A hair-raising biography of the hunter, scout, and adventurer, Kit Carson. Perfect for readers of Hampton Sides, Stephen Brennan and H. W. Brands. At seventeen Christopher "Kit" Carson left Kentucky and headed west. By the end of his life he had become a living legend, with dime novels exclaiming his accomplishments across the breadth of the country. But what was the truth behind these renowned stories and who was the real Kit Carson? Noel Gerson's fascinating biography uncovers the reality this extraordinary man, often proving more astounding than any of the novels. Kit Carson: Folk Hero and Man explores the tumultuous life of this man who was the archetypal frontiersman; travelling and trapping with famous mountain men like Jim Bridger, guiding John C. Fremont through the vast wilderness, and fighting against Confederate troops during the Civil War. Gerson also examines Carson's complex relations with the Native Americans tribes; acting honestly as a trader and agent and marrying a native woman, but also leading campaigns against them at various points in his life. "Quite a man, as this fast moving biography shows." Kirkus Reviews