The Frontiersman: The Real Life and the Many Legends of Davy Crockett

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Summary: Beyond Disney: The True Story of Davey Crockett
Review: Derr does an insightful and entertaining job of providing and up to date and reflective history of Davey Crockett. Crockett is a man of simple means, follower of Jackson who remarries to a better station and he is known for his outdoorsman accomplishments along with his wry wit and sometimes-contrary views. Aside from his frontier accomplishments that may well have been embellished by his gift of story telling and sense of humor, Crockett favors the Indians while in congress and opposes Jackson's relocation of the Indians and other bills that do not favor his constituents. Crockett is a fascinating frontiersman/politician and Derr brings the interesting man to earth as he corrects historical exaggeration, which is sometimes Crockett's own as he sometimes lengthens and overstates his service in the Creek War and the war of 1812 and some of his frontier stories. Particularly interesting is that among the frontier of Tennessee; Crocket was a shrewd owner of properties and investment property. However, the man that lost his local election at the height of his national fame and exclaimed, "You can go to hell, and I'll go to Texas!" is a fascinating historic figure of the frontier and of the 1800 era politics. Derr even updates Crockett's death at the Alamo where in reality; he was one of six captured but Santa Anna that was brutally put to the sword. This book is a good read on a fascinating man enhanced to a greater legend first by a ghostwriter than by Disney.