Life in the Far West

by George Frederick Ruxton
List(s):"Extreme Classics"
Category: "Travel"
Pages:244
Year of Publication:1849
Date Added:01/29/2010
Date Read:08/25/2015
Notes:Ruxton was a young Englishman who traveled throughout the American West during the 1840s. This book is his account of stories he heard from trappers of their exploits with Indians, Mexicans and each other. The two main trappers, La Bonte and Killbuck, told tales of almost starving, of fighting Indians, of raiding the California missions for horses and of hunting. La Bonte, from Tennessee, supposedly left a sweetheart behind and then met with her years later as her family traveled by wagon through the mountains. Ruxton admits states that everything he mentions is true, although he admits that the chronology might be mixed up and that he may be misstating which trapper had which adventures. Undoubtedly, there are other places where he embelished for dramatic effect.
My Rating: 7

Reviews for Life in the Far West

Review - Life in the Far West

Several of the early pages were written in the trappers' patois and were hard slogging. But the book got much better after that and I enjoyed it throughout while keeping in mind that it was dramatized for effect. Digressions on the city of St. Louis, the missions in California and the history of the Mormons were included.

Reviewed by Roger on 2015-08-25 14:59:36

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