Summary
Game Rant can share an exclusive snippet fromRed Dead’s History, an upcoming St. Martin’s Press-published book that examines the decline of the American frontier through the prism of theRed Dead Redemptiongames. The excerpt comes from the audio version of the book, which is narrated by Roger Clark, the star ofRed Dead Redemption 2.
Fully titledRed Dead’s History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America’s Violent Past, the upcoming book was authored by Tore Carl Olsson, Ph.D., an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in History at the University of Tennessee. Since fall 2021, Dr. Olsson has been teaching an undergraduate course on thehistory of theRed Deadfranchise, called “Red Dead America: The Real History Behind the Popular Video Games.”
His upcoming book, announced in March 2024, tackles that very same subject. Game Rant can now exclusively share an excerpt from the audio version ofRed Dead’s History, narrated byRDR2Arthur Morgan actor Roger Clark. The six-minute snippet covers the audiobook’s introduction, which starts with a trivia question asking listeners if they can recognize a scene from one of theRed Dead Redemptiongames involving the Pinkerton detective agency, a group of outlaws in a farmhouse, and some gnarly horrors that resulted from that combination.
Red Dead’s History introduction spoilers ahead.
But that turns out to be a trick question, with Clark explaining that the scene was actually plucked from the pages ofreal American history, specifically those pertaining to the James–Younger Gang led by Frank and his brother, Jesse James. The latter is the very same outlaw who inspired the names of the original Team Rocket members fromPokemon. Dr. Olsson characterizes the gang’s triumph over the Pinkerton agents as “one of the great underdog upsets in the history of American crime and punishment,” a label that sounds all the more epic when read by Clark in his iconic gravely voice.
The author then remarks how the gang’s clash with the Pinkertons sounds like it could have very well been part of Rockstar’s hit series, noting how this underlines the great lengths to which the developer went to accurately capture the feeling of theWild West era in theRed Dead Redemptiongames. All of this serves as a microcosm of the book itself, as Dr. Olsson notes thatRed Dead’s Historyis largely geared toward exemplifying how the franchise frequently excels at “showcasing the contours” of both outlaw and typical American life at the turn of the 20th century.
Red Dead’s Historyis scheduled for release on August 6. It can already bepre-ordered from Amazon, starting at $14.99 for its Kindle version. The audiobook and hardcover editions are priced at $17.71 and $27, respectively, as of this writing.
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is an open world action adventure game developed by Rockstar San Diego and released in 2010. The second game in the franchise and a spiritual successor to Red Dead Revolver, Redemption showcases the decline of the American West, taking place in 1911. It follows the former outlaw John Marston, who is attempting to lead a normal life, but is coerced by the US Government into helping bring his former allies to justice.
