Crossed Arrows

The Mountain Men #1

by Terry Grosz

In 1829, Jacob and Martin left Kentucky to become Mountain Men, trappers of the Rocky Mountains. The rugged mountains that lay beyond America s frontier remained mostly unexplored. In those days, when beaver were plentiful and the buffalo roamed freely, the killing was good. The two young men would also find that life would be hardscrabble in the high frontier. They would face grizzly bears and hostile Indians. And they would risk horse wrecks and mountain storms to trade their furs each year at rendezvous. Crossed Arrows is the story of two adventurers who lived hard in the earliest days of the Wild West. Terry Grosz was a wildlife law enforcement officer for California and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife Wars, his first book, won the National Outdoor Book Award and was the basis of a docudrama featured on Animal Planet. Seven memoirs followed. Crossed Arrows is the first of his Mountain Men Novels."

Genres: Fiction

300 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2010

Reviews

[Barry Lane]

Great read!!!

I didn't want to put it down. I strongly recommend this to any American History buffs. Makes one realize how fortunate we are living in the 21 century America.

[Lee Tyner]

I really don’t understand the strong reviews. When I first started reading it was excellent and I thought I found a solid rip-roaring western. However, the middle 80% of the book was repetitive with a flat story line. Yes, the history and information was good but the story was a hamster wheel. Additional, how about varying the names? With so few characters does Jacob need to be used three times? If I remember correctly there were four iterations of Bear. Add that to the bear clan and great spirit bear, Chief Bear, and the grizzly bears, and it’s unnecessarily noisy. Ditto for the two main characters and their budding families. I won’t describe and have a spoiler but it really lacked basic creativity.

Additionally, several things in the story came way too easy to the protagonist.

It was a chore to read from about chapter 10 on, and that’s when I anticipated giving two stars. The ending made me consider 1 star but I only do that to books I don’t finish.

No way I’m buying the other books in the series, but if you do read it I hope you enjoy it.

[Walker G]

EXCELLENT !! 4.8 Stars. I take a tenth of a point off for the occasional unbelievable event, and then one additional tenth off for a slightly sad ending, but life didn't always end well in the wild, wild west, IF you lived long enough to later tell a yarn about it.

I couldn't put this down and I highly recommend this if you like a good Western. Descriptive. Fast paced. Non stop action and very fun to read. I'm certain I will be checking into another title or two by Mr. Terry Grosz. ...see you at the ending... wlg

[Preston Dannelley]

What a rush!

Mr Gross writes two way at the same time. Firstly, he writes as if you are standing right there in the thick of things. Secondly he writes as if you are with the trapper, who is teaching you how to trap and get along in the wilderness and how to "keep yore topknot". Its uncanny, you get some survival training, folklore and history all at the same time. Highly highly recommended.

[Dale Anderson]

Earlier than most westerns, early mid 1830s. The main characters were born like a few years afore Daniel Boone dies. They go west and get into trapping for furs. It’s just a little bit juvenile like reading the Hardy Boys or something, well that’s a little bit of exaggeration of what I mean. But I really enjoyed it. It’s a nice read. Learned a lot about that style of life back then, also a lot of interesting phrases and vocabulary.

[Lutuf Ghantous]

Great story

A very interesting plot that spreads for several years showing the life of fur trappers in the boom demand for furs. The book paint a very interesting picture of that life and the association with Indian tribes. Fight killing and revenge was expected and didn't change the informative part of the book. I liked it very much.

[MattandCathy Brandley]

This book is quit different from what I usually read. I was intrigued by the journey of a young man as he developed his character a d survival skills in his short life as a mountain man

[Lisa C.]

I couldn't recommend this story to anyone. It reads like a kid wrote it after watching old westerns and Batman on tv. Things like "Pow went his gun." The dialogue is choppy and makes for strange reading. Although I didn't consider it when rating the book, I wasn't prepared for the very graphic beginning, either.

[Thomas Christian]

Liked it

Similar story line of many other mountain man books. The characters in this book were enjoyable and the author played out their adventures well. Their luck in the wilderness ran the full gambit from beginning to end. Enjoy it.

[Theresa Emery]

Crossed arrows

Lots of action. I enjoyed reading this book, but I was a little disappointed with the repetitive explanation of why mutilated warriors couldn't enter the happy hunting grounds. As bad as it sounds, I got it the first time. Wasn't crazy about the ending either.

[Mikel Rhodes]

A good book about the Mountain Men of our past.

A good book that has the ring of possible truth. I recommend it for anyone wanting to understand the Mountain Man.

[tom anderson]

Great job of explaining the life of the mountain men.

This will hold the attention of the reader who enjoyed any of the rest of the western storeys from this period.,

[Larry Powers]

Mountain Men

Great story on the life and death of mountain men. Great ending you need to read to believe. Very well written.

[Norma]

Crossed Arrows

Good Book, wish I was there. Hated to see Martin and Jacob killed. Sad day I find every book the guy guys die.