An engaging introduction to a certain period of US history, through the lens of one of the greatest video games ever made

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 book, 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.

Like many (many) people, I am a fan of the Red Dead Redemption franchise. The second game is a masterpiece, and I remember being completely swept up in the world and gameplay for many, many hours. When I saw that Professor Olsson had written a book looking at US history through the lens of the franchise, I knew I had to read it. While it took me a little time to get around to it (it’s now available in paperback), I am very happy to report that it’s an engaging and even valuable read.

The American West is a topic that seems to have been picked over so much, and for so long. The tropes of the genre are well-known (if mis-applied, as Olsson explains), widely recycled, and probably new only to the youngest readers. How can another book stand out amongst the groaning, overloaded section shelves, then? Olsson’s innovative approach — using a video game series as an entry point — makes for a very interesting proposition, and has the potential to open up the subject to a wide audience who perhaps didn’t have much interest in history or, as is too often the case, think the subject is dry and merely a recitation of dates and facts. Olsson’s book is neither of these things: it is a highly accessible and lively book, packed with interesting details and analysis, and some welcome, well-deployed humour.

The author is a professor of history, and his speciality covers the period of American history that the Red Dead Redemption games are set during, so he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his examination of the history and issues present in the RRD games. The book focuses on the time of the second game, which is set in 1899. He draws on this expertise to bring the history to life, as well as to “correct the record” — there are a fair number of issues present in the game that are actually a bit out of time; either appearing too early, or too late to be historically accurate. However, Olsson is not criticizing the game: indeed, he goes to great lengths to praise Rockstar Games for their attention to detail, delicate handling of certain issues, honest portrayal of the diversity of the times, and more. The author locates elements of the game into the broader pop cultural understanding of the West, cowboys, outlaws, the rise of the locomotive and what it did for the continent, and many other issues. Olsson also does a good job of, on occasion, bringing the history up-to-date, showing us why understanding this history is important today. Red Dead’s History is broken into short and tightly-written chapters that should work well for dipping into for a particular topic or read from start to finish (which is how I read it).

There were times I wished the book had dug a bit deeper into the topics covered, and I would have been happier if it had been longer in general. It’s not uncommon for longer history books to be more exhausting than exhaustive, but I think Olsson could have avoided this pitfall, and kept the history lively an engaging, even if he had dug deeper and lingered a bit longer on each topic. For example, a longer chapter covering the social and economic impact of the expansion of the railroads, to name but one, would have been welcome.

As an introduction to the history, Olsson’s book is excellent, and I finished it with a strong desire to read more about the time period; perhaps predictably, this has resulted in me already ordering three new books. Which, ultimately, is I think the point of the book: it serves as a great introduction to the topic, which will hopefully encourage readers/gamers to seek out more information about America’s rich history. Olsson deserves a lot of credit for this.

If I had one other minor quibble, it would be that the book could have been enhanced by interviewing the writers of the game. This could have provided the author with some additional avenues for exploration; for example, what sources did they draw upon, and are they credible? Where did they get their idea of the West, South, and Appalachia from? The author notes that the game’s visuals are extremely good, when it comes to historical accuracy, so a discussion about how they went about designing the game would have been an interesting way to discuss the use of historical archives and what one can find in them. (This may be a little outside of what Olsson wanted to do with the book, but archives can often be the source of tidbits that help bring history to life for non-professionals.)

If you are a fan of the Red Dead franchise, and wanted to learn a bit more about the history featured in the game, then I would definitely recommend you give this book a read. It’s entertaining, engaging, and accessible. Olsson’s love of the games and history is obvious throughout.

*

Tore C. Olsson’s Red Dead’s History is out now, published by St. Martin’s Griffin.

Professor Olsson has also taught a “Grand Theft America” university class, which looks at history through the lens of Rockstar Games’ other, arguably more-popular and well-known franchise, Grand Theft Auto. (After learning this, I can’t help but hope there’s another book on the way…)

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A peaceful moment in Red Dead Redemption II (PS5 Capture from my play-through)