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Rating: 
Summary: Sprawling Epic
Review: Compared by some to McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove," this biography of the Miller 101 Ranch Show is indeed a sprawling epic that emcompasses every Wild West icon imaginable along the way, from Belle Starr to Tom Mix to Bill Pickett, the legendary African-American bulldogger. Author Wallis eminently tells of the hard life on the range and, sans white-washing, the origins of the family's wealth. Everything is told in passionate details by a writer who generally seems to know his stuff. But when Wallis takes his Miller Ranch family into the movie business, he is on somewhat less secure ground. It would have been so easy to check that Miller 101 cowgirl Midge Cowger Briscoe did NOT star opposite Harry Carey in John Ford's 1919 version of THREE GODFATHERS (which was actually titled MARKED MEN); Winifred Westover, the wife of William S. Hart, did. And so on. THE REAL WILD WEST wasn't written for nitpicking film historians, of course, and remains a great read despite these minor lapses.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific
Review: One terrific book -- a majestic recreation of the figures that helped define the old west and western entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Real, - maybe, Wild - certainly!
Review: Readers lacking a sense of irony may be dismayed to discover that the Real Wild West was only loosely hitched to reality. Spurred by the imaginations of Charles Miller and his three sons, our perception of what is the west sports the distinct brand of the 101. Take heart, though, because on the Miller Brothers' 101, the west was most certainly wild. Possibly outlaws and certainly mavericks, the Millers rounded up some legendary talent to work their ranch and perform in their touring shows. The 101 herd of entertainers included Geronimo, Will Rogers, champion cowgirl Lucille Mulhall, Annie Oakley rival Princess Wenona, and such film legends as Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, Yakima Canutt and Hoot Gibson. Black cowboy, Bill Pickett, famed for inventing the rodeo event steer wrestling spent a long career at the 101, and Buffalo Bill Cody spent his final year with the outfit. While tooling a longstanding image of the west with their Wild West productions, the Millers also saddled up to motion pictures, oil production and an outstanding crop and livestock operation. Their story is a rodeo itself, made all the more interesting by the hints that white hats did not cover the heads of all of the 101 cowboys and cowgirls. When the last little doggie was wrangled on the 101, the Miller Brothers' legacy did not ride off into the sunset, but continues to stampede through the dreams of would-be cowpokes everywhere. I'm not a regular patron of movie theatres, but I cannot wait until this saga makes it to the big screen!
Rating:
Summary: Fact and Fiction of the Wild West
Review: This book goes a long way in explaining why there was so much written about the Wild West and why so much embellishment took place.Throughout history there has been all kinds of spins put on the people involved and what really occurred.Why would anyone expect anything different during the expansion of the West,particularly after the Civil War? In dramatic times of history,be it the Wild West,WW2,Crime in Chicago etc.people are craving for an understanding of events as well entertainment,and that is what we are given by the writers and the media.
Personally,I enjoy both the factual as well as the fictional
aspect of these times.
One character who often appears in books is Ned Buntline.He was a real person by the name of Edward Zane Carroll Judson,and this book does a pretty good job of telling us who he was and some of the things he did.Somebody must have written a book on him;it would be a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Great Western & Family History
Review: This book was a welcome source of information on the Carson & Miller families whose genealogy I have been researching. Michael Wallace did an excellent job of getting his historical facts straight and offered some additional resources for my search for family history. The easy style presented an engrossing story of a family moving through history from the 1850's to the 1930's and adjusting (not always easily) to the changing moores of society. My father was a cousin of the Miller Bros. and told us children stories of his childhood in Oklahoma and attending the shows at the 101. My sister & I recently visited the old 101 ranch site and were sad to see that little is left. The Miller house in Winfield, Kansas is still standing in beautiful condition and is a private residence. Michael Wallace is an excellent storyteller. The book gave life to my genealogy and made me feel in touch with the characters and the times. Anyone with an interest in western history would enjoy this story of a dynamic family who helped shape our images of the old west.
Rating:
Summary: A great book, highly recommended.
Review: Wallis is a powerful writer. In this book, the people and events who shaped the West, come to life. This is a big story and its told so well, it reads like a great historical novel. The characters are bigger than life. You'll learn about the the myths and fables of the West! There stories of cattle ranching, Cowboys, Cowgirls, Native Americans, the first Wild West Show, and the beginnings of the "Westerns" in Hollywood. If you liked Lonesome Dave, you'll love this book!
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