• Kit Carson and His Three Wives

  • A Family History: Calvin P. Horn Lectures in Western History and Culture
  • By: Marc Simmons
  • Narrated by: Kirk O. Winkler
  • Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Kit Carson and His Three Wives  By  cover art

Kit Carson and His Three Wives

By: Marc Simmons
Narrated by: Kirk O. Winkler
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.99

Buy for $17.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Kit Carson (1809-1868) has long held a prominent place in the popular imagination of the American West. However, little is known about his family life, thanks largely to Carson's own guardianship of his privacy. After almost four decades devoted to researching Kit Carson's personal life, Marc Simmons provides information here to further our understanding of Carson.

Viewing Kit Carson's career as a husband and father sheds new light on the life choices he made. The changing economy of the 1840s made it increasingly difficult for a trapper and scout to support a growing family. Carson's years as an Indian agent in the 1850s provided him stability, although he was never able to spend as much time with his family as any of them would have liked and he was never able to bring in a comfortable income. This audiobook offers a welcome change from recent politicized interpretations of Carson's actions.

©2003 Marc Simmons (P)2013 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“This finely-crafted book is recommended to everyone with an interest in Carson and to anyone who has never heard of Kit Carson." ( Santa Fe Trail Association Newsletter)
"Simmons' book fills many nagging gaps in the famous frontiersman's life, and provides an illuminating and enjoyable read." ( Journal of Arizona History)
"Simmons' portrait of an illiterate hunter and patriotic family man is a fascinating reading adventure." ( Southwest BookViews)

What listeners say about Kit Carson and His Three Wives

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

OK biography

This is really a short bio of Kit Carson, with some info on his wives based on results of primary research and analysis of secondary sources. A bit quixotic, as history records little of the wives' lives, the author does a good job nonetheless. Not too laudatory, or too judgmental.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Metered consideration of facts about KC

I grew up in Kit Carson, CO so was interested to hear more on Kit Carson’s personal life. There is definitely a lot of mythology out there but this book tries to reveal when evidence is lacking. So many difficult situations from Indian wars and tribe management to the Civil war in the West...the idea of crossing hundreds of miles in the dessert SW resorting to bleeding horses to stay alive is an example of his extreme survival skills.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!