Missouri Books

Gingher had an earlier memoir called "A Girl's Life: Horses, Boys, Weddings and Luck." It was more like a group of essays without a central theme, but all of them were smart and beautifully written. This book is a true memoir, with the theme of becoming a writer, from childhood, to when she got her first book written and published, and it follows Gingher all the way into her marriage to a husband(now ex) who was jealous of her devotion to her writing, and even more when she got published. She has children, they are wonderful, they are exhausting, and they also get in the way of her writing, but she finds a way. It's all so real. There are lyrical passages in this book, and a kind of warmth and good will and generous view of the life of a Southern woman that make this much more than the usual "grits and grandmama and ain't life hell and I've been through it..." kind of thing you often read. It really is a great book--really, I'm not kidding. (It also has cartoon-like illustrations by the author Daniel Wallace that are hilarious and dead on.)

Kindle is bound to attract a lot of cheap and terribly formatted books. Watch out for them. This book is a clear exception.

It seems that all too often literary classics are hashed out by major publishing companies who operate under the belief that simply because a book is well known it is no longer necessary to manufacture it with care. I am happy that such a wonderful work of literature (this was the first great American novel after all!) was well formatter, with care that gives due respect to the outstanding quality of the text. A Fantastic bargain.

I was having a difficult time finding books that were not too babyish for my 9 year-old. He has a reading difficulty and was reluctant to read most of the easy reader books that are out there. I found these for christmas and he really likes them. I highly reccomend these books for any child.

Our 4 year old son is captivated by the storyline and sits contently for the telling of the whole story. Well written interpretation of the classic story in a condensed and easy to understand form.

I am a firm believer that young people should read as many of the classics as possible, preferably in their original form. However, the realist in me understands that appealing to modern children often means that modern techniques must be used. This book uses simpler and more modern language to tell the story of Tom, Huck and Becky.
None of the charm and humor of the original story is lost. It is still exciting; there is still the thrill of boys carrying out a great adventure and slowly, despite all their attempts to avoid it, growing up. There are many illustrations, which are minimally drawn in black and white, yet give more life to the story.
This book would be an appropriate selection for classes of young people where the assignment is to read this great and exciting classic adventure.

What a wonderful, yet painful collection of memories that one mother kept of her first son. This was one of those books that you don't put down until you finish. Whether you are a mother, or just want to know what it feels like to be one, you have got to read this memoir

With a wit similar to Dorothy Parker, and a unique personality all her own, Pauline Avery Crawford was one the more interesting American women during World War II. Robertson does an excellent job atpresenting her spirit as well as her paranoia, and in drawing a complex portrait of a very strong-willed and brilliant woman. Highly recommended! Her poetry is not to be missed.

In The American Way of Peace, Jan S. Prybyla traces the implementation of an idea derived from bedrock American values that has shaped the American character from the nation's beginning. The idea-simple, generous, optimistic, and effective-was and remains to give people realizable hope, an attainable dream, by creating a peaceful, secure, and materially comfortable world, a Pax Americana, the American Way of Peace.

In the period surveyed, beginning with the end of World War II, this objective was achieved through American initiative and with American leadership, despite resistance from Nazi barbarism, Soviet serfdom, and, more recently, Islamic extremist inhumanity. There has also been opposition from some of those in the western confines of Europe whom Pax Americana helped raise from the ashes to which they had been reduced.

The American Way of Peace examines the work of reconstruction, the enemy bombardment, as well as the hurtful sniping along the way by the beneficiaries of American support. Prybyla recommends a reevaluation of American relations with those to whom friendship is but a utilitarian device, in light of the present eruption of terrorism worldwide. The need for America to act wisely and resolutely in defense of civilized values, to stem the third tidal wave of terrorist savagery, and to venture where others fear to tread is more compelling now than it has been in the six decades past, for today America's very survival as a force for immense good in the world is being put to the test.

About the Author
Jan S. Prybyla is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pennsylvania State University, President of the Conference on European Problems, and Adjunct Faculty member of the Foreign Service Institute at the U. S. Department of State. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Market and Plan under Socialism: The Bird in the Cage and Reform in China and Other Socialist Economies.

Really a great book on a most deserving subject. St. Louis was famous at the turn of the century for its Private Steets, New Orleans imitated this with the spectacular Audubon Place and Houston had Courtland Place. This book has wonderful images and the text is scholarly, honestly if you have any interest in beautiful homes or just love first rate books, then you will not be disappointed.

At the crossroads of America, the town of Arrow Rock was established in Missouri's Boonslick region where Indian traces, the Santa Fe Trail, and the Missouri River converge. Michael Dickey, the site administrator at the Arrow Rock State Historic Site, provides a rich narrative of Arrow Rock's rise in politcal and economic prowess, its decline after the Civil War, and its rebirth in the twenty century as a major historic site visited by nearly 200,000 people annually. Dickey's work is the most comprehensive history of Arrow Rock ever published and will stand as the primary reference for years to come. This statement is supported by the fact that he was given the Governor's Humanities Award by the Missouri Humanities Council in November of 2005 for his publication as a significant achievement in recording Arrow Rock's diverse heritage.

Dickey's narrative is divided into seven chapters, providing a detailed history of Arrow Rock within a broader framework of time and place. The first chapter begins in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with the Missouri and Osage Indians and their initial contact with the French and ends with the Louisanna Purchase. This is followed by a section on the first American settlers and their conflict with Native Americans, culminating with the War of 1812. During this period, he highlights the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the creation of Boone's Lick, the Arrow Rock Bluff, and Sibley's Fort, an Osage trading house. Chapter three, "Taking Up the Land," dicusses the wave of American settlers after the War of 1812, the establishment of the Arrow Rock ferry, the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, and then the establishment of Arrow Rock, as a polical, commerical, and agricultural center in central Missouri. Chapter four highlights Arrow Rock's civic and cultural institutions, including churches, fraternal organizations, schools, and businesses, like the Huston Tavern. Chapter five focuses on the major players in Arrow Rock's history including Dr. John Sappington, who popularization the use of quinine to cure malaria, the political prowess of the Sappington family, which included three Missouri Governors, George Caleb Bingham, Missouri's famous nineteenth century artist, and John Sites, Arrow Rock's gunsmith. The sixth chapter provides an excellent summary of the pre-Civil War tension on slavery in Saline County, the harshness of the Civil War, and the postbellum reconstruction, which includes the establishment of African-American community in Arrow Rock. The final chapter highlights the town's transformation into a historic site and the beginning of heritage tourism.

The major strength of Dickey's work is that it combines primary and secondary resources, oral histories, maps, and archaeological research to tell Arrow Rock's story. In particular, this volume is filled with direct quotes from the people that actually lived and died in and around Arrow Rock, offering a rich insight into the mindset of the past. Supplementing this text are approximately 100 illustrations, including historic prints and images that have never been published previously.

The concluding chapter, which covers most recent history of Arrow Rock, lacks the same depth of insight as previous chapters. It would have been nice to read the preservation history through the personal accounts of the Daughters of American Revolution, the Missouri State Parks, or the Friends of Arrow Rock officers and members, who were instrumental in transforming this village into a National Landmark Site in 1963. What did these organizations say or do that had such great figures as President Harry S. Truman willing to serve as a trustee for the Friends of Arrow Rock or Bess Truman, Patricia Nixon, and Jacqueline Kennedy to contribute recipes for the Arrow Rock cookbook? What made Arrow Rock so important to these people that they wanted to save and celebrate this town's heritage? Dickey provides part of the answer with his publication - Arrow Rock's rich history.

Overall, this publication had few weaknesses and those that exist were caused by the lack of primary documents. For example, prominent, Euroamerican men were frequently highlighted in this history (e.g, John Sappington, George Caleb Bingham), with women, minorities, and children spoken of in less detail. Despite this criticism, Dickey does give some insight into this neglected history, including the gender roles of women during the Civil War as they operated both the house and farm activities (p. 231), the struggle of post-Civil War African-Americans to obtain their own homes and to create their own community (pp. 249-253), and children's activities and games (pp. 136-137). Future research is still needed to expand on these forgotten persons to tell the whole story of Arrow Rock.

Dickey's work was partially funded by the State Historical Society of Missouri through a Richard S. Brownlee Fund Grant and published by the Friends of Arrow Rock, Inc. The latter is Arrow Rock's local historical society, established in 1859 to help preserve and interpret the town's heritage. The quaility of this publication is on the same level as many academic presses. This is truly amazing, since this town only has about 70 people. Despite the town's small size, the Friends of Arrow Rock have been from their inception a pioneer and model for historic preservation in Missouri. This latest publication continues this great stewardship of past.