The Greatest Mountain Men Stories Ever Told

by Lamar Underwood (Editor)

Long the dominant icon embodying the spirit of America's frontier past, the image of the cowboy no longer stands alone as the ultimate symbol of independence and self-reliance. The great canvas of the western landscape-in art, books, film-is today shared by the figures called "Mountain Men." They were the trappers of the Rocky Mountain fur trade in the years following Lewis and Clark's Expedition of 1804-1806. With their bold journeys peaking, during the period of 1830-1840, they were the first white men to enter the vast wilderness reaches of the Rockies in search of beaver skins. They feasted on the abundant buffalo, elk and other game, while living the ultimate free-spirited wilderness life. Often they paid the ultimate price for their ventures under the arrows, tomahawks, and knives of those Native Americans whose lands they had entered.

The Greatest Mountain Men Stories Ever Told, presents in one book many of the most engaging and revealing portraits of mountain men ever written. This collection is destined to be well appreciated by the huge and dedicated audience fascinated by mountain man lore and legend. These readers include many who today participate in reenactments of the mountain man "Rendezvous," with colorful costumes and competitions of traditional skills with authentic guns, knives, and tools.

Genres: History

304 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2018

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Greatest Mountain Men Stories Ever Told was a very intriguing book. What makes the book so interesting is that it’s a detailed multi view collection of individual stories from the era of American expansion into the western parts of North America and of Canadian trappers in the same regions during the 18th and 19th century. The subject matter is entertaining and the firsthand accounts of the west are simply stunning. Specifically chapter 8 detailing Lewis and Clark's Journey to the Pacific and some of the challenges they faced was a wondrous read for me as I have never been further west than Cincinnati, Ohio. The writers in each chapter did a sensational job of creating imagery. The book details many of these stories with similar uses of imagery and provides a sense of suspense several times throughout the book when the situation arises. I think one interesting thing the writer did within this book is the usage of first hand accounts and letting those who explored the region speak for themselves in their dialect however confusing and sometimes painful the reading might be for your brain to try and process. This book was very good and has opened me to a whole new chapter of American history i've become interested in learning about!