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Give Your Heart to the Hawks: A Tribute to the Mountain Men
Stunningly portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Golden Globe Award-winning and twelve-time Academy Award nominated film The Revenant. Mountain man Hugh Glass’s harrowing journey 300 miles to civilization after being mauled by a grizzly bear and left for dead is just one of the incredible adventures Spur Award Winning author Win Blevins explores in the New York Times bestseller, Give Your Heart to the Hawks. In addition to the captivating story of Hugh Glass, Win Blevins presents a poetic tribute to these dauntless "first Westerners" who explored the Great American West from the time of Lewis and Clark into the 1840s. As trappers in a hostile, trackless land, their exploits opened the gates of the mountains for the wagon trains of pioneers who followed them. Here, among many, are the enthralling stories * John Colter, who, in 1808, naked and without weapons or food, escaped captivity by the Blackfeet and ran and walked 250 miles to Fort Lisa at the mouth of the Yellowstone River; * Kit Carson, who ran away from home at age 17, became a legendary mountain man in his 20s and served as scout and guide for John C. Fremont's westward explorations of the 1840s; * Jedediah Smith, a tall, gaunt, Bible-reading New Yorker whose trapping expeditions ranged from the Rockies to California and who was killed by Comanches on the Cimarron in 1831.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1973
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 6, 2023
Win Blevins just passed on Sunday, July 2nd, 2023, at the age of 84. So, I felt I ought to say a few words about this book which I read as a teen.
Win had a strong, clean, sturdy style appropriate to a writing career that, as far as I’m aware, largely dealt with the American frontier in historical fiction and nonfiction. This volume taught me a lot about the various mountain men of the early 1800s and about the tribes they either fought against or were adopted by. I ate it up.
It pulled me in to the point I wanted to see if I could emulate their skills and the skills of the tribes - so I joined a reenactment community where I learned to load and shoot a black powder rifle and snuff out a candle or cut a playing card in two (on edge); throw a ‘hawk and hatchet; start a fire with flint; make my own knives; craft pouches out of deer hide; and so on.
The book was magic for me in a certain way. Probably one of the reasons I yearned to live in the Rockies and disappear on long wilderness camping trips in the high vertical on foot.
It’s a good read. Thank you for it, Win. Among my author friends, who knew or met you, you were well-loved and now greatly missed. Give your heart to the hawks 🪶🩶
Win had a strong, clean, sturdy style appropriate to a writing career that, as far as I’m aware, largely dealt with the American frontier in historical fiction and nonfiction. This volume taught me a lot about the various mountain men of the early 1800s and about the tribes they either fought against or were adopted by. I ate it up.
It pulled me in to the point I wanted to see if I could emulate their skills and the skills of the tribes - so I joined a reenactment community where I learned to load and shoot a black powder rifle and snuff out a candle or cut a playing card in two (on edge); throw a ‘hawk and hatchet; start a fire with flint; make my own knives; craft pouches out of deer hide; and so on.
The book was magic for me in a certain way. Probably one of the reasons I yearned to live in the Rockies and disappear on long wilderness camping trips in the high vertical on foot.
It’s a good read. Thank you for it, Win. Among my author friends, who knew or met you, you were well-loved and now greatly missed. Give your heart to the hawks 🪶🩶
June 24, 2022
Give Your Heart to the Hawks is exactly what its sub title claims - a tribute to the Mountain Men. Neither a historical novel nor a pure history, it’s novelized history, with Blevins's interpretation of the thoughts and emotions of the participants added to dramatize their most dangerous and daring exploits. This technique removes the book from the roles of strict history, but works well in creating the tribute that the author intended, for his goal was not simply to chronicle the bones of history, but to bring to life the Mountain Man’s wild and free existence.
Blevins does not attempt a comprehensive account of the mountain men. Some are covered extensively, like John Colter, the prototype mountain man, Jim Bridger, and Jed Smith, the most atypical and perhaps greatest of the mountain men. Others, like Old Bill Williams, Joe Walker, and Kit Carson are barely covered or mentioned only in passing. Blevins does not cover the mountain men of the southwest at all. Instead, he illuminates his chosen subjects in depth, choosing to fully explore the life that the mountain men lived rather than broadly covering the entire scope of their collective history.
To recreate the wild drama of the mountain man's life, Blevins tells some of the most thrilling tales of the era, like John Colter's desperate naked run from Indian braves pursuing him for sport, Hugh Glass's amazing solo trek through 300 miles of wilderness without weapons or any tools after being left for dead when mauled by a grizzly, or Jed Smith's daring crossings of the desert and mountains to find a land route to California. He writes of these men:
"Any man who survived for several years as a trapper, taking responsibility for his own survival alone in the wilds, had been schooled thoroughly by the Rocky Mountains. ...He had graduated from Rocky Mountain College, a pragmatic university that gave no degrees, but flunked men into their graves."
Between the various stories of specific mountain men, he includes interludes that detail important aspects of their life and trade - trapping, yarning, rendezvous, buffalo - cuisine premiere, mountain craft, mountain mating, and trappers and Indians are a few of the interesting subjects of mountain life examined. A few colorful accounts written by the rare, literate mountain man detailing their unique lives are included. He succeeds admirably in breathing life into this too often neglected period of amazing individuals who blazed the way into the west.
Blevins does not attempt a comprehensive account of the mountain men. Some are covered extensively, like John Colter, the prototype mountain man, Jim Bridger, and Jed Smith, the most atypical and perhaps greatest of the mountain men. Others, like Old Bill Williams, Joe Walker, and Kit Carson are barely covered or mentioned only in passing. Blevins does not cover the mountain men of the southwest at all. Instead, he illuminates his chosen subjects in depth, choosing to fully explore the life that the mountain men lived rather than broadly covering the entire scope of their collective history.
To recreate the wild drama of the mountain man's life, Blevins tells some of the most thrilling tales of the era, like John Colter's desperate naked run from Indian braves pursuing him for sport, Hugh Glass's amazing solo trek through 300 miles of wilderness without weapons or any tools after being left for dead when mauled by a grizzly, or Jed Smith's daring crossings of the desert and mountains to find a land route to California. He writes of these men:
"Any man who survived for several years as a trapper, taking responsibility for his own survival alone in the wilds, had been schooled thoroughly by the Rocky Mountains. ...He had graduated from Rocky Mountain College, a pragmatic university that gave no degrees, but flunked men into their graves."
Between the various stories of specific mountain men, he includes interludes that detail important aspects of their life and trade - trapping, yarning, rendezvous, buffalo - cuisine premiere, mountain craft, mountain mating, and trappers and Indians are a few of the interesting subjects of mountain life examined. A few colorful accounts written by the rare, literate mountain man detailing their unique lives are included. He succeeds admirably in breathing life into this too often neglected period of amazing individuals who blazed the way into the west.
November 29, 2020
One of the best clues for me when rating a book is how much it makes me want to read more and delve deeper into its subject after I’ve finished it. This book has made me passionate about a subject that wasn’t on my radar before. There were so many interesting avenues to explore. For example, the mountain men were beaver trappers as were the Native Americans. But the mountain men worked an area so thoroughly that beaver populations never recovered; the Native Americans left enough beaver colonies for the future. That could lead me to find out about John Jacob Astor and his influence on the opening of the West.
January 13, 2019
DNF
The language was too foul for me after several chapters.
The language was too foul for me after several chapters.
September 21, 2012
Why do I feel the need to finish books I am not enjoying in the hope that they will get better?
The Good: The author does have a knack for imagining action and dialogue. I found myself wondering if he had a history of writing scripts because of his ability to write an action sequence.
The Bad: It is very repetitive with poor word choice. I could understand using mountain man lingo when writing dialogue, but most of this book is written in a limited lingo. When reading, "counting coup" for the millionth time I wanted to scream at the book. He goes back to retelling and retelling and retelling the same stories. I read about a tall tale involving a glass mountain enough times to make me insane.
I skipped most of the 3rd chapter (I think it was the 3rd). It was the retelling of the standard faustian tale that one reads or hears from every culture that has a reason to have a troubled conscience.
The subject matter could be written so much more dynamically. Every time I thought there was something close to interesting I felt like the author didn't devote enough time to it. The fur trade war sounded like it could have been very interesting if it had been told differently and with a greater perspective. If the author had paid more attention to the farther reaching implications of the exploration. Is he had made fewer generalizations about diverse tribes. If he had talked about the conflict of a slave owner working alongside a black freedman. There were so many contradictions to explore that were just glanced over.
The Good: The author does have a knack for imagining action and dialogue. I found myself wondering if he had a history of writing scripts because of his ability to write an action sequence.
The Bad: It is very repetitive with poor word choice. I could understand using mountain man lingo when writing dialogue, but most of this book is written in a limited lingo. When reading, "counting coup" for the millionth time I wanted to scream at the book. He goes back to retelling and retelling and retelling the same stories. I read about a tall tale involving a glass mountain enough times to make me insane.
I skipped most of the 3rd chapter (I think it was the 3rd). It was the retelling of the standard faustian tale that one reads or hears from every culture that has a reason to have a troubled conscience.
The subject matter could be written so much more dynamically. Every time I thought there was something close to interesting I felt like the author didn't devote enough time to it. The fur trade war sounded like it could have been very interesting if it had been told differently and with a greater perspective. If the author had paid more attention to the farther reaching implications of the exploration. Is he had made fewer generalizations about diverse tribes. If he had talked about the conflict of a slave owner working alongside a black freedman. There were so many contradictions to explore that were just glanced over.
March 8, 2016
The book that introduced me to the American West and all the color and vitality the region holds. Superbly written and fascinating anecdotes. I loved it.
January 1, 2017
If you ever wondered about the mountain men and their wilderness existence, then this book is for you. A wealth of details and descriptive prose that rivals the best poetry are found within these pages as well as an understanding of mountain man and Indian ways, shedding light on the great divide between the red and white man.
August 28, 2021
A speechless American Classic that connects to human soul.
September 2, 2021
A great insight into the culture of mountain men and to a point, the Indians.
May 25, 2021
Part fiction, part history, Win Blevins' book shines in one of the rare, unimpeachable periods of American history. The American rawland of the West is evoked beautifully ("God's finest sculpturin's to roam in" (pg. 166)) and its characters, the larger-than-life mountain men, were, as Blevins notes on page 291, quite often white men who adopted Indian ways rather than enforcing the reverse. The vitality of the land breathes through the pages of the book.
Give Your Heart to the Hawks works better as fiction than as history; as history, it is often dry in the telling, despite some fascinating interludes regarding mountain craft and sexual relations with squaws, among other things. But Blevins is open-hearted about this, stating from the off that he is primarily concerned with history "as a rendering of felt experience" rather than dates and abstract causes (pp17-18). In this, he is very effective, particularly early on in the book, and the reader gets the dirt of the West under their fingernails, and feels the cool of a mountain stream and the warmth of a buffalo skin and the thwack of a Blackfoot arrow.
Having established its literary quality, the book loses its way in the middle before returning with a brief flourish at the end. But it never loses its sense of immersion, and Blevins buys into it completely. For example, on page 71 one mountain man wants to make a map of the West and "have it published back in the States"; the reader realises with a start that this land is not yet considered a part of the USA. It is unexplored territory. If you accept the book's inherent eccentricity, Blevins will take you on a journey.
Give Your Heart to the Hawks works better as fiction than as history; as history, it is often dry in the telling, despite some fascinating interludes regarding mountain craft and sexual relations with squaws, among other things. But Blevins is open-hearted about this, stating from the off that he is primarily concerned with history "as a rendering of felt experience" rather than dates and abstract causes (pp17-18). In this, he is very effective, particularly early on in the book, and the reader gets the dirt of the West under their fingernails, and feels the cool of a mountain stream and the warmth of a buffalo skin and the thwack of a Blackfoot arrow.
Having established its literary quality, the book loses its way in the middle before returning with a brief flourish at the end. But it never loses its sense of immersion, and Blevins buys into it completely. For example, on page 71 one mountain man wants to make a map of the West and "have it published back in the States"; the reader realises with a start that this land is not yet considered a part of the USA. It is unexplored territory. If you accept the book's inherent eccentricity, Blevins will take you on a journey.
November 27, 2017
I read “Give Your Heart To The Hawks” and it was awesome! So There is this guy named John Colter and he was a mountain man! It was way back in the early to mid 1800’s and John Colter wanted to make a living beaver trapping. He got his belongings and a friend and set off into the wild! While they were trapping they accidently stumbled upon Crow (Indian tribe) territory. The Indians were furious and they slaughtered John’s friend. They took John off aways and stipped his clothes from him and were going to have him run and have an Indian chase him and kill him! John tricked the Indians and told them that he was super slow but he was actually super fast! Long story short, John got away and actually came upon what we know now as Yellowstone!
No one believed him when John told everyone that there was these water things that shot up in the air. Though they didn’t believe him he still held true to what he believed! So that’s one of the things I’ve learned. He was very brave and it taught me life back in those days.
I really liked the detail in the book and there was even too much detail! I really liked how it was a true story and I love reading books that are true stories! One thing I didn’t like was it was kinda slow to begin with but it got really fast! All in all it was a great book!
No one believed him when John told everyone that there was these water things that shot up in the air. Though they didn’t believe him he still held true to what he believed! So that’s one of the things I’ve learned. He was very brave and it taught me life back in those days.
I really liked the detail in the book and there was even too much detail! I really liked how it was a true story and I love reading books that are true stories! One thing I didn’t like was it was kinda slow to begin with but it got really fast! All in all it was a great book!
August 14, 2013
I did not enjoy this book, but slogged through to the end. The author presented from his obviously biased view with little regard for settlers, missionaries, the military, or anyone else who cramped the mountain men's style. Some stories were almost identical more than once through the book...like the list of the skills/value of a squaw, the story of the glass mountain, etc. A good editor would also have picked up on the overuse of phrases throughout. Mountain man turns of phrase were clever the first time, okay the second and third, but annoying the 4th, 5th, and on, and on.
Disclaimer of my own bias: Living in Blackfeet country not far from the reservation, I know their stories best of all tribes. I bristled several times at how they were portrayed by Blevins. The tribe has their own account of encounters with mountain men, but they weren't presented here.
Disclaimer of my own bias: Living in Blackfeet country not far from the reservation, I know their stories best of all tribes. I bristled several times at how they were portrayed by Blevins. The tribe has their own account of encounters with mountain men, but they weren't presented here.
October 3, 2018
I originally bought and read this book in 1973 when first published. Having read it a couple times, I wanted to give it another read. However the pages had turned and the print was too small for the aging eyes. Ordered a new copy from Amazon and was not disappointed with the newly published edition. Win Blevins takes written historical accounts of the mountain men portrayed in this book and adds his knowledge of the era to author an exceptional book. 45 years later I enjoyed the book more that ever.
January 26, 2020
A gritty viewpoint from the mountain men of the 1820-1840's. These guys were tough. Many of them were the first white people to work and live in the Rocky Mountains. This was a wild, dangerous and deadly part of the world that I knew nothing about. The author shared about Indian cultures and their struggles to live with the encroaching whites from east of the Mississippi. I would recommend this book for those that want to understand what "true grit" looked like in the days of Indian war parties and grizzly bear attacks.
December 4, 2020
Powerful narrative of the astonishing men who engaged the huge variety of native peoples, wild life and extreme terrain of the mountains and barren wastes of the American West. Amazingly resourceful these men developed ways to deal with the inhospitable weather, extremely rugged terrain and the cultures of people very different from them. Despoilers of the animals and fighting with many of the Indian tribes they encountered a life few humans have experienced in the last 10,000 years.
November 10, 2008
I did not actually finish this book. Even after a good deal of effort, I could not really get into. Such is life at times.
May 23, 2012
Read this long ago and kept it as a reference to the mountain men of the old west, the great historical love of my father.
August 16, 2016
Did not like it as well as other mountain men books.
January 14, 2024
A masterpiece! These stories are astonishing in depth. You get absorbed in the action right out of the gate and jump into the fire with a cast of historical characters who, in history are only as half well-regarded as they ought to have been, were men among men. What you experience as you read is the how the risks and gifts discovered in the raw, untamed mountains made these mountain men alive in ways that are mostly lost and unknown today. Although these stories are embellished, they are based on the real-life experiences of these mighty protagonists. In the introduction Blevins says, “That’s the breathtaking thing about the mountain men: The stories are true.” If you like true stories about being in touch with the land and the ingenuity to make a life out of it, you’ll dig this.
July 7, 2021
Give your heart to the hawks. A tribute to the mountain man by win blevins (overdrive audiobook)
This book was very endearing to me as it’s really the first one I have read that tells the complete story of the mountain man from their beginnings to ending.. at least as the wild wanderer of the new land. It tells of their relationship with native Americans the good and the bad of it and how they mostly identified more with the native Americans than they did these new settlers coming in. Their story told using their own lingo and syntax., a true tribute to the mountain man.
This book was very endearing to me as it’s really the first one I have read that tells the complete story of the mountain man from their beginnings to ending.. at least as the wild wanderer of the new land. It tells of their relationship with native Americans the good and the bad of it and how they mostly identified more with the native Americans than they did these new settlers coming in. Their story told using their own lingo and syntax., a true tribute to the mountain man.
June 6, 2018
Blevins as a writer retells stories of early mountain men with vigor and an eye to detail giving life and breath through the use of their unique vernacular and behaviors. He is always aware of the story-tellers resort to exaggerations and self glorification and points these instances out.
I enjoyed reading this book and learning about the true vanguard of westward expansion in North America .
I enjoyed reading this book and learning about the true vanguard of westward expansion in North America .
October 30, 2023
Fascinating accounts of the Mountain Men. A thrilling read, loved finding out more about Jim Bridger and Jed Smith. I was introduced to the "Rendezvous" through the "Wilderness" fiction series, so it was great reading historical accounts of the event and all of its debauchery. Amazing book, loved every word.
January 27, 2024
Have you ever wished you could go back in time and attend one of the great fur-trader rendezvous in places like Pierre's Hole? Here's your opportunity not only to attend as an observer, but to have a closer acquaintance with the key players in their own words as well as according to the descriptions of their contemporaries. Blevins has spent a lifetime of study and analysis in writing Give Your Heart to the Hawks. The language can be rough at times. Some retellings of individual experiences (like those of Hugh Glass) might even blow your mind. Blevins attempts to get inside their minds and to relive the events vicariously. That results in some degree of subjectivity or even historical guesses, but will not dilute the value of this volume. The author does not sugar coat the foibles and failures of the mountain men, nor offer any lame excuses for their behavior. Walk or ride the paths of these pathfinders through Blevins' Tribute.
May 11, 2017
I first read this in 1973, right after my Dad finished it. I've revisited it many times many times since then -still have my original copy, although the dust jacket is a bit ragged. Enjoy it listening to Marty Robbins, "Jim Bridger." For real men, they don't make them like they used to...
August 19, 2017
Remarkable homage to the frontiersmen who opened the west. Told as dramatized history, Blevins captures the adventure and spirit of the American mountain men and the landscape that shaped him with acuity and heart.
November 17, 2019
Good book
Enjoyed reading this book about mountain men, entertaining and informative. Mr. Blevins style of writing, makes you feel like a spectator to the events in the book.
Enjoyed reading this book about mountain men, entertaining and informative. Mr. Blevins style of writing, makes you feel like a spectator to the events in the book.
February 13, 2018
Excellent read, reads like an adventure story. Highly recommended if you are interested in the early explorations of what is now the U.S.A.
December 29, 2019
Good slow read
It was interesting. It took a little to get into the story telling type writting in this book, but overall it was a fun and interesting read.
It was interesting. It took a little to get into the story telling type writting in this book, but overall it was a fun and interesting read.
February 20, 2021
Interesting take on American Indians, and how the first white men who traveled in their territory understood them better than anyone who came after.
January 3, 2022
I stumbled onto this one purely by chance and, boy, do I feel lucky. Excellent writing and great stories about a subject I knew little about. What a terrific way to cap off the reading year.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews