The Frontiersman: The Real Life and the Many Legends of Davy Crockett

The Disney TV series on Davy Crockett created a cultural phenomenon in the 1950s. Later, historians denied that heroic image, calling Crockett a drunkard and liar. Derr ( Some Kind of Paradise ) deftly sorts fact and myth in this definitive biography of the original ``common man'' who came to embody the frontier spirit. He depicts Crockett as a westward-moving farmer dependent on his second wife's money and managerial skills. Derr traces Crockett's career in politics in the Tennessee legislature and in Congress, giving a lively portrait of state and national politics between 1825 and 1845. Crockett's autobiography, ghostwritten by fellow-Congressman Thomas Chilton, was a bestseller that added to his fame and notoriety. His death at age 50 in 1836 at the Alamo gave rise to further legends. History buffs will enjoy meeting the real Davy Crockett. Photos. (Aug.)