Buckskin Man: A Novel of Davy Cockett Days by the man who "launched the Crockett craze." -Oakland Tribune

By Tom W. Blackburn

ONE MAN AGAINST THE RUTHLESS POWER OF THE SANTA FE TRADE EMPIRE

"An excellent frontier western story. The multi-dimensional character development by Tom W. Blackburn masterfully brings each player to life. The characters of Edouard Duval and Jim King serve as stark contrasts to one another. While Duval relies on fear and manipulation, King's character makes him a relatable hero seeking justice and opportunity in a volatile landscape. Do you enjoy delving into stories of the West written by a master who realistically depicts the legends, the people, and the challenges they faced? In that case, Tom W. Blackwell is your go-to storyteller. Grab this action-filled adventure today for an escape into history." Goodreads 5-Star review

The Mexican War was over, and in its bloody wake came the trappers, the traders, the outlaws. Spanish and Anglo kept uneasy peace as fortunes were made and lost almost overnight in Santa Fe. The profit motive destroyed the weak and emboldened the strong, pitted the ruthless power of the big merchants against the wildness and cunning of the mountain men.

...The long hand of Edouard Duval reached from St. Louis to Santa Fe. Duval was a big man; he didn't have to soil his own hands with his dirty work. But he took pleasure in picturing the results. Especially when he thought of Jim King-full of liquor, stumbling to his room behind his store. Too full of liquor to smell the smoke, helped by lamp oil, curling slowly around $38,000 in fur pelts. When King came to-if he did-it would be too late. Duval would have one less competitor.

But for all his cleverness, Duval didn't know the buckskin men. And he underestimated Jim King. . . .

This is the story of Jim King, mountain man.

"Buckskin Man is set in New Mexico soon after the war between Mexico and the USA and the resultant acquisition of the territory by the USA. Tensions are running high between the Americans and the Mexicans - especially the landowning class among the latter. Ex-fur trapper Jim King moves into the territory intent on establishing himself as a leading player in the fur trade but to do so he must challenge the monopoly of Edourdo Duval, a legalized thug who has an iron grip on the trade thanks to the strong arm tactics of his henchman Luis Sebastien. Arson is employed against King and he strikes back by appropriating Duval's property to the value of the goods destroyed. The stakes are continually raised and include Duval inciting an armed insurrection against American interests in the region, while King calls in his former mountain men allies. The author was married to a woman of Mexican origin and presents a balanced view of the tensions in the area at the time. It has two strong female figures - Dolores Portola the daughter of the leading rancher in the area and Duval's mortal enemy Toni a sort of double agent in the Duval camp. A lively and action filled read for genre lovers, Helped by its relatively unique time setting, just after the 1844 war. The book is a lively affair with lots of incident and action." Amazon 5 Star Review

Thomas W. Blackburn's scripts for the Disney Davey Crockett miniseries of the mid-50s (which still runs on the Disney+ streaming site and the Disney Channel) and his lyrics for the world-famous "Ballad of Davy Crockett" song "launched the Crockett craze." Oakland Tribune

TOM W. BLACKBURN was a highly-successful western writer having penned over 300 stories (in a ten year period) for magazines like The Saturday Evening Post, Ranch Romances, Colliers, and the pulps. He came by his knowledge of the West honestly having been born on the T.O. Ranch in New Mexico, where his father was employed as an engineer installing a ranch-wide irrigation system. Afterward his father remained in Colorado and Wyoming working at various jobs - including town marshal. No wonder the Springfield (MO) News-Leader hailed his westerns as "authentic and realisti

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DPKX95J4
• ISBN13: 9798300286965
• Release Date: December 2024
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 164 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"