In the autumn of 1846 the Navajo warrior Narbona looked down upon the small town of Santa Fe, the stronghold of the Mexican settlers he had been fighting his whole life. He saw that it was true that an army of blue-suited soldiers had swept in from the east and defeated his old enemy. But what did the arrival of these 'New Men' mean for the Navajo? Narbona could not know that the 'Army of the West' was only the vanguard of an inexorable tide fuelled by a self-righteous ideology know as Manifest Destiny. Hampton Sides's ...
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In the autumn of 1846 the Navajo warrior Narbona looked down upon the small town of Santa Fe, the stronghold of the Mexican settlers he had been fighting his whole life. He saw that it was true that an army of blue-suited soldiers had swept in from the east and defeated his old enemy. But what did the arrival of these 'New Men' mean for the Navajo? Narbona could not know that the 'Army of the West' was only the vanguard of an inexorable tide fuelled by a self-righteous ideology know as Manifest Destiny. Hampton Sides's extraordinary book brings the history of the American conquest of the West to ringing life. It is a tale with many heroes and villains, but at the centre of it all stands the remarkable figure of Kit Carson ? the legendary trapper, scout and soldier. Carson was an illiterate mountain man who twice married Indian women and understood the tribes better than any other American alive; yet he was also a cold-blooded killer and an unquestioning patriot who willingly followed orders tantamount to massacre. BLOOD AND THUNDER is a chronicle of one of a pivotal era in American history: grand in scope, immediate in detail, impeccably researched and historically revelatory
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Add this copy of Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West to cart. $22.40, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2007 by Vintage.
Really enjoyed the book! I have read many books on the settling of the West and this book rates as the best for information and facts that many books skip over. Absolutely a great read! It will stay in my library unlike many books that I throw or give away.
Linda A
Jun 27, 2013
Perfect gift
My brother loves to read westerns,that's why I purchased the book...asked him about it the other day...been to busy to start it.
Cheryl P
Apr 14, 2011
Absolutely Fabulous!
This book makes the the history of the West so alive, it's descriptions make you feel like you were there. An absolute joy to read, I'm just about done and can't wait to read it again.
jsam
Oct 23, 2008
Kit Carson Biography
This is an excellent history of United States in the west and the southwest during the conquest of Mexico and the Navajo Indians. It centers on Christopher "Kit" Carson and is an excellent biography of him, but it is also a biography of most of the explorers, mountain men, and military commanders/explorers from the very early 1800's to about 1870. this author holds no punches in explaining about our war with Mexico, its shortcomings and victories. The author also spares none of the characters in this time in history, telling about both their shortcomings and the highlights of their lives and how they affected the conquest of the West and the conquest and defeat of the Navajo Indians. It is also a brief history of the Navajo Indians and their relationships with surrounding indian tribes, the Spanish, the Mexicans, and the United States. This book has an excellent bibliography for those who are interested in learning more about the Navajo Indians, which I highly recommend the readers of this book to do.
Tansy
Aug 4, 2008
Engaging
An engaging look at the conquest of the American West. Centered around Kit Carson, the book reads more like a story than a history. One might be struck by a familiar "American-ness" to the events - some of the attitudes and actions of the men who conquered the West could well be pulled from our modern headlines.
