A Long Way to Frisco (1951) and Prisoners of the Redwoods (1948) were two stories of the California gold rush that may well have served as background preparation for the writing of these tales of the opening of our west, from the days of De Soto to the overland stage routes. All have in common the theme of adventure or discovery along one of the famous roads or trails that crisscrossed the country so sparsely in its first 300 years. Among the famous men are De Soto himself in Florida, John Evans- Lewis and Clark's Welsh mapmaker who was fascinated by the Madoc legend- John Colter and Kit Carson. Sandwiched between are stories that bring out the character of the trails- dangers and adventures along the Oregon Trail, the San Antonio Road, the Pacific Trail in the Gold Rush days, and more. Clear road mapping of the early days.
-Kirkus Review, 1954
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