John Charles Fremont - The Pathfinder

by David Nevin

12 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1989

About the author

David Reinhardt Nevin was born in Washington. His father, a veterinarian in the US Army when it had a horse cavalry, was soon assigned to Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Mr. Nevin joined the US Navy as a teenager and served in the Pacific. After the war he did poorly in college, but could write well enough to be hired as a police reporter for The Brownsville (Texas) Herald. That led to work for Time and Life magazines.

Reviews

[Terry Tschann Skelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had heard good and bad things about Fremont. This fictionalized account of his adult life helped to clarify why there was so much conflict about him. He accomplished a great deal in terms exploration of the west and opening the west up for settlement. But he was impetuous and brash and didn't like following orders he believed (through his experience) were ill-advised. This story also concentrated on the relationship between Fremont and his wife, daughter of Thomas Hart Benton. It was well-written: good characterization and dialogue. But the editing was atrocious! Blatant errors, as well as minor ones. Distracting.