Backbone of the World

The first book in an exciting adventure series "The Temple Buck Quartet" that chronicles the rise and fall of the American Rocky Mountain fur trade. This volume is a coming-of-age story set in the first two years of the fur trade, 1822-24.Temple Buck is a young man whose rollicking tale begins with growing up in the Ohio wilderness before he is kidnapped by an evil keelboat captain. After his rescue by a beautiful St. Louis madam, he finally enlists in the first expedition up the Missouri River to the beaver-rich Rockies for a wealth of adventure and new experiences. This painstakingly researched tale blends historical and fictional characters into a colorful tapestry of actual events spiced with bloody battles, Indian customs, homespun humor, and earthy romance.