The Splendid Wayfaring

Jedediah Smith and the Ashley-Henry Men, 1822-1831

By: John G. Neihardt

Narrated by: Robin Neihardt

With the publication of The Splendid Wayfaring in 1920, John G. Neihardt sought to restore the reputation of a mountain man who went far in opening up the American West. The exciting narrative begins in 1822, when Smith ascended the Missouri River in the first fur-trading expedition of William H. Ashley and Andrew Henry, and ends in 1831, when he was killed by Comanche Indians on the Cimarron River.

In the intervening years, Smith became the first explorer to recognize South Pass as the gateway to the Far West, the first overlander to reach California and travel up the coast to the Columbia River, and the first white man to cross the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin from west to east. The Splendid Wayfaring follows, in novelistic detail, the history-making adventures of Smith and his companions.

©1920, 1948 John G Neihardt Trust (P)2015 Skyyrim Studios

Poor performance

The story is great. For me it is to lyrical but still fine. The narrator is not very good and made the enjoyment less.

Perfect narrator

John Neihardt’s writing is so lyrical and his grandson Robin is the perfect narrator. His voice, cadence, pace, etc., all lend beautifully to telling this fascinating story of the fur traders.

The first of Neihardt's American epic poem - SPLENDID

The first "song" in the "Cycle of the West" which, in my mind, is the Illiad & the Odyssey of the the American West. Written magnificently in meter and rhyme the first if 5 songs in this American epic poem. It is a true beauty to read and appreciate the artistry of the author. The stories of all 5 are captivating and thrilling. I wish it were required reading of all students.