Rick McBee's Writings
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Scoundrels! – Western History – A Must!
![A Majority of Scoundrels: An Informal History of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company [A Comstock Edition]](https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437413191m/25946270.jpg)
A Majority of Scoundrels: An Informal History of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company [A Comstock Edition] by Don Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an old book (1961). Therefore, don’t go into it expecting it to read like the more upbeat modern history tomes. But Don Berry did a great job of researching it and documenting the facts of the early mountain men and explorers on the western frontier. The book is written in proper time sequence, so you are able to follow the events leading up to Hugh Glass’s ordeal, currently rewritten in The Revenant and made into a film. You will note that Don Berry doesn’t take as much author license with the facts, including what actually happened following that incident. The begin of the demise of the fur trading industry is documented at the end of the book, of course, those who were flexible moved on, and those who didn’t … I enjoyed the book and will use some references for later writing ideas when I get onto the the writing of my western series.
7 Comments on “Scoundrels! – Western History – A Must!”
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
For those of you interested in Western history, here is a review on A Majority of Scoundrels – An Informal History or the Rocky Mountain Fur Company by Don Berry… reviewed on his blog by Rick McBee.
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Sounds captivating. 🙂
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If you like history of the mountain men, this is fir yiu!
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I like all kinds–whatever hold my interest. This sounds amazing.
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Go for it!
On Tue, Jun 21, 2016 at 10:26 AM, Rick McBee's Writings wrote:
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Dang, I just re-read A company of Scoundrels again after 20-30 years. There is history and then there is an understanding of people’s lives lived in a far different time. Visceral.
Why isn’t Don Berry in the pantheon of great Oregon writers with H.L. Davies, Ken Kesey, David Duncan [ok-northwest writers]. His research is incredible. To be alive then? These authors will get you there.
Jeff Hunter
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Jeff, Yes, a real luck of the draw kudo to be recognized in the writing world. I guess it has to do with the circulation and reviews during the first year after publication of a book, that may be the reason. I’ve got a Montana book stored up in my own brain for work if I last that long which will spin off of my History book, “Rough Enough” which includes Petersburg and the end of the Civil War and then events in Montana and The Dakotas 1870 – 80 based on my Great Grandfather’s life. It must have been an exciting time to live it you lived through it.
Keep well. Rick
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