Oklahoma Books

Oklahoma Bird Life is a delightful reference. Whenever a pair of birds begins nesting in the yard, I head straight for this book. Oklahoma Bird Life provides info on the birds' range, migration, habitat, # of eggs in a brood, incubation periods, fledge times, and what the birds eat. The narrative stories make reading about the birds a pleasure. For example, the authors tell a wonderful story about Carolina Chickadees in their own yard. The color plates and numerous photos bring the book to life and help with identification. While I live in Georgia, Oklahoma Bird Life includes most species of birds, and I am never disappointed.

The information in Oklahoma Bird Life enabled us to postpone a roofing job for 2 weeks to allow robins to fledge. I highly recommend Oklahoma Bird Life to people who enjoy learning about birds. It is much better than a list of facts, as the stories make it so delightful.

I enjoy Terry Griffith books about Oklahoma City. His books are primarily photographs but sometimes a picture can tell a story more than words. I wish there were more books by him on the rest of Oklahoma.

Wonderful photo collage of Oklahoma City. This book is jam packed with great historical photos of Oklahoma City. As a lifelong resident of 54 years I was pleased to see pictures of many places I remember from my childhood. My parents are in their 80's now and they were so thrilled with this book they couldn't put it down. So many pictures of the places they knew and loved! Each photo is accompanied by an informative summary. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in knowing the history of Oklahoma City and to longtime residents like myself. Jill Winkler Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

After hundreds of calls, Arcadia Publishing has decided to re-print Oklahoma City:Statehood to 1930.

Everybody loves animals and stories and picture books, so what's not to like about Oklahoma City Zoo: 1902--1959? Zoo naturalist educator, Amy Dee Stephens, has put together a delightful collection of stories and pictures about some of the zoo's most colorful creatures. Her project began as an attempt to uncover information about the zoo's past for use in publicizing the zoo's centennial. Soon a dozen or more docents were involved in searching old newspapers, the archives of the Oklahoma Historical Society and antique stores.

The research began to reveal a quaint and colorful array of unlikely stories of animals gone AWOL, animals purchased with pennies, and animals given as gifts. Children and other animal lovers were an important part of the menagerie, participating in the rescue, selection, purchase, and naming of some of the zoo's most famous citizens.

Selected as an Oklahoma Centennial Project, Oklahoma City Zoo: 1902--1959, will take you back to those years when a trip to the zoo was considered wildly exciting entertainment.

This is probably the best, and certainly the most accurate, book ever written about the oil patch. It is set early in the 20th century during the oil boom in the Oklahoma "channel sands." Yet, this story could just as easily been set just about anywhere oil fever hit- and the Rockefellers got there claws into it.

Firstly, this is a novel about the indomitable will of one woman who refuses to keep anyone and anything from keeping her from bringing in her wildcat well: not a nere-do-well father, not romance, not sexist oil men and bankers, not Rockfeller thugs.

Yet, it is the secondary theme of what the oil patch was really like that steals the show. The technical details are all correct, as are the labor conditions and political climate (Rockefeller WAS the government.) Indeed the shere ruthlessness of the times is perfectly captured- you get one chance to do "business" with Standard Oil, after that your rights, and your life, weren't worth a plug nickel.

The author, also wrote the excellent screenplay for the movie that starred George C. Scott and Jack Palance. Strangely that film is impossible to find these days. In fact, this excellent book didn't even go to paperback. It was written around the time of the great "oil crisis" of 1973. It is almost like someone doesn't want the true story of the American oil industry brought to light....

This book gives you a game by game account, with stats, of every game the Oklahoma Sooners played from 1970 all the way through 1979!! A MUST have book for the true Sooner fan!
I GUARANTEE YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I DO!!
By the way when amazon asked me too rate this book in either 1 to five stars..I LIED!!! THIS BOOK IS 10 STARS!!

This really is a great book, it really goes farther than many depression era historical books to put you into the situations faced by those living "below the standard".

If you want to feel the depression Grapes of Wrath style first hand, I know of no better book

This is a very well written book. Keith gives great detail to each game from 1895 until 1920 and all the hardships of life in those times for the University's players and others. My all-time favorite football book!

If you are an Oklahoma football fan, this book is a must for you Harod Keith tells the story as if you are right there during the first 25 years of Oklahoma football. Harold was the Oklahoma sports publicist during the Bud Wilkinson football era, the 1950s, etc. Lots of local and period color in the story telling. I used it often during the time I was a sports editor in Oklahoma and also as an Oklahoma historian. I have had a copy of this book I have kept for decades and got another one through Amazon. - Mort Scott, writer