Welcome
The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West
"The author's use of the lives of seminal figures to anchor the narrative draws the reader more deeply into the story than would a more conventional approach. It is an experiment in writing history that succeeds admirably. With "The Undiscovered Country," Mr. Hutton has produced the definitive popular history of the American West." -- Peter Cozzens, The Wall Street Journal
"A timely piece that is hard to put down. Hutton's extraordinarily well-researched and in-depth perspective of a period in American history that has captured imaginations and proved eternally fascinating has something for everyone. For experts, lay historians, and casual readers alike." -- Library Journal
"The Undiscovered Country is one of those books that plunks you down and holds you in place for days. It's the sort of sweeping, multi-layered, character-driven narrative I fell in love with as a young reader and have been pining for ever since. Thank you Paul Hutton for not just a history lesson, but a lesson in writing history." -- Stephen Harrigan, author of Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas
"Riveting and eye-opening. Renowned western scholar Paul Hutton has written a pivotal masterpiece that changes our way of thinking about the American West...This is Paul Hutton's greatest book -- intellectually bold, engaging, and brilliant." -- Donald L. Fixico, Regents and Distinguished Foundation Professor of History, Arizona State University
***************************
Paul Andrew Hutton is an American Western, cultural and military historian, an award-winning author, documentary writer, and television personality. He is Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at the University of New Mexico, a former executive director of the Western History Association, and a past president of Western Writers of America. He currently serves as the Tate Chair of Western History and interim curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, and adopted as an infant by an American Air Force couple, he was raised around the world--in Germany, England, and Taiwan--as well as in Texas and Indiana. He attended college at Indiana University where he received his doctorate in American history in 1981, and has taught at both Utah State University (1977-1985) and at the University of New Mexico (1985-2025). He is a six time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award and a six time winner of the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. His first book, Phil Sheridan and His Army received the Billington Prize from the Organization of American Historians, the Evans Biography Award, and the Spur Award. His The Apache Wars (2016) also received a Spur Award as well as the HisLibris Award for the Spanish translation. He is also the editor of Western Heritage (2011), Roundup (2010), Frontier and Region (1997), The Custer Reader (1992), Soldiers West (1987), and the ten-volume Bantam Eyewitness to the Civil War series (1991-93). He has appeared in over 300 television shows on the History Channel, Discovery, PBS, NBC, CBS, BBC, Fox, Netflix and other networks and has written a dozen documentaries for television and state and national parks. He also served as historical consultant on such Hollywood films as The Missing (2003), Cowboys and Aliens (2010), and Jane Got a Gun(2016) and even has a speaking role in David Zucker's Naked Gun 33 1/3 (1994). He has five children--Laura, Caitlin, Lorena, Chelsea, and Paul Andy--and lives in Cody with wife Tracy and pups Sandra Day O'Connor and Annie Oakley. His latest book is The Undiscovered Country from Penguin Random House/Dutton Publishing Group.
AWARDS
Hislibris Historia Literature Award, Spain, for Best Historical Nonfiction for Las Guerras Apaches, 2024
Winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award, The Apache Wars, 2017
Winner of the Best Nonfiction Book Award from True West magazine, The Apache Wars, 2017
Finalist, Evans Biography Prize, The Apache Wars, 2017
Winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award, Phil Sheridan and His Army, 1986
Winner of the Evans Biography Prize, Phil Sheridan and His Army, 1986
Winner of the Organization of American Historians Ray Allen Billington Prize, Phil Sheridan and His Army, 1987
Winner of the John M. Carroll Literary Award, Little Big Horn Associates, The Custer Reader, 1992
Western Writers of America Stirrup Award for "The Old Bison: Robert M. Utley," Roundup Magazine (October 2020).
Gilberto Espinosa Prize for "The Fearless Leader of a Desperate Band: Paddy Graydon in the Apache and Civil Wars," New Mexico Historical Review (Fall 2016), as "Best Article of the Year in the NMHR." 2017
Wild West History Association Award for "The Fearless Leader of a Desperate Band: Paddy Graydon in the Apache and Civil Wars," New Mexico Historical Review (Fall 2016), as "Outstanding Article on Western History." 2017
Wild West History Association, Six-Shooter Award for "Outstanding Contributions to Western History." 2017
Army Historical Foundation, Distinguished Writing Award for Best Magazine Article for "Could Custer Have Won," MHQ (Winter 2013).
Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Short Nonfiction for "The Alamo: Well Remembered," Wild West (February 2011).
Western Heritage Award, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, for "The Real Wyatt Earp," episode of Cowboys and Outlaws (History Channel, 2009) as the "Outstanding Docu-Drama of 2009."
Award of Merit, Western History Association 2008
Western Heritage Award, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, for "Silver Screen Desperado," New Mexico Historical Review (Spring 2007) as the "Outstanding Magazine Article of 2007"
Ray Allen Billington Award, Western History Association, for "Silver Screen Desperado," New Mexico Historical Review (Spring 2007) as the Best Article of the year.
Western Outlaw and Lawman Historical Association Award for "Why Is This Man Forgotten," True West (March 2006) as the "Best Magazine Article of 2006"
Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Documentary for Mountain Massacre (History Channel, 2005)
Western Heritage Award, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, for "'It was but a small affair': The Battle of the Alamo," Wild West (February 2004), as the "Outstanding Magazine Article of 2004"
Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Documentary for Carson and Cody: The Hunter Heroes (History Channel, 2003)
Western Writers of America Stirrup Award for "Western Writing and Western Writers," Roundup Magazine (June 2003)
Western Heritage Award, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Daniel Boone and the Westward Movement (National Park Service, 2002) as the "Best Documentary of 2002"
Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Documentary for Boone and Crockett: The Hunter Heroes (History Channel, 2001)
Western Writers of America Stirrup Award for "Dee Brown: A Life with Books," Roundup Magazine (October 1999)
Western Heritage Award, National Cowboy Hall of Fame, for "T.R. Takes Charge," American History (August 1998), as the "Outstanding Magazine Article of 1998"
Western Heritage Award, National Cowboy Hall of Fame, for "Showdown at the Hollywood Corral," Montana The Magazine of Western History (Summer 1995), as the "Outstanding Magazine Article of 1995"
Vivian A. Paladin Award, Montana Historical Society, for "Correct in Every Detail," as the best essay to appear in Montana The Magazine of Western History in 1991
Mead Distinguished Research Fellow in American History, Huntington Library 1988