Red Dead's History

A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past

By: Tore C. Olsson

Narrated by: Roger Clark

"A must-listen for fans of the beloved game."—Den of Geek

This program is read by Roger Clark, the iconic and award-winning full performance-capture actor of Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Morgan, who returns to the wildly dramatic and gritty world of the American frontier in this audiobook edition of Red Dead's History. It also features a prologue and epilogue read by the author.

A pathbreaking new way to examine US history, through the lens of a bestselling video game

Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II, set in 1911 and 1899, are the most-played American history video games since The Oregon Trail. Beloved by millions, they’ve been widely acclaimed for their realism and attention to detail. But how do they fare as re-creations of history?

In this engaging audiobook, award-winning American history professor Tore Olsson takes up that question and more. Weaving the games’ plots and characters into an exploration of American violence between 1870 and 1920, Olsson shows that it was more often disputes over capitalism and race, not just poker games and bank robberies, that fueled the bloodshed of these turbulent years. As such, this era has much to teach us today. From the West to the Deep South to Appalachia, Olsson reveals the gritty and brutal world that inspired the games, but sometimes lacks context and complexity on the digital screen. Colorful, fast-paced, and dramatic, Red Dead’s History sheds light on dark corners of the American past for gamers and history buffs alike.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Critic reviews

"Informative and enjoyable...Olsson has much to say about connecting the past to the present in ways that are novel and fun."
—Kirkus

"A landmark in writing about video games. Never before has a trained historian dived so deeply (and enthusiastically!) into a game's politics and milieu. From puncturing the sacred American cowboy myth to figuring out how violent, really, the West actually was, Professor Olsson effortlessly illuminates one of the greatest games ever made."
—Tom Bissell, screenwriter, author of Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter

“Like taking a college class from a brilliant, funny professor—except the professor is also a gamer.”
—Daniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire

"Millions of people have imagined the United States of 1899 through the lens of the video game, Red Dead Redemption 2. Tore Olsson explores that virtual world with the sympathetic insight of a skilled historian and devoted gamer... Immersive, unflinching, and fast-moving."
—Edward Ayers, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and President Emeritus, University of Richmond

"As addictive and compelling as the video game it examines....Red Dead's History is a great read, and it will delight both fans of the game and anyone interested in the consequential events that made America what it is today."
—Megan Kate Nelson, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Three-Cornered War and Saving Yellowstone

“In this remarkable book, [Olsson] invites students of history and devotees of historically situated video games to recognize what they can learn from one another.... Red Dead's History is an eye-opener for anyone interested in our culture and politics."
—Steven Hahn, Professor of History at NYU and Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Nation under Our Feet

“Worlds collide in Red Dead’s History, where video game players and historians meet.... It’s a lesson in taking readers where you find them, welcoming them, and using familiar stories to give a truer account to an avid audience. Tore Olsson proves that history can be fun.”
—Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore, Peter V. and C. Vann Woodward Professor of History Emerita at Yale University

Fantastic

Kept me hooked from beginning to end. Starting each chapter with a scene from the game really put everything to perspective and gave a very “real” image of the current scenery. Listening to Arthur Morgan reading it all really made this a next level audiobook.

Now I want to start a new game and travel through history with open eyes .

Good book read by an amazing actor

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It always caught my attention and brought more context to the world. Roger Clark was amazing and I hope he does more of these.However, the second part, while really interesting and well researched, it was WAY too long. Also, the author is way too opinionated and does not allow the audience to come to their own conclusions. The first and third parts though were really good. Talking about my favorite movie of all time, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, was a nice cherry on top. Good experience and a good history lesson

different than expected! but no less amazing!

this book isn't exactly what I was expecting but lord did i have such an amazing time listening. truth be told I was brought here purely by Roger Clark, and his performance was fantastic as always! But Tore C. Olsson is the reason I stayed, the author of this book pored passion and soul into this project and it never dampens for a moment!

So this was the plan.

Just finished the game 2 weeks before reading this and I’m glad this was here to help scratch that itch. Great job stringing me along with connections to the game with each and every portion of this interesting history lesson.

Now you got me reading more books on Native American culture and the civil war.

10/10

The More You Know

From the bloodstained and complex history of the west, to the deeply hateful history of the south, this book covers a lot of valuable information that can be enjoyed by fans of the game and history enthusiasts. Much like RDR2, this book gives you enough history to make you want to dive deeper into its many topics.