I must preface this review: Dr. Olsson was one of my professors in college, so I may be a bit biased. But I am very comfortable in saying that his writing, like his teaching, is excellent!

I found this book to be a fantastic entry to point to the Old West, and very approachable for those who might not be familiar with the actual history behind the game and era. It's prompted me to go back and play the game again, and I know that interest in this books has spread throughout the staff at my library.

I'll certainly be recommending this book for purchase at our library!

The last history video game I played was Oregon Trail. That might date me somewhat, but the concept of the games Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II had me intrigued. This book details how accurate the games are in relation to actual historical facts. Each chapter takes one aspect of the game and discusses this. The team in the game visits the West, the South, and Appalachia. The author discusses aspects of violent history and how the game's characters encounter this along the way. The historical accuracy of the game is quite good, according to this book. Obviously, no video game will ever be totally accurate. And things may not always be related as they actually happened in history. The book covers a time period from about 1870 through 1920. You will learn a lot of history through reading this book. I have not played the games themselves, but they sound like they are fully featured and take the player into an immersive world. The fact that the game follows along closely with historical accuracy is intriguing. Each section of the book follows the character team in one of the major locations. I recommend this book for anyone interested in history. It was eye-opening and I learned new aspects of our history. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cool read. Selected because my husband played the game and the professor is from my Alma mater. Interested in the cross section between providing historical facts via video games. Definitely academic in tone.

As someone who likes the game Red Dead Redemption and who enjoys nonfiction books, I was intrigued to try out this book. However, it kind of just read as a textbook, which I guess makes sense considering this author is a professor who taught the contents of this book in a class. But it didn't make for an enjoyable reading experience.

I don't play these kinds of games, even ones based on history, so I approach the books about games and gaming like I would explications of religious texts. This is fascinating, I think, why do people get invested in this stuff? I have never found an answer to that but I have definitely learned to appreciate the skill and craft of storytelling involved in creating these interactive spaces.

No exception here. The author is a (tenured! Go Doc!) college professor trained to teach US history specifically, so has a deep knowledge of the universe the game discussed here inhabits; being a child of the time when games like this were in their infancy, and by his own admission an addicted game player until he went to college, he's brilliantly...almost uniquely...suited to see the game universe, more importantly this game and its universe, from both its important axes.

After a long absence from the gaming world spent building and solidifying a career, the author got the giant clonk on the noggin that was the COVID pandemic. His life was upended and the time budget entailed in being an academic completely altered. What better way to use his time than rediscovering gaming, especially since a hot game of the time was <I>Red Dead Redemption</I>? History plus gaming equaled irresistible. The history content of the game was solid...and sometimes not.

If there is better bait for a hook meant for academics, I do not know of it.

As one might expect from a history professor, the "not" side gets the bulk of the attention. It's not presented in a "GOTCHA!!" way. The facts are presented, the footnote corroborates his source, and on we move. For a reader accustomed to accusatory fact-correcting, that might lessen the interest. For me it was a balm. If a fact isn't supported by historiography, but is supported by the needs of gameplay, this is noted. Doesn't make him call it correct, just...noted.

As an opportunity to spread knowledge of US history, this book would not be my first suggestion. It is not a fast-paced trip down History's highway; it is not a slow meander through the woods, examining the flora and spotting the fauna. It is a solid, readable work of game analysis as this intersects with actual history, contextualized by very interesting meditations on what the choice of historical background, and the alterations to historiography, say about both gaming and overall culture.

I was never bored, or even disengaged from, the story. For context recall that I am well into my seventh decade on Earth, and had no concept of home computing as a thing until the early Eighties. I liked card games and board games as a kid. <I>Dungeons and Dragons</I> felt like math class to me. And my interest was held. I hope that tells you what kind of work this is: Quality thinking expressed clearly and organized well.

It didn't make me excited, gave me no frisson, so I can't add a fifth star. It is a solid, thought provoking read about two subjects of great interest to me, and very probably of even greater to those who skew towards interest in gaming than I do.

Cool historical background in and around the world of Red Dead. Great for fans of the games and fans of the Wild West equally!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I was so excited to be able to read this book. My family and I have enjoyed the Red Dead Redemption game for years. We sit and watch my son play as if it is a movie. Now to find a history book to follow along with the game is so exciting to me. I am a big western time fan. After reading the history I enjoy the game even more.
I love the detail that Olsson gave and the insight to events of the west and American history. I love how he used events from the game to help explain things better for me. I really loved the connection to the Appalachian areas. I was born in Arizona and raised in the Western Carolina Mountains of NC.
You are going to love the deep detailed history and how each chapter tells its own story.
This book is the perfect gift for any Red Dead fan and any history buff, or both! I loved it. Enjoy the adventure.
A Huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing us to enjoy this book.

While I’ve never played Red Dead Redemption games myself, I have spent many hours watching my husband play. I was very intrigued when I came across this nonfiction book and saw that it dives into the historical accuracy of the games. I’ll start off by saying that I’m by no means a history savant, so most of this information was new to me. For someone who didn’t know much going in, I found the information and research to be presented in an interesting and digestible way. The pacing is a tad slow but that’s to be expected with a nonfiction book in my opinion. Dividing the book into three sections (The West, The Deep South, and Southern Appalachia) was a great way to keep everything organized for the reader. It also allowed the author to share his insight and give his critiques without getting too in the weeds. There are numerous themes (cultural, economic, and social to name a few) explored in this book and I love that Olsson used the games in his teaching curriculum. I can only imagine how fun that must have been for his class! Olsson’s passion about history is evident in the engaging way he writes about it. He gets you excited to learn about something that might be considered boring by many. Kudos to the game developers for staying relatively true to actual history as well. Red Dead’s History would be a great read for fans of American history or anyone who loves the Red Dead Redemption franchise!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm not a gamer, but I enjoyed 'Red Dead's History'' . Olsson wrote in a way that kept me intrigued. I ended up being interested in how close this game actually was to American history. The game is set in 1899 in the West, the South and Applician. Red Dead looks at the cowboy life, the Buffalo, as well as other stuff in the West. The South deals with the Civil War, slavery, and sufferagist, and cotton. While Applician comes in as the shortest, it deals with coal and the Hatfield and McCoy feud.

If you are a gamer, a history buff, or enjoy reading interesting books, I think you would enjoy this book.

Published August 6, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Olsson for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊Happy Reading 😊

#Netgalley #stmartinspress #torecolsson #reddeadshistory #ARC #readaway2024

Do you play video games? Are you into American history? What about a video game that is set in a particular time period in American history? If so, Red Dead's History would be an enjoyable read as Tore C. Olsson explores 1899 America via Red Dead Redemption II.

Olsson opens with an preface that outlines the origin of the book (blame Covid since it drew him back to gaming) which developed out of a class he taught at the University of Tennessee in 2021. Then, in the introduction, he provides a blueprint for how he approaches history in relation to the game. He also lays out his views on the accuracy of historical events and settings found in the game. The rest of the book covers The West, The Deep South, and Southern Appalachia and finishes with an epilogue.

In Part I: The West, Olsson has seven chapters that explore what do we mean by "The West," Indian Wars, trains, cowboys, gunslingers, the Pinkertons, and outlaw gangs. In Part II: The Deep South, Olsson dives into the paradox of race relations, the transition from Old South to New South, the Ku Klux Klan, chain gangs, field work, Jim Crow, the myth of "the Lost Cause," New Orleans, and suffragists in 10 chapters. Part III: Southern Appalachia has three chapters that explore the myth of Appalachia, the resource scrambles that have shaped Appalachia , and blood feuds in Appalachia. The epilogue has Olsson's personal reflections on the game, American history, and all the fun he had on the way.

If you have played Red Dead Redemption II, this is a book for you. If you enjoy American history and pop culture, Olsson's analysis of the game and its juxtaposition between American history and American historical myth makes for an interesting read.

This is probably the nerdiest, most niche book I’ve ever read but hear me out. I enjoy reading about American history and learning things we weren’t taught in school. And my fiancé is a gamer. So often times we’re on the couch together, he’s gaming and I’m reading.

He started playing Red Dead Redemption 2 during 2020 and he kept pointing out how pretty some of the landscapes were and the high quality graphics. But as he progressed through the game he started pointing out how much history was really in the game. We both were invested in the game and his character and both felt sad when the game came to an end.

When I saw this book I was immediately intrigued. Olsson provides a breakdown of how the different sections of the book compare to the real history of the time.

Everything from the push to move West, the introduction of railroads, the colonization and mass murders of Native Americans and the rampant racism of the south. It seems like this book got a lot of things right according to Olsson, while most of the things it got wrong was the timing of things.

I enjoyed this and think anyone who’s been exposed to the game in the slightest will appreciate it.

The audiobook is narrated by the same person who narrates the game which seems super cool and I might have to convince my fiancé to listen to it with me in the future 🤣

Thanks to #netgalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc. It’s out now!!

I enjoyed this unique history book. I like that it explores the past using a videogame as a vehicle and a launching-off point to discuss topics relevant to the American West, South, and Appalachia in 1899. A few topics include railroad expansion, outlaws, the Pinkertons, the beginnings of Jim Crow, chain gangs, the suffragist movement, and the hillbilly myth, particularly in relation to the Hatfield–McCoy feud.

I found this book to be very approachable and informative. It felt well researched and paid attention to complex historical nuance. I’m not a gamer myself, but I enjoyed following the fictional story of Arthur Morgan, the main protagonist of the game. I think this book will appeal to both gamers and people like me who like historical fiction and have a casual interest in history.

This was a great book. Disclosure, I am a big fan of both Red Dead Redemption games. I didn't play the first a lot, but the 2nd one I've played numerous times, and I've been looking forward to reading this since I first heard about it. So thank you to NetGalley, and the publishers for allowing me to read this.

The author did a good job at making each chapter fit around a theme, instead of putting a lot of different themes within each chapter.

One of my favorite lines, was in Chapter five, when it was talking about the British and their laws on self defense. It mentioned how self defense was only legal if you were literally "to the wall" as in, unless you had absolutely no way of escaping, was the only way "excusable homicide" was given leeway by judges. The next line says "This law had been formulated to make sure that the British Crown maintained a monopoly on violence; the British ruling class did not want to deputize regular people into defending themselves." I think that's pretty close to current British law, don't quote me on that as I'm not really sure but I know self defense isn't as vague as it is here in the United States. But it also makes me grateful that we have the self defense laws we do in the US. It shouldn't require our backs to the wall for us to be able to defend ourselves and our family. Sadly, even in "backs against the wall" instances, people are still being prosecuted for murder in some areas of the US


In Chapter Eleven, Rebecca Latimer Felton was mentioned alongside how she was the first woman ever seat as a senator in the United States, and that she was a famous suffragist and described as a feminist. But that she was also one of the most infamous white supremacists of the New South era. The author also mentioned that the "American crusade for women's rights was often entangled with anti-black racism." A lot of people would be absolutely shocked by that, But the truth is uncomfortable at times.

The author also did a very good job at showing why RDR2's depiction of Appalachia wasn't accurate. It explains that's the "Appalachian hillbilly myth was born out of the scramble for Appalachia, and not by accident. It was fabricated to justify and rationalize the plunder of the region." So they made it seem like the Appalachian's were hillbilly's who were poor and stupid, so they could plunder the region and it's resources for itself

I do have a slight "complaint" about the book. It seems to have a small anti-white, anti-capitalist bias, but at the same time, it mentions a lot the bad things whites and capitalists did to people. But I praise it for not blaming all white people or all capitalists for the issues. I believe it did a very good job at being non-political.

Overall, it was a really good book that compared and contrasted Red Dead's world of 1899, with the actual United States of 1899. Some of RDRs depictions were accurate, some were somewhat accurate and some were downright wrong.

Red Dead’s History by Tore C. Olsson looks at American history using the award-winning video game as a starting point. Mr. Olsson is a history professor who discovered the game during COVID, and is now using it as a gaming tool. This book is not only fascinating but very readable as well. One doesn’t have to be familiar with the game, to enjoy the book immensely. Dr. Olsson doesn’t set out to prove the game wrong, but he’s not afraid to call out historical mistakes and use those as a launching point for educational purposes. The game seems to get a lot of things right and mostly is inaccurate in service to overall gameplay.

This was a fun, fresh and concise look at history as well as a great opening for conversations on how we use history and pop culture to create meaning for ourselves and how we contextualize history in our lives. It was intriguing to see how a video game could inspire a good historical overview of The Old West, but that is exactly what Olsson has done. If you are knowledgeable about American History in the 1880's then you will find a well written exploration of the big themes here. But, if your knowledge is more based on what you have gleaned from videogames, movies and TV, then you will find an excellent way to build your understanding of the era even further. Olsson has a great voice and a clear, clean writing style that will draw you in and hold you. Each chapter is well developed, well researched, and well conceptualized to meet the video game player in print! This is a great book to show a person who sees history as something dry and dusty that history is really a vivacious and compelling story that, with the application of a little imagination and empathy, can easily become a way to understand who we are.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC that I read.

RED DEAD'S HISTORY by Tore C. Olsson is about the fantastically and deeply admired games of Redemption. Historian Olsson provides a clear, pithy summary of the merits and shortcomings of this game, but his own passion for the game and for using it to teach history in immersive and inspiring ways held this non-gamer ignoramus captive with his prose, questions, and probing intellect. I loved it. I loved the learning and the way I can now distinguish between different periods of American history. Thank you, Professor Olsson for a fascinating, engaging dive into a wild and wonderful world that changed my view of the world I live in today. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Red Dead‘s History by Tore .C. Olsson, this is not only a great book about what made the Wild West, so wild but about Red Dead and Red Dead Redemption the video games. The book talks about why the author started a college curriculum on the games the different parts the games have played in popular social media like for example the cowboy playing red dead redemption, it’s popularity on Read It. the actual racial make up in the west and much much more. I really truly enjoyed this book as much as one can enjoy a book about their favorite subject I loved it! I do think when shooting an unarmed man however you should get honor points taken away because no self-respecting gunslinger in the west would be proud of shooting a man without a gun. Love this book. #NetGalley,#St. Martin‘sPress, #toreCOlsson,#RedDead’sHistory,

Red Dead's History by Tore C. Olsson was honestly a really interesting and intriguing read.
I found myself pulled to the pages and couldn’t stop reading.
A pathbreaking new way to examine US history, through the lens of a bestselling video game.

Thanks to NETGALLEY and St. Martin's Press for eARC

“In its twenty chapters, we will use the fictional characters and plot of the Red Dead Redemption games to embark on an exploration of the violent social conflicts that convulsed the United States between 1865 and 1920. Ultimately, the book is less a verdict on the 'accuracy' of the games and more a journey through the historical worlds that they frequently allude to— but rarely flesh out.”

More books like this, please, using media mediums as catalysts into history! This was done SO well, it's fun, engaging, informative, important, well-loved, thoroughly researched...such a great book. It's told in three parts with an intro and epilogue, and covers 1865-1920 + end of Civil War. Tore writes like a teacher sometimes, which I found charming and even comforting. My only complaint, and yes, I have only one, is that my eARC didn't have the photographs! I wasn't even aware there were any until the author referenced it, and seeing a credits section for said images. Alas. I plan on purchasing this book anyway, but it would have been better to see the things Olsson brought attention to.

Top Ten of 2024 entry, easily.

If my history class in high school of college was taught like this, I might have paid attention!

Olsson takes a critical look at the video game Read Dead’s Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II’s historical accuracy, and what the historical truth is behind the video game. He is able to break down the wide open Wild West (and south) Into consumable chapters that explore the political, financial, social, and racial factors that resulted in the violence between 1870-1920.

You do not need to be a gamer or ever seen this video game to understand and appreciate the creativity and work of Rockstar Games or be fascinated by the factual representation. If you like history or this video game you may enjoy this book!