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Beaver Skins and Mountain Men , Dutton 1968, Burger, Carl Author and Illustrator Thesis: The author emphasizes the importance of the beaver as a catalyst used to develop the American fur trade and industry. The story begins with the history of the Castoroides also known as the present day beaver (once as large weighing as much as 400-500 pounds) to the present day species and eloquently directing the reader through the adventures of the historical Fur Trade Era stressing the European demand for beaver hats and the quest of the explorers’ push to the western frontier from 1500 through the early 1800’s. Relation to text: The author relates daily routines such as daily foods eaten, normal clothing worn, religions, weather anomalies, animals and their migration routes, ordinary tools, etc. of the Indians, traders, explorers as well as the coureurs de bois where as The American Pageant relates this historical period in general seldom touching on the daily norms of that time. The detail in Beaver Skins and Mountain Men is much more enjoyable focusing on the colorful Fur Trade era of our history. The writer accomplished this book with an extensive research to recount the voyage of Jacques Cartier in 1534 through the in