MeatEater's American History: The Hide Hunters (1865-1883)

De: Steven Rinella

Narrado por: Steven Rinella

From the creators of the New York Times bestselling audio series Campfire Stories and MeatEater's American History comes a new audiobook original that immerses listeners into the brutal and unforgiving world of the professional buffalo hunters who drove America's most iconic wildlife species to the brink of extinction.

Steven Rinella (The MeatEater Podcast) takes you deep into the blood-soaked world of the hide hunters who invaded the western frontier in the aftermath of the Civil War, killing and skinning millions of buffalo to supply a resource-hungry nation with an untapped source of leather. From the scorching plains of Texas to the frozen prairie of northern Montana, they lived a nomadic, hardscrabble existence punctuated by raging blizzards, desperate shootouts, agonizing thirst, stampeding herds, freakish accidents, and backbreaking labor. Little more than a decade after the slaughter began, the hide hunters had transformed the once-teeming buffalo range into a boneyard.

These forgotten marksmen weren't mythologized frontiersmen or celebrated explorers—they were displaced veterans, farmers' sons, and wanted outlaws, chasing adventure and opportunity in a world turned upside down by violence and financial insecurity. Their ruthless efficiency stemmed from industrial conditions unique to late-nineteenth century America: transcontinental railroads that connected the Western frontier to eastern cities, revolutionary innovations in long-range rifles, and an insatiable demand for factory belting–made from the skin of buffalo–at the dawn of the machine age. The Hide Hunters is more than a cautionary tale about overexploitation of the natural world. It is an essential chapter of our nation’s story—part survival epic, part ecological tragedy—that left an indelible mark on the American West.

Awesome story. Very informative and Interesting

Great way to illustrate a big part of American history. A+. Can’t wait for the next

Steve as a great way of story telling that paints the picture very well.

Check it out, Very informative & a different perspective that I've not heard previously. I trust his research & understanding of how life was like 150yrs ago on the plains

Interesting story of American history

Steve is an excellent story teller. He tries to be fair with blame in this heartbreaking and important story of the American west. Glad I now have a more complete story of the American Buffalo.

Another great book in the series

Love this series would love to see one about the cowboys of this era. Great job Steve Randle and the crew.

Balance of deep dives and broad knowledge

Well worth the listen, great spectrum of knowledge with lots of gems. Also lots of good perspective, good balance of historical and modern viewpoints.

The research and history

I enjoyed this chronicle of part of the history of our country- sobering as it was . Rinella and his colleague did an exceptional work

Wonderful story

Book be good. Great nicknames and internal folk telling of hunters struggles and demises. Great book showcasing the moral conflict of history compared to current way of life.

Steve does it again

This series, just like any story told by Steve Rinella, captivated me from the beginning. The perfect amount of facts tied along with narration that allow the story to come to life.

The accuracy

I liked it all! Steve did a great job with the historians to put it all in perspective during that time frame!

Excellent story telling by Steve

Can’t help but think I’m in the meateater studio with Steve while listening to the history of the American buffalo. It’s great to hear a wonderful story told by someone as deeply passionate about the subject as Steve is. Another great in depth history done by meat eater. Great job guys!