The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline

Julia Bricklin is an author and historian who likes to examine the lives of those who might be obscured by history, but whose actions have had a lasting impact on popular culture. Her newest book, “The Notorious Life of Ned Buntline," is a narrative that captures the profile of a man whose life was defined by contradictions.

Edward Zane Carroll Judson wrote under the pseudonym of Ned Buntline. He was an American publisher, journalist, writer and conservationist. He enjoyed a robust literary career with the creation of his sensational dime novels, newspapers, magazines and articles. Judson is known for his discovery of William Fredrick Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, and making this scout a star. Their collaboration produced the creation of the popular Wild West show. Judson brought notions of the romantic west to the masses. His sensational stories incorporated his own western escapades. In addition, he wrote embellished stories of his nautical heroism and duty in the Seminole Wars, all for the sake of entertainment. Judson was a shameless promoter who incited division and even violence in order to help himself and promote his causes. His lack of accountability or remorse for his actions sadly mirrors some of the same things we witness today. He was always looking for some sort of cause to espouse using his affiliation with the Know-Nothing Party. Slavery, the temperance movement and immigration were three platforms he was able to rally and gather followers. Judson, who could also be charming and loving, married at least 8 times, but abandoned most of his wives and children.

On the flip side Judson could be thought of as a genius of sorts. He understood the America public's literary tastes for fictional adventures. He was a prolific writer who knew how to write for the masses, credited for creating some 400 to maybe as many as 600 dime novels in his lifetime. Dime novels were a popular 19th century fiction paperback whose stories blended truth and legend and readers devoured them.

Bricklin has skillfully crafted an impressive biography of Edward Zane Carroll Judson, also known as Ned Buntline. One can assume with her meticulous research reflected in the dozen of annotated notes at the end of the book that she knows her character well. The book is written in a chronological path across more than six decades of Judson's life. It is not a fast read since the book is well detailed. But I found Bricklin showed a keen insight into Judson's writing as Ned Buntline. Her portrayal of him as a complex, charismatic, resourceful and inventive man was fascinating. The use of actual quotes, photos and anecdotal facts added to the richness of the story.

Julia Bricklin

For more information about the author, events, books and blog check out her website https://www.juliabricklin.com/

Other books by Bricklin include: a nonfiction book about Annie Oakley’s real rival, “America’s Best Female Sharpshooter: The Rise and Fall of Lillian Frances Smith” (2017) and “ Polly Pry: The Woman Who Wrote the West” (2018), a biography about the first female reporter on the Denver Post. Her third, about one of America’s most notorious criminals of the Prohibition Era, is “Blonde Rattlesnake” (2019).

Bricklin has also written numerous articles for academic journals and magazines. She is a professor of history, and writes for the history podcasts "Infamous America" and "Legends of the Wild West" and others.
Listen to Bricklin's podcast on Ned Buntline
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ned-buntline-julia-bricklin-interview/id1362910749?i=1000487886510