James Clyman, a literate man in a wild world, was able to set down his extraordinary experiences for posterity. He was a keen and meticulous observer, and his adventures are the stuff of legends.
Another must-read for those who love the Adventurers in American History, particularly of the early treks into the unmapped and untamed west.
In his own comfortable words, James Clyman relates his experiences in the heyday of the American fur trade and during the peak of immigration to Oregon and California.
Clyman was a member of Jedediah Smith’s first brigade, which discovered South Pass and opened the inter-mountain West to the beaver hunters. Crossing the country during the great migration of 1846, Clyman encountered the Donner party and gave them sound advice, which they tragically ignored.
Clyman was an adventurer of the best kind and a “keen, thorough, and precise observer.”
Enjoy a Few Readers’ Reviews of this Unique Classic:
“This is the The Real Thing, and one of my favorite books. I just bought one for my cousin and decided to submit a review. If you’re looking for a literary masterpiece, go buy Finnegan’s Wake. This book is written by a pretty illiterate guy who spent his life exploring the West, back when it was all Indians and just a couple of white men.
“Clyman hiked naked over a thousand miles after he ripped a hole in the back of the Indian tent where he was being held captive, attacked, killed and ate a badger with his bare hands, and was generally the toughest, meanest SOB I’ve ever encountered. If you’re intrigued by this era, but you’re sick of reading and viewing the lightweight fluff, get this book. It’s the Real Thing.”– J. Panzarella, Denver, CO United States
“Excellent first hand narrative… We should be grateful that there were such men as Clyman to write down history as they saw it in the early to mid 1800’s. Not many mountain men/frontiersmen were literate, and if this wasn’t written down back then, it would have just been lost.
“Clyman came out with Jedediah Smith in the 1820’s as a fur trapper. He sets down what went on at that time. These first few chapters are really a fascinating read. Then in the early 1840’s, he came out with the Oregon Trail emigrants. He was a very observant individual, describing not only the climate, but also geology, flora, fauna, agriculture, etc. along the way.
“An extraordinary time in history, truly, This true story is a classic of the old west. My great joy in life is that my book from 1975, “Women of the West” by Dorothy Gray is sold in the same class of books, now being considered a classic of Western American history as well as women’s studies. Primary source books like this one by Clyman made my book possible, and reprints like this should help other writers.” — Dorothy Gurney
“There was a section in the book where he talks about ‘time and space’ which really surprised me about how deep a thinker the man was…he was very intelligent, also writing poetry and prose. If you want to know what it was like then, read this book. It’s a good one!” — William J Higgins III, Laramie, Wyoming, United States
“…Thank you so much for…a book that I had almost given up on finding.” — William F. Blakely
“James Clyman is my great-grandmothers grandfather. I am so pleased to see this book… I heard so many stories from my great-grandmother, Irene Clyman, from Napa, CA, about her grandfather and how our family settled in the Napa Valley. I am beyond thrilled to see others have read the journal of my long ago relative and have enjoyed it as much as my family has. This is truly amazing. Thanks.” — Stephanie D.