Montana Books

Even though I know all the writers of this book, I'm still NOT biased when I say that Scotts, et al book has changed interpretation dramatically on the Little Bighorn fight. Having worked at the Little Bighorn Battlefield as an interpreter in 1985, I personally know how this interpretation changed, i.e. before the archaeological digs of 1984-85, most of us believed that Custer's men fell mostly to arrows. We now know that the U.S. soldier's were outgunned, thanks to this field work and as reported in the book. Since Scott's final report, headstones on the battlefield marking where "unknown soldier's" fell have been replaced by actual names, e.g. Mitch Bouyer. This reality came to place thanks to the forensic work of Dr. Clyde Snow (his complete report is included in this book). Finally, Scott and his team create a vivid picture of where the Indian warriors moved over the battlefield fighting for their families down the hill and across the river.

Unlike the famous areas of the West, Arkansas has very few great vistas from which to photograph. The views here are smaller, more subtle. Tim Ernst has captured many great images of Arkansas, from the well-known parks and views to the wilderness areas that few have seen. This is a must book for anyone who loves photograpy.

Spirit World: The Assiniboines believed that the spirits of the dead journeyed toward the east. Jame Larpenteur Long tells the account of his grandfather's journey: "In the lodge where my grandfather lay ill with the disease, two other members of the family were dead and their bodies were left where they died. Many families fled to other parts of the country. Grandfather was so near death that the surrounds did not matter a great deal. He said, `I was very ill, but I noticed that a person looked in and perhaps thought the three of us dead. He secured the doorway, piled objects against it, and closed up the smoke hole.' `Some time after that, I seemed to fall asleep, and the next thing I knew, I was outside, walking toward where the sun rises. I traveled along a narrow path that seemed to be on an upgrade. After going in that direction for some time, I cam to where a man sat with his back to me. When he turned around, I recognized him as a person who had died some time before.' The man said, `Perhaps you want to know where your folks live. I will tell you. There is a large encampment over the hill, and the lodge painted blue belongs to your parents.' When I entered the lodge, I saw my father and mother there. My father was busy with some wood he was shaving. My mother, too, was busy at some task.' With a smile, I said to them: `I had no trouble to find your lodge.' My mother did not seem to hear me, but my father looked up and stared at me without any sign that he recognized me. I became uneasy, and hesitated to take my usual place in their lodge. After a time I went out and looked around from some attempted to talk to them, but each time I was not answered. I finally retraced my steps and knew I was on the right path, because I came back to the place where the man sat. He spoke: `You did not stay long, my friend; perhaps someone has come to take you back.' I do not remember if I made any answer. I hurried back along the trail and arrive at our lodge. The entrance was barred and I said to myself, `How can I go in through the smoke hole, the poles are too close together there.' Then a voice awakened me, it was my sister's. She said: `My brother, you are alive, your eyes are open. She told me how they decided to flee to some other part, as did others, and she had said to them: `For the last time I want to see the body of my brother.' `That was how she found me, and through her I recovered.'

Buffalo Legend: A very large herd of buffaloes crossed the Missouri River at the mouth of the Little Porcupine Creek and were moving north up that creek. The leaders were already so far ahead that they looked about the size of dogs. Across the river the rear ones could not be seen, so many were there in the herd. If the ones in sight had been counted, the number would easily have reached one thousand. The buffaloes had separated into small groups of ten to fourteen, and when I go to them, hunters were already amongst the herd and a chase was on here and there.

A small group of cows and bulls ran out of a coulee and I took after them. Right away I knew the horse was a trained buffalo runner. His ears were continually moving about and watched the group ahead.

In a short time I caught up to them, but I hadn't taken my gun out. I stck the gun under my belt and was carrying it crossways with the stock at my right.

Without warning a bull jump right in front of my horse and the horse being experienced, was out of the way in a flash, but I was pitched of and landed across the hump and behind the horns of the bull. He gave a snort and reared up in the air which threw me, and I landed on my back several steps away. The fall knocked the wind out of me. While I spun about trying to get my breath, a hunter rode up and said, `I saw your misfortune and was afraid the bull would attack you. Here, I have caught your horse.' Sometimes horses were better buffalo hunters than their riders.

Food preparation told by Bad Hawk: `My grandfather told how the men cooked buffalo ribs when they were out on trips. A hole about two feet square and a foot or more in depth was dug. Into that was laid a piece of ribs wrapped in buffalo hide. This was then covered with dirt and fire built over it.

The cooking was timed this way: When the first fire had died down to embers, a fresh pile of fuel was laid on, and when the last fuel was all burned, the meat was considered done. They called this method, `ribs covered and cooked with two fires.'

Lodges: Lodges were made from the tanned hides of mature buffalo cows. Twenty hides made an extra large lodge. Poles are setup and the coverings tied to the pole to be raised. It takes three women to set the covering in place. Men do not help. A tripod establishes the basic structure and additional pines were added. The bottom of the lodge was secured by wood pegs. Assiniboine lodges always face to the South. Ventilation was regulated by tow large flaps on each side of the smoke hole. In the lodge several back rests were kept for special guests. The lodges were decorated with objects made by the women. The edges of the smoke flaps were usually fringed with tassels covered with porcupine quills. Lodges of warriors were painted with pictures that showed the war record of their owners.

W. C. Tuttle is a well-known western author but his autobiography surpasses his fiction. It is still an action-adventure but laced with humor much in the same vein as Mark Twain, a kind of self-deprecating tone that will have you chuckling softly, guffawing, and remembering similar episodes from your own childhood. Very worthwhile trying to find a copy.

This book is definately one of the best romance novels I have read in a long time. It was among the fist I've read, but no book has toped it. It is written in a way thay captures your heart and makes you live the life of the characters.

Even in the middle of a Montana blizzard, love can warm the heart. With her biological clock ticking loudly enough to wake her from sleep, the midwife heroine realizes it's time to start a family with or without a husband. When her former husband hears she's going to inteview prospective fathers, he adds mayhem to her logical, well thought out plans. Filled with humor as well as romance, this is an excellent read

What did she think? Just because she got a divorce [legal only] that she didn't have spiritual ties to her husband?
Lori Bains wants a baby. She has just turned 30 and her biological clock was really ticking. All the babies she helps birth cause her yearnings for a child of her own.
She left Travis five years ago and she can't even remember why. Now she has been working in Whitehorn for three years with Dr. Kane Hunter on the res and at the hospital and being tormented by Dr. Errol Straker.

Dr. Straker does not like midwives taking business away from him and would you believe that he is having an affair with Mary Jo Kincaid?
He is making it his business to drive Lori away from the hospital.

Winona Cobb shows up again with her pearls of wisdom - Lori is still attracted to Travis and Winona tells Lori that Travis if the man for her - they just married too young.

Dugin Kincaid should be watching his back - what with the plotting of Mary Jo and she may not be what she seems to be. All the men she seems involved with end up dead.

You guessed it - baby on the way - Lori done the deed and now wonders what Travis will say. A little late wouldn't you say? She still wants to be in control - who does she think she is?

DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED - whole set is worth the time to read.

This is a beautifully printed book of black and white photographs. Jay Dusard's foreword is fabulous.

Dorothy Johnson created what are perhaps the greatest short stories of the American West ever to be written. Her work has been compared by Time magazine to Mark Twain and Bret Harte. Her brilliant, spare style compares favorably to the best of Hemingway's short fiction. Three of her short stories were made into successful movies, one of which (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) is a Western classic. Yet instead of standing high in the pantheon of American writers she is all but forgotten, with much of her best work out of print and unavailable, as is the fate of this outstanding collection of tales, `Indian Country'.
Johnson had many virtues as a writer. She researched her topic and got the details right. She had a spare style that used an economy of words to say exactly and only what needed to be said. While she avoided sentimentality, she cut straight and deep to the heart of the matter, always revealing the humanity in all of her characters and never treating them as clichés. All of these virtues are prominently on display in this volume.
The eleven tales in `Indian Country' represent some of Johnson's very best work. Two of these stories (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and A Man Called Horse) were made into movie. All of them deal with the people and the reality behind the clichés and the legends of the West. Five of these stories, (Flames on the Frontier, The Unbeliever, War Shirt, Journey to the Fort, and A Man Called Horse) deal with a subject that Dorothy Johnson may have captured better than any other writer - whites living among the Indians, either from choice, or as captives, and the effect this had on them, the Natives they lived with, and the families that they left behind. In The Prairie Kid and Beyond the Frontier, Johnson shows how incidents that might be spun into legend evolved from the simple toughness that was required for survival among frontier settlers. Scars of Honor and Laugh in the Face of Danger are tales of aged people who time has passed by but who still cherish secret memories from their Wild West youth. Warrior's Exile is built around a theme that is often prominent in Johnson's stories - the importance of an Indian's visions and medicine to his life and status within the tribe. And The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the ultimate tale of the less than noble truth that could often lie behind the heroic legends that grew out of the West.
Each of the eleven tales in `Indian Country' is brilliantly crafted, and several of them are simply unforgettable. This is a collection that you will come back to and read again many times. I consider this collection to be more valuable than are many histories of the American West for the information it contains on frontier and native cultures, and give it my very highest of recommendations; not only for those with an interest in the American West, but for all who appreciate beautifully written short stories.

Theo Logos

sweet looking photos and touches on everything from his days at Notre Dame to the 49ers to the Chiefs to his sports cards and joe montana memorbilia and shows tons of stats. awsome book. there are two versions though. this one, and a paper back edition, althought you can't tell until you open the paper back book and look at the pages. regardless, a great book for Montana fans.