The Life of Kit Carson

Kit Carson’s life was defined by the extreme western frontier where he grew and learned to be a man. The tale of how Carson learned to be a hunter, trapper, Indian agent, guide, and Colonel in the U.S Army is captured in fine detail by journalist and author Edward Ellis. As a writer who lived in the same era as his subject, Ellis does a remarkable job of communicating the elusive charter of a true hero of the American frontier. The author draws on all his experience as a dime-store novelist, biographer, and hard-nosed journalist to examine his subject from all angles.

The book argues that Carson was much more than a sum of his parts and that his real worth and character could only be understood by his close associates or through an in-depth study of the man and his life. The “Life of Kit Carson” paints a portrait of an accomplished man who grew up without any official schooling. Still, through sheer strength of will, discipline, and integrity, he succeeded in whatever pursuit or profession he chose to engage in. During his life, Carson was admired by those on the side of the law and the lawless. He also won the respect and friendship of the American Natives, who named him “Father Kit.”