New York Times Bestseller A Wall Street Journal Top Ten Book of the Year A True West Magazine Best Historical Non-Fiction Book and Best Author of the Year Western Heritage Award for "Outstanding Nonfiction Book" Winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award for Historical Nonfiction Winner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award From the author of The Apache Wars, the true story of the American West, revealing how American ambition clashed with the realities of violence and exploitation The epic of the American West became a tale of progress, redemption, and glorious conquest that came to shape the identity of a new nation. Over time a darker story emerged—one of ghastly violence and environmental spoliation that stained this identity. Read more