Preview
  • Red Dead's History

  • A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past
  • By: Tore C. Olsson
  • Narrated by: Roger Clark
  • Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (118 ratings)

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Red Dead's History

By: Tore C. Olsson
Narrated by: Roger Clark
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Publisher's summary

"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.

©2024 Tore C. Olsson (P)2024 Macmillan Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"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

What listeners say about Red Dead's History

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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 .

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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!

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An amazing look at "The old west "

So for all the History lovers , Western fans, or video gamers I cant recommend this highly enough! As an admirer of "The wild west" and a lover of video games and history this book is an awesome read. It dispells a LOT of misconceptions regarding the old west era while delving deep into the reasons , motivations and history of how this era defined how modern captialism woukd take root in the united states.

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Excellent, Informative, and a Lot of Fun

I’ve been looking forward to this book for months now, and learning Roger Clark would be voicing the audiobook only made me more excited. I finished listening before I’ve even cracked open my physical copy- tho that will be next. This book was a wonderful breakdown of historical accuracies, inaccuracies, and recurring myths of the American landscape represented in Red Dead Redemption 2. I thought organizing the topics by region— Western, Southern, and Appalachian United States—was a clever way to go about such a broad topic. The book is very well written and so engaging, i’ve listened to it in every moment of free time since it came out. And Roger Clark’s audio performance made it all the more enjoyable. Im glad the author got to see his hard work telling history through this game come to this point.

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Arthur Morgan

Arthur reading this made it worth listening plus learning how the game took from history was interesting

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A Historian and a Gamer Walk into a Bar in Saint Denis

The premise of the this book hooked me immediately, and the execution was even better than I expected. Tore C. Olsson plainly loves Red Dead Redemption, but he’s doesn’t shy away from being clear about where the game didn’t get it right, historically. The time period and settings in which the game takes place are enthralling, and Mr. Olsson uses that framework nicely in the telling of the real history. The book is well-written, and it’s a fun listen.

Roger Clark reading the audiobook was quite the get. I think the book would still be excellent if someone else did the reading, but Mr. Clark was a home run for this. It took a great thing and made it even better. I can’t recommend this book enough? Love Red Dead? Interested in history? Well, here you go.

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Fantastic

Great purchase. Zero regrets. Y’all need to learn our pathetic history of the US. Roger Clark is amazing.

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Excellent Listen, Compelling and Accessible History

Roger Clark is an excellent voice actor and he shines throughout the reading of this book. The contents of the book itself are a fascinating insight into a period of history (the late 1800s) that is often not given as much attention in high school US history classes as other periods of time. Using the game Red Dead Redemption 2, Olsson dives into the history of different regions of the US, specifically the west, Deep South, and southern Appalachia, and discusses major political, cultural, and social changes and developments going on in that time and ties it to our understanding of those regions today. It’s not dense or condescending. Olsson is blunt but clearly loves teaching and wants this history to be as accessible as possible. If you loved the game and love history, definitely check out this book.

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Amazing for fans of the game and fans of history!

This book is amazing! The mix of real history intertwined into the story of Red Dead is just simply awesome! Highly recommend to any fans of westerns, history or video games!

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Interesting Retrospective of Acclaimed Game

Enjoyed hearing Roger Clark narrating and offering a gravitas performance when referring to moments in the game. Majority of the chapters on several historical aspects I was familiar with through my education. Though there was some new material of history I’ve never did learn in college or high school. But that’s just me in my historian lens. Nothing I can recall I disliked, I agreed with the author on his points and he clearly did his research. If you enjoyed Red Dead Redemption 2, this is a great companion piece to get immersed into and reflect the next time you pop in the game. Would highly recommend!

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