-making.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Notorious Ned Buntline: A Tale of Murder, Berayal, and the Creation of Buffalo Bill by Julia Bricklin. TwoDot Books. 256 pages. Click here for more information.
