A brief collection of longer essay-sized biographies on figures, famous and some forgotten, all influential in the early development of the American West.

The book is very accessible, and filled with good anecdotes about all of the figures - famous and obscure alike. A good insight into the early days of the West, and the heroic idealism and villainous greed which it inspired. ( )

I am slowly working my way through this eighteen hour long audio book. The reading is a bit dry but the content is very interesting as I've always been interested in westward expansion. ( )

Many of us have whittled our understanding of America’s westward expansion from a hodge- podge of facts blended together with a dash of historical fiction. That understanding makes us feel somewhat confident that we know how the west was, as we like to say, won. Among those facts would be milestones like the Monroe Doctrine. Didn’t the Monroe Doctrine lay it on the line and tell Europeans that this land is or would eventually be our land? And now that we’re more politically correct, don’t we recognize that westward expansion was the logical result of America’s quest for wealth and land no matter who or what stands in the way? Voila….we have the basics of grasping our country’s growth, and maybe that’s enough of the story for some. But it isn’t really an accurate grasp. And it also isn’t enough of a story for many. Larry McMurtry fans would be among them.

The American fascination with the west continues for good reason. It is an engaging story rich with heroic but fallible characters who represent the best and worst of what some might call the American character. It is no surprise then that the story of westward expansion represents the best and worst in our national policies.

Robert Morgan has been captivated by this tale, and we are the lucky recipients of his exhaustive and well told research. Lions of the West: Heroes and Villains of the Westward Expansion zooms in on the lives of the men who played key roles in shaping the country’s expansion including Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed), Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, James Polk, Winfield Scott, Kit Carson, Nicholas Trist and John Quincy Adams. Many of the stories about each man further expand what we already know. With Jefferson, for example, Morgan fleshes out a more complex man with paradoxical tendencies who believed that Indians and the developing nation shared a love of the land, and yet also believed Indians would have to assimilate or have no future unless they, in effect, cease to be Indians.

Other stories are revelations that make the reader wonder how history elevates the role of one man and ignores that of another. The story of Nicholas Trist is one. Although Trist was one of the country’s most skilled diplomats who helped end the Mexican American War despite the odds against him, including the president who named him to the post, few will recognize his name. Speaking of that president leads us to the very man, James Polk.

Although one might expect Santa Anna to be among the predictable villains in this history, President James Polk emerges as, if not villainous, certainly less than heroic, often taking positions which were spiteful and self-serving rather than in the national best interest.

Morgan described westward expansion as the greatest folk movement of modern time with the people leading and government policies following their movement. As he says, where people want to go, they will. Moving boundaries seemed inevitable as the population expanded and needed space. In other words, presidents, politicians and statesmen were often shaping policies in response to already unfolding events and not from some romantic notion of borders coast to coast. One might take issue with this argument a bit because government policies can do much to make certain population movements more attractive.

Morgan’s colorful history is full of the biographical details which filter our understanding of men and their actions. It builds momentum as the characters lives begin to merge and affect each other. The Mexican American War becomes a dramatic event rivaling other wars; previously this war seemed to be an historical footnote overshadowed by the dramatic, mythical tale of the Alamo.

Read this book for the compelling history it offers. Read it also for seeing the foundation for many of the policies which continue through today. Westward expansion was necessary to bring a democratic form of government to those lacking it. Sound familiar? Polk expanded the executive branch power to declare war. Again…sound familiar? During this period of presidential campaigning with charges of executive branch excesses never seen before, pick up the book and read about Polk.

David Drummond narrated the audio version of this book. At first, the reading seemed somewhat dry. After listening further, however, Drummond became the perfect narrator well matched to this book.

Covering the period of 1743-1849, Lions of the West, is Robert Morgan's account of America's Westward Expansion told through the stories of the major players. Thomas Jefferson, who dreamed that the US would stretch from Atlantic to Pacific. The chronicles of that dream are told through the stories of Andrew Jackson, John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, James K. Polk, Winfield Scott, Kit Carson, Nicholas T
Trist, and John Quincy Adams.

Their determination was equaled only by that of their enemies, Santa Anna's Mexican Army at the Alamo, the hostile Indians, and the vastness challenges of the land itself.

Morgan brings these historical personalities to life. If not for their adventurous spirits, foresight, and tenacity the US would probably not be what it is today. Their stories, as well as those of many others less well-known , form an extraordinary chapter in American history. ( )

This review is not about Robert Morgan’s actual book, Lions of the West, it is a critique of the audio adaptation of his book. This is because the audio version was so distracting, I could not listen to it in its entirety.

Translating a written work into verbal form is a difficult task. One can take a great book and ruin it with an incompatible narration. Alternatively, an average book can be transformed by a creative reading. It is further complicated by preferred listening styles. Bearing this in mind, I found David Drummond’s interpretation of Morgan’s, Lions of the West, impossible to listen to. This is due to my dislike of Drummond’s reading style, which I am not comfortable with. He narrates the book as if he is reading it at you versus to you. He speaks with tight, staccato-like bursts of information. There is no fluctuation in his tone. It sounds as if he is issuing commands to the reader. I tried many, many times to get past Drummond’s technique and simply hear the book. I could not. Therefore, I am unable to make a true assessment of Morgan’s work. ( )