Soldier in Buckskin » (Abridged)

In telling the story of Kit Carson, a vast panoramic tapestry of some of the most exciting moments on the western frontier is woven. Including portraits of the Spanish and Mexican Southwest as well as the Indian nations and the fur trade, this biography of the frontiersman, fur trapper, Army scout and trusted friend to the Indian nations - Kit Carson - focuses primarily on the seventeen years from 1831 to 1848.

Carson was among the foremost of the mountain men engaged in trapping beaver in the pristine wilderness. The Indian nations, also actively gathering pelts to sell, regarded white men as little better than poachers on their land and fiercely defended their sovereignty. It was while trapping that Carson met and fell in love with Singing Grass, an Arapaho woman. He and Singing Grass married and had a daughter. Tragedy struck when Singing Grass died. After her death, Carson's encounter and romance with Josefa Jamarillo introduced him to the society of the Spanish "ricos" in New Mexico.

Publishers Weekly

Though closing in on 90, Hogan, born in 1908, can still snap out stirring westerns-like this docu-novel, part of the publishers' Five Star Western series, that covers the life of legendary frontiersman Kit Carson from 1831 to 1848. Here, the mountain man leads successful trapping parties, fights sharp skirmishes with fierce Blackfoot and Ute and revels in the majestic beauty of the Western landscape. Carson also finds love and intimate sanctuary with his first wife, Singing Grass, an Arapahoe Indian princess, and, after her untimely death, with the beautiful Senorita Josefa Jaramillo, who welcomes him into her family of wealthy Spanish aristocracy. Also of interest here are Carson's experiences as guide to John C. Fremont, whose expeditions aimed to explore, survey and map the West from Utah to Oregon and California. Hogan's portrayal of Carson is a skillful blend of legend and reality, revealing the famous scout to be a man of honor and courage. (May)