The Greatest Mountain Men Stories Ever Told
edited by Lamar Underwood
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 emerged into the American landscape in the years following the Lewis and Clark expedition, 1804-1806. They were trappers, who sought prize furs, they could trade for supplies they needed for another year in the mountains. They were hunters, who depended on their skills to find buffalo, elk, and other game in the mountain vastness. They were survivors, who fought for their lives in the lands of Native Americans like Blackfeet Indians. They were dreamers, seeking a free-spirited life of living alone in the mountains, untouched by the wars, politics, and rituals of life “down below.” Often dangers were so great they traveled and hunted in “brigades,” with dozens of companions.
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 bring great reader reward to the huge and dedicated audience fascinated by Mountain Man lore and legend.
PB