Book
The Congress of Rough Riders
First published 2001
William Cody grows up in England under the influence of a father fascinated by Buffalo Bill, a distant family connection whose touring Wild West spectacle has become a private mythology. Stories of frontier heroism shape William’s childhood even though the historical show depended on carefully staged versions of conquest, violence and celebrity.
William leaves Britain and attempts to escape the family obsession, but remains tied to his father and the inherited Cody name. When his father proposes recreating Buffalo Bill’s Congress of Rough Riders for a modern audience, William refuses until tragedy forces a return. The novel moves between family history and the commercial memory of the American West, examining how spectacle turns contested history into entertainment and personal identity.
Historical Periods
Historical people
More from this period
1 more top-rated novel about Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
More by the author
Other books by John Boyne
Discover more
Authors similar to John Boyne
Recommended from shared genres and periods.
Tracy Chevalier
9 books
Hilary Green
19 books