Set in politically unstable environments, Shakespeare's history plays—Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV and Henry V—and HBO's Western series Deadwood (2004-2006) all stand as critiques of myths of national origin, the sanitized stories we tell ourselves about how power imposes order on chaos.

Drawing parallels between the Shakespeare plays and Deadwood, the author explores questions about legitimate political authority, the qualities of an effective leader, gender roles and community, and the reciprocal relationship between past and present in historical narratives.