Dreams of El Dorado

H.W. Brands’ ambitious, sweeping “Dreams of El Dorado” succeeds in writing excellence, historical insight and balance. Often relying on personal memoirs and accounts, his scope extends from the 18th century through the end of the 19th century ending with Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, John Wesley Powell and the sculpture of Frederic Remington. This is a book of the romance for the West, its inception and as it matured and - in his estimation - disappeared into our 20th century. This history captures the reader with tales of cowboys and Indians, the tragedy of the tribes and the treks, furs, mining, farming, cattle drives, human achievement, suffering and discovery.

The true history of the western life.Not the fictional movie versions.The history of the west and the removal of the Native American Indians from their traditional homelands is an sad story of American expansion and greed.Very interesting read. 👌I highly recommend this book.🤗😊

Brands delivers once again. Dreams of El Dorado is a sprawling history of the American west, beginning with the Louisiana purchase and the Corps of Discovery. As always, his narrative is very approachable and draws the reader into the story. Throughout, Brands provides an unvarnished telling of the west, with key people whose lives impacted how the country was both taken and acquired, and developed. As mentioned, this book covers a vast amount of time, so there isn't a very deep dive into any one aspect of the history, but it provides a strong primer on what happened, why and who was involved. A great addition to the H.W. Brands library.

As someone who loves history, many history books have a tendency to be dull and boring, at least at times. This book is incredibly informative while simultaneously making you feel as though you are reading a novel. it is comprised of many stories rather than simply spitting out facts. I highly recommend this read. I have not been able to put it down.

DREAMS OF EL DORADO is not only very well-written, it wisely chooses a "snap shot" approach over a broad survey. Its chapters cover the major events of Westward expansion: Lewis and Clark, the Gold Rush, cattle drives, Native American struggle, the Boomer/Sooner rush to homestead in Oklahoma, etc. The chapters are in rough chronological order, but the author doesn't overwhelm the reader with a tsunami of dates and place names. Instead, the reader is treated to a colorful depiction of major movements and allowed to create his/her own picture of the sweep of Western U.S history. I've taught from a number of "survey texts", but this is one of the best I've found. BTW, the "El Dorado" of the title refers to the dream of enrichment in the West; there is nothing in this book about attempts to find an actual city of gold in South America.

This history includes a look at some of the history surrounding major historical events of western history. Written in a easy to read style, I found this book informative, fascinating and enjoyable to read. If you like to read about the history of the American west, this book is a must!

The sweep of this portion of American history is as vast as the west itself, yet filled with nuance. Brands does an admirable job of avoiding stereotypical tropes, and not falling into the banal trap of framing everything as racist and genocidal – while openly acknowledging fault and wrongdoing. The history of the west is the story of cultures colliding, and events are outlined and explained in the context of their time and individual cultural evolutions – whether the culture is American, indigenous, Mexican, Chinese, et al. The players, both individuals and groups, are portrayed authentically, embodied with human faults, hopes and fears as they all act in their own interests – often with violent impact against those whose interests are opposed to theirs.

easy read with facts not known

This book was recommended to me on Amazon and I was drawn to it as although I’ve read several books on US history, all had only touched on the exploration and settlement of the West. In this book, it is focus, and the subject is handled excellently.This is a book which spans over one hundred years, thousands of miles and numerous generations of settlers, but H.W. Brands ties all of these elements together into an engaging and informative narrative. What I admired and enjoyed most about this book is the focus on the humanity of the people described. The explorers and settlers, heroes and villains depicted in the book are portrayed with an empathy that makes “Dreams of El Dorado” a very human saga rather than a dry reference work. The book is also broken down into short, manageable chapters which makes it a very enjoyable read.This is an excellent overview of the American West. For history fans, it’s an excellent jumping-off point, and for many, this may be all you need.

Brands has managed to tell nearly a century of America's westward expansion interwoven with the words of those who experienced it. Filled with many literal quotations, which condense into a kind of novel, the American westward expansion is presented in all its facets. In an exciting way, the author succeeds in showing the reader how the American nation has always developed in dialectics with the nature and culture found there. It becomes clear how the American West worked as a projection space for individual dreams and collective longings and how it still has an impact today through the consequences of the collision of different cultures, of civilization and nature.

Excelente contribuição do historiador H W Brands, por histórias e capítulos pequenos ele percorre toda a expansão do Oeste americano. Uma expansão cheia de sonhos e controvérsias, minunciosamente comentadas pelo autor. Leitura indicada!

The author covers familiar territory in a chronological manner. The book is well written and flows at an easy pace. While there are no surprises the subject is clearly covered to a good level of detail.