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  • Blood and Thunder

  • An Epic of the American West
  • By: Hampton Sides
  • Narrated by: Don Leslie
  • Length: 20 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (49 ratings)

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Blood and Thunder

By: Hampton Sides
Narrated by: Don Leslie
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Publisher's Summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER  • From the author of Ghost Soldiers comes a magnificent history of the American conquest of the West—"a story full of authority and color, truth and prophecy" (The New York Times Book Review).

In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West marched through Santa Fe, en route to invade and occupy the Western territories claimed by Mexico. Fueled by the new ideology of “Manifest Destiny,” this land grab would lead to a decades-long battle between the United States and the Navajos, the fiercely resistant rulers of a huge swath of mountainous desert wilderness.

At the center of this sweeping tale is Kit Carson, the trapper, scout, and soldier whose adventures made him a legend. Sides shows us how this illiterate mountain man understood and respected the Western tribes better than any other American, yet willingly followed orders that would ultimately devastate the Navajo nation. Rich in detail and spanning more than three decades, this is an essential addition to our understanding of how the West was really won.

©2006 Hampton Sides (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic Reviews

“Riveting . . . monumental . .. . Not only does Blood and Thunder capture a pivotal moment in U.S. history in marvelous detail, it is also authoritative and masterfully told.”
The Washington Post Book World

“Stunning. . . Both haunting and lyrical, Blood and Thunder is truly a masterpiece.”
Los Angeles Times

“We see a panorama and a whole history, intricately laced with wonder and meaning, coalesce into a story of epic proportions, a story full of authority and color, truth and prophecy . . . Sides fills a conspicuous void in the history of the American West.”
—N. Scott Momaday, The New York Times Book Review

What listeners say about Blood and Thunder

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Brilliant

An absolute epic and a classic. Fantastic story telling. Only improvement would be chapter titles.

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brilliant book about the early days of the us

great Narration and objective telling of the story of Kit Carson and the early american explorations and great tragedy done to the native indians

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Great book

An epic book, that takes numerous turns through the history of many Native American Tribes, intertwine Kit Carson and his history with that of theirs, controversial at times but one of my favourite audio books, must read.

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Absorbing

Narrator was great. An epic story which immerses you in the vastness of American history. Will listen to this again.

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A wonderful history lesson

This is a fantastic account of the life of Kit Carson and the history of the Americas, a great narration that really draws you in

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