Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West

Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American WestA magnificent history of the American conquest of the West; "a story full of authority and color, truth and prophecy" (The New York Times Book Review). In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West marched through Santa Fe, en route to invade and occupy the Western territories claimed by Mexico. Fueled by the new ideology of "Manifest Destiny," this land grab would lead to a decades long battle between the United States and the Navajos, the fiercely

A magnificent history of the American conquest of the West; "a story full of authority and color, truth and prophecy" (The New York Times Book Review).

In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West marched through Santa Fe, en route to invade and occupy the Western territories claimed by Mexico. Fueled by the new ideology of "Manifest Destiny," this land grab would lead to a decades-long battle between the United States and the Navajos, the fiercely resistant rulers of a huge swath of mountainous desert wilderness.

At the center of this sweeping tale is Kit Carson, the trapper, scout, and soldier whose adventures made him a legend. Sides shows us how this illiterate mountain man understood and respected the Western tribes better than any other American, yet willingly followed orders that would ultimately devastate the Navajo nation. Rich in detail and spanning more than three decades, this is an essential addition to our understanding of how the West was really won.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: 10/09/2007
ISBN: 9781400031108
Pages: 578
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.20w x 1.30d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 11/18/2007 pg. 28