A Ladys Life in the Rocky Mountains
(Dover Value Editions) by Isabella L.
Bird
High Adventure
In its simple and disarming style, it is a great piece of reporting on a
rugged frontier.--San Francisco Chronicle The book is a jewel case of
keen perception, social analysis, and masterful description for this era.--
Chicago Tribune In 1873 Isabella Bird embarked on a trip that called for
the high level of stamina expected of an explorer or anthropologist. But the
middle-aged Englishwoman who toured the Colorado Rockies on
horseback--alone, for the most part--was neither of these. Painting an
intimate portrait of the Wild West, she wrote eloquently of flora and fauna,
isolated settlers and assorted refugees from civilization, vigilance
committees, lynchings, and the crude manners--yet gentle civility--among
the men she encountered in the wilderness. A thoughtfully written,
captivating narrative that provides a vibrant account of a bygone era and

the people that forever changed the face of the American frontier.
Unabridged reprint of 1882 edition.
Personal Review: A Ladys Life in the Rocky Mountains (Dover
Value Editions) by Isabella L. Bird
This is one of the best known and most highly respected travel accounts of
a foreigner to the western region of the United States during the 19th
century. Isabella Bird, a spinster world traveler, upon returning to her
native England from an excursion to Hawaii, decided to stop in America
and make a three-month tour of the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado. In
a series of letters written to her sister in England, Ms. Bird told in
fascinating detail her experiences during this "tour."
Going by train from San Francisco to Cheyenne (except for a brief hiatus
near Truckee Pass, which she traversed by horseback), she was in Fort
Collins, Colorado, by September 10, 1873. Her travels took her to Denver,
Colorado Springs, South Park, Boulder, and Estes Park, where she
climbed Longs Peak. Her observations, whether about the people she
encounters or the natural wonders all about her, are acute, objective, and
highly personal. She will complain about the annoying insects in one letter
and then calmly relate taking a tumble off her horse when surprised by a
bear in another. She is astounded by the natural beauty of the region and
never seems to get enough of it; she also believes, as the saying then
went, that "there is no God west of the Missouri," and that the "almighty
dollar is the true divinity" (these observations made while in Denver). She
recognizes the (especially) English prejudice against all things American,
and refuses to go along with it. What makes Ms. Bird's book so enduring is
the direct though lighthearted tone she maintains: she is an astute
observer but never gives the impression she's "studying" the people or
places she sees. The book can be read often and will remain entertaining
each time. It's a classic - in a good sense of that word. Highly
recommended.
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