Healy's West

The Life and Times of John J. Healy

Gordon E. Tolton

History is not always made of great men or women; often times our human interaction with fate is far more complex and fits within a certain context of time, space, and other dimensions that make up the glue of historic processes. Tolton shares with his readers a life that is worth examining. This book is recommended to history buffs and students of history, particularly Americana.—Colonial Latin American Historical Review

When Healy pans for Idaho gold, descends the Missouri River, tames wild Alberta mustangs, stares down Montana outlaws, equips Klondike prospectors, or promotes the untapped potential of Alaska, you can’t help but admire him. Healy’s West: The Life and Times of John J. Healy demonstrates how this man’s colorful and enterprising life helped to shape the American and Canadian West.
Although he was never immortalized in a dime novel of Hollywood western, John J. Healy (1840-1908) was one of the most influential figures of the westward movement. From Irish famine to army saddle, from taking on powerful monopolies to trading with the Blackfoot, from political maneuvering to hunting down rustlers behind a sheriff’s badge, Healy challenged life, nature, enemies, and governments head on.
In his own time, Healy was inflated to heroic myth be some and derides as a controversial agent of change by others. Healy’s West: The Life and Times of John J. Healy demonstrates, he was both. This is the most complete and truly balanced account of Healy’s life ever published. An entertaining and critical portrayal of the West’s most charismatic figure, Healy’s West is a must ready for anyone interested in Western U.S. History.

304 pages, 6 x 9, paperback
Item 513, ISBN 978-0-87842-34-8