I have wanted to know more about Christopher “Kit” Carson for a long time. This well researched and authored book brings the reader so many factual events with vivid context you just don’t want to put it down. Kit Carson played a major role in the western expansion of the United States. I recommend this book to all who seek knowledge of American History.
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Though the battle-wracked visage of Christopher `Kit' Carson ubiquitously haunts Hampton Sides' engaging new work, Blood an Thunder -- Carson seems an indispensable part of every major battle, peace effort, and even minor dispute involving Native Americans and the United States government in the American southwest territories between 1840 and 1865 (including the Civil War) - the book is more a sweeping history, revealing the pervasive insatiability of the US in its run up to Manifest Destiny. Carson certainly was a mythic figure, or made so by the pulp fiction of the day, melodramatic vehicles dubbed `blood and thunders'. Whether busy rescuing a beautiful young woman who had been kidnapped by savage Apaches or being portrayed in any other number of outrageous fictional situations, he became, rather grudgingly, famous. Blood and Thunder is also the story of the Navajo (Dine) people and their great chief, Narbona, who was killed by American forces led by Col. James Washington; shot in the back during some confusion over a stolen horse. In a highlight of the book, Sides relates their infamous 'Long Walk', (the Dine's relocation to Fort Sumner, NM, where they were forced to farm for survival) which he compares to the Cherokee's Trail of Tears, with great poignancy and insight. I truly enjoyed this work and would recommend it to any curious reader. 5 starsRead full review
It's the story of the opening of the west based largely on the life of Kit Carson. Beautifully written account. History that is highly entertaining and informative. One of the best book I have encountered in recent years.
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This is a very well researched bit of historical work written in plain English with the blanks logically filled in by the author . Great piece of work that everyone should read . Really
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Great book on Kit Carson and the early exploration of the West with trade and reaction of the American Indians to the migration of settlers into their land.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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