<div>To know how the West was really won, start with the exploits of these unsung mountain mend who, like the legendary Jeremiah Johnson, were real buckskin heroes. Preceded only by Lewis and Clark, beaver fur trappers roamed the river valleys and mountain ranges of the West, surviving on fish and game, fighting or trading with the Native Americans-forever heading toward the untamed wilderness.<br><br>In this story of rough, heroic men and their worlds, Laycock weaves historical facts with profiles of individual trappers, including harrowing escapes, feats of supreme courage and endurance, and sometimes violent encounters with grizzley bears and Native Americans.<br></div>