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Rating: 
Summary: A gem
Review: Blevins exhibits that rare and talented writing ability of blending human feelings and emotions with documented historical literature.
The author breathes life into the many fur trappers who romped and stomped their way west of the Missouri in search of beaver pelts and the ensuing exploration efforts thereof, from the early 1800's to the trade's demise in 1840.
The reader senses the anguish and pain of John Colter as he outruns the Blackfeet; feels the torment and frustrations of Jedediah Smith losing scores of trappers to hostile Indians, along with his relentless and scrupulous efforts to locate water in the deserts during the course of his expeditions; the incredible doggedness of Hugh Glass out surviving the most famous grizzly attack known to western literature and numerous other accounts of survival (and non survival) in this time frame.
Jim Bridger, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Robert Campbell, the Sublette brothers, the missionaries, ups and downs of the fur trade, intense competition between the fur companies, Indian antagonisms and friendships, it's all here. Blevins puts you in their shoes (moccasins).
A wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Educational and Terrifically Fun!
Review: Have you ever wondered where Hollywood got all those wild ideas for outdoor-oriented movies, in particular Western movies? Where did they come up with the notion that wild "savages" would strip a man naked and send him running through the wilderness with blood-thirsty warriors in pursuit? Where did they get the idea that a wounded wilderness traveler would chase wolves from a buffalo kill to get food for himself? And in the famous Sydney Pollack movie "Jeremiah Johnson" where did Will Geer get the notion that "...the Crows is the handsomest injuns there is,...not a man alive can match 'em on a horse..." Where did the rest of Hollywood's apparent wild fabrications come from? Turns out Hollywood isn't so creative after all! This stuff is all based on the true-life adventures of American frontiersmen and American indians! And "Give Your Heart to the Hawks" provides gripping and historically accurate accounts of the lives and times of these men. The book begins with the genesis of the "mountain man" era, the early 1800's with a man named John Coulter. Mr. Coulter, who was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, preferred the wilderness to civilization and left Messrs. Lewis and Clark near the end of their famous journey. In fact, shortly after he left, indians stripped Mr. Coulter naked (after killing his partner) and sent him running across the plain with warriors in pursuit. And, against all odds, Mr. Coulter lived to tell about it! The book also covers the life-and-death struggles of other well-known frontiersmen such as Jedidiah Smith, Jim Bridger and David Jackson (after whom the Wyoming area of Jackson Hole was named). And also, some lesser known men such as Jim Beckwourth, Hugh Glass (who actually drove wolves from a buffalo kill!) and many others. Naturally, tales of indians and their interactions with the white men are a big part of this book. And lest you think contrarily, many indians were on good terms with the whites; the Shoshone and Crows in particular. But beware the arch-enemy of many an indian and white alike: the murderous Blackfeet and the treacherous Rees! "Hawks" is one of the most powerful and fascinating books I've ever read. It is not fiction, but it is also not a dry, tedious historical documentary. "Wagh!!" (to use mountain man jargon) it reads like an adventure novel; interesting, captivating and wholly entertaining. But it is highly educational too. One of the best of its type and appropriate for all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Lived it and Did It!
Review: It has been many years since I read this book. What I do remember is that I loved it so much I loaned it to someone who loved it so much they never returned it. So I bought another and loaned it to someone who loved it so much . . . well, you get the picture. Once folks get their hands on this one, they just don't want to let it go. History and folklore of the Old West really come alive between its covers. A great book to read aloud to friends sitting around a campfire at night.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book I've Ever Read
Review: This book is a wonderful example of the American frontier. The book goes in depth into the lives and the history of men like Jed Smith and Hugh Glass. Some of the stories sound fictional and incredible, but they are all real and accurate, the men were just that incredible! Win Blevins is an excellent writer, and he very accurately portrays the incredible lives of these men. A first class book!
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is interesting and revealing book. There are two descriptions intertwined: chronological narrative (ending with surprising developments in the big business of fur trading, those guys don't ride out into the sunset) and a description of various aspects of life in the West before settlement. I guess there are some unverified stories in there (I always wondered why Indians would murder one white man, and let the other run for his life, and why, unlike Iroquouis, and much like Karl May's Indians, they didn't think there was more merit in killing a brave and skillful man who perhaps had killed many Indians previously), Mountain Men's braggings, but I am glad the author does mention those guys tendency toward exaggeration.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is interesting and revealing book. There are two descriptions intertwined: chronological narrative (ending with surprising developments in the big business of fur trading, those guys don't ride out into the sunset) and a description of various aspects of life in the West before settlement. I guess there are some unverified stories in there (I always wondered why Indians would murder one white man, and let the other run for his life, and why, unlike Iroquouis, and much like Karl May's Indians, they didn't think there was more merit in killing a brave and skillful man who perhaps had killed many Indians previously), Mountain Men's braggings, but I am glad the author does mention those guys tendency toward exaggeration.
Rating:
Summary: Totally Captivating and Richly entertaining.
Review: With almost no true historical documentation of the era available, No book on this subject could possibly be based on 100% factual material. However, Winfred Blevins uses the information available to paint a vivid and colorful picture in the mind of the reader about the life and experiences of these hardy souls. The stories are engrossing and the writing makes you feel as if you are there seeing these things happen right before your own eyes. You can almost smell the buffalo roasting on a spit over an open campfire, or hear the sounds of the indians yelping it up right before John Colter takes off on his famous run, or taste the crystal clear waters of the headwaters of the Missouri river as they come rushing out of the high mountains of the Yellowstone country. You don't just read this book, you feel the stories it tells.
This is definitely one of the best books I have read in a while. The information it shares and the entertainment it provides is some of the best out there. If you are interested in the subject of the first mountain men of the old west, then this is the first book you should buy.
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