H.W. Brands is a professor at UT-Austin, a historian, an author of more than 30 books, and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. During our conversation, H.W. talks about his book "Dreams of El Dorado," which details the exploration and settlement of the American West.

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(01:19) Brands explains the context of his book Dreams of El Dorado

(03:18) What inspired Brands to write about the history of the American West

(07:37) The general public impression about the Louisiana purchase back in 1803

(13:55) Description of the Great Plains in the Lewis and Clark journal

(17:00) The beginning of the Oregon Trail and the overall objective of the people who traveled to the West

(22:25) The challenges in heading to the Oregon territory - get there in one piece, find a plot of ground to farm, find better health, and the best-case scenario

(26:15) Why is Texas key to Brands’ life and his writings?

(35:22) What changed HW Brands’ perception of the country as he learned its history

(40:10) Brands’ thoughts on penning another book on the history of Western America