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Kit Carson and His Three Wives

A Family History: Calvin P. Horn Lectures in Western History and Culture
By: Marc Simmons
Narrated by: Kirk O. Winkler
Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
Categories: History, American
3 out of 5 stars (1 rating)

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Summary

Kit Carson (1809-1868) has long held a prominent place in the popular imagination of the American West. However, little is known about his family life, thanks largely to Carson's own guardianship of his privacy. After almost four decades devoted to researching Kit Carson's personal life, Marc Simmons provides information here to further our understanding of Carson.

Viewing Kit Carson's career as a husband and father sheds new light on the life choices he made. The changing economy of the 1840s made it increasingly difficult for a trapper and scout to support a growing family. Carson's years as an Indian agent in the 1850s provided him stability, although he was never able to spend as much time with his family as any of them would have liked and he was never able to bring in a comfortable income. This audiobook offers a welcome change from recent politicized interpretations of Carson's actions.

©2003 Marc Simmons (P)2013 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“This finely-crafted book is recommended to everyone with an interest in Carson and to anyone who has never heard of Kit Carson." ( Santa Fe Trail Association Newsletter)
"Simmons' book fills many nagging gaps in the famous frontiersman's life, and provides an illuminating and enjoyable read." ( Journal of Arizona History)
"Simmons' portrait of an illiterate hunter and patriotic family man is a fascinating reading adventure." ( Southwest BookViews)

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 18-04-16

OK biography

This is really a short bio of Kit Carson, with some info on his wives based on results of primary research and analysis of secondary sources. A bit quixotic, as history records little of the wives' lives, the author does a good job nonetheless. Not too laudatory, or too judgmental.

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  • lookn4quality
  • 17-12-18

Metered consideration of facts about KC

I grew up in Kit Carson, CO so was interested to hear more on Kit Carson’s personal life. There is definitely a lot of mythology out there but this book tries to reveal when evidence is lacking. So many difficult situations from Indian wars and tribe management to the Civil war in the West...the idea of crossing hundreds of miles in the dessert SW resorting to bleeding horses to stay alive is an example of his extreme survival skills.