Books like Men to Match My Mountains: The Opening of the Far West 1840-1900

Famed novelist and historian Irving Stone tackles the final years of Westward Expansion with the settling of the “Far West”—or more specifically the states of California, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah. He brings the reader on a journey of epic proportions in the manner of a travelogue, chronicling the different pioneers, settlers, homesteaders, Native tribes, gold miners, cowboys, explorers, and barons met along the way, where he begins his saga in the year 1840.Stone uses the prose and style that worked so well in his previous novels, and combines them with factual resources and research in a way that captures the reader’s attention and keeps them interested in each territory or party that subsequently will be discussed. The book is full of both tragic and bewildering experiences, from John C. Frémont and Kit Carson’s epic trailblazing that ranged from St. Louis to the Sierras and Pacific Coast, to the Mountain Meadows Massacre that would prove unsettling for the Mormon religion as a whole and still be regarded as controversial to this day. There are incredible concise biographies littered throughout Stone’s text that provide the reader with enough heavy detail and scope in order to segue on to the next book or history that fancies their curiosity—such as some fascinating tidbits on the Mormon leader Brigham Young:Following Joseph Smith’s original design Young, the city planner, decreed that the streets were to be laid out enormously wide, each house set back so many feet, the fronts to be beautified with fruit trees and gardens; and four public squares of ten acres laid out in various parts of the city for public grounds. Young, the engineer, ordered that water be routed through the streets to carry off all filth; then Young, man of action, set his Saints to building a bower for Sunday services, a road to the canyon to bring out timber, a timber and adobe fort to protect them against Indian raids…Chapters that the reader may find particularly interesting are those relating to the Mormons, as well as the history of the Gold Rush that took over not just California but Colorado as well. It’s surprising to find that the book is still relevant and even modern in its language since its publication from over fifty years ago, and the only caveat here would be Stone’s repetitive reminder to the audience that “the men had matched the mountains” through the various chapters—though this is almost dutifully acknowledged and accepted by the remarkable feats being processed by the reader. For those looking to uncover details on the settling of the western states and those pioneers who helped pave the way—or for a taste of America’s Westward Expansion history—this is an exceptional read to delve into. Illustrations are unfortunately not provided for, however, maps of each territory can be found in the opening pages.\ Read the Full Review and More\