43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Histroial Biography Of Jim Bridger Early American Explorer, February 21, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: Jim Bridger: Mountain Man (Paperback)
Stanley Vestal did an admirably good job in recreating an accurate history of the early 1800's in the American West. This historical biography delves into the little known life of the great American explorer, trapper, and scout, Jim Bridger. He starts with his youth and factually chronicles almost every known aspect of his life until his death at the old age 76. (which you will find was quite characteristic of many a mountain man.)
Jim Bridger was the discoverer of the Great Salt Lake and most points of interest in the Rocky Mountain Range. His verbal descriptions of the unknown west are given in Vestal's book and vividly show why Bridger was one of the main reasons the early settlers heading west to Oregon survived.
Vestal writes this book in the language used by the early "mountain men." He explains the "special" vocabulary used by these early men of courage. Vestal tells of actual evnts involving the American aboriginal peoples known as "Indians." He tells of the good things and the bad things that happen to these people, and why; and yet doesn't present the episodes in the usual "cry baby" attitude used by many of today's writers describing our aboriginal Americans
In this book, Vestal gives the reader glimpes of the real lives of Hugh Glass, Kit Carson, William Sublette, and other explorers of the time. Jim Bridger, although not usually recognized for this, was nearly single-handedly responsible for the opening of the Great American West.
Jim Bridger was a friend to the aboriginal Americans. He understood them. Vestal brings this to life, as well as explaining thr REAL reason the settlers and aboriginal Americans developed conflicts.
Stanley Vestal did a marvelous job in this book. I highly recommend it as a textbook for any student of American history. It is told in real terms, without appologies.
This book would be a great book to precede James Michener's Centennial, and Stephen Ambrose's Undaunted Courage (a history of Lewis and Clark).
Thank you.
---- Paul Holtzheimer II (request@nas.com
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good History, September 11, 2004
This review is from: Jim Bridger: Mountain Man (Paperback)
I'd like to give the book another star, but just don't think I can. I found it an interesting and well researched description of Bridger's life. It has both an excellent index and references. The author gave a fair and balanced assessment of Bridger. It appears that some previous books on him might have been unfair or too praiseworthy about his life. Somehow the descriptions lacked a little spark, although there are a number of vivid passages. Perhaps this has to do with the fact the book was written 100 years after Bridger's death. In fact, this book is now 30 years old, and I believe the author wrote his first book on similar topics back in the 30s. Nevertheless, it's a good and complete description of Bridger's life.
One of the sadder aspects of the story is near the ending when the author reveals that during the last 10-15 years of Bridger's life no writer took the opportunity to interview Bridger. He was in his sixties and seventies, I believe, but was a rather ignored individual, except by his family. He had an exceptionally good memory. Someone missed the opportunity to get more of his rather amazing life straight from the source. The 2-3 page description of his last years, and his desire to keep moving summarize his deep need for adventure and discovery.
He was apparently quite a wit and teller of tall tales. Only four of five of his short tales are found in the book. Interestingly, he told many of his stories in sign languages to the indians.
The book contains on chapter of the famous Hugh Glass incident. It's worth reading if you have not heard it. The story was incorporated into a movie, A Man Called Horse , starring Richard Harris, in a slightly different form. I also found the long passage on "medicine wolves" quite intriguing.
I think this book might disspell a notion that the indian's scalping and body mutiliations of their enemies was derived from copying Europeans might be false. I read such an explanation in another book written at about the same time as this one. However, here we find repeated references to such carnage. In fact, it seems this savagery also been deeply engrained into the mountain men and other early frontiersmen. I suspect such carnages placed on one's enemies has deep roots in all of human history.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An endearing llook at an historic character, September 20, 2000
This review is from: Jim Bridger: Mountain Man (Paperback)
Bridger is a larger than life character. The author portrays Bridger as a character who was unimpressed with developed society. His treasure was the mountains and the mystery of an undeveoped land and people. His humility and lack of concern for unbelievers of the wonder of the mountains aligns him with someone who has a tremendous fishing hole but doesnt want anyone to fish it dry.
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