Jim Bridger

Trailblazer of the American West

                 Jerry Enzler is the author of Jim Bridger: Trailblazer of the American West, published by Oklahoma Press in 2021. He was also a leader of Three Worlds Meet, a live performance depicting the 1837 Rendezvous which was presented in Wyoming, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.

       He has appeared on History Channel's mini-series documentary, The Mighty Mississippi, narrated by Hal Holbrook, as well as other television and public radio programs. He has also written several articles for The Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Journal and other publications. 

       He received a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, State University of New York. For thirty-seven years, he was the founding director of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, a Smithsonian-affiliated, 14-acre museum in Dubuque, Iowa. In that role, he created award-winning exhibits and museum films that have now been seen by 5,000,000 people. He lives in East Dubuque, Illinois.

 

 

 

 

"An exciting and significant story. Jerry Enzler tells it in exceptionally well-documented detail and readable prose. . . . This is lasting biography at its best."--Robert M. Utley, Former Chief Historian for National Park Service

 

"Jim Bridger is probably my favorite historical character I would most like to meet."--Lee Whittlesey, Former Historian, Yellowstone National Park

"The most reliable, best-researched, and most comprehensive biography of this western trailblazer."--Jay H. Buckley, Author of William Clark: Indian Diplomat

"Jim Bridger's story is as big as the West he called his home. A remarkable book about a remarkable man."--Candy Moulton, Author of Sacajewa: Mystery, Myth, and Legend

  

"An outstanding biography, one of the best in recent years. . . . He is an excellent biographer and historian, and we would all benefit from more books from the Iowa author."--True West Magazine

 

"It reads easily, provides new information, and reveals a good deal about his ambition, energy, and memory. Altogether a delightful read."--Oregon Historical Quarterly

 

"Enzler leaves the reader with an appreciation of just how remarkable Bridger's life was in the development of the American West."--Overland Journal

 

"An engrossing story of the life of one of the greatest "Mountain Men," full of details, excitement, and the history of the period."--English Westerners Society

 

"A solid, reliable, sympathetic, and quite readable cradle-to-grave and life-and times biography of the legendary frontiersman and American original."--Missouri Historical Review

 

"A character almost larger than life, long overdue. This book deserves a place on the bookshelves of all those interested in this exciting period in American history."--Nebraska History