200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Blood and Thunder

The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West
4.29 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 18,880 ratings, 1,721 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides vividly narrates the explosive transformation of the American West in the mid-19th century. It centres around the life of Kit Carson, a legendary frontiersman, and explores his interactions with Native American tribes and key historical figures. This gripping history details rugged expeditions, cultural collisions, and the formation of a nation amidst chaos and conflict.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$6100
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by the American West and enjoy captivating narratives about key historical figures and events. It offers a thrilling exploration of the complex and often turbulent interactions between diverse cultures during the 19th century American frontier expansion.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Sides' extraordinary book brings the history of the American conquest of the West to ringing life. It is a tale with many heroes and villains, and at the center of it all stands the remarkable figure of Kit Carson--the legendary trapper, scout, and soldier who embodies all the contradictions and ambiguities of the American experience in the West.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Ghost Soldiers comes an eye-opening history of the American conquest of the West—"a story full of authority and color, truth and prophecy" (The New York Times Book Review).

In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West marched through Santa Fe, en route to invade and occupy the Western territories claimed by Mexico. Fueled by the new ideology of "Manifest Destiny," this land grab would lead to a decades-long battle between the United States and the Navajos, the fiercely resistant rulers of a huge swath of mountainous desert wilderness.

At the centre of this sweeping tale is Kit Carson, the trapper, scout, and soldier whose adventures made him a legend. Sides shows us how this illiterate mountain man understood and respected the Western tribes better than any other American, yet willingly followed orders that would ultimately devastate the Navajo nation. Rich in detail and spanning more than three decades, this is an essential addition to our understanding of how the West was really won.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides has received high praise for its detailed and authoritative depiction of a critical period in U.S. history. Reviewers have highlighted its masterful storytelling, describing the work as both haunting and lyrical. The book is regarded as a masterpiece that fills a significant gap in the history of the American West, offering vivid portrayals of the characters and the landscapes they traversed.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781400031108

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 October 2007

Country: United States

Imprint: Random House Inc

Illustration: 16 PP. B&W/2 MAPS

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 201.0mm

Weight: 488g

Pages: 624

About the Author

HAMPTON SIDES is the author of The New York Times bestselling histories On Desperate Ground, In the Kingdom of Ice, Hellhound on his Trail, Blood and Thunder, and Ghost Soldiers, which won the PEN USA Award for Nonfiction. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Also by Hampton Sides

View all
  • The Wide Wide Sea
    From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides comes an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration – the fateful final journey of Captain James Cook. In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed – stabbed by the indigenous population. What brought...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Wide Wide Sea
    From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides comes an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration— the fateful final journey of Captain James Cook. In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed—stabbed by the indigenous population. What brought Cook to this...
    Hardback
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • In the Kingdom of Ice
    Set during the twilight of the golden age of exploration, the gripping narrative of In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides plunges readers into a harrowing journey to the North Pole, a place long shrouded in mystery and dubbed the "unattainable object of our dreams." This masterful tale chronicles the valiant voyage of the USS Jeannette, which set sail...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Wide Wide Sea
    From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides comes an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration - the fateful final journey of Captain James Cook In July 1776, Captain James Cook began his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, in Hawaii, Cook was killed - stabbed by the indigenous population. What brought...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Browse lists from our team

More from History & Military

View all
  • Behind Enemy Lines
    New Release
    Behind Enemy Lines
    Archie Gibson's initiation into desert warfare almost proved to be his last. Barrelling through the sand dunes at the wheel of his truck, Gibson spied a searing flash of light up ahead, the signature of a feared German 88mm gun firing ... right at him. He leapt from his speeding vehicle just before it was torn apart and turned into...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The Cauldron
    How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...
    Hardback
    $4999
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    18% off
    Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The Race to the Top of the World
    The epic true story of George Mallory and Edmund Hillary and the quest to be the first to conquer Everest. A captivating story of adventure, daring, despair and triumph from Australia's favourite storyteller. Last century, two men, thirty years apart, set out to become the first to conquer the highest point in the world. Their names are synonymous with adventure...
    Hardback
    $4699
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    17% off
    The Wager
    THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Signed
    On Sale
    16% off
    The Chief and the Empire
    The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Redwood
    From the multi-million-selling historian, the remarkable, unknown Cold War story of how one spy saved the world from nuclear war. The year is 1981. Tehran is in violent turmoil in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. The Soviets are planning to overthrow the Ayatollah's fledgling Islamist regime. If they do so, one response from America — unknown to the public...
    Paperback
    $3399
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    30% off
    Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Usually:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Castles
    New Release
    Castles
    From the bestselling author of The Templars and Powers and Thrones, Dan Jones returns with Castles: a gripping history of the world told through over three thousand years of iconic strongholds. Castles have been built to defend humanity for millennia – from the walls of Troy and the desert bastion of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria, to Windsor Castle and...
    Paperback
    $3399
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    23% off
    The Golden Menhir
    Assurancetourix is entering the legendary Gallic bards' competition to win the golden menhir. But with the Romans keeping a close watch, Asterix and Obelix must protect him at all costs. Their mission? Keep him safe-no matter what... even if it means risking their own ears! First released as a book-disc in 1967, this adventure soon became a rare treasure, long...
    Hardback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.