Idaho Books

Madsen(the foremost authority on the Shoshoni and Bannock Indians of Idaho and Utah) here gives us a portrait of the real Chief. According to Madsen, Pocatello was simply a Chief who was interested in feeding his people and making peace with the white man. While it is true that Pocatello led many raids on wagon trains most notable at Massacre Rock, Madsen says that he was credited with many more raids than he was actually involved in. Madsen also sets for the many fanciful tales that the anti-Pocatello media attributed to him. But the thing that Pocatello is most famous for is the small Idaho town that has his name.

I read this as part of my university study on the Owyhee Region. Its a great way to learn about some of the recent local history and politics of SW Idaho. It's also a window into grassroots environmentalism, land management and the EIS process. So if any of those topics interest you, I recommend this book.

Good accounting of a very well keep secrete. The Story must be told! It is an outstanding example of a site where the conflickt between American Indians and the U.S. Army resulted in the massacre of an entire village of Indian People.

If you want to know how Idaho is assembled geologically, this is for you. It is the most readable book on the topic and more complete than other tomes. I strongly recommend it for the amateur geologist.

This book shows what it is like to be in the middle of a firestorm in the wilderness. The people who were floating the river did nothing wrong, they were just caught in a bad situation. By not panicking, they were able to survive. There is also some education about the long-term effects of a forest fire.

Would have liked a little more detail on bank fishing. Other then that a great book.

This is from the same publisher I've used for several multi-week trips (including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming). While I usually look at 2 - 4 guide books before or during the trip, this one seems to get used most often while actually driving. I have found it's format very useful. I like it since it let's you see at a glance what sort of things are in a given area of the state and what might be worthwhile going out of the way to visit. Very few of the "highlights" or "must see's" were wrong (well, OK, the Purple Cow restaurant in Montana should NOT rate as a "must see" - that's the only dud I've found).

There are only two significant negatives: it can miss some sites that would be worth seeing and it's not very good on camping information. But how could they possibly cover EVERYHTING in a book this size (for more depth, the "Moon Handbook" series of travel books can't be beat). In other words, they don't always list _all_ the good restaurants, just a couple. They might only mention one or two camping grounds, when there are several nearby that are as good or better... but it's an excellent starting point.

Two minor points: They tend to be a little on the "happy" side in their reviews and sometimes a little more directions (besides the address) are needed since you can't always have _detailed_ maps for every area in the state.

The series tends to be a little more positive than the "Moon Handbook" or "Hidden" guides tend to be. I suspect part of it is that they don't have room to cover the "bad places" to visit, but part is a little more just being nice (i.e., they don't mention the parking is bad or you have to pay separately for drinks).

On the other hand, it does have a couple of good recommendations for contacts / outfitters for outdoor activities related to a given town/area. It also has useful, but brief information on the restaurants, hotels, and attractions.

This is a well researched and informative work. However, Bigler's thesis and conclusions are somewhat tenuous and not always fully supported by the facts. Bigler's premise that the Mormon "theocracy" was bound to have a run in with the United States sooner or later is probably accurate. However, he reaches beyond the mark in asserting that Brigham Young and his cohorts actively brought about the Utah War in 1857 through their attempts to immediately establish an independent kingdom seperate from the United States. In addition, his conclusion that the Bannock raid on Fort Limhi in February 1858 marked a quantum shift in Young's Utah War policy may also be stretching the facts somewhat, although the occurance no coubt limited Mormon options for a retreat northward. In short, this is a wonderful source for facts about a little known occurence in Mormon history which no doubt played an important part in the Utah War...but take Bigler's premises with caution.

I first selected to read this book because I was on assignment to select and report on a book based on a subject convered in my college Agro-Ecology class. What I found was a new perspective of these amazing people known as "Okies" from the perspective of one among them in the fruit trees of America. The touching stories, informative history, and beautiful photography touched my heart. The book was well thoughtout, written, and developed. I am truely thankful for the enlightenment this book has brought to my mind and heart concerning this fasintating culture which is disappearing. I am grateful for this preservation of the thoughts and ideas of this people for future generations when the life syle of these people have finaly slipped into pure history.

If you love the Tetons of Wyoming or have ever climbed with Exum Guides, then you'll enjoy this book. Filled with wonderful photos from a by-gone period of Teton climbing (when you just tied in around your waist) and funny stories from one of the men who created Teton climbing, this book will make you chuckle and impress you with the simple humor and ease of Glenn Exum. If you're looking for a detailed story of the early years of Teton climbing, this is not the book for you. It gives you a view through Exum's own eyes, but that's pretty interesting. It's worth the cost just for the photos alone.