Zebulon Pike entered the U.S. Army as a boy of fifteen and rose rapidly in rank, becoming a general just before his death at the age of thirty-four. He was not, however, a fighter or military strategist, but an explorer whose achievements did much to open the West. It was he who traced the Mississippi to within twenty-five miles of its source soon after the Louisiana Purchase, and who later surveyed the Southwestern part of the Purchase as far as the Mexican border. Wherever he went he made friends with the Indians, carrying Jefferson's doctrine of peace and brotherhood, disproving the theory held by many that there is no good Indian save a dead one. Today Pike is known chiefly as the man who discovered one of our highest mountains, which was later named for him, and yet this was a mere incident in a colorful and exciting life.

Mrs. Baker, author of many fine biographies, presents a revealing portrait of a peace-loving American who made a lasting contribution to his country.

From the dust jacket