The Forum Plus, KSFR’s occasional spotlight on fascinating people, Great Books, timely issues, and noteworthy events.

A Conversation with Paul Andrew Hutton, Professor Emeritus of History, University of New Mexico and author Of The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy and the Shaping of the American West

Paul Andrew Hutton’s The Undiscovered Country is the product of a lifetime of scholarship. Through the lives of figures like Davy Crockett, Sitting Bull, Daniel Boone, Mangas Coloradas, and Kit Carson, Hutton tells the story of America’s westward expansion in all its majesty and tragedy. Determined to write a balanced account, he avoids the myths and hyperbole so often seen in films and books about the West.

In our conversation, Hutton reflects on the inevitability of what was lost — a poignant reminder of what we still have and need to preserve. Listeners will hear him read passages describing Davy Crockett’s grief when he buried his son. He also shares how watching Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett as a child sparked his lifelong fascination with the West.

Host: Jim Falk 

Guest: Paul Andrew Hutton