Pulitzer Prize History Winner
Across the Wide Missouri
by Bernard DeVoto
Summary
DeVoto recounts the years of the Rocky Mountain fur trade in the 1830s, when trappers, traders, and Native peoples met at the great rendezvous gatherings of the West. He captures a vanishing way of life just as it gave way to settlement, drawing on the art of Alfred Jacob Miller and other contemporary records. The vivid narrative blends adventure, landscape, and cultural change on the far frontier.
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Historical Context & Significance
The book formed part of DeVoto's trilogy on westward expansion and was loosely adapted into a 1951 MGM film starring Clark Gable.