Kit Carson was shown on the cover of an old dime novel slaying six Indians with one hand while protecting a fair maiden with the other. Stories about him, mainly apocryphal, circulated well before his death in 1868 and have been handed down in a multitude of biographies. Now Harvey L. Carter joins with Thelma S. Guild to present the fullest, most authoritative biography of Kit Carson ever written. Carefully separating myth from fact, the authors draw on a wide variety of sources, published and unpublished, including private letters. Their scrupulous restoration of Kit Carson in his geographical and historical setting proves that scholarship can have entertaining results: Kit Carson: A Pattern for Heroes is a cracking good adventure story.

"Reads like an exciting adventure story. [Carson’s] success as a trapper and army campaigner made him a national hero, famed as the best guide in the West and an expert on Indians. The authors show how Carson gradually evolved from antagonist to friend of the Indian in this entertaining book."—American West

"More than a colorful scout and backwoods adventurer, he was the epitome of the American frontiersman."—Dale L. Walker, American Cowboy

"Kit Carson: A Pattern for Heroes should become the standard biography for the next generation, with broad appeal to enthusiasts of the fur trade, exploration, the Mexican War, Indian-white relations, the Civil War in the West, and western biography."—David J. Weber, Colorado Heritage

"His portrait of Carson—Mountain Man, scout, soldier, Indian agent, hunter and sure-footed explorer—Is that of a determined man who was undeterred by hardship; brave, but should the occasion call for it, cautious. . . . Moody is meticulous in detailing Carson’s professional experiences and his military activities."—J.C. Martin, Southwest Book Views

"The most comprehensive account [of Kit Carson] to date. . . . Well-written, enhanced by more than a score of maps and well-chosen illustrations."—Marvin E. Kroeker, American Indian Quarterly