Western Fever: The Life & Times of Gideon Truesdell Reader Reviews
Here’s what People Have to Say about Western Fever:
“I love history - couldn’t put this book down. From a log cabin in the wilderness to the life of a highly successful businessman, only to lose everything in the Chicago Fire, and starting over in his sixties in the old Southwest where outlaws were shooting-up the streets, simply incredible! A real piece of history for sure.”
“Reminds me of How the West Was Won with the story moving through different places at different times. You get a peek at each community and the people in his life. Lots of first-hand accounts from diaries and old newspaper articles. Fascinating!”
“It’s an impressive piece of history that appears to be backed by solid research. Lots of period history but not so much I couldn’t enjoy the story. It seemed like I was looking over Gideons shoulder as he passed through time! Great research.”
“Lots of depth- not sure you could tell a story like this without knowing what it was like living in that era. I found the story interesting but a bit complicated in places.”
“I loved the old pictures! They really gave me a feel for the times. Between the story of his life and the pictures I felt like I traveled through time! Interesting biography full of frontier history.”
“Interesting period of history – felt like I was traveling through time!”
“Interesting back story, fascinating how a town financed and built a railroad to the Mississippi River.”
“Very enjoyable book – easy to read. Interesting how he was an early settler in several communities, and how he managed to fit into the lumber, farming, and mining communities.”
“Sometimes got lost in the history but really liked the story and the ebb and flow of time.”
“Great job of describing the times. Reminded me a bit of the movie Centennial (one of my favorites!) with good descriptions of key people. A story I could sink my teeth into – I’ll be reading this book over and over for years and probably learn something new each time.”
“Interesting journey through the 1800s that began in a log cabin, and ended with his death in a rough town in New Mexico. Just incredible that he lost such a huge fortune in the Chicago Fire, and started over at an old age and succeeded in the cattle business in Tombstone. Lots of frontier grit – I would have given up.”
“A little complicated but still interesting for a history buff like myself. I like a book that tells me something I didn’t know, and this one didn’t let me down. It gave me a detailed look at life 175 years ago.”
“I was hooked after reading the forward. As I got deeper into the book, I found the type of history that I really enjoy. I’ll definitely re-read some of my favorite passages over and over. Loved the Billy the Kid connection – interesting recollections from Chauncey Truesdell.”
“A little hard to follow in some places but still an enjoyable read. It’s not the kind of book you can breeze through, but the depth tells an amazing story.”