Writers on the Plains presented two evenings on May 1 and 2 with acclaimed nonfiction author Hampton Sides as he discussed writing techniques and read from his newest book, Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West. In Fort Collins on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Room of the Hilton Fort Collins (425. W. Prospect), Sides presented “History with a Pulse: The Art and Craft of Making the Past Come Alive on the Page.” In Cheyenne on May 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cottonwood Room of the Laramie County Library (2200 Pioneer Ave), Sides presented “The Epic Story of Kit Carson: National Hero. Genocidal Maniac. Pick One.” A reception and book signing followed each event. Both readings were free and open to the public.
Hampton Sides is the author of the bestselling books Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder, among other works of narrative non-fiction. Ghost Soldiers has sold more than a million copies and has been translated into a dozen foreign languages. It won the 2002 PEN USA West award for non-fiction and the 2002 Discover Award from Barnes & Noble, and was the basis of the Miramax film, The Great Raid. Blood and Thunder, published in October 2006 and now out in paperback, was a New York Times bestseller. Time magazine named Blood and Thunder one of the ten best books of 2006, and it was voted the best history title of year by both the History Book Club and the Western Writers Association. Blood and Thunder has been optioned by Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks, and is the subject of a new PBS documentary on "The American Experience." An editor-at-large at Outside magazine, Hampton's journalism has been twice nominated for National Magazine Awards for feature writing. Hampton graduated from Yale with a B.A. in history, and lives in Santa Fe with his wife Anne and their three boys.
Hampton Sides' work will soon be available at the CSU Bookstore.