Beyond West Point: A Tale of Character, Comradeship, War & Nation Building

An intriguing, sometimes embarrassing, multi-biography that provides an insight into the life and times of Colonel E. C. Brooks, his family, friends, associates and comrades-in-arms. Brooks rose from obscurity to witness the making of history, and like many West Point graduates became an active participant in the shaping of the world at the turn of the century This is the tale of his odyssey.This complete biography commences before E. C. Brooks' birth and chronicles his family's pioneer roots in the history of Oregon and Washington. Brooks' personal journey through life is documented from birth to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and continues through his careers as a United States Cavalry officer, college professor, Auditor of Cuba, railroad engineer, treasure hunter, entrepreneur, commission agent, and traveling representative. Brooks' life journey also placed him in close personal contact with three US Presidents and countless well-known military officers of the period, including Generals Wood, Gorgas, Goethals and Pershing among others. Brooks was a witness and participant in the American Indian Wars and the death of Sitting Bull, the Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection, and the construction of the famed "Railroad in the Sky" of Ecuador. Many other historical events play a role in the telling of Brooks' intriguing story, from the Great Chicago Fire to the building of the Crosby Mansion Tawasentha in Brewster, Massachusetts.Although Major E. C. Brooks mounted two expeditions in search of a fabled Inca treasure in the Llanganati Mountains of Ecuador, these adventures were but minor acts in the life and times of Colonel E. C. Brooks. His story doesn't end in the mysterious mountains of Ecuador, but continues for more than a decade after his adventures in search of Inca gold. His is not a story about treasure, but of a man who spent a few months of his life in search of a treasure. This accurate and complete story of the life and times of Edwards Cranston Brooks, one of the more interesting, elusive, and obscure explorers of the mysterious Llanganati Mountains begs to be told. This book relates Brooks' intriguing life story . . . Beyond West Point.