National Geographic The Old West

"From Lewis and Clark's epic 1803 expedition to the showmanship of Buffalo Bill, the story of the American West is epic in scope, full of amazing tales of tragedy and triumph ... Illustrated with ... photographs and ... maps, [this book] is [a] ... history of a time and place that forever lives in legend"--

Much has been written about the west—most of it clouded by exaggeration and fabrication. Since 1953, True West magazine has been devoted to celebrating the West’s true colors, giving the men and women who settled there accurate voices, exploring every triumph and tragedy of their time—and exposing every vice and virtue. True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West commemorates these unforgettable cowboys, Indians, and city slickers through a mix of classic histories and brand-new narratives, all illustrated with photographs—many reproduced here for the first time—of the people and places that gave rise to America’s Western mythology. With twenty-six stories that blend fact with folklore, this collection abounds with accounts of the famous and the infamous, including Sacagawea, Wild Bill Hickok, Pancho Villa, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Davy Crockett, and Wyatt Earp. Also here are lesser-known figures whose stories were pivotal to shaping the culture of the era, such as European conquistador Francisco Coronado, rancher “Black Billy” Hill, and fearless lawman Orlando “Rube” Robbins. Other tales recount the wide open plains, lawlessness, drama, mayhem, and promise embodied in the Old West. Whether you’re a history buff, an Old West devotee, or simply someone who is fascinated by the characters of America’s early years, these timeless tales and photographs epitomize the legendary spirit of what it meant to settle the West.

On 14 May 1804, one Captain Meriwether Lewis and his companion William Clark led a thirty-three-man expedition to the new lands of Louisiana. 8,000 miles and two years later, after rafting up the Missouri and crossing the Rocky Mountains, they reached the far side of the world, the Pacific Ocean. Fredrick Nolan explores the first US settlers of the American West, including the remarkable stories of unsung heroes and heroines, the bloody battles between settlers and the native American inhabitants, the crimes committed by corrupt Sheriffs, and the occasions when citizens had to take the law into their own hands. This is the story of the men and women who answered the call of the West.

Re-explore the Wild West, where America's legends and myths were made, for the first time with fully colorized images by best-selling author and cinematographer John Guntzelman. The lure of the Wild West has been a driving force in the American experience. Originally the stuff of dreams, dime novels, and Wild West shows, the fascination continued in motion pictures such as The Great Train Robbery, High Noon, The Magnificent Seven, the so-called spaghetti westerns of Clint Eastwood, and hundreds more. Whether through the appeal of wide-open spaces, the control of our own destiny, or just the desire for a better life, the Wild West still strikes a chord that resonates within. Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, the country expanded westward ready to grow--and grow it did. The evocative landscapes of these unexplored lands were recorded by a number of excellent photographers: John C. H. Grabill; Edward S. Curtis; John K. Hillers; and Timothy O'Sullivan, the famed Civil War photographer. Many of their striking images survive and continue to inspire us today. These iconic and incredibly evocative photographs from another era capture the reality and immediacy of that time and only require the careful addition of color to make them far more accessible, believable, and meaningful to present-day readers. The Wild West in Color includes over 200 of the best black-and-white photographs from that time, fully colorized to bring this lost world back to life! It offers a new glimpse into a period of the American experience that has inspired countless books, motion pictures, and stories--a time that continues to resonate and inspire us to the present day.

From Lakota warrior Crazy Horse to legendary Geronimo of the Apache Wars, this sweeping history of the American West tells the story of those who defended Native American lands--and the Native American way of life--from the 1850s through the end of the nineteenth century. This majestic narrative reveals little-known tales of Native American history, setting each event in the larger historical context of the transformation of the West. In elegant National Geographic style, hundreds of illustrations, maps, photographs, and artwork lay bare the bloody conflicts between Native Americans and European encroachment. Five stirring chapters reveal the five major types of conflicts involving Native Americans: the wars of resistance, the wars between empires, the wars betweeen the tribes, the wars of conquest, and the wars of survival. Within each chapter, vivid accounts of each battle tell the gripping stories of the major players, the point of combustion, and the tragic results. Readers will also get to know each tribe as distinct people, ranging from the so-called "civilized tribes" to the more aggressive warrior cultures. Rarely seen photographs and illustrations paint a vivid portrait of the time, featuring such notable figures as Kit Carson and Sitting Bull. Filled with original National Geographic maps, informative timelines, and a complete index, this extraordinary book captures one of the most significant moments in American history.

Shares ten stories featuring legendary places, events, and characters from the era of westward expansion.

An essential addition to the shelves of all true aficionados of the Old West. Catch the light glinting on the barrels of the Spencer rifles of the United States 7th Cavalry in 1868, as they ride out of Fort Riley on patrol in Kansas. Smell the intoxicating aroma of Chuck Wagon Stew, amidst the trail dust on the Chisholm Trail in 1870. Hear the sound of gunfire on the lawless streets of Tombstone, Arizona, 1881. The Wild West Catalog captures the essence of the greatest period of expansion within the United States, between 1866 and 1900, when the West was well and truly tamed. Fighting and riding skills gained in the Civil War were put to good use in opening up and populating the West, while more sophisticated weapons developed during the Civil War were put to both good and bad use in the sometimes-volatile environment. Illustrated with more than 250 illustrations, including archival photographs, artworks, color photography of artifacts, weapons, recipes, and historic places then and now, The Wild West Catalog portrays all the great characters of the West, including cowboys (and their favorite foodstuffs), Native Americans, the US Cavalry, outlaws, lawmen, homesteaders, and saloon girls. Western artifacts and locations are also described, including frontier weapons and towns, and the burgeoning railroads. The book also discusses the West as it was depicted in movies, television, and literature, and catalogs the many classic toys inspired by the West, which have entertained generations of imaginations worldwide. Comprehensive and fascinating, the book brings the complete Old West alive for the reader.

This collection of 50 classic tales of travel and adventure from "National Geographic" magazine traces the growth of the National Geographic Society as it explored the unknown and brought it to readers eager for knowledge of "the world and all that is in it."

For several hundred years, the West had been the land of dreams, an extraordinary region of hope, expansion and opportunity where European countries—and then the young USA itself—sent their finest explorers to plant seeds in a seemingly untapped, open landscape. This spirit captured the popular imagination in the Wild West, those raucous 30 years between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of a new century. Within these pages, readers will explore true tales of rebels and heroes such as General George Custer, Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Annie Oakley, and Sitting Bull, among others. The Wild West was the American Dream on steroids. It was an age of gunfights and gold rushes, cowboys and Comanches, with the likes of Buffalo Bill, Jesse James and Billy the Kid making their names. It forged extraordinary legends and even bigger lies, with everything fueled by dime novels written back East that encouraged folks to grab their share of a promise that was difficult for this hard land to keep. This book looks at all these mythical characters, the start of the railroad across the nation, the cost it all dealt to the Native Americans whose land was lost, and the way Hollywood still keeps the dream alive. As historian Richard White says, “People could go west and no matter their failures elsewhere, they had an opportunity to remake themselves. It’s a symbol for a kind of individualism that actually doesn’t exist in the West, but mythically it does.”