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Jim Bridger: Trailblazer of the American West
Even among iconic frontiersmen like John C. Frémont, Kit Carson, and Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger stands out. A mountain man of the American West, straddling the fur trade era and the age of exploration, he lived the life legends are made of. Here, in a biography that finally gives this outsize character his due, Jerry Enzler takes this frontiersman's full measure for the first time--and tells a story that would do Jim Bridger proud. Born in 1804 and orphaned at thirteen, Bridger made his first western foray in 1822, traveling up the Missouri River with Mike Fink and a hundred enterprising young men to trap beaver. At twenty he "discovered" the Great Salt Lake. In the following years, he led trapping brigades into Blackfeet territory; guided expeditions of Smithsonian scientists, topographical engineers, and army leaders; and, though he could neither read nor write, mapped the tribal boundaries for the Great Indian Treaty of 1851. Enzler charts Bridger's path from the fort he built on the Oregon Trail to the route he blazed for Montana gold miners to avert war with Red Cloud and his Lakota coalition. Tapping sources uncovered in the six decades since the last documented Bridger biography, Enzler's book fully conveys the drama and details of the larger-than-life history of the "King of the Mountain Men."
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First published April 29, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 9, 2021
Clearly, Jim Bridger is a one-of-a-kind American treasure, the most overlooked frontiersmen who ever walked the West ... This book rectifies that wrong, but it can be a bit of a grind; the first third of it could be better called "Let's Kill All the Beaver" and it includes large stretches of narrative that include no mention of Bridger ... The rest of the book is the death-and-destruction story of our Nation's push to the Pacific, needless to say, there would have been less bloodshed had more people listened to Bridger ... Tough, wily, brave, a master of terrain and everything it takes to cross it and a savvy businessman despite his illiteracy, Bridger is an American that should always be respected and remembered
June 26, 2024
Absolutely stunning. This man was the key to westward travelers. He was honest, smart, full of common sense and through all that he was the center of the west. Guiding fur traders, trapping, building stores, helping immigrants on the Oregon trail, being present with the battle with Red Cloud. This is a must read if you are interested in the early west.
April 8, 2025
As someone who grew up in an area with Jim Bridger Days, I was glad to learn more of this figure in history. The book itself can struggle to find enough content to justify its length (I'm sure a mountain man doesn't exactly have piles of source documents to pull information from) and while the extra historical context could be interesting, it did slow the book down.
November 5, 2024
One of five audiobooks I’m allowing myself to listen to as 10% of my 2024 reading challenge. Definitely lengthy but absolutely incredible! What an incredible life if half of this is true it’s still coming to be amazed.
June 18, 2024
I love the stories of old scouts on the frontier, and nobody is cooler than Jim Bridger. I had no idea. The vastness of the terrain that he knew like the back of his hand is incredible.
February 20, 2025
Interesting guy and a well written book. I’m just not that into cowboys vs Indians. I liked the Bridger vs Mormons parts.
July 16, 2025
Really interesting history. The book rambled on a bit more than I like. Does a good job of highlighting the consequences of pride.
November 5, 2023
Jim Bridger is considered among the greatest scouts of the American West. His life spanned a time of incredible change and colonization in the West and he was at the center of it all.
Bridger was born in 1804 and in 1812, during the war, his family moved from Virginia to Illinois. When he was 12 and 13, his mother, father and brother all died. He went to work on a river boat on the Mississippi and then worked for a famous gunsmith, with whom he lived serving in a native community where he learned to respect and admire native culture.
Bridger was hired by the Henry & Ashley Fur Company and made his way west to trap beaver in 1822.
Bridger had numerous encounters with native tribes, both friendly and hostile. The stories of hair-raising battles with native tribes riddle the book. Bridger was the first white man to discover the great Salt Lake and the first to explore the Bear River watershed. He was also the first white man to raft Bighorn Canyon on the Bighorn River, which he did solo. The first of the fabled fur trapper rendezvous in the Rocky Mountains occurred in 1825.
In 1826; Jedediah Smith, David, Jackson, and Bill Sublett bought out Ashley; becoming owners of the fur company and in 1830 they sold the company to Bridger and others who renamed it the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. The new company competed fiercely with Astor’s American Fur Company, whose men followed Bridger around the west to learn the best beaver locations.
At the Rendezvous of 1832, there was a big battle with the Gros Ventres and then afterwards Bridger’s brigade fought the Blackfeet on the Gallatin and Bridger was shot with arrows twice in the back, with one arrow point remaining in his back for years.
In 1834, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company folded due to debt for marked-up supplies and Bridger entered into a new business partnership. He married a Flathead woman the next year and they had a daughter.
The last Rendezvous occurred in 1840 because the beaver trade was dwindling and trade with new western forts was more convenient. Bridger visited Los Angeles in the winter of 1840/41.
In 1841, Bridger sent his daughter to school at the Whitman mission in Oregon territory and then attempted to establish a fort. On the third try he established Fort Bridger in modern-day western Wyoming. By this time, due to the decline of the fur trade, trappers we're making better money as guides on the Oregon Trail and Bridger’s fort was on the Trail.
In 1844, Bridger traveled through the southwest and in 1845 or 46 he had a third daughter and his first wife died of rabies.
In 1847, Bridger remarried another Indian woman and he gave advice to newly arrived Mormons on their way to establish Salt Lake City, but their leader, Bringham Young deeply distrusted Bridger.
In the fall of 1847, natives attacked the Whitman mission, killing the Whitmans and Bridger’s daughter was taken captive for a month. After her release, she became ill from the ordeal and died. In 1848, Bridger’s second wife gave him a fourth child, but then died and Bridger married a third woman from the Shoshone tribe.
In 1849, the California gold rush greatly increased the number of immigrants passing by Fort Bridger. Bridger was hired as a guide for the government to guide cartographers, surveyors and scientists working to improve the emigrant trail and identify a route for the great pacific railroad.
Bridger participated in the Indian peace treaty of 1851 and his fort came under the authority of the Mormon governed, Utah territory. In 1852, he sent two of his kids to modern day St. Louis for education and in 1852/53 the Mormons took over Fort Bridger and tried to arrest Bridger on trumped up charges. Bridger moved to modern day Kansas City to avoid arrest and sent more of his kids to Catholic schools, where one died of disease.
In 1857, Bridger had another child and his oldest living child died. In 1857/58, Bridger guided the US Army in its expedition to end the Mormon theocracy and bring the Utah territory fully under US control. When confronted with the US Army, Brigham Young capitulated.
Bridger’s third wife died in 1859 and in 1859/1860 Bridger guided the Raynolds scientific expedition in the west. During the Civil War, Bridger guided US troops and stayed loyal to the Union.
Gold was discovered in Montana and Bridger guided wagon trains to Virginia City in 1864. In that same year, whites massacred peaceful Cheyennes, starting an Indian war and Bridger served as a guide to soldiers.
Then, the US government chose a wagon trail to the east of the Bighorn Mountains over Bridger’s recommendation of a safer route to the west of the mountains. The government also built forts along this trail in hostile Indian country against Bridger’s advice, leading to a much bigger Indian war. The war ended in 1868 with the completion of the railroad and the government’s agreement to remove the forts.
Bridger retired from life in the mountains in 1868 and lived on his farm in modern day Kansas City until he died in 1881.
I had mixed feelings about this book. It has some absolutely egregious typos and badly needs another review by an editor. The first third of the book covering the period of the fur trade is better covered by ‘A Majority of Scoundrels’ by Don Berry. I did, however, appreciate that, through Bridger’s life, you're able to follow the history from the Fur Trade through the Oregon Trail, through the California gold rush, through the Mormon emigration to the Montana gold rush and the Indian wars. Most of these subjects would be broken up and covered as different time periods in the history of the west.
Bridger was born in 1804 and in 1812, during the war, his family moved from Virginia to Illinois. When he was 12 and 13, his mother, father and brother all died. He went to work on a river boat on the Mississippi and then worked for a famous gunsmith, with whom he lived serving in a native community where he learned to respect and admire native culture.
Bridger was hired by the Henry & Ashley Fur Company and made his way west to trap beaver in 1822.
Bridger had numerous encounters with native tribes, both friendly and hostile. The stories of hair-raising battles with native tribes riddle the book. Bridger was the first white man to discover the great Salt Lake and the first to explore the Bear River watershed. He was also the first white man to raft Bighorn Canyon on the Bighorn River, which he did solo. The first of the fabled fur trapper rendezvous in the Rocky Mountains occurred in 1825.
In 1826; Jedediah Smith, David, Jackson, and Bill Sublett bought out Ashley; becoming owners of the fur company and in 1830 they sold the company to Bridger and others who renamed it the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. The new company competed fiercely with Astor’s American Fur Company, whose men followed Bridger around the west to learn the best beaver locations.
At the Rendezvous of 1832, there was a big battle with the Gros Ventres and then afterwards Bridger’s brigade fought the Blackfeet on the Gallatin and Bridger was shot with arrows twice in the back, with one arrow point remaining in his back for years.
In 1834, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company folded due to debt for marked-up supplies and Bridger entered into a new business partnership. He married a Flathead woman the next year and they had a daughter.
The last Rendezvous occurred in 1840 because the beaver trade was dwindling and trade with new western forts was more convenient. Bridger visited Los Angeles in the winter of 1840/41.
In 1841, Bridger sent his daughter to school at the Whitman mission in Oregon territory and then attempted to establish a fort. On the third try he established Fort Bridger in modern-day western Wyoming. By this time, due to the decline of the fur trade, trappers we're making better money as guides on the Oregon Trail and Bridger’s fort was on the Trail.
In 1844, Bridger traveled through the southwest and in 1845 or 46 he had a third daughter and his first wife died of rabies.
In 1847, Bridger remarried another Indian woman and he gave advice to newly arrived Mormons on their way to establish Salt Lake City, but their leader, Bringham Young deeply distrusted Bridger.
In the fall of 1847, natives attacked the Whitman mission, killing the Whitmans and Bridger’s daughter was taken captive for a month. After her release, she became ill from the ordeal and died. In 1848, Bridger’s second wife gave him a fourth child, but then died and Bridger married a third woman from the Shoshone tribe.
In 1849, the California gold rush greatly increased the number of immigrants passing by Fort Bridger. Bridger was hired as a guide for the government to guide cartographers, surveyors and scientists working to improve the emigrant trail and identify a route for the great pacific railroad.
Bridger participated in the Indian peace treaty of 1851 and his fort came under the authority of the Mormon governed, Utah territory. In 1852, he sent two of his kids to modern day St. Louis for education and in 1852/53 the Mormons took over Fort Bridger and tried to arrest Bridger on trumped up charges. Bridger moved to modern day Kansas City to avoid arrest and sent more of his kids to Catholic schools, where one died of disease.
In 1857, Bridger had another child and his oldest living child died. In 1857/58, Bridger guided the US Army in its expedition to end the Mormon theocracy and bring the Utah territory fully under US control. When confronted with the US Army, Brigham Young capitulated.
Bridger’s third wife died in 1859 and in 1859/1860 Bridger guided the Raynolds scientific expedition in the west. During the Civil War, Bridger guided US troops and stayed loyal to the Union.
Gold was discovered in Montana and Bridger guided wagon trains to Virginia City in 1864. In that same year, whites massacred peaceful Cheyennes, starting an Indian war and Bridger served as a guide to soldiers.
Then, the US government chose a wagon trail to the east of the Bighorn Mountains over Bridger’s recommendation of a safer route to the west of the mountains. The government also built forts along this trail in hostile Indian country against Bridger’s advice, leading to a much bigger Indian war. The war ended in 1868 with the completion of the railroad and the government’s agreement to remove the forts.
Bridger retired from life in the mountains in 1868 and lived on his farm in modern day Kansas City until he died in 1881.
I had mixed feelings about this book. It has some absolutely egregious typos and badly needs another review by an editor. The first third of the book covering the period of the fur trade is better covered by ‘A Majority of Scoundrels’ by Don Berry. I did, however, appreciate that, through Bridger’s life, you're able to follow the history from the Fur Trade through the Oregon Trail, through the California gold rush, through the Mormon emigration to the Montana gold rush and the Indian wars. Most of these subjects would be broken up and covered as different time periods in the history of the west.
January 9, 2022
This is a more detailed account of Jim Bridger's life than I have read in the past. The beginning had lots of info that what Jim Bridger experienced based on the time period due to lack of actual documentation of his life. Due to the historical events in the US during his life, the author recounts murder, death, trauma or violence in every nearly every chapter. I did not enjoy that and skimmed some of the more gruesome parts which were quite a few.
July 12, 2023
The subject of the biography made it an excellent book. The research and descriptive narrative made it a good book. The excessive details and occasional assertions with no qualification made it somewhat tedious, but it was well worth reading.
August 20, 2023
I had the combo audio and Kindle version. The audio narration mis pounced several words and is bugged me. The book added several assumptions that I also found distracting.
December 19, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - Jim Bridger: Trailblazer of the American West, by Jerry Enzler (12.10.25)
As a Boy Scout growing up in Northern Utah we heard lots of tales of the early mountain men of the west. Their names adorn landmarks, forests, towns, and buildings. Much of Bridger’s wanderings were in areas I hiked, backpacked, and explored. I often wonder when I wander about the first people that saw the same vistas I was looking at. The book answers those questions.
Bridger’s life is presented as a man whose experiences quite literally mapped the West before it was a nation’s possession. Bridger emerges not as folklore, but as history: illiterate yet brilliant in terrain, diplomacy, and survival; rough-edged, deeply human, and indispensable to westward expansion.
Bridger’s résumé reads like a catalog of firsts. As a teenage member of Ashley’s Hundred, he entered the Rockies when they were still largely unknown to Americans of European descent. He trapped across the Green, Yellowstone, and Wind River systems, crossed South Pass repeatedly, and became one of the earliest Americans to encounter—and accurately describe—the Great Salt Lake. Enzler is particularly effective in situating Bridger not merely as an explorer but as infrastructure: a man whose trails, passes, and forts became arteries of migration for trappers, emigrants, soldiers, and surveyors. Fort Bridger itself stands as a testament to his role as a hinge between wilderness and settlement.
One of the book’s great strengths is its clear-eyed treatment of Bridger’s relationships with Native nations. Enzler resists both romanticization and caricature. Bridger lived for decades among Indigenous peoples, married Native women, spoke multiple tribal languages, and was widely regarded as a trusted intermediary. He understood tribal politics, boundaries, and customs in ways that few U.S. officials ever did. Yet Enzler does not excuse the broader consequences of westward expansion; instead, he shows Bridger operating within an unfolding historical tragedy—sometimes mitigating violence, sometimes enabling the very forces that displaced the peoples he respected and lived among.
Equally nuanced is Enzler’s account of Bridger’s relationship with the Latter-day Saints. Bridger’s dealings with the Church were pragmatic rather than ideological. He traded with Mormon settlers, warned them of terrain and climate, and later found himself at odds with them over Fort Bridger during the Utah War period. Enzler portrays Bridger as neither anti-Mormon nor aligned with them—a frontier realist navigating competing sovereignties with the instincts of survival and commerce rather than theology or politics. This balance is refreshing and historically credible.
Enzler’s greatest achievement may be his treatment of legacy. Bridger did not die wealthy or celebrated; he died partially blind, dispossessed of property, and already slipping into legend rather than memory. Yet Enzler makes the case—convincingly—that few individuals shaped the physical and human geography of the American West more directly. Roads followed his paths. Armies relied on his knowledge. Settlers survived because of routes he pioneered. If the West was opened, Bridger held many of the keys.
Quotes:
“Jim Bridger knew more of the geography of the Rocky Mountain region than any other man living. He had trapped on nearly every stream, crossed the mountains at almost every practicable pass, and could guide an expedition through country no map had ever charted.”
“I discovered a great lake in the West… but the water was so thick a man could not sink in it. I tasted it, and it was stronger than brine. Fish could not live in it, and if a bird flew over, it would fall in and perish.”
As a Boy Scout growing up in Northern Utah we heard lots of tales of the early mountain men of the west. Their names adorn landmarks, forests, towns, and buildings. Much of Bridger’s wanderings were in areas I hiked, backpacked, and explored. I often wonder when I wander about the first people that saw the same vistas I was looking at. The book answers those questions.
Bridger’s life is presented as a man whose experiences quite literally mapped the West before it was a nation’s possession. Bridger emerges not as folklore, but as history: illiterate yet brilliant in terrain, diplomacy, and survival; rough-edged, deeply human, and indispensable to westward expansion.
Bridger’s résumé reads like a catalog of firsts. As a teenage member of Ashley’s Hundred, he entered the Rockies when they were still largely unknown to Americans of European descent. He trapped across the Green, Yellowstone, and Wind River systems, crossed South Pass repeatedly, and became one of the earliest Americans to encounter—and accurately describe—the Great Salt Lake. Enzler is particularly effective in situating Bridger not merely as an explorer but as infrastructure: a man whose trails, passes, and forts became arteries of migration for trappers, emigrants, soldiers, and surveyors. Fort Bridger itself stands as a testament to his role as a hinge between wilderness and settlement.
One of the book’s great strengths is its clear-eyed treatment of Bridger’s relationships with Native nations. Enzler resists both romanticization and caricature. Bridger lived for decades among Indigenous peoples, married Native women, spoke multiple tribal languages, and was widely regarded as a trusted intermediary. He understood tribal politics, boundaries, and customs in ways that few U.S. officials ever did. Yet Enzler does not excuse the broader consequences of westward expansion; instead, he shows Bridger operating within an unfolding historical tragedy—sometimes mitigating violence, sometimes enabling the very forces that displaced the peoples he respected and lived among.
Equally nuanced is Enzler’s account of Bridger’s relationship with the Latter-day Saints. Bridger’s dealings with the Church were pragmatic rather than ideological. He traded with Mormon settlers, warned them of terrain and climate, and later found himself at odds with them over Fort Bridger during the Utah War period. Enzler portrays Bridger as neither anti-Mormon nor aligned with them—a frontier realist navigating competing sovereignties with the instincts of survival and commerce rather than theology or politics. This balance is refreshing and historically credible.
Enzler’s greatest achievement may be his treatment of legacy. Bridger did not die wealthy or celebrated; he died partially blind, dispossessed of property, and already slipping into legend rather than memory. Yet Enzler makes the case—convincingly—that few individuals shaped the physical and human geography of the American West more directly. Roads followed his paths. Armies relied on his knowledge. Settlers survived because of routes he pioneered. If the West was opened, Bridger held many of the keys.
Quotes:
“Jim Bridger knew more of the geography of the Rocky Mountain region than any other man living. He had trapped on nearly every stream, crossed the mountains at almost every practicable pass, and could guide an expedition through country no map had ever charted.”
“I discovered a great lake in the West… but the water was so thick a man could not sink in it. I tasted it, and it was stronger than brine. Fish could not live in it, and if a bird flew over, it would fall in and perish.”
May 31, 2025
Jim Bridger was likely America's greatest early frontiersman. He spent almost all of his life exploring the then western frontier, was among the first to see and report on the wonders we now know as Yellowstone National Park, and helped lead decades of pioneers and military expeditions. But because he was illiterate and left no written accounts, and never collaborated with a writer to record his memories, he is less known and remembered than he should be.
This is the first academic, sourced new biography of Bridger in many years and it tells a great story given the limitations of material on Bridger, but I was astounded at the book's poor editing, something I have never before seen from an academic press.
First of all, there are typesetting problems throughout the books. Words have spaces in them, sometimes the font changes, and there are obvious incorrect words such as "fastness" where it should clearly read "vastness." The chapters do not always flow well together and in fact read like they were research papers written at different times, and then lightly reworked, which is what I suspect they are. Sometimes when you are reading, you just get puzzled by a paragraph that does not seem to belong where it is. Even within chapters there are issues--in one, there is an in-depth discussion of a serious arrow injury to Bridger's back that was obviously abscessed. It says he was affected for life. A few paragraphs later the text says he was operated on for it and recovered. Then after that it goes back to he was hurting from the injury for life! Which is it? I am just astounded by the typesetting and editorial issues throughout this book because it is an important book on a renowned figure of American history too little studied in recent years.
The story itself however is astounding. How Bridger time and time again found his way through the vast wilderness of the American west is simply amazing--and how he easily recalled everywhere he had been and was able to lead people back and forth. Apparently he liked to tell stories and few believed his tales of what he had seen at Yellowstone--geysers, huge waterfalls, molten land-- but the truth turned out to exceed even his descriptions. Despite being uneducated, in the 1820s-1840s he made himself relatively wealthy hunting beaver and working for beaver hunting companies during a fashion trend in America that saw high demand for beaver pelts.
One thing that struck me during the reading of this book was just how hostile the native Americans were. Everyone knows of the Indian Wars, but until you read this book, you might not realize just how many early white explorers were killed. Bridger also had several native wives over his life, but his long absences for explorations made him a missing father and husband until old age, although he seems to have provided for his children and their educations even though as common at the time, several of the children died young.
Bridger lived to be an old man, and it is a shame no writer of the time went and met with him to take down his personal recollections. If you can overlook the occasional weird typesetting problems and the occasional jarring lack of flow between and within chapters, you will learn a lot about early American exploration history from reading this book, and even with its flaws, this is certain to be the major modern biography of Bridger for some time to come.
This is the first academic, sourced new biography of Bridger in many years and it tells a great story given the limitations of material on Bridger, but I was astounded at the book's poor editing, something I have never before seen from an academic press.
First of all, there are typesetting problems throughout the books. Words have spaces in them, sometimes the font changes, and there are obvious incorrect words such as "fastness" where it should clearly read "vastness." The chapters do not always flow well together and in fact read like they were research papers written at different times, and then lightly reworked, which is what I suspect they are. Sometimes when you are reading, you just get puzzled by a paragraph that does not seem to belong where it is. Even within chapters there are issues--in one, there is an in-depth discussion of a serious arrow injury to Bridger's back that was obviously abscessed. It says he was affected for life. A few paragraphs later the text says he was operated on for it and recovered. Then after that it goes back to he was hurting from the injury for life! Which is it? I am just astounded by the typesetting and editorial issues throughout this book because it is an important book on a renowned figure of American history too little studied in recent years.
The story itself however is astounding. How Bridger time and time again found his way through the vast wilderness of the American west is simply amazing--and how he easily recalled everywhere he had been and was able to lead people back and forth. Apparently he liked to tell stories and few believed his tales of what he had seen at Yellowstone--geysers, huge waterfalls, molten land-- but the truth turned out to exceed even his descriptions. Despite being uneducated, in the 1820s-1840s he made himself relatively wealthy hunting beaver and working for beaver hunting companies during a fashion trend in America that saw high demand for beaver pelts.
One thing that struck me during the reading of this book was just how hostile the native Americans were. Everyone knows of the Indian Wars, but until you read this book, you might not realize just how many early white explorers were killed. Bridger also had several native wives over his life, but his long absences for explorations made him a missing father and husband until old age, although he seems to have provided for his children and their educations even though as common at the time, several of the children died young.
Bridger lived to be an old man, and it is a shame no writer of the time went and met with him to take down his personal recollections. If you can overlook the occasional weird typesetting problems and the occasional jarring lack of flow between and within chapters, you will learn a lot about early American exploration history from reading this book, and even with its flaws, this is certain to be the major modern biography of Bridger for some time to come.
February 7, 2024
A rough and ready tour through the American West through the eyes of explorer and trapper, Jim Bridger, who lived here in the mid-1800s. Twenty years before the Gold Rush and the Mormons, in the 1820s, the western landscape was filled with indigenous tribes and disrupted by only a few trappers. It is fascinating to picture Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and Montana in their native state.
You learn a little about Bridger himself, born in Virginia, taken to the Missouri Territory as an orphaned boy, and left to his own devices thereafter. He never learned to read or write, instead polishing his oral story-telling skills and his unearthly sense of direction. As a teenager he worked on a keelboat, pushing up the Missouri River hundreds of miles into the Yellowstone area. Arriving just as winter set in, 18-year-old Bridger and his fellow trappers wintered over and began trapping beavers the following spring. That set a pattern for his entire life, crisscrossing the western mountains and valleys, camping out of doors in all seasons, trapping, hunting, and guiding expeditions in a mostly empty landscape. “By 1830 Jim Bridger was an eight-year mountain veteran. He knew the land better than almost all of them, and he knew how to trade with the Indians and keep company men and free trappers in line. What skills he lacked with words and numbers he made up in frontier knowledge, audacity, and bravery.”
As the fur trade began to ebb in the 1830s, Bridger reinvented himself as a trailblazer, a guide for survey expeditions, and the operator of a fort. After eighteen years in the mountains, sleeping under the stars and carrying everything he owned, he married a Flathead Indian woman and settled down to build Fort Bridger on the banks of the Green River. The fort was key to overland travel for many decades, located close to the key routes and mountain passes.
Bridger carried a detailed map of the territory in his head from Laramie to the Great Salt Lake, which he “discovered” in 1824. Indigenous peoples had known about the inland salt-water lake for thousands of years. Bridger happened upon it while trapping the Bear River and getting curious. “The Bear’s winding course took him through Bear River Canyon, a deep, two-mile gorge…The canyon walls fell away and the river flowed into a great expanse of water that extended for miles, its choppy waters dotted with white-caps…white seagulls and pelicans flew over the gray-green waters, and several hilly islands broke the surface…an army general later recalled Bridger saying, ‘the valley was covered with the skeletons of animals that had perished in a terrible winter of a few years before.’” I sat with that view of the 1820s valley in my mind for a long time. This book prompted me to pore over old and new maps retracing Bridger’s steps and seeing all of the west through different eyes
You learn a little about Bridger himself, born in Virginia, taken to the Missouri Territory as an orphaned boy, and left to his own devices thereafter. He never learned to read or write, instead polishing his oral story-telling skills and his unearthly sense of direction. As a teenager he worked on a keelboat, pushing up the Missouri River hundreds of miles into the Yellowstone area. Arriving just as winter set in, 18-year-old Bridger and his fellow trappers wintered over and began trapping beavers the following spring. That set a pattern for his entire life, crisscrossing the western mountains and valleys, camping out of doors in all seasons, trapping, hunting, and guiding expeditions in a mostly empty landscape. “By 1830 Jim Bridger was an eight-year mountain veteran. He knew the land better than almost all of them, and he knew how to trade with the Indians and keep company men and free trappers in line. What skills he lacked with words and numbers he made up in frontier knowledge, audacity, and bravery.”
As the fur trade began to ebb in the 1830s, Bridger reinvented himself as a trailblazer, a guide for survey expeditions, and the operator of a fort. After eighteen years in the mountains, sleeping under the stars and carrying everything he owned, he married a Flathead Indian woman and settled down to build Fort Bridger on the banks of the Green River. The fort was key to overland travel for many decades, located close to the key routes and mountain passes.
Bridger carried a detailed map of the territory in his head from Laramie to the Great Salt Lake, which he “discovered” in 1824. Indigenous peoples had known about the inland salt-water lake for thousands of years. Bridger happened upon it while trapping the Bear River and getting curious. “The Bear’s winding course took him through Bear River Canyon, a deep, two-mile gorge…The canyon walls fell away and the river flowed into a great expanse of water that extended for miles, its choppy waters dotted with white-caps…white seagulls and pelicans flew over the gray-green waters, and several hilly islands broke the surface…an army general later recalled Bridger saying, ‘the valley was covered with the skeletons of animals that had perished in a terrible winter of a few years before.’” I sat with that view of the 1820s valley in my mind for a long time. This book prompted me to pore over old and new maps retracing Bridger’s steps and seeing all of the west through different eyes
April 5, 2024
If you enjoy the art and variety of beaver trapping, you will give this five stars. The first third of this book is dedicated to Jim Bridger's many travails up and down seemingly every river that thrashes through the Rocky Mountains. If trapping beavers doesn't tickle your fancy, then the first third of the book is a slog. Outside a few snippets of early biographical information, its just Jim going back and forth between a ad-hoc rendezvous of supplying, trading, and hell raising between trappers and Natives of all stripes.
After you roll around the rivers and beaver fur with Mr. Bridger, the book really becomes an eye opening biography of a not well known figure that seemingly happens to be at the juncture of many significant historical events in the American west. From the first white man to see large parts of the Rockies, including Yellowstone, to guiding settlers making their way on the Oregon Trail to avoid attacks from hostile tribes, to dealing with the Mormon onrush led by the fire breathing Brigham Young, to running many businesses and properties at the same time while trouncing around in the west, to trying to prevent the the U.S. military from fucking over Natives and getting their own shot to hell as a consequence. In his time, he was quite the dignitary and most likely never paid for a steak in the second half of his life from his respect and notoriety. Because of his larger than life status, Bridger met with many dignitaries and those he didn't, probably wished they would have.
Besides being singularly one of the most important humans on the North American continent at the time, his relations with Native Americans was dynamic. Married throughout his life to three Native women who each birthed him children, allowed a glimpse into the syncretism of this European descent man with three tribes and their allies and enemies. The tribes he belonged to through marriage, the Shoshone, Utes, and Flatheads each respected Bridger immensely for his character, intelligence, and bravery. Rival tribes ranged on a spectrum of leaving him alone to having his scalp as a prized possession. Whatever their actions, even rival, hostile tribes respected Bridger. The life, living with these tribes gives us insight on the social relations in such arrangements and really a sight of a possible future that never came.
Jim Bridger truly lived at the crossroads of two worlds metaphorically and geographically. But to Jim, he lived in one world. His own, and he was the leader with no real desire to lead, just to live and be able to tell a good story.
If you can make it through the first third of the book, it is well worth the second two-thirds.
4/5
After you roll around the rivers and beaver fur with Mr. Bridger, the book really becomes an eye opening biography of a not well known figure that seemingly happens to be at the juncture of many significant historical events in the American west. From the first white man to see large parts of the Rockies, including Yellowstone, to guiding settlers making their way on the Oregon Trail to avoid attacks from hostile tribes, to dealing with the Mormon onrush led by the fire breathing Brigham Young, to running many businesses and properties at the same time while trouncing around in the west, to trying to prevent the the U.S. military from fucking over Natives and getting their own shot to hell as a consequence. In his time, he was quite the dignitary and most likely never paid for a steak in the second half of his life from his respect and notoriety. Because of his larger than life status, Bridger met with many dignitaries and those he didn't, probably wished they would have.
Besides being singularly one of the most important humans on the North American continent at the time, his relations with Native Americans was dynamic. Married throughout his life to three Native women who each birthed him children, allowed a glimpse into the syncretism of this European descent man with three tribes and their allies and enemies. The tribes he belonged to through marriage, the Shoshone, Utes, and Flatheads each respected Bridger immensely for his character, intelligence, and bravery. Rival tribes ranged on a spectrum of leaving him alone to having his scalp as a prized possession. Whatever their actions, even rival, hostile tribes respected Bridger. The life, living with these tribes gives us insight on the social relations in such arrangements and really a sight of a possible future that never came.
Jim Bridger truly lived at the crossroads of two worlds metaphorically and geographically. But to Jim, he lived in one world. His own, and he was the leader with no real desire to lead, just to live and be able to tell a good story.
If you can make it through the first third of the book, it is well worth the second two-thirds.
4/5
February 6, 2025
I’m sure that it was a challenge to write about an explorer like Jim Bridger, who was illiterate and only corresponded by utilising a colleague who could read and write. The author had to use military records and newspaper articles and used a series of historical assumptions in some areas to create a narrative of Bridger’s adventurous life.
As others have mentioned, there are some holes in the narration, but in other sections, fine detail that may not add anything to the biography. I guess it’s a little subjective, but I do feel that a final edit may have cleaned up the book to help its flow.
To me, the most interesting part was Jim Bridger’s complicated relationship with the LDS movement and how the author frames the settlement of Utah Territory. While some might say that author Jerry Enzler’s treatment of Mormon leader Brigham Young was heavy handed, I personally feel that the author went pretty light on the Mormons in his brief description of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, where 140 civilian settlers from Arkansas were horrifically murdered. I don’t know if Enzler understood that this event was the largest act of domestic terrorism on U.S. soil prior to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing or not, but IMO, the author should have given this notable event its due diligence.
So, in the end, I have mixed feelings about this biography. It provides a reader with an interesting look at the exploration of The West, but it was an inconsistent and, at times, an incomplete read. 3/5.
As others have mentioned, there are some holes in the narration, but in other sections, fine detail that may not add anything to the biography. I guess it’s a little subjective, but I do feel that a final edit may have cleaned up the book to help its flow.
To me, the most interesting part was Jim Bridger’s complicated relationship with the LDS movement and how the author frames the settlement of Utah Territory. While some might say that author Jerry Enzler’s treatment of Mormon leader Brigham Young was heavy handed, I personally feel that the author went pretty light on the Mormons in his brief description of the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, where 140 civilian settlers from Arkansas were horrifically murdered. I don’t know if Enzler understood that this event was the largest act of domestic terrorism on U.S. soil prior to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing or not, but IMO, the author should have given this notable event its due diligence.
So, in the end, I have mixed feelings about this biography. It provides a reader with an interesting look at the exploration of The West, but it was an inconsistent and, at times, an incomplete read. 3/5.
April 21, 2025
Jim Bridger was one of the original trailblazers of the west. He lived from 1804-1881 and his life intersected with many key elements, individuals, and groups in US history.
The book started slow and I almost didn't continue listening to it, but I'm glad I did.
After detailing as much as could be discovered about Bridger's origins, the book seemed to settle into a cycle of supply runs and lists of beaver pelts. For a few chapters there didn't seem to be much of a story to tell.
But that changed.
Eventually, I was amazed by the life of a man who seems to be relatively unknown, but was so famous and appreciated at one point that it was almost his face carved into Mount Rushmore and not US presidents.
He never learned to read or write well, but he was an extremally intelligent man. He had an almost photographic memory of the geography and terrain of the places he explored; learned several Native American languages; negotiated often between settlers and indigenous peoples; and knew and lived off the land in a way few could.
When listened to he could guide settlers through the harshest terrains; when ignored there were sometimes tragic results.
He wasn't a good role model in many ways, but he was the type of man that opened up the west for others to follow.
The book started slow and I almost didn't continue listening to it, but I'm glad I did.
After detailing as much as could be discovered about Bridger's origins, the book seemed to settle into a cycle of supply runs and lists of beaver pelts. For a few chapters there didn't seem to be much of a story to tell.
But that changed.
Eventually, I was amazed by the life of a man who seems to be relatively unknown, but was so famous and appreciated at one point that it was almost his face carved into Mount Rushmore and not US presidents.
He never learned to read or write well, but he was an extremally intelligent man. He had an almost photographic memory of the geography and terrain of the places he explored; learned several Native American languages; negotiated often between settlers and indigenous peoples; and knew and lived off the land in a way few could.
When listened to he could guide settlers through the harshest terrains; when ignored there were sometimes tragic results.
He wasn't a good role model in many ways, but he was the type of man that opened up the west for others to follow.
November 29, 2024
Jim Bridger was perhaps the most iconic and accomplished of the “Mountain Men,” who opened the West. And while this book provides a sweeping narrative of his life and accomplishments, it reads more like an accountant’s diary or a poor history Master’s Thesis.
The author in many cases provides one or two sentence paragraphs to describe many of Bridger’s expeditions and explorations. And when he does provide longer narratives, much of it is devoted to tallying numbers of horses stolen, beaver hides taken, or the costs of goods and supplies.
The book gets marginally better in the second half, as Bridger’s adversarial relationship with the Mormons and Brigham Young, as well as his peripheral involvement with the Fetterman massacre almost begin to read like the adventure story Bridger’s life encapsulated. From Bridger’s involvement with Hugh Glass (of movie “The Revenant “ fame), to his discovery and exploration of Yellowstone, living with and making war upon the multitude of Native American tribes and bands, this book could have been so much more than a dry listing of accomplishments and frontier economics.
The author in many cases provides one or two sentence paragraphs to describe many of Bridger’s expeditions and explorations. And when he does provide longer narratives, much of it is devoted to tallying numbers of horses stolen, beaver hides taken, or the costs of goods and supplies.
The book gets marginally better in the second half, as Bridger’s adversarial relationship with the Mormons and Brigham Young, as well as his peripheral involvement with the Fetterman massacre almost begin to read like the adventure story Bridger’s life encapsulated. From Bridger’s involvement with Hugh Glass (of movie “The Revenant “ fame), to his discovery and exploration of Yellowstone, living with and making war upon the multitude of Native American tribes and bands, this book could have been so much more than a dry listing of accomplishments and frontier economics.
June 2, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. Give me more stars to add to the rating please!!!
While this may fit into the lifestyles that I have a more romanticized view of than was reality (Pirates, Mafia, Vikings), I do appreciate that life in these times was just different.
As I type this on a phone while laying in a bed that adjusts to my desired comfort level, I think of Bridger and the other mountain men that rarely even owned a home.
I was enthralled with the cartography of these times. As I type an address into the same phone and receive turn by turn directions as well as ETA that updates with traffic in the area.
I enjoyed reading about how small the world actually was. With “name drops” included throughout many chapters. (I don’t mean that negatively).
I wish the book had more stories. Was longer. Not that the included material lacked by any means, but maybe some stories went untold that could have been included?
Overall, great book. Interesting read. Extremely comprehensive and extremely entertaining. One of my favorite biographies of all time.
While this may fit into the lifestyles that I have a more romanticized view of than was reality (Pirates, Mafia, Vikings), I do appreciate that life in these times was just different.
As I type this on a phone while laying in a bed that adjusts to my desired comfort level, I think of Bridger and the other mountain men that rarely even owned a home.
I was enthralled with the cartography of these times. As I type an address into the same phone and receive turn by turn directions as well as ETA that updates with traffic in the area.
I enjoyed reading about how small the world actually was. With “name drops” included throughout many chapters. (I don’t mean that negatively).
I wish the book had more stories. Was longer. Not that the included material lacked by any means, but maybe some stories went untold that could have been included?
Overall, great book. Interesting read. Extremely comprehensive and extremely entertaining. One of my favorite biographies of all time.
May 31, 2025
As a follow on book to my reading of the west's mountain men, I found the story of Jim Bridger fascinating as I knew very little about him. Turns out that he lived a very interesting life, one that will likely never be repeated again due to the changing of times. Bridger appeared to be a loner who liked adventure thus in those times he was able to go into the U.S. western parts that hadn't been fully explored or marked as others' property. In today's world, an individual this like does not have the same opportunity to go get lost in the woods and make a living out there. In today's world, an individual like this would probably be homeless living on the streets.... again, different times. Overall it was an enjoyable book that helped me understand the value of those mountain men who knew the land, knew the trails, and knew how to stay safe in that challenging environment.
May 27, 2025
"Jim Bridger" Trailblazer of the American West" is a highly engaging and intriguing look at one of the west's most well-known mountain men. It's a glimpse behind the curtain of relations between the US and native tribes, but the focus is on those looking to form genuine relationships with tribes, rather than the annihilation of the people, though that is featured, in part, throughout this biography. Enzler's style was easy to follow, and the timeline that he followed was easy to follow as a reader, not letting you fall behind or get lost within the grand scope of his life. This isn't going to be a read that everyone is going to find interesting, but for me, I found this to be a really interesting read.
February 2, 2024
Having grown up on the Canadian prairies, I love stories of the old West, the real West, not the Hollywood version. That involves an evenhanded account from the point of view of the settlers and indigenous people who were hurled against each other by the tides of history. This feels like one of those books.
Like so many of the mountain men of the early 19th century, Jim Bridger was one of a kind, living the kind of life that would’ve gotten someone like me killed early on. I like the quote, attributed to him, that he survived as long as he did by ‘keeping his scalp tied to his brain,’ which made me smile.
This was worth my time.
Like so many of the mountain men of the early 19th century, Jim Bridger was one of a kind, living the kind of life that would’ve gotten someone like me killed early on. I like the quote, attributed to him, that he survived as long as he did by ‘keeping his scalp tied to his brain,’ which made me smile.
This was worth my time.
July 29, 2025
It is amazing to read about the exploration of the west in detail. The struggles and daily fight for survival and the relationships between trappers, indians and immigrants. It can't be easy to piece together the facts vs fiction when so many of the stories of trappers and immigrants are word of mouth from individuals that could neither read nor write, so we rely on records and diaries of those who could read and write.
Cudos to those who put together this history. You have done a great job with all kinds of conflicting information to piece together the history and stories that chronicle the struggle of those who blazed the trail for others to settle the American West.
Cudos to those who put together this history. You have done a great job with all kinds of conflicting information to piece together the history and stories that chronicle the struggle of those who blazed the trail for others to settle the American West.
August 20, 2025
His paths can still be followed
For the past 12 years my husband and I have traveled this country full time. I love history and believe you can time travel if you go to where history happened. Going through the South Pass this year we surely experienced the same awe that Bridger had as the hills and valleys sweep away for miles. We were able to visit so many of the places he scouted throughout his life. Our summer travel included a stop at Fort Bridger. What a pleasure to see it restored to it's past glory. His spirit is still there and this book brings so much of our country's history full circle. Well written and plainly told, a great read.
For the past 12 years my husband and I have traveled this country full time. I love history and believe you can time travel if you go to where history happened. Going through the South Pass this year we surely experienced the same awe that Bridger had as the hills and valleys sweep away for miles. We were able to visit so many of the places he scouted throughout his life. Our summer travel included a stop at Fort Bridger. What a pleasure to see it restored to it's past glory. His spirit is still there and this book brings so much of our country's history full circle. Well written and plainly told, a great read.
December 28, 2024
Well researched work on an interesting and impressive American trailbalzer!
The writing could have been a little better especially the first half seemed somewhat repetitive. It was VERY long. I have to say that I also learned a lot about Brigham Young, an unsavory character to say the least who instigated the Utah War against the American government. I did already know about the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a horrible incident. Although Young was not specifically implicated in ordering it, it was certainly well-known that he condoned it.
The writing could have been a little better especially the first half seemed somewhat repetitive. It was VERY long. I have to say that I also learned a lot about Brigham Young, an unsavory character to say the least who instigated the Utah War against the American government. I did already know about the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a horrible incident. Although Young was not specifically implicated in ordering it, it was certainly well-known that he condoned it.
September 25, 2025
A powerful and detailed portrait of Jim Bridger, one of the most fascinating figures of the American frontier. Jerry Enzler brings the “King of the Mountain Men” to life with rich storytelling and impressive research, showing both his legendary exploits and the complex man behind the myth. From discovering the Great Salt Lake to guiding expeditions and negotiating with Native tribes, Bridger’s story is as gripping as any adventure novel but all the more compelling because it’s true. A must-read for history buffs and lovers of the American West.
April 12, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Jim Bridger. This book covers the trailblazing mountain man's life and legacy from birth to death. Additionally, there is a lot of detail about the situations Jim Bridger finds himself in. I was hesitant to spend so much on an ebook, but when I hit "the end," I wasn't sorry I made the purchase. Some biographies are overly dense, but this one was more accessible than others I've read. This book is very readable, and I highly recommend it.
June 22, 2022
The book provides a good amount of information about Bridger during his frontier years. His early years receive minimal attention, presumably because little is known. The writing is somewhat stilted-may dates are mentioned somewhat unnecessarily and a lot of information seems to be from formal accounts such as army records. All in all, it was somewhat informative of a major figure in the development of the American west but it is a bit boring in the description of unprecedented exploits.
March 1, 2025
Fascinating history of Jim Bridger and the United States expansion into the wild west. The author's writing was sometimes confusing as his transition to new stories did not flow logically. Despite that, he provided extensive details of the significant events in Bridger's life. This is an easy and quick read. I enjoyed the book very much and recommend it for anyone looking for an accurate depiction of how the US explored and expanded what is now our western US.
April 3, 2025
I love historical fiction, so I’ve been trying to dive into autobiographies and biographies more. Nope. I just couldn’t do it. I had to DNF this one mid-way. I think if this was told in a story format, I’d be all over it, but it felt like a jumble of people and dates and places and I couldn’t get a grasp of who any of them are. Jim Bridger is the main character and all we know about him halfway through is that he can’t write and is good at trapping beavers.
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