Memories of Buffalo Bill

Written with the help of Courtney Ryley Cooper, Memories of Buffalo Bill offers an idealized account of William F. Cody's life from the perspective of his wife, Louisa. True to its origins, this account offers many more details about Cody's domestic life, including his children, than any other preceding work. Although William and Louisa's real-life marriage was marred by some high-profile scandals, it endured until her husband's death in 1917.

Memories of Buffalo Bill, the first biography of William F. Cody to appear after his death, strikes a celebratory tone in narrating highlights of his life and enterprises. Through its introduction, notes, and appendixes, this edition offers a broader context for the Codys' marriage, evidencing its private realities and the collaboration required to preserve the Buffalo Bill image in the public eye. Out of print since its first publication, Louisa Cody's memoir highlights the processes involved in crafting and preserving a national myth. Both for what it does and does not say, it was the first step in laying a foundation for the enduring legacy of Buffalo Bill as an American icon.

Louisa M. Frederici Cody (1844-1921) was the wife of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. They married on March 6, 1866, and remained in a contentious relationship until Cody's death in 1917. Courtney Ryley Cooper (1886-1940) was a press agent for Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, as well as a Marine, crime reporter, screenwriter, and the author of Annie Oakley's first biography. Sherry L. Smith is University Distinguished Professor of History (Emerita) at Southern Methodist University. She is the author of Reimagining Indians: Native Americans through Anglo Eyes, 1880-1940, among other books.