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Title
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Bookin' West: Tall Tales and "Books of Every Sort and Size From Fanny Hill to The Bible on The Journey West
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Description
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This bibliographic essay examines the books widely read in the nineteenth century that had an influence on pioneers. It includes extracts from various journals and letters of pioneers that mention the books they took on their overland journeys. The books most included on the journey were the family Bible, anything written by Shakespeare, Webster's dictionary, guidebooks, and children's readers, etc. "During their journey westward, emigrants and adventurers brought, bought, borrowed, traded, cast off, or picked up books whenever it suited. Perhaps their greatest legacy was to leave behind their own writings--diaries, journals, letters, and reminiscences--which continue to fuel twenty-first-century imaginations with epic stories of heroes, romance, and adventure."
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Date
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2007
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Object Type
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Magazine Article