Frederick Von Burg grew up on Long Island, and worked as a teacher to support his wife and three sons. His interest in the mountain men of the West came when he picked up, in a school library, a co...view moreFrederick Von Burg grew up on Long Island, and worked as a teacher to support his wife and three sons. His interest in the mountain men of the West came when he picked up, in a school library, a copy of Jim Bridger's biography. He researched the Blackfeet Indians and wrote his third book, "Keep My White Sneakers, Kit Carson," while visiting his oldest son in Princeton, New Jersey. Years later, while visiting the same son in Denver, Colorado, he came to appreciate the beauty of the West.view less