Jim Bridger: Mountain Man

A great read for people who are genuinely interested in reading about mountain men and this one in particular. I saw a comment from someone who gave the book one star and was not able to grasp the reason why the author used different grammar and spelling in some of the situations that took place putting dialog in that might have been spoken by Jim Bridger. This not only adds a great deal to the story but makes the narrative come alive. Jim Bridger was not schooled. He had no time since he had lost his parents and had to care for his sister. Also, I saw from the description of Stanley Vestal that he wrote this book sometime in the 1930's. This would have given him access to much information that was still available at the time about Jim Bridger, as opposed to someone now days trying to do research on someone who lived back during the 1800's. I am thoroughly enjoying this book. If you are looking for the best possible accounting of this mountain man and a good picture of what life was like during this time for mountain men in general, and also the relationship with the Indians and the mountain men, this is probably as good as you will find. It does not glamorize or romanticize the times. I purchased this book a a hard cover used book and got an excellent quality book that was like new for far less than a new hard cover.

I dont know if Bridger has been done a disservice by other biographers but this is a solid one, well written with a feel for the territory. Well balanced too

Jim Bridger is the only book I’ve read about the very private, though usually very embellishedMountain Men that takes the reader discreetly behind the actual life and times of Jim Bridger.Reading Jim Bridger takes you back to the earliest days of the bigger than life time of America’s first true explorers and scouts of the very early days of western expansion. You realize that Jim Bridger was a man who stood alone from an early age in a land that was foreign to all except the original Indian inhabitants. Jim Bridger was an original.A man who came up with the likes of Kit Carson.Throughout the book I found myself amazed at the resilience of this one of a kind early explorer/ trapper. It is the most informative book on this subject I have read.

I remember really liking this book when I read it in elementary school 60 years ago, so I wanted to read it again but the library didn't have it. This version was written in the 1940's and is the one with the best documentation and research. Some of it even uses the language that was used by the Frontiersmen. This version also talks about Kit Carson and other historic figures that I looked up on Wikipedia, and may want to purchase their books. Also includes the true story depicted in the movie "The Revenant". It appears to be the same hardback I read before. I got a "good" used one on Amazon ($1.50 + shipping) and it's almost like new.

I had read the Revenant, enjoyed that book so much and then read Lord Grizzly, and wanted to know more about Jim Bridger and the lives of the mountain men, found this book and I loved reading it. I wish there was more to read as I soo looked forward to the days I would read this book. He lived an awesome life. I now want to drive out to the areas all these stories took place. I want to see that area after reading this book. Great read.

I find the history of the white exploration and migration in the western inland US interesting, particularly in its early interaction with the native American people that occupied the area, and have read several books detailing it. This is a good book that adds to it.

Good read

Gifted. Recipe gave this book 5 stars

This book was first published in 1946 (1955) 1970, has 300 pages, 5 Parts, 29 chapters, 1 B/W photo of JAMES (JIM) BRIDGER, and 9 good maps. The book is dedicated to author STANLEY VESTAL's sister 'May'. With new and neglected material, like meaning of Bridger's Indian name, his knowledge of Indians, treaty of Laramie, defence of Fort Phil Kearney and his days at Fort Bridger, the author writes Bridger's story, a man who couldn't write his own name, but opened the way for trappers, the missionaries, soldiers, rail road men, cowboys and settlers.Bridger was born in 1804, and when he was 8, his family headed west from Richmond, Virginia. They settled near St Louis. His father and mother and older brother died, leaving him (14) with his younger sister. Their aunt came to look after them. Bridger took a job on a flat boat on the Mississippi. After working for 5 years with a blacksmith, Bridger, now 18, on 17.3.1822, listed with Major henry for expedition to the Great Falls of Missouri. He wintered on the mountains and was a "Mountain Man". Indians steal their horses and they loose their boat and supplies. On 20.8.1823, Bridger had his 1st Indian fight with the Rees Indians. He (Old Gabe) was also one of the men who had left injured old Hugh Glass (bear mauling) behind. But this made him a better man, after Glass turned up alive after his marathon voyage.Bridger decided to become his own boss and master trapper and explorer. He also learnt from the Indians. He discovered the south Pass, Great Salt Lake, Yellowstone Lake and various Mountain Ranges. He also became partner with Rocky Mountain Fur Company. While at Three Forks, he was shot with 2 arrows by an Indian. One of them was probed out, but the other would not come out. After 3 years carrying his arrow head, a missionary doctor took out the 3 inch long arrow head. In 1835, aged 30, Bridger (Blanket Chief) married the daughter of a Flathead Chief. In 1843, he built his fort on Black Fork of Green River. He sent his daughter - MARY ANN, to mission school in Oregon. Then Bridger had a bad news that his daughter had been kidnapped by the Indians. His Ute wife died on 4.7.1849, giving birth to his 2nd daughter - VIRGINIA.Then Bridger married a Snake (Shoshone) woman. On 9.3.1854, he filed a claim on his Fort and 3,800 acres. In Washington DC, he met the President. In 1857, he was employed as a Guide to the army in Utah. In 1858, he had a son - WILLIAM, and again his wife had died in child birth. Bridger had picked up Spanish, frontier French, dozen Indian languages and the use of sign language. He was a crack shot and expert tracker. In 1862, he put his children in care of his friends in his house at Westport, while he was acting as a Guide. He suffered from rheumatism and had a large goitre (Big Throat). His son - FELIX, became veteran of civil war. By 1867, Bridger's sight was failing and he could not shoot good and by 1875, he was blind. On 21.7.1868, he was discharged from the army, as a scout. He was looked after by his son and daughters in Missouri until his death on 17.7.1881.Bridger Creek, Bridger Peak, Bridger Pass, Bridger Mountains, Bridger Crossing, Bridger's Ferry, Bridger Lake, Bridger Flat, Bridger's Road and Bridger Trail - are named after him.Some other books of interest are:-(1) Life Among the Apaches, Cremony, 1868 (2017)(2) John Colter, Harris, 1952 (1993)(3) Six Years with Texas Rangers, Gillett, 1963 (2017)(4) In the Days of Victorio, Eve Bell, 1970 (1997)(5) The Mountain Men, Laycock, 1988 (2016)(6) Cochise, Sweeney, 1991(7) Mangas Coloradas, Sweeney, 1998(8) Tales of the Mountain Men, Underwood, 2004(9) Journal of a Trapper, Osborne Russell, 1921 (2017)(10)The Old West, Hyslop, 2015Having born in Kenya, I found this book interesting.

gift he loved it

For lovers of American western lore, this book gives a good idea of what life was like for the trappers and explorers who broke the first trails westwards and their many encounters with the indians. Interesting and informative.

I bought this for my Dad.I cannot wait until I give it to him.Came the next day too.

Read much better written books. Story of his life is great but this writer needs to learn how to keep something amazing, amazing