Authentic Stories of the American West
The History of the West is a series of historical fiction that seeks to combine entertaining stories with accurate historical information. In order to tell the stories as accurately as possible, primary sources have been included in each of the books. These primary sources include resources like paintings, photographs, and journal entries. Additionally, there are links to videos on this website demonstrating a variety of frontier skills described in the books. All in all, these resources not only help the reader better understand history but are evidence that many of the events in the stories are based on actual events. Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
The Jemmey Fletcher trilogy follows a young man from Missouri through his trials and tribulations as a Rocky Mountain trapper. In book 1, Jem joins up with a pack train headed to a mountain man rendezvous. Book 2 finds Jemmey spending a year as a trapper in the mountains. Finally, in Book 3, Jemmey offers his services to a wagon train bound for Oregon. These outdoor adventure books offer readers an accurate peak at mountain man life and the West in general. These books are great for readers, young and old, interested in outdoor living.
The Sam Payne trilogy follows a young man on his journey to America and across the Plains. In book 1, Sam crosses the ocean only to find America may not be the land of opportunity he imagined. Eventually, he finds work as a freighter and struggles to survive that difficult life. Book 2 finds Sam working for the Pony Express. In this fast-paced book, Sam comes to understand just how big the West actually is, and the secret ingredient to living in it. Finally, in book 3, Sam goes into business with a friend, and he invests all he owns in Texas cattle. The only problem is that those cattle need to be driven over a thousand miles. Follow Sam on this epic trail drive adventure as he develops along with the country around him.
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FAQs
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No. Each book in the History of the West series is a stand alone book.
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No. However, like most works of historical fiction, their lives closely resemble the lives of actual frontiersmen.
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No. Although the books are written to help educate, they can be read like any book of fiction. The extensions have been added for any reader who is interested in the research that went into the books.
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Part of the reason for making this series was to help people understand how brief the Old West actually was. It could have been experienced in a single person’s life. Here are the books in chronological order.
1837: Ride to Rendezvous
1837/38: Shinin’ Times
1844: Tyrant’s Road
1860: And the Wagons Rolled
1860: Pony Boy
1868: Trail to Cheyenne
Cody Assmann has been enthralled with The American West for as long as he can remember. As a kid, he was fortunate enough to grow up in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains surrounded by real mountain men, cowboys, ranchers, and other self-reliant folks. Once he grew into a young man, Cody experienced the Western lifestyle firsthand by breaking colts, working on ranches, and learning to outfit a packhorse for wilderness travel. Cody is fortunate to have stayed true to his heart and finds ways to incorporate the outdoors into his life. Now, when not writing, teaching history, or spending time with his family, he develops his horsemanship, and outdoor skills, and he spends as much time outdoors as possible.