Empire of Shadows

The Epic Story of Yellowstone

By: George Black

Narrated by: Jack de Golia

Empire of Shadows is the epic story of the conquest of Yellowstone, a landscape uninhabited, inaccessible, and shrouded in myth in the aftermath of the Civil War. In a radical reinterpretation of the 19th century West, George Black casts Yellowstone's creation as the culmination of three interwoven strands of history - the passion for exploration, the violence of the Indian Wars, and the "civilizing" of the frontier - and charts its course through the lives of those who sought to lay bare its mysteries: Lt. Gustavus Cheyney Doane, a gifted but tormented cavalryman known as "the man who invented Wonderland"; the ambitious former vigilante leader Nathaniel Langford; scientist Ferdinand Hayden, who brought photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran to Yellowstone; and General Phil Sheridan, Civil War hero and architect of the Indian Wars, who finally succeeded in having the new National Park placed under the protection of the US Cavalry.

George Black's Empire of Shadows is a groundbreaking historical account of the origins of America's majestic national landmark.

©2012 George Black (P)2019 Tantor

Critic reviews

"...a masterful and riveting history of the exploration of Yellowstone. Empire of Shadows will forever change our understanding and conception of this sacred American place." (David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z)

Strange emphasis on Freemasonry

Good, but strange emphasis on Freemasonry. I especially enjoyed the pathos of Doane's life and the Marias Massacre, the tragedies of what might have been.

Excellent!

All around good book. A little scattered in the timeline but not enough to lose any part of the rating.

I want to to Yellowstone again!

This was fascinating, and I’d like to return again with new knowledge of the real history of the park! Well done!

Paints a big picture

I thoroughly enjoyed this large-scale telling of the creation of Yellowstone National Park. From Lewis and Clark, to Custer, to Montana vigilantes, to an array of tribal leaders, to the explorers, trappers, and mountain men who kept “discovering “ Yellowstone, the narrative has an ample cast of characters spanning 100 years. The men who made the world’s first national park each came to life - their strengths, weaknesses, egos, perils and successes and failures. The many story threads often wander and diverge, but always eventually come together, filling in the big picture. The narration was excellent, plain spoken and precise. Fitting. Highly recommend this fascinating history.

Has the most broad strokes of Yellowstones story.

As Yellowstone part two guide, this is the one book that I recommend for all new employees to read first
The book covers many subjects that are known by many other books that need to be included in Yellowstone history. The book also covers many subjects that are completely irrelevant, boring, almost overwhelming at times.

Covering the history of Yellowstone and it founders from the perspective of the white explorers was uniquely enjoyable as most books do not include the journals of the explorers. Including the journals of the explorers, gives a personal experience is if you were there with the explorers exploring at the time of discovery.
Where this is the one thing that made the book good there a certain circumstances that may, in a way, un entertaining and difficult to make it through the chapter.
Overall, must read for info on Yellowstone.

Great companion to a visit to Yellowstone

I was really glad to find this audiobook during my first trip to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks. we flew into SLC, and had 40hrs or so of driving total, in which I started and finished this book. I thought it really detailed, and overall fair in the dealing of controversial history between the settlers and the natives, and I learned a lot. If there was any criticism I could conjure, it would be that the author spent too much time on native/settler history/relations rather than the park history itself, but after finishing the book, I understand that the two are intertwined, and it was fascinating regardless. I loved that I could pinpoint the places that the author mentions as I had just driven through or hiked past the same certain areas of the park. Highly recommend.

Deep dive history

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. A deep dive, not only into the history of Yellowstone, but of westward exploration and expansion. If you like the full picture with all its dark details, you'll enjoy this one.

The history

Balanced view of Native American and white views of the creation of Yellowstone National Park.

A Wandering Exploration

I really enjoyed this book. The history was thorough, good narration. I’ve listened to it twice now.

Narrator misses too many words

I'm following along in print and noticed the narrator says a lot of wrong words. for example, page 53 in the book "Mississippi and Missouri rivers" the narrator replaces Missouri with Minnesota! whack af!