Throne of Grace: A Mountain Man, an Epic Adventure, and the Bloody Conquest of the American West
Jed Smith and guide Thomas Fitzpatrick are searching for water. It is May 1831, and the wagon train they are leading is desperate: water jugs are empty, mules are struggling with tongues swollen from thirst, and mustangs are wobbling because of the severe drought along the Santa Fe Trail. Smith scans the horizon with his spyglass searching for signs of water, only to spot movement along piles of sand, “walking hills” that telegraph the presence of Comanche and Kiowa. His only plan, he believes, is to ride forward with his Creamer rifle ready.
Throne of Grace relates the gripping story of the Mountain Man known for wide-ranging explorations of the American West, across Utah, Nevada, California, and Oregon, as well others such as William Ashley, Jim Bridger, and William Sublette. It builds on letters, journal entries, news and military reports to reveal what Smith saw and heard on his journeys, his thoughts and feelings, and follows in his footsteps as he maps territory that would lay the foundation for Manifest Destiny. Written by bestselling authors Drury and Clavin, Throne of Grace is a journey well worth taking.
