Thoughts on The Revenant – The Book

It’s a cheap cliché to say that the book is always better than the movie.

With few exceptions (notably The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Watchmen), most movies are lackluster adaptions of the books.    Of course this has to do with the way your mind imagines characters and scenarios in the book.   Often you’ll have a different idea for how someone would look or be, and the vision of the director is jarring enough to make it not work.

Or the screenwriter/direction misses a favorite scene.

Or leaves out a favorite character.

Or in the case of Michael Punke’s The Revenant – A Novel of Revenge . . . maybe they never actually read the book?

Admittedly, I was so put off by the beautifully filmed but ridiculously plotted movie that I decided to skip the book for a long time.   I recently finished the book and was – without hyperbole – blown away.

In a life dominated by four kids, a burgeoning farmstead, and a demanding job, I managed to read the book in 5 days – no small feat – and one I haven’t been able to accomplish since my hazy pre-kid days.

With no silly half-Indian kid subplot, the book was based purely on the concept of Hugh Glass wanting revenge on the two people in his crew that took his rifle and gear and left him for dead after being mauled by a bear.    The book is filled with ample historical details and musings about the day-to-day activities of keeping yourself alive in the vast western wilderness of early 1800s America.   Which, by the way, didn’t include hiding yourself in an animal carcass Tauntaun-style to avoid freezing to death.

But what really made the book shine was all of the details speculated on and provided about Glass.   For all of the infamy gained by his tussle with a bear, there was really not a lot I knew about him.   He was really a character who suddenly appeared in Ashley and Henry’s famous 1822 expedition, and then sort of dropped out of the narratives.

The book speculates on Glass’s early life, time as a mariner and pirate – and how he gets his famous rifle.    All of this fantastic narrative was sadly omitted from the movie.    Can you imagine a pirate mountain man movie?  That would have been incredible!

As a historical weapons enthusiast, there’s one scene I really dig on, where Hugh Glass is resupplying at a frontier trading post, after his recovering from the famous bear mauling and crawling his way back to the fringes of civilization.

After choosing between the limited arms available, and the only two rifles – a .32 caliber Kentucky rifle, and a beat-up Model 1803 U.S. Harper’s Ferry rifle, Glass:

 . . . picked up the Model 1803, the same gun carried by many of the soldiers in Lewis and Clarks’ Corps of Discovery.

After choosing the “Harper’s Ferry” Rifle in .53 caliber, Glass gets the rest of his kit.    Punke continues:

They returned to the cabin and Glass picked out the rest of his supplies.   He chose a .53 pistol to complement the rifle.    A ball mold, lead, powder, and flints.     A tomahawk and a large skinning knife.   A thick leather belt to hold his weapons.   Two red cotton shirts to wear beneath the doeskin tunic.   A large Hudson’s Bay capote.   A wool cap and mittens.   Five pounds of salt and three pigtails of tobacco.  Needle and thread.   Cordage.   To carry his newfound bounty, he picked a fringed leather possibles bag with intricate quill beading.    He noticed that the voyageurs all wore small sacks at the waist for their pipe and tobacco.   He took one of those too, a handy spot for his new flint and steel.

Sounds like a pretty good load-out for an AMM event, eh?

Is the book 100% historical accurate?   Of course not, and it doesn’t purport to be.  It’s a just a very well-written, exciting story about how things may have gone down.

I definitely recommend any mountain man or history enthusiasts check this one out.

TFT RENDEZVOUS POSTPONED!!!

From Iron Burner:

Because three of our event leaders (workers) cannot be at the Texas Free Trappers Rendezvous this weekend because of urgent family emergencies, and with the hope for better weather, the rendezvous has been rescheduled for February 15 – 18, 2018.
We hope this change does not prevent you from attending.
Updated on the Events update

Update on TFT Rendezvous – Feb 9-11, 2018

From Jack Simons:

Christmas is around the corner and the smell of burnt  powder is in the air (well at least for us)!  The next Texas Free Trappers Rendezvous is set for February 9-11, 2018

in Shiner, Texas.  Please get the word out.  If you know any folks that don’t use email, let me know their name and mailing address.  I’m going to put the word out to the Lavaca and Gonzales Counties’ 4H groups to see if they’d like to come by and see what we are all about.

Here’s wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

More details and an event flier are available on the Events Page!

Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum – Pioneer Days 2017

The Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum in Cleburne, TX is hosting it’s 14th annual Pioneer Days event this November:

14th Annual Pioneer Days**Free Event**
November 17th, 18th, 19th, 2017
8am to 6pm each day
Come and experience life in 1854 in the town of Wardville! Historic buildings, cowboys, Native Americans, pioneers, gunfighters, Civil War re-encampment, food/art vendors! Big Bear Native American Museum (small fee). Fun for the whole family! For flyer, please go to our Photo Gallery.
For vendor forms, email to: ctominfo@yahoo.com.

Check out their website for more details and directions.

Annual Mountain Man Weekend Gathering – 2017 – Trader’s Village

Just found out that there’s been a mountain man event at Traders Village near Grand Prairie, TX that’s been going on for a while.

It’s usually held the weekend before Thanksgiving, which falls on November 17-19 this year.

Here are the details:

What is a Mountain Man? “A ‘Mountain Man’ is the present day term for an 1800’s ‘Buckskinner’ “. The Mountain Man Gathering gives youth and adults alike the opportunity to experience and enjoy a valuable part of Americana, how our ancestors survived in the American frontier.

If you have camped out, been a member of the Boy or Girl Scouts, or have any interest in American history, you will be intrigued by the pre-1840s costumes that will be showcased at Traders Village.

 

This special weekend will begin each day at 10:00 a.m.. Through song, storytelling and historical reenactment of an era unfamiliar to us all, Mountain Man Gathering will provide a window to the past with authenticity as the key. Mountain Man demonstrations will include: beading, tomahawk and knife throwing, firestarting, bow and arrow making, leather work, knife making, pottery maker/demo, and several traders (demonstrations subject to change). There will be a variety of traders and sellers both days.

 

Traders Village is located at 2602 Mayfield Road in Grand Prairie, five miles south of Six Flags Over Texas, just off State Highway 360 near I-20. Admission is free and parking is only $4.00 per car. For more information, call 972-647-2331.

For more info, check out their website.

Update on Texas Association of Buckskinners Fall 2017 Rendezvous

Here are the details on the Texas Association of Buckskinners Fall 2017 Rendezvous, being held at the W.B. Ranch in Aquilla, Texas:

Events will include:
Canoe Rifle Shoot; Pistol Shoot; Fire Starting; Primitive Archery; Knife & Hawk; Canoe Jousting; Fishing Contest; Tea Time

If you would like to have a cooking contest, pie contest, or any other event please contact the Booshway with details and someone to run the event.

Bring CANOES and PADDLES if you have any available!!

If you plan to participate in the canoe rifle shoot or canoe jousting, you MUST provide your own U.S. Coast Guard approved Type III PFD (personal flotation device)

BRING FIREWOOD (BE PREPARED FOR A BURN BAN)

WATER AVAILABLE ON SITE

All T.A.B. rules apply. Pre-1840 dress and camps REQUIRED after set-up. No vehicles in camp after 9:00am Saturday October 28th.

This is the weekend before Halloween, so be sure to have some tricks or treats for any lil’ beasties that may come wandering through camp Saturday night.

T.A.B. will be holding an election for our two Advisory Board Member positions prior to Tea Time on Saturday. These positions are both for three (3) year terms. The advisory members assist the Board of Directors in club business matters. To have your name placed on the ballot you must be a paid T.A.B. member, be nominated and accept the nomination. Please do not nominate anyone for these positions without discussing it with them first. Voting will be conducted by anonymous written ballot. Current T.A.B. membership required to receive and cast a ballot.

This is also the weekend for annual dues renewal. $40.00 for a family membership; $25.00 for an individual.

WORK DAY SATURDAY OCTOBER 21st, 2017

Booshway:
Bill “Bobcat” Brewer (254) 749-6550
Segundo:
Josh “Just Josh” Kuntz (512) 619-9216

A State of Texas fishing license is required by law to fish in the Brazos River.

Whole Camp for Sale – 12×12 Panther Pyramid, Chairs, Blankets, Kitchen Goods, Clothes, and More

Wes Stewart is selling his whole camp and has pictures posted on his website of the items.

The camp includes the following items:

  • Panther primitive 12 x 12 pyramid tent, no mold, no tears, like new
  • Moccasins sz.12/13
  • Leather belt with period buckle
  • Shirt, multi-period kind of a one size affair, hand stitching
  • wool knit fingerless shooting mittens
  • belt carried cartridge bag, + small duffle (pillow sized)
  • Two wool blankets, folding stool
  • trousers fit wide size range, cinch at waist and legs
  • period looking mallet
  • another pair of moccasins, ~womens size 8
  • water skins
  • tent stake bag with many stakes, misc box with mardi gras coins
  • dish dry rack, kitchen box with plates, pots, pans, utensils
  • period looking utensils
  • dutch oven plus container
  • capotes, beaver skin, stockings, canvas fly, and the container
  • 2 solar bags
  • trestle table ~4ft long
  • 3 ladderback chairs
  • 2 not period, but look great in a camp with a canvas cover, Adirondack chairs.
  • fire ring (55 gal barrel)
  • Aerobed inflatable bed, mattress in canvas,period looking, tops the aerobed for great comfort

Pictures of most items are posted up on his site here.

Wes is requesting local pick up only due to size. He’s located 30 miles east of Dallas (Fate, TX), and is not parting out individual items.    He’s asking $1250 or best offer for all.

He can be reached at campsale@stewarthistory.info