The Adventures of Captain Bonneville
by Washington Irving
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Acclaimed author Washington Irving was at the home of fur baron John Jacob Astor researching the explorers of the West when the real thing walked in: Captain Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville, United States Army, fur trapper, trader, and one of the most colorful figures in the history of the American West. Bonneville, on leave from the Army, had spent three years in what is now Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Oregon leading large fur trading parties, exploring, and making maps of show more uncharted territory. He was trying to write a book about his experiences. Irving was enthralled by Bonneville's tales of Indian battles and starvation and narrow escapes. He bought Bonneville's notes and decided to write the book himself. The result has continued to surprise scholars with its accuracy. The Adventures of Captain Bonneville is an engaging book to read as well as a work of solid history. Irving knew as well as anyone how to take a reader by the hand and lead him smoothly into his subject. This is a book, in short, that the reader cannot help but like. Book jacket. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I haven't read many of Irving's books, but I think I will track down a few more after reading this one. I thought it was well done and I enjoyed it.
Important history, enjoyable reading, and a reliable author of several other accounts of importance to history of exploration, and contemporary history such as an account of the life of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed and his successors taken from the first translated works of historical records. His non-fiction also includes an equally fascinating report on the fur trade, Astoria, also easy reading.
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Geography and Travel from The Book-Lover
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Author Information
782+ Works 26,920 Members
Washington Irving, one of the first Americans to achieve international recognition as an author, was born in New York City in 1783. His A History of New York, published in 1809 under the name of Diedrich Knickerbocker, was a satirical history of New York that spanned the years from 1609 to 1664. Under another pseudonym, Geoffrey Crayon, he wrote show more The Sketch-book, which included essays about English folk customs, essays about the American Indian, and the two American stories for which he is most renowned--"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." Irving served as a member of the U.S. legation in Spain from 1826 to 1829 and as minister to Spain from 1842 to 1846. Following his return to the U.S. in 1846, he began work on a five-volume biography of Washington that was published from 1855-1859. Washington Irving died in 1859 in New York. show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Adventures of Captain Bonneville
- Original title
- The Adventures of Captain Bonneville
- Original publication date
- 1837
- People/Characters
- Joseph Redford Walker
- Important places
- Fort Nonsense; Salmon River, Idaho, USA
- Original language*
- Inglés
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Travel, Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 917.8 — History & geography Geography & travel Geography of and travel in North America Western U.S.
- LCC
- F592 .I73 — Local History of the United States, Canada and Latin America United States local history The West. Trans-Mississippi Region. Great Plains
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 131
- Popularity
- 248,239
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.67)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 39
- ASINs
- 8
