Gunfighter Nation: The Myth of the Frontier in Twentieth-Century America (Mythology of the American West)

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Synopsis
National Book Award Finalist: The &“impressive&” conclusion to the &“magisterial trilogy on the mythology of violence in American history&” (Film Quarterly). &“The myth of the Western frontier—which assumes that whites&’ conquest of Native Americans and the taming of the wilderness were preordained means to a progressive, civilized society—is embedded in our national psyche. U.S. troops called Vietnam &‘Indian country.&’ President John Kennedy invoked &‘New Frontier&’ symbolism to seek support for counterinsurgency abroad. In an absorbing, valuable, scholarly study, [the author] traces the pervasiveness of frontier mythology in American consciousness from 1890. . . . Dime novels and detective stories adapted the myth to portray gallant heroes repressing strikers, immigrants and dissidents. Completing a trilogy begun with Regeneration Through Violence and The Fatal Environment, Slotkin unmasks frontier mythmaking in novels and Hollywood movies. The myth&’s emphasis on use of force over social solutions has had a destructive impact, he shows.&” —Publishers Weekly &“Stirring . . . Breaks new ground in its careful explication of the continuing dynamic between politics and myth, myth and popular culture.&” —The New York Times &“A subtle and wide-ranging examination how America&’s fascination with the frontier has affected its culture and politics. . . . Intellectual history at its most stimulating—teeming with insights into American violence, politics, class, and race.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Copyright:
1992

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
838 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781504090346
Publisher:
Open Road Media
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Richard Slotkin
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Entertainment, Nonfiction, Westerns, Art and Architecture, Social Studies, Politics and Government
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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