Both haunting and lyrical, blood and thunder is truly a masterpiece. Sides depicts the complex role of whites in the subjugation of the navajos through his portrait of kit carsonan illiterate trapper, soldier. This cryptic passage might serve as a barebones synopsis of the book. Not only does blood and thunder capture a pivotal moment in u.
October 22, 2016 november 25, 2016 julia readers, i recently enjoyed myself for a week reading hampton sides blood and thunder, the story of scout and frontiersman kit carson. Peterss 1858 book, the life and adventure of kit carson, the nestor of the rocky mountains. Later, sorting through what remained of the camp, one of griers men came across a book, which presumably had belonged to mrs. By barry smith much has been written about the colorful and controversial character named christopher kit carson studious biographies, every history book about the west, plenty of newspaper articles and whole series of lurid dime novels. Christopher houston carson was born on december 24, 1809, in madison county, kentucky, to lindsey carson, a veteran of the american revolution and rebecca robinson carson. With bill williams, don diamond, john cason, boyd stockman. During the early 1800s, carson was a legendary mountain man and free trader in the american southwest, having gained renown for his fur trade and trailblazing efforts in new mexico and westward to. The book leaves a favourable impression of kit carson but doesnt shy entirely from some of his less admirable traits and exploits. He is the author of the bestselling histories ghost soldiers, blood and thunder, hellhound on his trail, and, most recently, in the kingdom of ice, which recounts the heroic polar voyage of the u. Frontiersman, wilderness guide and member of the union army. The figure of kit carson strides through the literature of the american west in heroic size. Christopher houston kit carson, december 24, 1809 may 23, 1868 was an american frontiersman. Shop online fort stanton, nm where history comes to life.
Kit carsons role in the conquest of the navajo during and after the civil war. A west won by blood and thunder an emblematic story of the conquest of the west is told in. Aug 16, 2019 carsons life was reexamined in the 2006 book blood and thunder. A narrative of the old spanish trail in 48 by george douglas brewerton university of nebraska press, 1993 ps primary source a primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. In early 2018, he was featured in the history channels documentary series.
Kit carson 18091868 was a frontiersman, western guide, and trapper. Kit carson biography life, family, children, name, wife. In 1973, militants in taos tried to change the name of kit carson state park. Blood and thunder is a bighearted book whose subject is as expansive as.
Hampton sides brings this time to life and engages you in the story of americas expansion from the 1820s to the 1860s. Beginning of a dialog window, including tabbed navigation to register an account or sign in to an existing account. The epic story of kit carson and the conquest of the american. Kit carson simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I heard hampton sides speak in santa fe after listening to the book and he told of the tremendous amount of research that he did. He was a cousin to another famous frontiersman, daniel boone, through his mother. Kit carson and the mountain men true west magazine. Hampton sides looks at kit carson and americas brutal westward expansion. Nov 29, 2017 ive recently been reading hampton sidess 2007 biography, blood and thunder, which is subtitled the epic story of kit carson and the conquest of the american west.
Michael moorcock finds in hampton sides blood and thunder that the man in the fancy buckskins was a real hero michael moorcock sat 10 mar 2007 18. Inside he found some newspaper clippings and notes related to the carson family. American frontiersman, trapper, soldier and guide, christopher carson, better known as kit carson, is one of the great heroes of the old west. Oct 14, 2006 a west won by blood and thunder an emblematic story of the conquest of the west is told in hampton sides new history blood and thunder. The promise and the price of this great mission propel blood and thunder, mr. When he was just twoyearsold, the family moved to howard county, missouri, where carson spent most of his early.
Kit carson legend of the southwest page 2 legends of. His career as a frontiersman involved four chief occupations. Watch kit carson american experience official site pbs. Trader, trapper, scout, brigadier general of new mexico volunteers, and many other things besides, he has appealed to the public imagination as no other frontiersman has. There was a lot of excitement, but very little truth.
But the book is also a tour through americas western conquest. See more ideas about old west, kit carson and mountain man. Kit carson and the public notice nevada press association. Hampton sides is bestknown for his gripping nonfiction adventure stories set in war or depicting epic expeditions of discovery and exploration. The epic story of kit carson and the conquest of the american west is the engaging story of kit carson and the final expansion into the west. Kit carson books list of books by author kit carson. This article about a nonfiction book on the american old west is a stub. Although kit carson is central throughout, the lives of other significant players during this time period are also explored to varying degrees. Mr sides has a very interesting subject the,at times, somewhat sad story of the development of the american west but he tells it wonderfully.
Oct 11, 2006 the promise and the price of this great mission propel blood and thunder, mr. Sidess rousing, fullthroated rendition of an old story, the making of the american west. Its thoroughly researched and well written, providing the kind of detail that brings the sweep of history down to human scale. Kit carsons autobiography is simply a dry telling of events. Peters meant that carson was is a leader in his field. The epic story of kit carson and the conquest of the american west. There is a cast of interesting characters including of course kit carson himself,narbona the navajo chief,carleton and many others. Jan 07, 2007 he was lionized in movies, like 1933s fighting with kit carson and in the 1950s tv series, the adventures of kit carson. The epic story of kit carson and the conquest of the american west paperback october 9, 2007. Many biographies and who versions of his autobiography have been published. One of the reasons that i typically enjoy autobiographies is that i want to get to know the writer, their innermost feelings and their relationships. Hampton sides discusses his new book blood and thunder, and. An epic of the american west doubleday, 2001, is a nonfiction book written by american historian and author, hampton sides.
If you like history and the southwest, this is a must read. An epic of the american west doubleday, 2001, is a non fiction book. Hampton sidess blood and thunder tells how the usas annexation of mexican territory. Samuel parker, was the first to introduce kit carson and his exploits in a book. However, little is known about his family life, thanks largely to carson s own guardianship of his privacy. Many of carsons accomplishments were popularized in dr. He first gained fame as a distinguished guide for explorers in the western frontier, when america had a love affair with the untamed land west of the mississippi river. Mar 10, 2007 michael moorcock finds in hampton sides blood and thunder that the man in the fancy buckskins was a real hero michael moorcock sat 10 mar 2007 18. Kit carson, byname of christopher houston carson, born december 24, 1809, madison county, kentucky, u. Its a littleknown fact, but there were two extremely fierce civil war battles out west, both of them fought in new mexico. The blood and thunder book told more about kit carson s life and in much more detail than kit s autobiography. History via kit carson originally published october, 2006 at 12. Blood and thunder by hampton sides books the guardian.
He was lionized in movies, like 1933s fighting with kit carson and in the 1950s tv series, the adventures of kit carson. Remember the old tonight show when ed or johnny would drop a factoid. Does anyone know what the old photo is that was used as the background for the start of chapters. The adventures of kit carson thunder over inyo youtube. See all books authored by kit carson, including kit carson s autobiography bison book, and kit carson s own story of his life. The original dark horse, he rose to defeat the charismatic henry clay in the election of. Kit carson writes a valuable, just the facts, highlight summary of his early career that leads to his becoming an indian agent.
Kit carson was not much to look at, but that was a curious part of his charm. Six years later, kit carson cave near gallup, new mexico was the target of vandals, and, in 1990, protestors spraypainted kit and josefas tombstones with the word nazi. Kits interest to readers would continue, even after his death on may 23, 1868, as demonstrated by works that included the fighting trapper, or, kit carson to the rescue, a dime novel published in 1874. Christopher houston carson december 24, 1809 may 23, 1868, better known as kit carson, was an american frontiersman. In the 1970s, a navajo at a trading post said, no one here will talk about kit carson. Despite the prominence of the life and adventures of kit carson in sidess account, blood and thunder is decidedly not a biography.
The adventures of kit carson tv series 19511960 imdb. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, indian agent, and u. However, little is known about his family life, thanks largely to carsons own guardianship of. Carson was the inspiration for a samenamed character in the popular italian comic book series tex willer. 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. Kit carson was there as usual, right in the middle of the action. Kit carson and his three wives audiobook by marc simmons. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime via biographies and news articles, and exaggerated versions of his exploits were the subject of dime novels. A magnificent history of the american conquest of the west.
It focuses on the transformation of the american west during the 19th century. Carson s life was reexamined in the 2006 book blood and thunder. Kit carson 18091868 has long held a prominent place in the popular imagination of the american west. Bill williams played kit carson in the tv miniseries 19511955 the adventures of kit carson rip torn played carson in the 1986 miniseries dream west. This book is full of heroes and villians, and is a fair. Colonel christopher kit carson leaves santa fe with his troops, beginning his campaign against the indians of new mexico and arizona. Oct 09, 2007 i thought blood and thunderwas an absolutely wonderful book. List of books and articles about kit carson online. See more ideas about kit carson, kit and new mexico history. Sidess rousing, fullthroated rendition of an old story. One day when kit was four, lindsey carson went out with a small group of men to survey a piece of land when they were ambushed by sac and fox indians. A fun highlight, for example, is when he decides he has to fight a big french bully who beats up three guys a day. Kit s autobiography is short, less than 30,000 words it says and only covers to 1856, 12 years before his death, dictated to a friend who was unable to market it. He focuses on the 20year battle for control of navajo.
Kit carson s autobiography is simply a dry telling of events. I thought blood and thunderwas an absolutely wonderful book. Oct 22, 2016 readers, i recently enjoyed myself for a week reading hampton sides blood and thunder, the story of scout and frontiersman kit carson. Author hampton sides poses next to a showcase at the kit carson home and museum in taos in 2006 after the release of his book about carson, blood and thunder. The reader was great as well as a very well told story. His career as an indian fighter earned him both folk hero status through its. Carson doesnt even rate a place in the book s subtitle. Carsons life was reexamined in the 2006 book blood and thunder.
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