This is a stupendous book. From the first to last page I was transported into the company of its memorable characters and lived this compelling but obscure chapter to the American frontier right alongside them. As a historian, I particularly appreciate Durand's non-judgmental and even-handed description of the conflicts between the Native Americans, the Spanish, the Mexicans, and the advancing U.S. Army and traders. His full-bodied characters tell the story beautifully. There is no historical distortion in The Taos Massacres; it is an authentic telling of history at its very best...a great work.