Fascinating. A few flaws. All minor. Some more odd and interesting than others. The past tense of gainsay is gainsaid. It's Sierra Blanca not Sierra Blanco. Sides states that the Navajo had never encountered "white" men. Yet they had been in intimate contact with the Spanish for over two hundred years and many of them spoke Spanish. Freudian slip? He has judge Carlos Beaubien intoning the death sentence for the Taos patriots for treason, "Muerto," dead man, rather than "muerte," death. Presumably, Beaubien, whose son Narciso had been killed in the uprising, spoke Spanish. This is in the tradition of authors like John Nichols who, in Milagro Beanfield War, says that pendejo means "pubic hair," when if he had deigned to use the great resource right outside his doorstep, he would have readily apprehended that in New Mexico, pendejo means "fool." Sides says that the poorest Navajos (as opposed to the more affluent?) were called "ladrones," thieves, but does not explain. Finally, Sides seems unable to sort out the nomenclature for folks of Iberian descent. Sometimes they are "Spanish" buffalo hunters, sometimes "Mexican" trailhands, sometimes "Hispanic" soldiers or "Hispanic" men from the territory, sometimes "New Mexicans."
With all of this, this is still five-star reading. I couldn't put it down. I read it in record time. Sides is remarkably even handed. His research is obviously deep, his presentation captures and holds you. It is obvious that Sides has been to the majority of places he describes. I'm jealous. He has forced me to rethink Kit Carson. Carson's amazing peregrinations and his serendipitous appearance at every important juncture in U.S. western history forces us to again examine the great man theory and the role of luck in the course of human history. What if San Pasquale had gone the other way? What if Armijo had had some huevos and held the pass at Apache Canyon? Could anything have really stemmed the tide, turned aside a powerful nation bent on raping and pillaging a weaker neighbor? What would Mexico be today if it had not been immorally deprived of its northern territories, Texas, New Mexico and California? But this is like urinating into the wind. We cannot, as some would snidely suggest, choose the century or decade in which we want to live. We can, however, insist on our history clear eyed, unadulterated by hype or prejudice. Sides' narration forces us all to reexamine our pet prejudices. I pay him the ultimate compliment. Sides is a historian.

This is a very well researched history. It portrays an important part of our history and does not gloss over the excesses of the middle 19th century.

Well done. Shows Kit Carson as an American hero. Book demonstrates why violence was the only recourse in dealing with ignorant, uneducated savages. Highly recommnd book.

This is a terrific story told in a dramatic yet even handed fashion. It helps that much of Sides narrative is focused on Kit Carson, the famous scout whose exploits made him a Western legend and the subject of numerous pulp,"blood and thunder" Western novels. Carson comes off here as an authentic hero; modest, brave and resourceful, but also much more pragmatic than the wild West shoot-em-up version of his image.

In Sides' view Carson was in effect, the chief operating officer for such frontier leaders as John C. Fremont, Stephen Kearney and John Carleton. Each would not have been able to continue their part of the pursuit of America's Manifest Destiny without Carson's guidance.

While Carson pretty much steals the show in my view, numerous other characters, including the glory seeking Fremont and overbearing Carleton are finely drawn. Additionally, Native Americans are portrayed fairly here, neither vilified nor idealized, but portrayed as stuggling to hold onto their land in the face of an expanding American empire.

Hampton Sides' Blood and Thunder is simply the most exiting and honest portrait of Kit Carson and his time I`ve ever read. You fly through the pages and will not be disturbed while reading. You get all the sides of Carsons personality and the sad story of the autumn of the navahoes and other indians. Too read history like this beats reading the most fantastic fiction.
Mik

Being a local, I may be biased, but this was probably the best book I read last year. Hampton Sides, a Santa Fe author, has written an absorbing, detailed account of New Mexico history, on such subjects as the Santa Fe Trail, Kit Carson, New Mexico Civil War battles, and the Navajo Long Walk. His book is impeccably researched and reads like a novel.

An engaging story of Kit Carson and his times. Book is filled with the history of the opening of the west, strange and interesting characters and the sad story the Navajos. Would make a fascinating movie.

When the history of the west was written Kit Carson fur trapper, scout and explorer was there and was a part of it. Carson was born in Kentucky the day before Christmas in 1809, the same year and state of Lincoln's birth. He was only eight years old when his father died and out of necessity the boy picked up his rifle and hunted game. When he was thirteen his mother married and Kit rebelled. To mollify the situation he was apprenticed to a saddle maker and worked at the trade for two years before he signed on with a freight caravan at St Louis and headed west.
In less than twenty years Kit Carson had proved his metal as scout, fur trapper and guide.
John C. Fremont hired Carson as his guide for his first expedition that would be heading out of St. Louis to North Pass. The group left in June of 1842. The expedition successfully explored the country lying between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains on a line of the Kansas and Great Platte Rivers. Carson was also along for Fremont's second expedition when they explored the Oregon Trail from South Pass to the Columbia River. Most Americans thought of Fremont as the Pathfinder, but in my opinion they were wrong. I Believe Kit Carson was the real Pathfinder.
The year was 1846 when Hampton Sides brought another important personality into that western struggle -- General Stephen Watts Kearny. Kearny moved his army west along the Santa Fe Trail with orders to capture and occupy the New Mexico Capital at Santa Fe. Kearny stopped off, almost as an after thought, and secured the town of Las Vegas for the American forces.
Kearny made a short speech to the citizens of Las Vegas. He said, "From the Mexican Government you have never received protection. The Navajos come down from the mountains and carry off your sheep and your women whenever they please." From the crowd reaction Kearny knew he'd struck a nerve and went on to tell the people that from that day forward their lives and property would be protected. "Your enemies will become our enemies."

Kearny then led his army toward Santa Fe with only a halt at Apache Canyon where he held his army in check and waited out the New Mexico militia that had gathered and planned an ambush. Following a long wait the militia abandoned their position Kearny continued to Santa Fe and occupied the town without a shot being fired.
General Kearny rode into the central plaza, dismounted, raised his hand and said, "I, Stephen W. Kearny, General of the Army of the United States have taken possession of the providence of New Mexico."

From the time Kearny and Kit Carson's first met they formed a good relationship and Carson took up the same duties for Kearny as he had performed on John C. Fremont's expeditions.
Carson guided Kearny and his army through to California.
However, at that point General Kearny and his army were worn out, the horses, mules and men all needed water and rest. But they got neither, what they got was an ambush and a fire fight at San Pasqual, which was about thirty miles from San Diego and their rendezvous point with Commodore Robert Stockton. Kearny was pinned down by the Mexicans and sent Carson and two others to try to get through to Stockton and ask for help.
As it turned all three men managed to get through the enemy lines to San Diego. Commodore Stockton complied with the request and immediately sent a force to assist Kearny. Stockton's 100-man force broke the impasse at San Pasqual, and the opposition was broken. That defeat at San Pasqual essentially ended the fight for the West. And while it didn't end all the hostilities with Mexico it was a great beginning.
Kit Carson was trusted by the military and as a consequence he was given the task of delivering important dispatches to Washington.
Carson traversed the country several times during his lifetime and probably understood the American landscape better than any man alive at the time. Among his obvious skills as hunter, trapper and guide Kit Carson was also a linguist. He spoke good English and Spanish and had command of a half dozen Indian dialects. But with all his talents Kit Carson never learned to read or write - he was in fact illiterate.
Hampton Sides has taken a large piece of American history and written a narrative that is both informative and entertaining. It's a book that will be a good addition to any library.

Tom Barnes author of novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
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Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone: The Life and Times of John Henry Holliday
Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend

While I find Hampton Sides to be a talented writer and found Ghost Soldiers to be an outstanding book, my own knowledge of the history of the Southwestern U.S. left me puzzled by this history. At times, I found Mr. Sides selective historical representation disturbing. My great, great, grandfather Jefferson Hunt was a captain in the Army of the West that marched through Santa Fe and on to San Diego, the longest march in U.S. military history. He was part of the 500 man "Mormon Battalion," of which Mr. Sides makes no mention. Despite not mentioning those volunteers for the country, he goes to lengths to deviate from his main story line to discuss the Mountain Meadow Massacre. He further attempts to tie Brigham Young to this event without citing sources. For anyone familiar with this horrible story, it's historical butchery! I thought Mr. Sides was a more thorough historian.

If you are going to write a history book, a person must write with good judgement and be even-handed in their analysis. If you want to mention anything negative about a group of people, in this case the Mormons, then at least paint a complete picture. Brigham Young taught the Mormons to "feed the Indians, not shoot them." One of the reasons that you don't read about Indian massacres and problems in Utah, during this time period, is that the settlers tried to co-exist with them. Yes, there were skirmishes and tensions, but not on the scale of Indian problems and wars in other areas of the west.

His lack of historical balance in Blood and Thunder makes me question many other things and events contained in this book.

This is a wonderfully written book about the lives of western frontiersmen Carson and Fremont, President James K. Polk, the Navajo Indians, and Colonial Stephen Kearney and men. It is written with college wording, but with very easy to read short chapters. The material will keep you coming back to read for more after every chapter and is extremely focused. I am not even a big fan of history, so you know this book has to be good if I am reading it! Pick it up and relive the 1840's all over again - you will not be disappointed.

"Blood and Thunder" is one of the best-written and evenhanded histories which I have ever read. I was sorry when I had finished it as I could have happily read it if it had been 500 hundred pages longer. There was no maudlin sympathy for the Indians but, instead, a fair recognition of their predicament and of their patterns of life which made their unaltered co-existence with the Mexican and American settlers impossible, i.e. a tradition of raiding, taking slaves, and stealing. As for the Mexican and American settlers, there was a fair treatment of their virtues as well as their depredations. Kit Carson is entitled to our greatest admiration and respect. He was a unique and marvelous American whose accomplishments almost defy belief. His humility is so refreshing when compared to today's practice by so many of self-adulation and self-promotion. His final words to his doctor and friend were touching and typical of this extraordinary and historically important man. Bravo!

Blood and Thunder is the story of Kit Carson and the settling of the West. It's very interesting, good details, and very readable for a person who often reads historical fiction as opposed to non-fiction. It was recommended by several friends who raved about how good it is. I agree!

Very interesting. The United States Army rides into New Mexico in 1846 with modern cannon and easily sweeps away the corrupt Mexican dictatorship. The army is led by an Ivy League, progressive soldier named General Stephen Kearny. The general announces the liberation and establishes an open, inclusive government. But "the real war in New Mexico was not between the Americans and the Mexicans, but rather between the nomadic Mexican tribes and everyone else. He had stumbled into an age-old conflict that showed no signs of abatting with the American presence." Perhaps our troops in Iraq can read this story in their spare time.

This is a superbly done, detailed account of the mid-nineteenth century centered around the remarkable exploits of Kit Carson, the Indian tribes who populated the Southwest in this period and our conflict with Mexico over ownership of this territory. This is the best read I've had in at least a year; I couldn't put it down.

I'll get on the bandwagon. This was a great read. The writing was very good but the subject was almost unbelievable. I always just assumed Kit Carson was another hyperbolic character out of the west, as cartoonish as Yosemite Sam, and bloviated as Wild Bill. Wrong! Astounding story which the author handles with color and style
Admittedly the author's jumping around to different parralel story lines was a bit distracting, it had the effect of starting a bunch of backfires that did however manage to all feed into a great page burner.
Living out here in the SW (Durango) and having spent a lot of time exploring New Mexico it was fascinating to read of so many of the places I've been to and imagine these landscapes before the internal combustion engine.(infernal) This book is well worth the time, especially for it's refocusing of the Navajo's 'plight'. So much has been done to vilify Carson's Canyon DeChelly campaign and the brutal Long Walk he inflicted on the Navajo to Bosque Redondo, that the previous and centuries long history of Navajo tyranny has been glossed over in modern understanding. The Anasazi (Navajo for 'enemy ancestor's') and their departing this region for the pueblo's of New Mexico takes on a more real meaning when I come to understand that the Unites States did to the Navajo what the Navajo were doing to their neighbors, take their land and control it with force.

I've read a fair amount of western history dealing with this period and the events therein and by all odds this book was one of the best ever. Highly recommended reading for all western history buffs.

An excellent read!! Hard to put down, more than just dates and facts.
More than just the life of Kit Carson!! Most excellent book!!

Outstanding research! It is easy to follow the events by simply referencing the maps in the book.
By enclosing pictures of the referenced individuals and sites (as they may have appeared in the 19th
century) allows the reader to mentally visualize the life of the main characters and events.

All the important conflicts between the cultures are covered. The reader is able to feel the hostilities that
permeated the 19th century southwest and, in some cases, still exist.

It's hard to come up with enough superlatives to describe this book. Hampton Sides has written a book about the life of Kit Carson and the period of American history that Carson lived in that can only be described as perfect. Sides tells us not just the story of Kit Carson but also the many other fascinating characters who shaped the history of the Southwest. He keeps the story moving by concentrating on the key events of the 1840s and 1860s that led to the US conquering the West from Mexico and the battles that eventually led to the decline of the Native population.

Kit Carson is an amazing character. He was a trapper, guide, scout, explorer, soldier, husband, and father and Sides gives us glimpses into every one of these aspects of Carson's life. The first half of the book covers the early years of Carson's life leading us to the Mexican-American War. The campaigns during the war in New Mexico and California are both covered in some detail. The defeat of Mexico led to the US seizing New Mexico and California and with it the problems of dealing with the Native Americans who lived there, especially the Navajos. For many years, the Navajos had fought with the settlers in New Mexico. Although the Mexican settlements such as Santa Fe and Taos were outside of the Navajo nation, the Mexicans attacked Navajos to sell them as slaves and Navajos attacked and killed Mexicans, stealing their sheep and crops.

The second half of the book deals with Kit Carson the soldier and the battles of the Civil War as Confederate Texans invaded New Mexico and the Najavos took advantage of this period to increase their attacks on Americans. This eventually led to a determination to solve the Navajo "problem" once and for all. Sides tells us of the good and bad intentions on both sides of the conflicts with the Navajos and how ultimately even the best intentions proved fatal to the Native Americans. The overall effect is to give us a much deeper understanding of the time and place that Sides discusses. I have to admit that I approached this book with few expectations because the history of the West had never been of much interest to me but Sides quickly pulled me into the story. I can heartily recommend it to anyone.

It's hard to come up with enough superlatives to describe this book. Hampton Sides has written a book about the life of Kit Carson and the period of American history that Carson lived in that can only be described as perfect. Sides tells us not just the story of Kit Carson but also the many other fascinating characters who shaped the history of the Southwest. He keeps the story moving by concentrating on the key events of the 1840s and 1860s that led to the US conquering the West from Mexico and the battles that eventually led to the decline of the Native population.

Kit Carson is an amazing character. He was a trapper, guide, scout, explorer, soldier, husband, and father and Sides gives us glimpses into every one of these aspects of Carson's life. The first half of the book covers the early years of Carson's life leading us to the Mexican-American War. The campaigns during the war in New Mexico and California are both covered in some detail. The defeat of Mexico led to the US seizing New Mexico and California and with it the problems of dealing with the Native Americans who lived there, especially the Navajos. For many years, the Navajos had fought with the settlers in New Mexico. Although the Mexican settlements such as Santa Fe and Taos were outside of the Navajo nation, the Mexicans attacked Navajos to sell them as slaves and Navajos attacked and killed Mexicans, stealing their sheep and crops.

The second half of the book deals with Kit Carson the soldier and the battles of the Civil War as Confederate Texans invaded New Mexico and the Najavos took advantage of this period to increase their attacks on Americans. This eventually led to a determination to solve the Navajo "problem" once and for all. Sides tells us of the good and bad intentions on both sides of the conflicts with the Navajos and how ultimately even the best intentions proved fatal to the Native Americans. The overall effect is to give us a much deeper understanding of the time and place that Sides discusses. I have to admit that I approached this book with few expectations because the history of the West had never been of much interest to me but Sides quickly pulled me into the story. I can heartily recommend it to anyone.

The author has done a great job of not only telling the story of Kit Carson, but has also introduced the readers to other historical people of the time(and their stories), and deliver, to the readers, a story on how the West was won.

Blood and Thunder. Is it about Kit Carson? the Navajo? The conquering of California? It makes no difference. It is an extraordinary book on any of these topics. Learn some history while you read a good book - what could be better? Turn the TV off for a while and curl up with a good companion. You'll be glad you did!

This book was very well written. The author did a great job of telling both sides of the story. He clearly had affection for Kit Carson as a person. Yet he is unsparing in reporting the malicious and indifferent decisions of the United States westward expansion at the expense of the Native American population. At the same time, the reports the actions and conditions of the Native American tribes without undue romanticism as well. Focusing on Carson serves to unify the narrative. When I began reading, I assumed I would not find very many surprises, having read many books on these subjects. yet in fact there were many throughout. And the book is written to read easily and well. I highly recommend it.

Hampton Sides has written a winner. Utilizing the period of Kit Carson's life from 1860 until his death, Sides provides an excellent biography of Carson as well as a remarkably detailed account of the demise of the Navajo Indian tribe in the American Southwest. Kit Carson's role during and after the Civil War in the conquest of the Navajo results in one of the dramatic and significant episodes in the history of the American West, ranking on a par with the Trails of Tears east of the Mississippi. That Sides covers this truly sad event in a most even handed way, giving full voice to the Navajos trials and tribulations of dealing with Whites and the Government's consistent policy of subjugation, is a testament to the author's skill.

Beginning with General Kearney's arrival at Santa Fe during the Mexican War, the Navajo are pleased that their Mexican enemies for over 300 years have been defeated. Even more amazing to the Navajo, Kearney's Army of the West simply passes through Santa Fe, splitting to simultaneously advance against Chihuahua and California. How could the Navajo of the time have realize that this initial wave of America's Manifest Destiny would not only immediately eliminate Mexican control, but their tribe's very existence over the next twenty years?

This is the story of Kit Carson, the Army Lieutenant Colonel, who, while married to a Native American, wages war to exterminate Native American control throughout the entire region. It is the story of Bosque Redondo, a concentration camp so horrid even the officials in Santa Fe and Washington viewed it as a tragic mistake. It is the story of the Santa Fe Trail, Stephen Watts Kearny, Doniphan, Carson, Fremont, Canby, Carleton, the Bents, the Apache, the Comanche and all the others who fought over this ground to live life as they saw it. It is a story of sadness, defeat and ultimate supremacy as one race of people conquers another.

I bought this book for my father, who has long been fascinated with the characters and history that makeup the Authentic West. From growing up reading the fictional stories and often watching Western movies, to graduating to adulthood reading the biographies and exploring the conflicting viewpoints of historians-- the Wild West is probably more than a casual indulgence for him. From my perspective, someone who is a novice to the subject and who doesn't share the fascination, I believe I would even enjoy reading the book, which says a lot. I find it is surprisingly exciting, well-written, with a lot of clarity and detail that brings the history alive and puts the reader in the time period. I would recommend its purchase for anyone with a mild to moderate or high interest in history, and/or a fascintation in this subject. In my opinion, it is a good addition to the Western book collection!

One of the most enjoyable history books I have ever read. I found Kit Carson's life fascinating. Virtually every page of this book had facts that either made me smile, reflect in wonder, or admire the author's insights into the personalities who shaped Manifest Destiny.

Might have been nice if Amazon had gift-wrapped the item, which I paid for.
Might have been really nice if they had used some plastic on the *bottom* of the cardboard box, rather than the top, so when dropped at the front door in the snow, the box did not get wet, making the book nice and soggy. Great present. As for gift cards on other presents? Try getting a new printer, so the things are readable.

Full of interesting historical facts gained from exhaustive research, but yet reads like a page-turner novel. The author's judgments about the various tribes, Mexicans, Kit Carson and many others seems to be fair and balanced and based on in-depth knowledge of the historical record. This was so good that now I must read the author's "Ghost Soldiers" as well.

Kit Carson is the focal point of this powerful examination of politics, racism, religion, adventure and history. Carson witnessed the dawn of the west, and his life, which intersected with the lives of many Indian tribes and other historical characters, represents the full sweep of the western experience. Whether you think Carson was a villain or a hero, there is much in this book to make the case on both sides. Fans of American history and westward expansion in particular should find this a fascinating read.

I tend to classify histories into two categories: those that argue a particular point, and those that bring a relatively obscure subject to greater awareness. Blood and Thunder is a marvelous example of the latter. Using the life of Kit Carson as a framework, Sides presents the immense challenges, successes, and failures that occurred during the American settlement of what's now the Southwest United States. Given the scope of the book, Sides could have easily produced an unmanageable mess. Instead, he uses the sharp prose of a top notch journalist to produce a taut, novel-like narrative, with realized characters and vivid depictions of events. Additionally, Sides takes pains to present a balanced portrayal of all the characters in the book (including his obvious favorite, Kit Carson), so that the reader has a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of each person and nationality. With this balanced, entertaining approach to history, Sides keeps the story manageable and accessible to those not familiar with the topic. Blood and Thunder is required reading for anyone who has even a passing interest in this fascinating chapter of American history.

I don't have much to add to what the other reviewers have already said but wanted to throw my two cents in. This is a well researched and just as well written piece of American history. I was pulled in from the first page and could not stop turning pages. I am a bit of an amature historian on the old west and found it to be right on the money and fair to all sides, the gringos, the Mexican's and the Indians. The authors treatment of both Kit Carson and the Navajos is fascinating!

Blood and Thunder is an excellent biography of Kit Carson and a history of the early west. Wonderfully written and fills many gaps in history that are not normally part of history taught in our schools.
I enjoyed it so much that I bought extra copies for friends.

Absolutely outstanding epic novel of the SW in the 1840's-60's. More thrilling than any fiction could be. The authors storytelling put the reading smack in the middle of the action. A balanced account of the Indian/Settler conflict. A clear and detailed coverage of the no-win situation of the American Indians in the face of "Manifest Destiny".

Reviewed by Will Davis author of "Bell County Bushwhackers"

There is little good one can say about this dime store quality novel disguised as an authentic accounting of the "conquest of the American West." The author is far too confident in his interpretation of history, especially when one considers the fact that he relies primarily on secondary sources. It's nothing more than a long book report with antiquated and questionable anthropological sources favored over recent scholarship in both Navajo studies and studies on the American West. I was thoroughly surprised that such shoddy scholarship could pass with high praises in the established press. He favors particularly Kluckhohn, Underhill and McNitt.

Aside from his questionable sources, Sides writes as though he is compiling a screenplay rather than commenting on an important part of US history. Ultimately I think he secretly hopes this will become a film as he construes his time line to fit a standard, Hollywood dramatic arc. Meaning huge gaps of time between his hero (Kit Carson) and development in his antagonist (the Navajo) are oddly juxtaposed, at times skipping back-and-forth in time. If this is supposed to be history, it's an odd approach--maybe this should be considered in discourse on postmodernism, haha.

The worst feature of this book, however, is his apologetics for Kit Carson, who is a cut-rate war criminal who was used to expand US domination over the continent. If a similar approach was taken toward the German expansion over Eastern Europe, the author of such a work would be immediately chastised, but in the American West notions of moral rights and wrongs are excluded from consideration. Kit Carson was an uneducated and aggressive killer used by the US to expand (illegally) territorial claims over the American West. He committed some atrocious acts that in the contemporary lexicon of international law would have branded him a war criminal--but out of Sides' vanity and possibly a deluded nostalgia for the John Wayne version of the American West, he portrays Mr. Carson as a reluctant conqueror. It might not be accident in fact that Sides chose the title of a cheap 19th Century adventure novel for the title of his own book.

I realize I am in the distinct minority here but I found the book disappointing. The book seems to lack focus, particularly in the first 1/3 of the book when the narrative jumps all over the place. Sides can't seem to decide whether this is a book about the Navajo, or Kit Carson, or Manifest Destiny or General Kearney or Navajo headman Narbona. About half way through the book seems to finally gel and I found the last third of the book to be very good. However 1/3 of a good book makes for a disappointment for me.

This book is history at its best. It captures a fascinating period of history as the US conquors the West. It is expertly told, making the great stories and characters come alive. It is hard to write page-turning history with a scope as broad as this, but Hampton Sides did it with Blood and Thunder. This is a great portrait of the main character, Kit Carson. It captures so many others well, heroes and villains. Reading this, I felt both proud of my American heritage, and ashamed as well. This book is a series of riveting stories, tied together so well by the author. While there are portraits of some of the key Native American leaders, I found myself wishing for a bit more of this. Still, I really loved this book.

This is an excellent book except for the Fremont-bashing that seems to be fashionable. It is especially distressing that the material about Fremont came from a non-historical work with no scholarly background entitled "A Newer World". The author would have been better advised to supply his own supporting references. That is enough of a reason to knock off a star.

If you have any interest in American History please read this book. We read the entire book outloud, quite an undertaking, so I'm glad to see that is available as an audiobook. The writing is riveting, the bibliography reassuring, the story enlightening. This book is a springboard into the conquest of the Western United States and will give you new eyes if and when traveling through these areas. Read the book.

I first encountered this book when I heard the author speak at our local bookstore. I am a history lover and wanted to know if this man could pull of another interesting book on American History. I had a copy of the book ready and took copious notes on the blank pages in the back. The author was fascinating to listen to.

Since then, I have read the book thoroughly and found it read almost like a novel. Each chapter led you to want to read on.

I have purchased copies as gifts for friends and even gave a copy to my American Indian History professor and he was enthralled.

Good work. Loved it. You will, too.

This is an excellent biography of a famous American pioneer--Kit Carson. What sets it apart is its humane treatment of a complex figure. Carson appears to have been the "real deal," not a manufactured hero.

The book proceeds by interweaving several story lines, which can be somewhat confusing at times but, in the end, this serves the author well. Among the story lines--Kit Carson's exploits, the Navajo leader Narbona's story, General Stephen Kearney's episodes, and so on.

Kit Carson's role--from trapper to hunter to scout to military officer--is the glue that holds this book together. In the process, the reader learns a great deal about the events of the 1830s through 1860s that transformed the United States. The Mexican War dramatically expanded the size of the country; the American conflicts with the Indian nations opened new territories for settlement and economic development; the Civil War ended slavery (although, ironically, perhaps not in the southwest, as Native Americans sometimes served a similar role after the Civil War); the West was opened for development.

What humanizes this book is the treatment of Carson. He was sometimes mercurial (with an occasional burst of temper); he was a person of action, and he sometimes was cruel and brutal; he was also a person of honor; he had a perception of the larger picture in the West, and could see that white aggression was the real problem--not marauding Indians.

On a personal note, the book traces Carson's family lives (he had at least two real families, one with a native American wife), his struggle to be a good husband and father while he was off on one adventure or another most of his life.

This is a strong biography which is set in a larger context. It is well worth looking at.