From the California Gold Rush to the gunfighters of Texas to the Sioux wars of the Northern Plains, here are the most vital, colourful chapters of American history - told in vivid detail by the settlers, soldiers, and Native Americans who lived them. Historian T. J. Stiles weaves these fascinating first-person accounts into a sweeping narrative - presenting them chronologically and linking them together with insightful editorial notes. Their words document the history of the American West - the real stories of battles waged for land, power, and freedom on the great frontier.