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A review by nikhender
Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West by Hampton Sides
5.0
This is a remarkable story of how America conquered the West, robbing it from the Native Americans, and even the Mexicans. The entire tale is told through Kit Carson’s heroic life. From daring expeditions with Fremont, to horrific walks the Native Americans made to their reservations, Kit Carson was there for it all.
Sides does an amazing job bringing the Wild West to life. This book includes battles against the Mexicans in California, the horrific Mountain Meadows Massacre, the trials the Navajo faced, and many many more. Kit Carson somehow was intertwined through it all. He may have been overly-idolized, but after reading this book, I realized he really did deserve the monumental and heroic stature that fictional stories portrayed. Especially after learning he was actually such a small, humble, and imperfect man.
As I read and envisioned the West, I learned of brave heroes and awful atrocities, sadly the two were intermingled a lot. No one seemed completely abstained from wrongdoing, John Chivington being a perfect example. But that was the West.
I’m so grateful for the wonderful trip through the West (especially New Mexico) that Sides took me through. This is an absolute must-read for a better grasp of the Wild West; of how it was not just won, but how it was stolen.
Sides does an amazing job bringing the Wild West to life. This book includes battles against the Mexicans in California, the horrific Mountain Meadows Massacre, the trials the Navajo faced, and many many more. Kit Carson somehow was intertwined through it all. He may have been overly-idolized, but after reading this book, I realized he really did deserve the monumental and heroic stature that fictional stories portrayed. Especially after learning he was actually such a small, humble, and imperfect man.
As I read and envisioned the West, I learned of brave heroes and awful atrocities, sadly the two were intermingled a lot. No one seemed completely abstained from wrongdoing, John Chivington being a perfect example. But that was the West.
I’m so grateful for the wonderful trip through the West (especially New Mexico) that Sides took me through. This is an absolute must-read for a better grasp of the Wild West; of how it was not just won, but how it was stolen.