Acclaimed author Washington Irving was at the home of fur baron John Jacob Astor researching the explorers of the West when the real thing walked in: Captain Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville, United States Army, fur trapper, trader, and one of the most colorful figures in the history of the American West. Bonneville, on leave from the Army, had spent three years in what is now Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Oregon leading large fur trading parties, exploring, and making maps of uncharted territory. He was trying to write a book about his experiences. Irving was enthralled by Bonneville's tales of Indian battles and starvation and narrow escapes. He bought Bonneville's notes and decided to write the book himself. The result has continued to surprise scholars with its accuracy. The Adventures of Captain Bonneville is an engaging book to read as well as a work of solid history. Irving knew as well as anyone how to take a reader by the hand and lead him smoothly into his subject. This is a book, in short, that the reader cannot help but like. Book jacket.