
A Life Wild and Perilous
Mountain Men and the Paths to the Pacific
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Narrated by:
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Richard Davidson
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By:
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Robert M. Utley
About this listen
If you have ever wondered what is was like to be an explorer in the unspoiled American West of the early 1800s, then this is the audiobook for you. Not only a groundbreaking work of American history by critically acclaimed author Robert M. Utley, A Life Wild and Perilous is also a dramatic story of innovation and survival. Here is your chance to live in the very heart of the American wilderness with legendary trappers and mountain men like Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Tom Fitzpatrick, and Jedediah Smith. You will also see how these men played a major role in pushing our national frontier from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, and fulfilling our nation’s ideal of Manifest Destiny. Breathtaking in scope, yet filled with the seemingly small decisions that changed the course of a nation, A Life Wild and Perilous is a compelling and fascinating piece of Americana. Travelogue buffs and historians alike will delight in Richard M. Davidson’s inspired telling of how the West was really won.
©1997 Robert M. Utley (P)1998 Recorded Books, LLCListeners also enjoyed...
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Alaskan Escape
- A Historical Fiction Adventure, a fur-trading expedition from Seattle to the Wild Alaskan Frontier in the Early 20th Century
- By: Brooks Miller
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Historical Adventure Novel A thriller adventure book set in Seattle and the Alaskan wilderness during the early 20th century. Prepare for an exhilarating ride into the treacherous edge of humanity and nature’s sweeping wilds. Follow Ned Cornet on this gripping journey, as he transforms from a reckless son of wealth into a hardened survivor in the unforgiving Alaskan territories. Ned Cornet's life of indulgence crashes down after a near-fatal car accident. In a final attempt to reform him, his father, Godfrey Cornet, proposes an adventurous fur-trading expedition in the Alaskan wilderness....
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Not a Fan of Virtual Voice
- By C E on 02-04-25
By: Brooks Miller
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The Klondike Stampede
- By: Tappan Adney
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Gold was discovered in the Klondike in August 16, 1896. When news of the discovery arrived in Seattle and San Francisco the following year it triggered one of the largest gold rushes in the history of North America. Tappan Adney, a young writer and photographer who worked for Harper's Weekly, set out on a journey to uncover and record what it was like in the Klondike stampede. This audiobook is a fascinating portrayal of adventurers and prospectors who descended on the Yukon during this extraordinary event in the late 19th century.
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Great Read
- By judy on 12-10-18
By: Tappan Adney
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The Greatest Stories of the Old West Ever Told
- True Tales and Legends of Famous Gunfighters, Outlaws and Sheriffs from the Wild West
- By: Jonathan Hunt
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Step back in time and immerse yourself in the rugged landscapes, daring outlaws, fearless lawmen, and untamed frontier spirit that defined an era. Introducing The Greatest Stories of The Old West Ever Told – a captivating journey into the heart of the Wild West's most legendary tales! This book is a treasure trove of the Old West's most thrilling narratives, expertly curated to bring you the very best of this iconic period in American history. You'll meet legendary figures like: George Custer, the proud and overconfident Colonel and Civil War hero who led his army into a slaughter at the ...
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riddled with inaccuracies!
- By Dr. J on 03-08-25
By: Jonathan Hunt
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Survival Stories: Death Valley Pioneers
- Based on a true survival story, Eastern pioneers head west in the mid 1800's, tasting the lust for gold in California. Then, the grim reality of Death Valley.
- By: Doug Richardson
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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At the height of the California gold rush in the late-1840's, a wagon train of men, women, children, and their animals stumbled into a 130-mile-long valley in the Mojave Desert through a "shortcut" to the California coast. What ensued was an ordeal that divided the camp into remnants and struck them with hunger, thirst, and a terrible sense of being lost and beyond hope, until one of their party volunteered to cross the desert to get help. This young hero was one of the survivors of the tragedy, and he lived to tell the tale in this gripping autobiographical account. In a time of unmarked ...
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Amazing detail
- By JudyAnn Lorenz on 09-24-24
By: Doug Richardson
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81 Days Below Zero
- The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness
- By: Brian Murphy, Toula Vlahou
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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The untold story of Leon Crane, the only surviving crew member of a World War II B-24 crash on a remote mountain near the Arctic Circle, who managed to stay alive 81 days in sub-zero temperature by making peace with nature, and end his ordeal by walking along a river to safety. Part World War II story, part Alaskan adventure story, part survival story, and even part inspirational story, this is what we call " a good listen".
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Diluted and Distracted
- By C. Howe on 09-27-15
By: Brian Murphy, and others
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The Earth Is Weeping
- The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West
- By: Peter Cozzens
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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With the end of the Civil War, the nation recommenced its expansion onto traditional Indian tribal lands, setting off a wide-ranging conflict that would last more than three decades. In an exploration of the wars and negotiations that destroyed tribal ways of life even as they made possible the emergence of the modern United States, Peter Cozzens gives us both sides in comprehensive and singularly intimate detail.
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Excellent detailed history of US conflict with Native Americans
- By White Thai on 06-24-17
By: Peter Cozzens
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Arctic Homestead
- The True Story of One Family's Survival and Courage in the Alaskan Wilds
- By: Norma Cobb, Charles W. Sasser
- Narrated by: Emily Beresford
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1973, Norma Cobb, her husband Lester, and their five children pulled up stakes in the lower 48 and headed north to Alaska to follow a pioneer dream of claiming land under the Homestead Act. The only land available lay north of Fairbanks near the Arctic Circle where grizzlies outnumbered humans 20 to one. In addition to fierce winters and predatory animals, the Alaskan frontier drew the more unsavory elements of society's fringes. From the beginning, the Cobbs found themselves pitted in a life or death feud with unscrupulous neighbors who would rob from new settlers.
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Great Book
- By Bill Fiedler on 12-13-19
By: Norma Cobb, and others
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Tales of the Mountain Men
- Seventeen Stories of Survival, Exploration, and Frontier Spirit
- By: Lamar Underwood - editor
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Long the dominant icon embodying the spirit of America's frontier past, the image of the cowboy no longer stands alone as the ultimate symbol of independence and self-reliance. The great canvas of the Western landscape - in art, books, film - is today shared by the figures called "Mountain Men". Tales of the Mountain Men presents in one book many of the most engaging and revealing portraits of mountain men ever written.
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Great factual material on life long ago.
- By Alan R Williams on 04-05-24
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If You Survive
- From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II - One American Officer's Riveting True Story
- By: George Wilson
- Narrated by: Brian Keeler
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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George Wilson has garnered much acclaim for this shattering and enlightening memoir. Detailing his odyssey from July, 1944 until the following summer, If You Survive is a startling first-person account of the final year of World War II. Wilson was the only man from his original company to finish the war. As a Second Lieutenant, he went ashore at Utah Beach after the D-Day invasion amidst burned vehicles, sunken landing craft, and broken fortifications.
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the best story of the war in Europe I've read
- By David on 02-18-17
By: George Wilson
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My Old Man and the Mountain
- A Memoir
- By: Leif Whittaker
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1963, the world followed the first American Mount Everest Expedition, and watched as "Big Jim" Whittaker became the first American to stand on top of the world. He returned home a hero. My Old Man and the Mountain is Leif Whittaker's engaging and humorous story of what it was like to "grow up Whittaker" - the youngest son of Jim Whittaker and Dianne Roberts, in an extended family of accomplished climbers. He shares glimpses of his upbringing and how the pressure to climb started early on.
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Lief and Eric what a great combination
- By Mountain Guide on 11-10-23
By: Leif Whittaker
What listeners say about A Life Wild and Perilous
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Rose Dernoncourt
- 08-31-21
Get It Right!
The narrator needs to learn how to pronounce the Oregon River Willamette. So irritating. Other than that, it’s a good listen.
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- Rob
- 05-20-23
A good work on often forgotten group of men.
Though well researched, the book tries to cover too many men of the period. The result is short changing the audience of many rich details of each figure. I'd liken it to a highlight reel of a great game.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sterling Red Beard Fichter
- 09-01-20
wonderfully written!
the book has a great and methodical flow to it. I loved every bit of it. It is a valuable resource to any who wish to know their mountain man history by heart.
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- John Klinsing
- 01-30-23
LOVED this BOOK!
As a life-long resident of Colorado, living high in the majestic mountains along the Arkansas River, every chapter told of familiar names, places, stories and history known to and surrounding me. It was like visiting a time dear to my heart, viewing a land I know and love and discovering important details of historical figures whose names have been given to numerous mountains, passes, valleys, trails and rivers I hike or traverse often. I now know so much more about the historical Western US. As I travel this country and stand atop these mountains, I will remember these details with appreciation and awe that I can walk where these giants of Western history once tread. Richard Davidson was the perfect narrator for this book; made me feel a part of this story of the West I so love. Thank you, Robert Utley and Richard Davidson for the gift of history about a place I call home!
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- Gh
- 09-23-12
Enjoyed this adventure!
If you could sum up A Life Wild and Perilous in three words, what would they be?
Very Good Listen
Who was your favorite character and why?
Jedediah Smith. Grandfather of western trappers.
Have you listened to any of Richard Davidson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
no
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
no
Any additional comments?
I know many of the places that were in the story and this added to my interest.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Joshua
- 11-27-22
Very informative. Engaging narrative history
I was away from family this Thanksgiving and decided to purchase an audio book to try to fill in the time. I definitely got carried away listening to this one, and I also actively searched google maps to find the locations of everything being described. Doing this, I realized just how extensively the beaver trappers (aka mountain men) of the 1820's and 30's trekked across the far West of North America. While listening to this book (and using google maps), I gained a substantial familiarity with the geography of the West, along with which areas are passable on foot, with pack mules or with wagons.
Before this read, I was not very familiar with the Geography of the West outside of the current major mountain ranges, interstate highways and rail systems. Now if I were to go across the West on foot, I have a basic idea of the routes that one would take, and where they are located. Not that I have the requisite mountaineering skills.
I took the time to trace every major and minor river system from their headwaters all the way down to their mouths where they pay tribute to greater rivers or else where they meet the ocean. Also took notes on where Native Americans had the most luck in holding out the longest against commercial expansion. Particularly noticing the Blackfeet tribe at the Three Forks.
Before this book, I didn't really know any history of the Blackfeet, Crow, Flathead or Nez Perce tribes. Now I have become a bit more familiar with this particular chapter of their history along with that of other aspects of the Western US in the 1820's and 30's.
Good read if you have some time to waste!
FYI, Google maps does not currently have labels on Wind River, Powder River and the Shoshone River.
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- David Sanchez
- 03-14-23
Utley is as good as it gets
A thoroughly enjoyable and detailed overview of the mountain men. Short shrift of Beckwourth who spoke French, English and many Native tongues but was not mainstream. As you fly across the US or drive the mountain passes, nod your head to those iconic human beings who led the way.
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- Randall F.
- 05-04-24
Excellent overview of western exploration
This book provides an excellent overview of “mountain men”, who in reality were explorers of the western continent. Heretofore, I erroneously thought the Jeremiah Johnson movie defined the stereotypical mountain men. My deeper dive into this era started with a book on Jim Bridger, leading me to want a comprehensive framework of the entire era, which I found in this book. This book helped me understand these adventurous people, an identify those who I wanted to explore further, like Jedediah Smith and Lewis and Clark. I just completed listening this book again which continued to help put things into perspective. I plan to order the book in print as a reference guide for my continued interest in the subject. I also found a National Geographic foldout map that covers this era well. A great companion to the book.
Narration and production quality is very good.
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- Erick
- 07-14-21
Great perspective book
As Americans, we constantly fantasize about stories of the old west. This is the book that puts them together. Most people have heard the names of these frontier legends, but do not truly understand the reality of their perilous lives and their role in developing the western frontier in the first half of the 19th century. I would highly recommend this to anyone willing to learn about our development as a nation.
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- Jack T.
- 04-29-22
Great detail.
Well organized overview with great breadth covering the early west. The main characters in thier timeframes with details that brings the stories to life.
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