Oklahoma Books

All too many Route 66 books focus on the Kitsch and the primary colors one could see on the Road, and are written in a jokey, 'weren't people in the old days a hoot' style that wears thin in a few pages.

This book by contrast, takes a more serious look at the Mother Road. The photos are by turns otherworldy and 'down home' and the writing is crisp, factual and engaging. I found out more than I ever expected about the Road, its rise and fall, and the people on the road and in the towns along its path.

It's reminiscent in many ways of some of Studs Turkel's oral histories, as the people 'of and on' the road tell their stories in first person, but here you also have the advantage of the journalistic and historical perspective the writer offers, and the undeniable impact of the photos, which tell stories that mere words cannot.

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Some quotes from press reviews of the book include:

Wall Street Journal
'...while the new interstates are faster and safer, it is impossible not to miss old Route 66. Fortunately, the words and pictures of this delightful book preserve the memories of a road that ran through everyone's life.'

Library Journal
'Route 66-the late, lamented American Main Street that ran from Chicago to the Pacific-is here given life once again. Those who served its travelers for nearly 50 years (selling Indian artifacts, 'hamburgs,' and chunks of petrified wood, or renting rooms, patching tires, and digging the wounded out of head-on collisions) offer memories both enthusiastic and touching. . .
An enjoyable and rewarding book on a uniquely important road that turned the heat up on the American melting pot.'

Arizona Highways
'Susan Croce Kelly and Quinta Scott spent seven years traveling the route from end to end, interviewing and photographing the people and structures that gave old 66 its flavor. The text is carefully researched and well written, and the 93 photographs (appropriately, black and white) provide convincing images of ordinary people and places lacking the glamour of those at either end of the 2,200-mile-long line.'

Booklist
'The evocative photographs and interviews pay tribute to thousands of small businesses and the people who fueled, sheltered, and entertained millions of travelers. This is a fascinating study of individual entrepreneurs and the growth of advertising, as well as a paean to a vanished way of life.'

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I recommend this book to anyone interested in histories of the 20th century, the impact of the automobile in American life, and to anyone who appreciates fine photography.

I really enjoyed this book as it was one of my fisrt to purchase about Route 66. This book didn't cover only the road but also took you from town to town and introduced you to the People. Great photography added to the experience. This is one book I read over and over.

This books contains all that is needed to make the reader -or viewer- want to travel the road, even just by looking at the pictures. It isn't called a photographic essay for nothing. The text is more social oriented and is probably one way to look at the 20th century and its cultural heritage along Historic Route 66. Those readers going travel old 66 might be a little bit disappointed that it does not give many clues to find the locations easily. This is a book about an icon on its own terms.

A must in your library if you're interested in Route 66.

In discussing prayer with a good friend, I outlined the way that I pray. He said that my manner of prayer was quite good, but I should get a prayer book to see how the righteous that have gone before prayed. Shortly after that discussion, Service From The Heart was released. It is the perfect guide book to teach the Noahide how to pray, giving guidelines and approved prayers for the Torah observant Gentile. But the book is much more than a prayer book, giving guidelines for proper living in the world today.

This is a great book for any Noahide. It is a little bit more than a prayer-book. It also has some great information on the 7 Laws of Noah and goes into great detail. I recommend this book to any Gentile that is looking for a place in the world to come.

This book is not just a Prayer book it is much more than that, it provides a great deal of very good advice about our relationship with G-d as well as lots of other information and links to Noahide groups.

Published by The Oklahoma B'nai Noah Society based in Rose, Oklahoma USA, which also has a growing group of Noahides who gather together. This book is rabbinically approved, and well worth buying.

She's Tricky Like Coyote: Annie Miner Peterson, An Oregon Coast Indian Woman by Lionel Youst (an independent scholar specializing in the history and anthropology of the Pacific Northwest) is the story of Annie Miner Peterson's remarkable life. An impressive biography showcasing Annie's hardships, determined endeavors and many accomplishments, She's Tricky Like Coyote carries the reader through the remarkable story of her 79 years of life as related through interviews with relatives, revealed in anthropological studies, and drawing upon a short autobiography, all of which combine in creating a unique story of a very special Native American woman of her times. Volume 224 in "The Civilization of the American Indian" series and a welcome contribution to academic library Native American Studies and Women's Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists, She's Tricky Like Coyote is very highly recommended reading, especially for students of the Western coastal region's Native American tribal history and culture.

This book was wonderful and we need more like it. The Indian tales of Oregon and Northern California are mostly unknown by peoples outside of anthropology and archaeology, and these stories need to be told. It must have been incredibly hard to be an Indian during those times and we all should question our own history. The book is worth buying and was inspirational.

Thanks to Lionel Youst, Annie Miner Peterson's life story has been preserved. One of the last of the Coos Indians, she lived for 79 years in western Oregon and witnessed the demise of her culture. This remarkable narrative captures some of who she was and how she lived, enabling Annie to pass along some of the accumulated experiences of generations of her ancestors.

Is it difficult to travel the mind-set of an 19th century serial killer? Notorious from the Miriam Webster dictionary is defined as: 'generally known and talked of; especially : widely and unfavorably known' is too nice. I think of Deacon Jim as the "Will Munny" of the West - without a conscience.

My Grandmother was ashamed of her 1st cousin James the deacon Miller, having killed Pat Garrett. When her brother Charley, told me about Jim Miller I was only about 8 years old. I didn't know if it was another tall Texas tale or not, and it wasn't until after my grandmother died at 103 years of age that I started to read her copy of 'Shotgun for Hire' by Glenn Shirley. Rather than wear out that copy I barrowed one from a public library. I was researching my family tree and found out that the mormon church already had all of the info on computer and it cross referenced the book perfectly. The book also mentions people now long forgotten that were involved in the lives of Pat Garrett and Billy the kid and Jim Miller. The book is not another tall Texas tale, but a documented account of the most vicious killer of Texas history. My uncle Charley would tell entertaining stories, but they were always a little different each time he told them. This book should be republished for the reliable history in it. A very good job, and from what family members say it is true and accurate.

Glenn Shirley has done an excellent job of collating facts and evidence surrounding the life of such a controversial character as Jim Miller. This book makes a thoroughly entertaining story but should also be acclaimed for its scholarly value. The topic of this book was one of the deadliest gunman in the West's history, yet has never been mentioned in the same way as his more famous contemporaries; Wild Bill, Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday etc.. And neither should he! Maybe it was his cold-blooded methods with which he carried out many of his killings that made Jim Miller a man that people would prefer to forget. Yet as you read this account of his life it is easy to become enthralled by the conflicting traits in his personality. On one hand an outwardly religious man; on the other, a ruthless assasin. At times his actions were at best, cowardly; but at others he showed great courage. By his very nature and deeds Jim Miller could never become a celebrated character of the West, yet he is without doubt one of the most intriguing. The life of Jim Miller is surrounded with mysteries that leaves you yearning for more information about this fascinating character.

While set in Oklahoma, this mystery ventures into the spirit world a bit, too. Many writers have tried this, some not so successfully. Preston pulls it off beautifully. SONG OF THE BONES is a fantastic follow-up to PERHAPS SHE'LL DIE. The protagonist, Chantalene, is a fiesty, complex, intriguing heroine that you'll come to care about very much.

The small rural town of Tetumka, Oklahoma is home to Chantalene Morrell. After a hard adolescence in which the townsfolk though her father was a murderer and she was a witch Chantalene has finally made a place for herself. During the period the locals thought her father was a killer, Thelma Patterson was the only person to really stand by Chantalene who feels indebted to her.

When Billy Ray Patterson shows up in town after walking out on Thelma twenty-eight years ago, she immediately takes him back. Three days later she confides to Chantalene that the man in her house is not her husband. A concerned Chantalene investigates. While returning home with evidence, a car deliberately runs at her. She is knocked out. When she comes to, the evidence is gone and so is Thelma. While the man who was supposed to be Billy Ray is dead with a bullet in his body someone has kidnapped Thelma and wants the stolen money from a casino robbery over two decades ago in exchange for the kidnap victim. Chantalene doesn't have a clue where the money is or who is holding Thelma.

The heroine of SONG OF THE BONES is a brave and independent woman who will put her own life in danger to save her friend. M.K. Preston is a talented writer who makes a backwater town in rural Oklahoma seem so real, readers will feel they have visited Tetumka. The protagonist marches to her own drummer but endears herself to the audience who sees her as a colorful friend turning this amateur sleuth tale into must reading.

Harriet Klausner

Song of the Bones is the second title in the Chantaline Mystery series. This time out Chantalene's friend, Thelma, enlists her aid (and Chantalene's love interest, Drew) in finding out what happened to her husband, Billy Ray Patterson, who disappeared decades ago. Thelma has no particular interest in finding him; rather, her purpose lies in getting his name off of the title to her property. When a man appeaars on the scene claiming to be Billy Ray, Thelma takes him back, but in less than a week has serious doubts about his identity. Billy Ray's untimely death sets off a series of events resulting in Chantelene's being drawn into a tangled web of double crosses and murder that extend back to the days of Thelma's marriage to Billy Ray. And let's not forget a third party who is stalking Chantalene, convinced that she is a shapeshifter.

The book concludes with a very clever twist concerning Billy Ray's identity. Do you want to know how good this book is? I had to ration the pages, only 50 per day because I wanted it to last. This is a must read.

This anthology is unique in that it includes not only tales, biographies, and wisdom literature, but also contains samples of medical texts, letters, and even "cartoons." By providing such a mixture of writings from ancient Egypt, Parkinson's book is able to offer us a glimpse into the lives of individuals from a wide spectrum of Egyptian society. His translations are accurate, yet he succeeds in capturing the flavor of the time as well. This is that rare combination of a scholarly yet entertaining work. I would recommend it for anyone's library!

I have used this book several times for world and western history courses, and my students have really enjoyed it. The collection has the advantage of having a wide variety of types of sources that portray all aspects of Egyptian life during this period. The selections are lively and very readable. They are also fairly short (sometimes a bonus in students' opinions) but long enough to get a sense of the genre and subject matter of each text. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in ancient Egyptian society in general, and for anyone looking for a good primary source reader in this area for both general, freshmen courses and for upper level courses on Egyptian history.

I really enjoyed reading this selection of ancient Egyptian writings from the Middle Kingdom. Parkinson did an excellent job in editing and writing those opening introductions to each section. I really loved the one on the Maat and the king, though all of them were equally interesting. It's great to read ancient Egyptian writings. It really gives you a feel for what these people thought was important. Lots of small tidbits you would never have thought exixted. An excellent book for all to read, a must for the Egyptologist!

Plains Indian War historian, Jerome A. Greene, has produced another important book to add to his growing body of work. "Washita" proves that Greene is one of our best historians researching and writing today, period. Unlike so many published authors that write from secondary sources, Greene relies principally upon primary sources to tell the story of Lt. Col. George Custer, the 7th Cavalry, and Black Kettle at the Battle of the Washita.

"Washita" begins in Colorado with Greene reciting the story of the Sand Creek Massacre, November 29, 1864, along with its causes and aftermath. We learn how Black Kettle escaped only to die almost four years to the day, November 27, 1868 under similar circumstances at the Washita.

Greene writes with firm yet smooth determination in recounting a complicated story of Indian/White depredations, by both groups, beside the old roads, ranches, and rivers of the American West. There is nothing politically correct in Greene's story - it is a brutally honest and most unprejudiced book written about this dark period of the Indian Wars.

By the time Custer and 11 companies of the 7th Cavalry leave Camp Supply, heading towards the Washita River, on November 23, 1868 Greene has laid out all the reasons why in a succinct but clear interpretation. I love the way Greene writes his stories - he doesn't waste any time. Greene would make a great screenwriter - he draws a clear picture in our mind through his words, the picture is sharp, focused; the plot and the characters, with the different pieces, all come together allowing the viewer (reader) to follow the storyline completely without question.

Greene's story about the Battle of the Washita is told in two parts - the first part is from the army's perspective while part two is told from Indian accounts. If I may use film as an analogy again, "Washita" is somewhat like Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film, "Rashomon" which tells the story of a murder from four eyewitness accounts with each account being somewhat different from each other. One might think that Greene relating the story of the battle this way would make it confusing, however, that is the farthest from the truth.

Greene provides evidence confirming the number of soldier's killed and even the count for Indian dead. He also provides conclusive evidence as to who in Custer's command killed many of the non-combatants - it was mostly the Osage scouts; even after Custer ordered his troops to prevent, "the killing of any but the fighting strength of the village..." before the battle began.

Greene delivers a detailed analysis of the demise of Major Elliott and 17 of his men against Cheyennes, Kiowas, Arapahos, and Kiowa-Apaches - warriors that entered the battle from the downriver villages. Elliott and his troops were cut-off from the main village and the rest of the 7th -- surrounded, outnumbered, and outgunned they reluctantly let go of the horses, lay down in the tall grass in a circle facing outward and gave it their best shot to the last man.

If you are prone to not review endnotes of a book, I highly recommend that you do read those that Greene provides. You will find pertinent information -- all most interesting about the battle. You don't want to miss any of the action! It is in the endnotes where you will learn that Custer had his soldiers retrieve two ponies from the village herd, before all the horses were killed, for each Indian woman prisoner to use on their trip back north.

From the opening of the battle when Custer orders the soldier's dogs killed to ensure silence, to the vexation of the warriors watching hundreds of ponies killed, Greene's account of the Battle of the Washita is told better than all others preceding him. I think it will be a long time before someone else can even possibly come close.

Jerome Greene has just completed the definitive account of the administrative history of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It is currently in review at the National Park Service and will be published soon.

... An excellent book with all the quality, both in terms of literary style and source documentation, that readers have come to expect from Jerry Greene. It goes without saying that this work replaces Stan Hoig's WASHITA that has stood for nearly thirty years as the best volume on this engagement.

Often, when students of the Indian Wars discuss the Washita, it is in terms of viewing it as a "test case" for what Custer was probably trying to achieve at the Little Big Horn eight years later. While that approach has strong merits, it tends to lessen the importance of this battle. This book does allude to Custer and the Little Big Horn but mainly treats the Washita in the full context of the situation on the southern plains from 1867-1869, therefore helping us see this as the historical event that it was in its own right.



Excellent photos included, especially was intrigued by an image that I have not encounterd before, that of Sgt. Major Walter Kennedy (killed at the Washita) when he was a Confederate army officer from Virginia. Despite what old Hollywood movies like to portray, there were actually very few cases of Confederate officers becoming either enlisted men or non-coms in the US Regular Army after the Civil War. For someone interested in the fascinatiing personalities of the 7th Cavalry, there is much here: the tensions between Custer and Benteen, the controversial death of Major Elliott, the death of Captain Lewis Hamilton, (grandson of Alexander Hamilton), the wounding of Barnitz, etc. Greene also engages in a detailed examination of whether the Washita should be termed a "massacre" or a "battle." Much food for thought here, even though many readers (like myself) may respecfully disagree with some of what he says.



From the standpoint of visiting the battlefield, this book contains an ten page appendix that provides very detailed descriptions of what took place at each spot on a numbered map that appears earlier in the book. This map key, as well as this entire book, is indispensible for anyone planning to visit the battlefield, in person and/or through books.

Washita is one of the more controversial battles of the Plains Wars in that there are several aspects that make it unique. What is not unique is the standard approach of attacking native americans in the dead of winter when they were much less mobile and prone to surprise if the attacking force could survive the elements. What makes the battle exceptionally controversial is that Black Kettle of Sand Creek fame and known as a peace chief once again bears the brunt of an attack, which in this case he does not survive. He also was making peace overtures at the time that several young men from many villages and perhaps his own were still making raids. The other ring of controversy is the loss of Major Elliott and his platoon that impulsively chased after escaping villagers too far from support and was annihilated by Indians from neighboring villages. Custer eventually abandoned the field under pressure to save his command but this seemed to aggravate a split in his command since Elliott could not be found. The split was particularly with Captain Benteen who was highly critical and later has a contributory part in Custer's demise at the Little Big Horn, which has more than a touch of irony. Well written and researched by Green, maps are very good and for example demonstrates how young Lt. Godfrey almost made the same mistake as Elliott but was restrained by wiser counsel. Excellent over all view of the Cheyenne with a background on their history as well as a good review of the military situation in Kansas. Good balance although more dicussion on Sand Creek may have been appropriate a new book cast a different opinion on that battle and perhaps recognizing that may have made that section of the book more interesting. This is a good book to buy and keep on the shelf and take with you if you ever get a chance to go in the field and visit the site yourself.

As a history major we read this book, or an excerpt of it, in a class on Vietnam. Two years later I sit down and read it again, and the ties to the political dissidence, confusion and conflict today in Iraq are all too clear. While the contributors at the time were concerned with a conflict in Nicaragua, we are now drawn east. As the United States continues to either openly or covertly work towards the overthrow of governments that do not support it, peace is becoming harder to find. Just as the American public did not agree thirty years ago to its tax dollars being used to fight a war that we cannot win, once again the people of the US are speaking out against a war that cannot be won. This is an amazing book, and a great read. An interesting quote comes from former president George Bush as he says that, "We must ensure that any major foreign policy commitment has the full support and understanding of the American people..." How quickly we forget.

I was a student at Pryor Junior High School when Bill McCloud decided to publish this masterful piece of work. I did not sit in his classroom, I had the other 8th grade history teacher (Mr. D), but I still learned a great deal from Bill McCloud and this book. In fact, I purchased the first copy of this book off the press and the author signed it as such.

Since then I have purchased several copies and gave them to friends who have become history teachers. However, the book helped me to understand not only Vietnam, but war in general. My father and several uncles served in nam, and I hardly knew a thing about the 'conflict' or what they went through until I read this wonderful book. I gained a new respect for my father and all those who served. When my father finally asked me about it (my interest in the book) it opened the discussion between he and I about his time spent in the war and the effects it had. Those conversations were some of the best times I was able to spend with my father.

Thank you, Mr. McCloud once again for your effort and I hope more people will be encouraged to read the responses to this question from some of Americas greatest leaders, and heroes. I rate it a strong buy. If you don't have it in your collection, then your collection isn't complete.

I first came across this book when preparing for a Veteran's Day presentation. As a Vietnam Veteran it was difficult for me to sum up my feelings about that time (my time) in history. I really struggled with what to tell Jr High kids about my experience and war in general. Bill McCloud's efforts to collect and record thoughts from some of the major and minor players of those difficult days in American history was invaluable to me. In my view the book captures the essence of the mood and thoughts regarding the "Vietnam experience."

When the town doctor in tiny Johns Valley, Oklahoma is found strangled to death with his own stethoscope, library volunteer and former schoolteacher Elinor Woodward sets out to crack the case. Life in a small town tends to afford one greater access to major local events, after all, especially if one is a respected former high school English teacher whose ex-students include the police chief, the dispatcher, and basically every other player in the unfolding drama. Lucky for Elinor, the library is also located in the same building as the police station, granting her a unique window into the on-going investigation.

With an adroit insightfulness into the human condition that takes the reader aback more than a few times, author Linda S. Bingham offers up a panoply of suspects, each more interesting and compelling in their complexity than the last. She teases you with them shamelessly, no doubt taking great personal pleasure as you erroneously think you've finally got the twists and turns figured out, and then realize that you don't at all, and will in fact do nothing else in your life until the last page of this delightful mystery is read.

But "Dr. Charley" is not the last victim. A pattern of violence emerges, albeit one that makes little sense to the authorities, who are, of course, always a couple of steps behind Elinor. She is forced to set out to solve the crimes herself, becoming a potential target in the process. Naturally, each new discovery, each nuance, brings the killer a little bit closer to Elinor's own backyard.

And just wait until you learn What the Librarian Heard!

Bingham sprinkles in a bit of intrigue and betrayal to keep the pace moving nicely. By the time she gets to the ending, you are hungry for it, but at the same time decidedly morose that the book is done. Her personal writing style is replete with examples of a unique rustic charm that is appropriate to the characters and plot, but never tiresome. For it is so obvious that she is first and foremost a writer, in the purest sense of the craft. It's a rare joy to read an exceptionally good yarn that is also just so very well written.

It's beyond me why mystery readers would ever try and satisfy themselves with [other author]when they could instead feast on Linda S. Bingham.

I loved this little mystery! I am a Texan and a librarian, so I bought it for myself at the Texas Book Festival in Austin. I think we have found a new author for our library, we are ordering a couple of copies-my own copy is a keeper! I can usually guess the "murderer" before the end-but this one had me fooled. It is too bad it takes you 5 weeks to order it-this gal is great fun!

"Such is the narrowness of human focus that an actual murder in their community paled in comparison to the emotional impact of ...unfaithfulness." This is one of my favorite passages from Linda Bingham's most recent mystery novel,"What the Librarian Heard." Mastering and using all five of her senses in ways most of us cannot, she lovingly unfolds her plot. The style, form and flow of her writing are unprecedented. It would be difficult to pigeon-hole her style of writing. Although her plot is character driven, the dialogue is genuine and impeccable.

Johns Valley, Oklahoma is the lush setting for this character cozy (if you dare attempt labeling) with its Kiamichi mountains "standing guard over their valley like a big-headed sphinx cradling the town with its paws, and tucked into a labyrinth of rich bottom land valleys."

Elinor Woodward and Dot Hardwick, the two spry librarians, will immediately endear themselves to readers with their keen curiosity, wit and kind wisdom that only come from being nearly seventy years old.

Rose and Horace Chandler, Dr. Charley, Leonard Tenkiller, Kate and Shelby Jacks, DeWayne Ratliff and Rusty the dog--are a terrific cast of secondary characters. Linda Bingham takes ordinary people and makes them extraordinary and compelling. She molds the mundane into the magnificent. As the story goes...a small town's library shares quarters with the police station, and the library patrons hear more than they should from time to time. When librarian, Elinor Woodward, hears a police dispatch about a string of violent murders she makes a connection between them and a lost child.

"Librarian" will entertain, yet force self-reflection. You will hold dearly onto each character in the book which will remind you of characters in your own life. Just when you think you have this lush mystery with a hook figured out--you don't. It twists and turns until the very last pages. It was such a pleasure to read.

Excellent edition of the Anabasis.I recommend it to anyone interested in Greek history and literature.The commentaries are informative and really add to the experience.

This is an excellent edition for those who are studying Greek on their own. The Anabasis is a fine second year book because its Greek is easier than the "Apology of Socrates" by Plato. This edition also has grammatical notes and a Greek-English dictionary of all the words you will need for translation. You do not have to spend hours looking them up in the Liddell-Scott lexicon. Also, it lists interesting cognates and borrowings for most words. I strongly recommend this edition for those working on Greek as a hobby or outside of an academic environment.

Mather and Hewitt's edition of the Anabasis is self-contained in a way that very few Greek texts currently in print are: not only does it have a very detailed line-by-line commentary, map and complete vocabulary, it also has a fulsome introduction to Xenophon and the Anabasis, including what the ancients thought of Xenophon, Xenophon's personality and subsequent literary career, and the organization and equipment of the Persian and Greek armies. The introduction and commentary are both pre-multiculturalist and therefore unabashedly discuss such things as the moral lessons to be drawn from the Anabasis, and the Anabasis as a model of democracy. Throughout, the text is furthermore illustrated with delightful little reproductions of Greek and Persian art, technology, monuments, coins, weapons, etc.

And of course, if you're looking to brush up on your Greek without the aid of a classroom and instructor, this edition is a great choice. Not only does it have the advantages enumerated above, but the Anabasis itself is relatively easy and clear Greek with a historical rather than philosophical vocabulary.