Customer Reviews

Give Your Heart to the Hawks: A Tribute to the Mountain Men

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Winfred Blevins' `Give Your Heart to the Hawks' is exactly what its sub title claims - a tribute to the Mountain Men. It is neither a historical novel nor a pure history. Rather, it is accurate history, albeit with Blevins' interpretation of the thoughts and emotions that the mountain men were experiencing during some of their most dangerous and daring exploits added. This technique removes the book from the roles of strict history, but works well in creating the tribute that the author intended, for his goal was not simply to chronicle the bones of their history, but to bring to life their wild and free existence and allow the reader to enter into the spirit of the mountain man's life.
Blevins does not attempt a comprehensive account of the mountain men. Some are covered extensively, like John Colter, the prototype mountain man, Jim Bridger, and Jed Smith, the most atypical and perhaps greatest of the mountain men. Others, like Old Bill Williams, Joe Walker, and Kit Carson are barely covered or mentioned only in passing. Blevins does not cover the mountain men of the southwest at all. Instead, he illuminates his chosen subjects in depth, choosing to fully explore the life that the mountain men lived rather than broadly covering the entire scope of their collective history.
To recreate the wild drama of the mountain man's life, Blevins tells some of the most thrilling tales of the era, like John Colter's desperate naked run from Indian braves pursuing him for sport, Hugh Glass' amazing solo trek through 300 miles of wilderness without weapons or any tools for survival after being left for dead when mauled by a grizzly, or Jed Smith's daring crossings of the desert and mountains to find a land route to California. He writes of these men, "Any man who survived for several years as a trapper, taking responsibility for his own survival alone in the wilds, had been schooled thoroughly by the Rocky Mountains. ...He had graduated from Rocky Mountain College, a pragmatic university that gave no degrees, but flunked men into their graves." Between the various stories of specific mountain men, he includes interludes that detail important aspects of their life and trade - trapping, yarning, rendezvous, buffalo - cuisine premiere, mountain craft, mountain mating, and trappers and Indians are a few of the interesting subjects of mountain life dealt with in these interludes. He also includes a few colorful accounts written by the rare, literate mountain man detailing their unique life. He succeeds admirably in breathing life into this too often neglected period of amazing individuals who blazed the way for the westward expansion of the American nation.
While Blevins' writing is not always stellar, he manages to create an effective and stirring tribute to the wild individuals who chose to live free in the Rocky Mountains. No one who is interested in the period should miss it. Both students of the period of the mountain men and fur trade and those looking for a good introduction to the subject will find `Give Your Heart to the Hawks' a fascinating and rewarding reading experience.

Theo Logos

After having been an avid reader of books on many varied subjects over the last 40 years, I can truly say that this is the best book I have ever read on any subject, fiction and non-fiction. Anyone who desires to learn about the true life of freedom experienced by the mountain men or who wishes to learn of the history of the early West will not be disapointed with this book and will come away from the experience with a profound appreciation of the early trail-blazers. This is one of those books that you "can't put down." I will never give this book away but will purchase copies for my friends who have the same interests. Tom Dering

An incredible read; an incredible story, make that stories. I couldn't wait to get home every night to continue the never ending saga of these men of heroic proportions. The depth of information by the author woven into an amazing technicolor fabric of a story that really needs to be told and told well is in this book. I became immersed in the lives of these characters and characters they were; I could almost feel what they felt as they lived their lives among that untamed wilderness we simply call the west, however, the lives of these amazing men was anything but simple.

Have you ever wondered where Hollywood got all those wild ideas for outdoor-oriented movies, in particular Western movies? Where did they come up with the notion that wild "savages" would strip a man naked and send him running through the wilderness with blood-thirsty warriors in pursuit? Where did they get the idea that a wounded wilderness traveler would chase wolves from a buffalo kill to get food for himself? And in the famous Sydney Pollack movie "Jeremiah Johnson" where did Will Geer get the notion that "...the Crows is the handsomest injuns there is,...not a man alive can match 'em on a horse..." Where did the rest of Hollywood's apparent wild fabrications come from?

Turns out Hollywood isn't so creative after all! This stuff is all based on the true-life adventures of American frontiersmen and American indians! And "Give Your Heart to the Hawks" provides gripping and historically accurate accounts of the lives and times of these men.

The book begins with the genesis of the "mountain man" era, the early 1800's with a man named John Coulter. Mr. Coulter, who was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, preferred the wilderness to civilization and left Messrs. Lewis and Clark near the end of their famous journey. In fact, shortly after he left, indians stripped Mr. Coulter naked (after killing his partner) and sent him running across the plain with warriors in pursuit. And, against all odds, Mr. Coulter lived to tell about it!

The book also covers the life-and-death struggles of other well-known frontiersmen such as Jedidiah Smith, Jim Bridger and David Jackson (after whom the Wyoming area of Jackson Hole was named). And also, some lesser known men such as Jim Beckwourth, Hugh Glass (who actually drove wolves from a buffalo kill!) and many others.

Naturally, tales of indians and their interactions with the white men are a big part of this book. And lest you think contrarily, many indians were on good terms with the whites; the Shoshone and Crows in particular. But beware the arch-enemy of many an indian and white alike: the murderous Blackfeet and the treacherous Rees!

"Hawks" is one of the most powerful and fascinating books I've ever read. It is not fiction, but it is also not a dry, tedious historical documentary. "Wagh!!" (to use mountain man jargon) it reads like an adventure novel; interesting, captivating and wholly entertaining. But it is highly educational too. One of the best of its type and appropriate for all ages.

This book is a wonderful example of the American frontier. The book goes in depth into the lives and the history of men like Jed Smith and Hugh Glass. Some of the stories sound fictional and incredible, but they are all real and accurate, the men were just that incredible! Win Blevins is an excellent writer, and he very accurately portrays the incredible lives of these men. A first class book!

Never have so few lived such adventurous lives! During the era of the Mountain Men, lasting from 1806 to 1843, a few hundred Americans trapped or traded for beaver in the Rocky Mountains. Blevins tells the romantic story of some of these men, especially those who made their living around the northern Rockies in Wyoming, Utah, and Montana.

The famous stories about the Mountain Men are told here: John Colter's run, Hugh Glass's encounter with a grizzly, Jedediah Smith's long overland journeys to California, the peregrinations of Jim Bridger. The lives, customs, and tortured language of the Mountain Men, including the debauchery of rendevous and the joys of Indian women and gorging on buffalo meat are well described. The author celebrates the Mountain Men and if you're not familar with the era and its heroes this is a good place to start -- although with the understanding that you're not getting the whole story. The fur trappers of the Southwest, including Ewing Young and Kit Carson, are scarcely mentioned. Nor do the British competitors of the Americans receive their due. But the untamed West in all its pristine glory is well-described in "Give your Heart to the Hawks."

From the vast literaturee about the Mountain Men. "Across the Wide Missouri" by Bernard DeVoto is probably the (difficult and irritating) classic of the genre.

Smallchief

It has been many years since I read this book. What I do remember is that I loved it so much I loaned it to someone who loved it so much they never returned it. So I bought another and loaned it to someone who loved it so much . . . well, you get the picture. Once folks get their hands on this one, they just don't want to let it go. History and folklore of the Old West really come alive between its covers. A great book to read aloud to friends sitting around a campfire at night.

Blevins exhibits that rare and talented writing ability of blending human feelings and emotions with documented historical literature.
The author breathes life into the many fur trappers who romped and stomped their way west of the Missouri in search of beaver pelts and the ensuing exploration efforts thereof, from the early 1800's to the trade's demise in 1840.
The reader senses the anguish and pain of John Colter as he outruns the Blackfeet; feels the torment and frustrations of Jedediah Smith losing scores of trappers to hostile Indians, along with his relentless and scrupulous efforts to locate water in the deserts during the course of his expeditions; the incredible doggedness of Hugh Glass out surviving the most famous grizzly attack known to western literature and numerous other accounts of survival (and non survival) in this time frame.
Jim Bridger, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Robert Campbell, the Sublette brothers, the missionaries, ups and downs of the fur trade, intense competition between the fur companies, Indian antagonisms and friendships, it's all here. Blevins puts you in their shoes (moccasins).
A wonderful read.

This book is an excellent read. Although it is an historical account of the times it flows along as easily as good novel.

I love this book. One of the best books that I have ever read. You almost think that you are there with the trappers.