"This inspiring and impeccably crafted story of against-all-odds triumph is one that movie-makers surely will yearn to produce, seeing in Wolman and Smith''s elegantly told Aloha Rodeo a new Chariots of Fire, with Cheyenne''s Frontier Days standing in for the Paris Olympics, the islands of Hawaii for the British Isles, and, at center stage, three brave cowboys, no hats and all cattle. I loved this book, truly." - SIMON WINCHESTER, author of Pacific, The Men Who United the States, and The Professor and the Madman "David Wolman and Julian Smith''s masterful Aloha Rodeo is like uncovering a beautiful fresco you never knew was there, each turned page revealing another vivid and colorful piece of a true American West story that had lain long buried until now." - SALLY JENKINS, award-winning Washington Post sports columnist and author of The Real All-Americans "Aloha Rodeo accomplishes the bronco-busting trick of combining thorough research with a fast-paced narrative. Who knew that three young men from Hawaii would transform the sport of rodeo, bring pride to their homeland, and be at the center of such a riveting story." - TOM CLAVIN, author of Wild Bill "A vivid account." - LARRY McMURTRY author of Lonesome Dove "Tells [an] almost unbelievable tale. Carefully construct[ed].
" - National Tombstone Epitaph "Packed with interesting facts, colorful characters, and well-researched details that bring each chapter alive, this book completely changed my perspective on both the history of our 50th state and the multifaceted legacy of the American cowboy." - Outside magazine "Breaks new ground in the history of the American cowboy. The writing duo [of Wolman and Smith] expertly weave a complex story of Hawaii''s 18th- and 19th-century transformation from isolated island kingdom to American colony; the parallel rise and settlement of the American cattle, cowboy and Hawaiian paniolo culture, industry and economy; and the growth and popularity of Wild West shows, entertainers and rodeos. Groundbreaking. Not only a must-read, but an essential addition to the cowboy collector''s library. One of the best single volumes on the rise and diversity of the North American cattle industry and the cowboy culture. in the 19th and early 20th century. Let''s all hope that Aloha Rodeo does not just inspire readers, but a new generation of paniolos, too.
" - True West "Breaks new ground in the history of the American cowboy. [Wolman and Smith] expertly weave a complex story. A must-read." - True West "Wolman and Smith tell these fascinating stories in riveting, easy-to-read style." - Honolulu Star-Advertiser "[A] fine book. A rollicking tale that spans two centuries. Riveting." - American History "Thrilling.
Gripping. Aloha Rodeo shines." - NPR.org "Immersive. This thoughtful look at Hawaii''s place in the Wild West will appeal to readers interested in underexplored elements of American history." - Publishers Weekly "Engaging, thorough prose. The narratives are so wild that they often read like fiction. If your perception of cowboy culture has largely been shaped by Louis L''Amour, Lonesome Dove and John Wayne, hold onto your hats.
Aloha Rodeo blows open a canyon of inclusionary cowboy history as wide as the Rio Grande." - BookPage, STARRED Review "A sweeping epic. A triumphant underdog tale. Through a combination of thorough research and literary prowess, [Wolman and Smith] manage to turn an obscure footnote into a gripping narrative." - Willamette Week "Dramatic. Aloha Rodeo is more than a cowboy epic. It is a history of the Wild West extended far beyond the coast of California." - Stanford Magazine "A perfect summer read.
A thrilling and. utterly satisfactory story." - Honolulu Magazine "Packs a lot of history but reads like a Western. I would highly recomment this book to anyone interested in the history of Hawaii, the West, or the rodeo." - Manhattan Book Review "An inherently fascinating, deftly crafted history, impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented." - Midwest Book Review "Aloha Rodeo is as revelatory as it is satisfying. Fascinating. A fitting tribute to [the paniolo] legend.
" - Middlebury Magazine "As revelatory as it is satisfying. The book''s propelling narrative centers on the story of three Hawaiian cowboys who stunned the chauvinist throng at the famed Cheyenne Frontier Days. Aloha Rodeo is a fitting tribute to their legend. Fascinating. Engrossing." - Washington Independent Review of Books "The image of the angular, gun-toting loner guiding his adored horse across the High Plains is an enduring symbol of a place and culture. For anyone steeped in that indelible imagery, David Wolman and Julian Smith''s Aloha Rodeo is as revelatory as it is satisfying. The book''s propelling narrative centers on the story of three Hawaiian cowboys--or paniolo, as they are known in Hawaiian--who journeyed by sea and rail to Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1908 and stunned the chauvinist throng at the famed Cheyenne Frontier Days.
But the story of those strangers in a strange land mainly serves as a jumping-off point for the book''s greatest strength: its fascinating digressions into 18th- and 19th-century Hawaiian history, the emergence of the rodeo as a quintessential Western spectacle, Cheyenne''s invention and embrace of Frontier Days as a salve to its boom-and-bust economy, and, most engrossing, the story of how Hawaii came to develop a ranching and cowboy culture uniquely its own. Aloha Rodeo is a fitting tribute to their legend." - Washington Independent Review of Books "The 4,000-mile journey of Waimea cowboy Ikua Purdy and his two cousins to the annual Frontier Days rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is recounted in a well-researched tale that blends the colorful past of both America''s Wild West and the lesser-known paniolo culture of the Hawaiian Islands. Filled with the excitement, adventure, and dangers of bronco busting and steer roping, Wolman and Smith''s Aloha Rodeo is an inspiring and fast-paced read of an unexpected hero who reigned in a victory for his island nation from the clutches of a sport long dominated by Anglos." - STEPHEN L. MOORE, author of Texas Rising "Fascinating. [One] of the modern greats. A truly entertaining, educational, and satisfying tale, told with verve and gusto.
" - Aspen Daily News.