Wyoming Books

Along the Powder River in Wyoming the cowboys' strike for better conditions has failed and now cattle are being rustled and men are disappearing, presumed killed. The law can't find the answers. Clint Adams, The Gunsmith, rides in a saves the beautiful young daughter of the strike leader from being hurt by a group of toughs. Now Adams is caught up in the mystery of the missing cattle and once legendary range detective Heck Thomas joins the hunt the odds start looking better for the cowboys...

Once more a Gunsmith book that has Clint Adams meeting up with a real person from the history of the American West. Although both Adams and Heck Thomas are in the book from almost the word go it isn't until near the end that they meet face to face to finally solve the case of the missing cowboys.

The book is told in the usual fast paced style with very little scene description, the author preferring to stay with the characters and their movements.

Like most Gunsmith books I've read there's little action until the end, but the book builds up well to this final confrontation.

A worthy entry into the Gunsmith series.

Humor abounds in this collection of Wyoming historical trivia. J.J. Hammond tells it like it was from before the time Wyoming Territory became a state until the near present. A few of the many questions answered include: In which Wyoming mountain range have rubies, sapphires, jasper and a 200-pound jade specimen been found? In which county did the last Indian battle take place? Where is the town of Purple Sage? Three states fought long and hard over which river water? Which mountain range has a French name that means "big belly?" Which national monument features the richest fossil deposits in the world? And which Wyoming newspaper auctioned off its first copy for $10 in 1898? The cover of this delightful book is a photo of "Liver Eating" Johnson's gravesite in Cody, Wyoming.

Cattle Kate (Ella Watson) was the only woman ever hanged in Wyoming. For years afterward the history books portrayed her as a wanton hussy who traded her favors to lonely passers-by while shamelessly rustling their cattle in the meantime. Hufsmith, however, has done an incredible amount of research to prove that such was not the case. In fact, claims Hufsmith, Ella was never called Cattle Kate before her unfortunate demise. That moniker was rustled(sorry) up by a Cheyenne newspaper editor who was in cahoots with the wealthy rancher who wanted Ella's land bad enough to kill her for it and make up a pack of lies about her which have survived until today. Another fascinating mystery in Wyoming history, which unfortunately, has never drawn the attention that the other mystery--that of Tom Horn-has garnered throughout the historical community. Read Hufsmith's book. Analyze both sides of the "Cattle Kate" story. What do you think really went on?

This book is a fascinating study of the origins of the place names in Wyoming. You can study the origins and history behind just about every place in Wyoming. I am a WY native, and I didn't know the origins of some of the place names in this book!

Yes, this is a source book. The bibliography alone is worth the price with 271 entries. Ever wonder what happened to Tom Horn, or where the world's first fossil of Triceratops was discovered? Each page of this wonderful book was a surprise even though I was born in Wyoming and am somewhat familiar with the state. I admit I didn't know the three most deadly highways, the number of reported rapes in 1988, or the trona production from 1950. I have always been proud to have been born in the Equality State but, even so, was surprised by the comparable worth stats. Maps, all types of charts, pictures, and drawings lay out a plethora of facts and interesting, informative bits covering health, politics, topography, economy, conservation, education, and much more. If abandoned settlements is your shtick, see the map on page 314. This is definitely a book for researchers but I really enjoy finding some of the weird stuff hidden amongst the stats such as how much Butch Cassidy netted in the Tipton train robbery and what the Colorado Cannibal preferred for dinner. Only 4 stars? Even researchers like color. Thanks guys-

I love the work of Henry Holdsworth. For almost seven years I've had a 20 by 30-inch print by him hanging on my wall. It shows a herd of bison moving up an S-shaped creek bed in Yellowstone Park in a snowstorm. The colors are muted and condensed into a narrow range of light that provides a subtle contrast to the huge beasts. A similar picture appears on the cover of Holdsworth?s portfolio of pictures of the wildlife of Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

The pictures in the book cover the full range of animals that dwell in the two parks and surrounding area. Although most of the pictures show the dominant wildlife forms like buffalo, moose and elk, there are also pictures of other less frequently seen animals like grosbeaks and mountain lions. And apparently, in those few cases where Holdsworth did not have an image that satisfied his vision, he included the pictures of other photographers.

Holdsworth is not afraid to put principal players into a subordinate position in a picture to tell a story. I was particularly impressed by his treatment of wolves. There are some good close-ups, but I really found the picture of a bull elk in the fog with the vague outlines of five wolves at a greater distance, just barely visible in the thick grass and fog, to be quite an effective story teller. Another picture of a line of wolves making their way through the snow and pines of the Lamar Valley tells a dramatic story even though there is no prey in sight.

Holdsworth loves to take pictures under difficult conditions. Many of the pictures show animals in the steam that erupts from inside the earth in Yellowstone, but the photographer also captures foggy, misty days and animals surviving in a snowy landscape. In many of these pictures the range of light is greatly subdued.

Unfortunately this style may also be Holdsworth's greatest weakness, for commercial purposes. The current trend in outdoor photography is highly saturated pictures with the full range of tones from the most impenetrable blacks to eye-dazzling whites. Some of this is the legacy of Ansel Adams, and modern-day photographers like Art Wolfe. Some of this is the result of the ability to manipulate the image in digital programs, like Photoshop. But Holdsworth seems to have rejected this style to follow his own path. At first I thought that this was a result of the printers' lack of art. However, the few pictures in the book that are more in keeping with current sensibilities convinced me that this limited range of light was a conscious style decision that the photographer had reached. Whether you like it or not depends on your own aesthetic.

Even if this is not your style, the animal pictures are wonderful enough in form that nature lovers will appreciate this book. And lovers of Yellowstone and Grand Teton will treasure this book.

This book gives you a month-by-month view of what life is like in southern Wyoming with regards to the author's interaction with the natural world around him. It is presented as excerpts from a personal journal. His eye for detail really helps paint a "word-picture" of what he was seeing take place around him. I especially enjoyed Mr. Howe's anecdotes of the people he has known or come in contact with over the years and their unique stories. Some descriptions had almost too many adjectives for me but it was easy to move on the next entry to find something of more personal interest. Even though it is not written from a religous viewpoint Mr. Howe does a great job of helping you see the beauty and wonder of God's creation and nature's "cycle of life."

Dennis Coupland's Miss Wyoming was not at all what I expected, but it was well worth the wild read. Part social commentary on the cult of celebrity and part gonzo Hollywood buddy book, this is a fun story that has some very poignant moments. From the aging movie producer in recovery to the crazy mom of the former child beauty queen, the characters are well-drawn.

The locations lack detail and panache, but the real story here is the people. This book leaves you wanting just a little bit more.

Whatever Miss Wyoming is--a publishing-quota filler, a bout of writer's block, evidence of exhaustion (the man is prolific)--the writing is not representative of the writer.
Why's it stink? Well, mostly because it's just lazy, and ill-conceived. Coupland spends these 311 pages taking aim at the easiest target, Hollywood phonies, filling Miss Wyoming with insufferably obnoxious characters and their tirades of referential dialogue. Normally in his books, this character/type is the exception, a trivial anomaly who's mostly there to mock. Here, though, they're the rule, and there's not one tolerable character because of it. Even the two "heroes" are tossed off, lame approximations of outsider underdogs. The writing is weak too, bereft of Coupland's usual incisive wit and shrewd perception, instead given to sassiness and stupid similes. The book at times even verges on self-parody (Chapter Four), where the prose is so stereotypically rote it could have been spat out from a machine, or a beginning college creative writer.
Anyway, Douglas Coupland is a great author. Almost all of his other work is gold-plated gold. This is his dud. All authors have them; so be it. Read literally any other of his works.

If you are addicted to reading the tabloids then you'll love this book. If you're looking for depth, and intellectual stimulation stay away!

I hated it, then I was indifferent, then I briefly liked it, now I'm indifferent. I think I agree with the other posters who said the characters were not well developed. It's one of those works where you shouldn't think too much; otherwise you'll spoil it for yourself and the author. At the end of the day, if a novel brings me to Amazon to read other reviews, it must deserve at least 3 stars.

Would you be seriously interesting in knowing who Miss Wyoming is? No.
So why read this book?

Looks like a must have. Very slow, not compelling, too easy to put aside for something better. Not his best book.

Okay, I will admit that I was born in Wyoming and know the area of this story quite well. That said, I really appreciated Trevanian's portrayal of this isolated town, so close to the site of the the famous Owen Wister's VIRGINIAN. As always, he tells a gripping tale. The characters are stereotypic yet unforgettable.

I loved Tevanian's "Shibumi," and as I have often found that a good author is worth following, I have tried two other of his books: "The Main," and this one. And sadly, I have been profoundly disappointed by both.

I have no idea what Trevanian's purpose was in writing this novel. Was he trying a deconstruction of the Western genre, a la Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven?" Was he trying to make some strange point regarding the Western in general? What purpose did he possibly think he was serving by presenting us with all these unpleasant characters in a profoundly unpleasant situation? And then (sorry for the spoiler, folks) putting on a depressing ending to boot? I am utterly baffled.

I must add that I am further suspicious of Trevanian's motives; part of the way through this (very short) book, I began to suspect that he was sneering down his nose at all us American Western-lovers (I, by the way, am not a very big fan of Westerns [e.g., my favorite film "Western" is either "Little Big Man," or "The Shootist," neither of which can really be considered conventional westerns]--and I got a very strong impression that he was condescending to us to write a "literary" Western novel. Whatever the hell that is.)

In any even, I cannot recommend this book. The characters are unpleasant. The plot is unpleasant. The outcome is unpleasant. And the miasma of authorial sneering (for me) hung over the entire novel. I would give this one a firm miss.

I picked up this book because many years ago I read Shibumi and while I can't remember enough of that novel to write a review for it, I can remember that it was a very good action/adventure/thriller type novel. I have never been interested in the Western genre, but since I knew I liked the author here, I thought I'd give it a try.

The problem with reviewing this book is that I'm not familiar with Western's so I have nothing to compare it too. From my perspective, this book was all right, but not really my cup of tea. Is that because I don't like the genre or because it wasn't done as well as the normal Western? I have no idea. I will say I enjoyed the historical aspect of the book and I really liked reading the after word in which Trevanian tells what happened to the characters in real life after the adventure/tragedy that came into their lives.

I'd recommend this book to someone interested in Western's, even though it's not Trevanian's normal territory, it's a well written book (albeit a bit slow and laborious at times) and because the book is based on real events, it's historically interesting even though much of it is conjecture. I do think it would make a very good movie, if cast and adapted correctly, simply because the story is pretty straight forward, main action all happens in the course of just a few days, and the bad guy is evil enough and interesting enough to grab and hold interest.

I am not one for westerns, but Mr. Trevanian has outdone himself with this one! It grabs you from the beginning with a Hanibal Lecteresque character escaping from jail. You keep waiting for him to arrive at Twenty Mile.

Meanwhile in Twenty Mile we are introduced to the inhabitants of the town. All of them are basically "losers" that are trapped in a dying town, left over from the silver craze. Each is trapped because of personal problems. Along comes Matthew, a young man with a lot of energy and a gift for conning people, but in a nice way. Little by little Mathew wins the good graces of most of the townsfolk and we get to find out that maybe some of them really aren't "losers" after all.

Mr. Trevanian seems to be extremely talented multi-dimensional writer as the style of this book is so different from other works I have read (The Eiger Sanction and The Summer of Katya). But each book I have thoroughly enjoyed.

This book will convince you that insomnia isn't all that bad a thing.

Which is worse: a megalomaniac or someone pulling the strings who doesn't even know he's doing it? Lethem will have you scratching your head continuously as you try to figure out the meaning of this (pick a genre so long as "strange" is part of the description) book.

It seems the consensus of reviewers is that there is a weak ending. Add my vote to that tally. This is a weird book which is fine; but coupling it with a non-existent finish does a disservice to the reader.

This is a road story where the main character leaves his town in Wyoming to find his identity and answers to key questions that churn over & over in his mind. It all sounds straight ahead, simple, but there's been an apocalyptic event some indeterminate time ago that has changed the face of the USA; the town he's leaving is full of mutants; he leaves with one of them, a girl covered in fur; his dreams suggest that he's not who he thinks he is and others can see his dreams when they sleep nearby. The story hooked me early.

On their travels Chaos and the girl, Melinda, encounter widely different communities - aside from the mutant town, there's one encased in a green fog, another where government officials star in their own TV show and also police the community...all of which seem to be conjured by those in the community that have the ability to broadcast their dreams to the masses around them. Is Letham commenting on how people can be brainwashed and controlled by those with power? Some of the communities are cult-like, with inhabitants doing as they are told by their demi-god.

No-one seems clear on the nature of the "disaster" that led to this post-apocalyptic world or at what point in time it occurred. There is no shared reality on this point beyond acceptance that a disaster of some sort happened. This makes the book intriguing, especially in a time where we all accept that we're waging a "war on terror". Even if we can't define the scope of what that encompasses, we accept that it needs to be done. It is one shared reality in my world.

This book made me think about how we become communities, how we arrive at shared values, how we are governed/controlled, the power of "group-think" & how much we are prepared to accept at face-value without questioning. The story may seem slight, more novella than novel, but it's thought-provoking if you let your mind play with the ideas.

I've read most of Lethem's novels and all of them are different, so you never know what to expect. And most of them are pretty good, especially _Motherless Brooklyn_ and _The Fortress of Solitude_. Lethem is obviously getting better and better as he goes along -- which may explain some of my dissatisfaction with this one, which was his second effort. It's a post-holocaust story, though it never becomes clear what the holocaust actually consisted of; various characters have differing memories of what happened. Chaos -- whose real name may, or may not, be Everett -- is living in an abandoned multiplex in a small desert town, dividing his time between drinking and dreaming contagious dreams. Circumstances lead him to leave, taking with him a thirteen-year fur-covered girl named Melinda. Their subsequent travels lead them to a settlement high in the mountains that is blinded by some sort of green fog, then to Vacaville, California, where the survivors change houses twice a week and maintain order and curb antisocial behavior by writing each other tickets. They end up in San Francisco, where Chaos/Everett apparently came from originally. Through all of it, his dreams impinge on the sleep of those around him. And at that point, a little over halfway through, I have to confess I lost what little interest I had been able to maintain and withdrew my bookmark. I hate not finishing a book. More than that, I resent it. Especially when the author, like Lethem, has proved his bona fides.

In 1971, Ursula Le Guin wrote the short novel, _Lathe of Heaven_ in which George Orr's "effective dreaming" tranforms reality in just the arational way you'd expect from the subconscious. Le Guin's novel ends with "the break," an event that changes reality in contradictory and chaotic ways. In both content and form, Lethem's novel feels like a sequel to that novel. Chaos, Everett, Moon--whatever name you go by--lives in a world permanently and madly altered by effective dreaming. The difference is that the talent was unique in _Lathe of Heaven_. In _Amnesia Moon_ dreaming transforms reality locally, producing overlapping and confusing realities. In this case, the aftermath proves less interesting than an inciting incident deep in the background of the Lethem's novel. Though ably written, _Amnesia Moon_ is ultimately less satisfying than Le Guin's work, a less exciting and less interesting continuation. By itself, the novel is compelling enough, but juxtaposed with Le Guin, it seems mere fluff.

Sometimes I find myself reading the old Philip K. Dick books and thinking: Where did Dick get these ideas? Were they transmitted to him from an alien satellite brain (or Vast Active Living Intelligent System)? Who's picking up those transmissions now?

Here's the answer. Except for the 1990s references, this book could easily have been written by Dick himself. (There is a brief reference to Dick's DR. BLOODMONEY at a San Francisco cocktail party). This book bespeaks an enormous freedom of imagination: "something" has happened, nobody knows what (shades of Delany's DHALGREN), but afterwards some are "dreamers" able to construct oneiric "Fictitious Subjective Realities," and others are trapped in these FSRs. The narrator Chaos (or Everett) and his sidekick, the furry little girl Melinda, travel through a variety of these dreams, from the postapocalyptic wasteland of Hatfork, Wyoming, to the zombified media-slave suburbia of Vacaville, to the fog-shrouded Oedipal struggles of San Francisco. to the wars with the alien hives in LA.

This book is truly an explosion of creative promise, drawing out those threads first revealed in Lethem's short stories in CRANK! and elsewhere. I'm eager to pick up more old Lethem SF, before he caved to the exigencies of verbosity for mainstream acceptance.