Men to Match My Mountains: The Opening of the Far West, 1840-1900

Immense in scope but eminently readable, Stone's 500-page behemoth tells the story of the settling of North America's far west -- those lands which eventually became California, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.

Stone sometimes veers perilously close to jingoism here, and manages to overlook the reality that all the land "settled" in the book was actually stolen from its original inhabitants (sometimes being passed through Spanish and Mexican hands on its way to becoming part of the United States). He virtually ignores the contributions made by the women who faced the same hardships as their husbands (only "backwards and in high heels", so to speak ... actually barefoot and pregnant much of the time). His cast is overwhelmingly white, male, show more and Protestant (with a considerable side trip through Latter-Day Saint territory). Still, he manages to cover an immense geographical area, a half-century time span, and hits the high spots of early exploration, westward expansion, half a dozen gold and silver rushes, the voraciousness of the railroads, and the often-bloody battle over religious freedom.

Readers who grew up or have spent much time in the American West will recognize many of the names of people and places here: Kit Carson, George Fremont, John Sutter, Leland Stanford, Brigham Young and more struggle and brawl and not infrequently scheme to acquire, settle, and control vast stretches of territory and breathtaking riches for the nation or for themselves.

And contemporary readers who've never heard of the Mountain Meadows Massacre or the Donner Party or the Big Four Railroad Barons will have no problem at all recognizing the political chicanery and good-old-boys croneyism that continue to infect the body politic. The mountains may have been matched, but the back room remains to be conquered. show less

"Men to Match My Mountains: The Opening of the Far West 1840-1900" by Irving Stone
Wow. You love history? You want to read about the opening of the American West? You must read this book. The subject of the west is vast, overwhelming, and most books would drown under the weight of facts and names. Not this book. It is over 430-pages, non-fiction, and I had to force myself to stop reading each night. Irving Stone wrote with passion, and it comes across on every page. This book doesn't just talk about California. It delves deeply into the settling of Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and California, bringing to life the principal figures such as Brigham Young, H. A. W. Tabor, Sutter, and the Silver Kings of Virginia City.

I found my copy of this book show more at Value Village last year for $5. It's a first edition, signed by the author. I originally thought that I would read it - or attempt to - and then shuffle it off to Half Price Books. Nope. I'm keeping this baby. Just thinking about the facts I recently learned makes me feel downright giddy. I also loved that it mentioned an incident that took place near my hometown of Hanford, California - the Mussel Slough Tragedy. I've been there and seen the granite marker. "Men to Match My Mountains" is personal. show less

Very good overview of the period covered. The writing is excellent. Not surprisingly, given the works he is most famous for, his research and presentation of the people is terrific. Stands up well fifty years later.

Stone's eloquence and writing style have entertained many in my generation and Men to Match My Mountains does not disappoint. His discussion of the Donner Party's trials and tribulations is absolutely breathtaking, and his account of the stupidity of men and the resilience of women as they struggled through Death Valley left me awestruck and determined to visit and walk in their footsteps.

This book is worth the time it takes to read, in spite of its age. The author states that the story "has been told in terms of the people who opened that land and built that civilization, each life story an integral part of the mosaic." He tells the truth. At times the book reminds one of reading one of those "newspapers" one finds at the supermarket counter.

For anyone interested in learning about the opening of the states of California, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah, this would be a good book. It is not a technical read, but entertaining and educational.

The book includes a bibliography and an index which adds to its value.

This is probably the biggest, most academic, history book I have read. It is without doubt one of my favorite books. It reads like a novel!

Enjoyable history of early settlement and mining in the mountain West and Great Basin.