Westward expansion;: A history of the American frontier

by Ray Allen Billington

No Jacket Book. 6 1/2 By 9 1/2, 2`` Thick. 4th Edition, Very slight signs of age or use. Extra Postage for Priority, No International.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Westerns

840 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Ray Allen Billington was an American historian focusing his work on the history of the American frontier and the American West, becoming one of the leading defenders of Frederick Jackson Turner's "Frontier Thesis" from the 1950s to the 1970s, expanding the field of the history of the American West. He was a co-founder of the Western History Association in 1961.

Reviews

[Zach Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the expansion of the United States into the West is incredibly fascinating. It's a story adaptability, perseverance, success, failure, bravery, empire, war, economic competition, death, and suffering. Billington and Ridge tell that story well in this excellent survey of American frontier history. They do not overly glorify this history or cast it off as purely horrific and murderous. The praiseworthy and the evil are covered here.

It is a great launching point for further study on the numerous subtopics in this field of American history. The selected bibliography for each chapter at the end is very helpful for that purpose. Choosing what part to investigate more deeply first will be a challenge!

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

For a textbook, this was a really spotty resource. There were pages and pages on the Mormons, but like, 2 paragraphs, if that, on the Indians. Doesn't "Westward Expansion" include Indians by definition? I mean, even if you're a believer in Manifest Destiny and saw the Indians solely as obstacles to progress (as Billington obviously does), you still have to talk about them. This book is too dense, too strangely organized, and is like a crappy, little survey class in a book. A boring book. Avoid it.

[Jordan Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the American West. Focuses mostly on the 19th century movements west. Great combination of statistics and narrative. One complaint I do have about this book is that it approaches Native Americans as little more than obstacles to overcome.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was ok. Not the best, but had to read it for a class. Instructor sucked. Have read better on the subject.

[Jefferson Coombs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I own the 5th edition and there is a newer one now available. This is a good overall historical treatise on the expansion of the US west of the Mississippi.