I'm looking for books similar to Son of the Morning Star, Empire of the Summer Moon, or The Revenant (fiction).
Mainly looking for books about the American West up to the late 1800s: Spanish exploration, the early fur trappers, the Indian Wars, books about the tribes themselves, the westward migration on the Oregon Trail...anything having to do with the "settling" of the American West, really.
Thank you!
I'd highly recommend Richard Slotkin's trilogy on the mythology of the American frontier. Regeneration Through Violence covers 1600-1860 and is heavily focused on the literature of colonization, particularly the Puritans. The Fatal Environment centers on the 19th century, with the emergence of the "Last Stand" and the transfer of the language of the frontier and Indian wars to other problematic areas in American society. It's more of a history book than the first volume, but lacks some of the pizzazz and colorful writing that makes volume 1 such a fascinating read. Volume 3, Gunfighter Nation, is mostly about Western films and their place in the culture and politics of the Cold War.
You might try David Dary's The Oregon Trail, which came out in 2004 from Oxford University Press. I'd also really encourage you to read Tiya Miles' Ties That Bind, which covers an Afro-Cherokee family during the 19th century.
Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides
West From Appomattox by Heather Cox Richardson is an interesting one as well. It basically argues that the post-Civil War movement west was a critical part of reconstruction and helped construct a new national identity.
Finished 'Angle of Repose' recently...enjoyed it. Enjoyed 'Son of the Morning Star' many years ago...