In this refreshing take on Irish-American history, broadcaster and historian Myles Dungan brilliantly describes how the exploration and exploitation of the West was vastly different from Hollywood myth. He reveals the true story of Irish immigrants and their descendants, from cannibals and prostitutes to soldiers and frontier-men, who toiled and dreamed of bigger things in America's Wild West. How the Irish Won the West is a wonderful and entertaining testament to the Irish men and women who helped build a new nation.

Here is the full story of the Irish immigrants and their decedents whose hard work helped make the West what it is today. Learn about the Irish members of the Donner party, forced to consume human flesh to survive the winter; mountain men like Thomas Fitzpatrick, who discovered the South Pass through the Rockies; Ellen "Nellie" Cashman, who ran boarding houses and bought and sold claims in Alaska, Arizona, and Nevada; and Maggie Hall, who became known as the "whore with a heart of gold." A fascinating and entertaining look at the history of the American West, this book will surprise many and make every Irish American proud.