John M. Burke (1842-1917) played an essential role in turning William Frederick Cody into the
classic character of Buffalo Bill. With this biography published in 1893 Burke refined the
legend that continues today. Burke attempted to present the story of William F. Cody from the
wild Western scenes of Kansas and Nebraska. And from the prairies of the Platte to the parlors
of the East and the palaces of Europe. Burke claimed to give a candid account of Buffalo Bill's
life. Hostile Indians gunfights cattle stampedes Cody's Wild West was full of danger at
every turn. Burke's portrayal of Buffalo Bill as a pioneer and hero is an honor to the romance
of the Wild West and a canonical volume in the American story which is a brilliant example of
mythmaking. The book gives insight into how things were back then and it also makes the reader
familiar with the beginnings of American Nationhood.
