Montana Books

This book divides Montana into eight regions. Each region is then broken down into sections based on the major species of big game and birds available. Along with the author's own experience, advice from over 120 hunters throughout the state makes this a compelling read. Things have certainly changed over the last two decades since this book was published, but the insights, tips and hints are still valuable today.

I picked this book up for upland game and waterfowl advice in the Flathead Valley area. We aren't exactly "bird paradise", and the information on my particular area left me wanting. I read on, however, and discovered little gems of advice from wingshooters across Montana that, as the author notes in his forward, "will provide the beginning hunter with the savvy of countess years of hunting experience and offer the veteran some new fields of operation in parts of the state he might not know so well." I couldn't put it down! I also plan to make some trips out to eastern Montana in the future for some truly great upland game and waterfowl hunting.

I really enjoyed following Kane on his adventure. There is a very strong plot line in the story, with lots of action, and even a love story thrown in for good measure. If you like series, this is a must read. I can't hardly wait for the next part to come out. I highly recommend this book! If you like westerns...you will love this. ~bev bozman~

Deftly edited by Robert Bigart, "I Will Be Meat For My Salish": The Montana Writers Project And The Buffalo Of The Flathead Indian Reservation is the compiled saga of the relationship of the Native American Salish people to the buffalo, including their dependence on it for survival in prehistory and their role in preserving the species today. Individual chapters include buffalo-related legends and history, the management of buffalo herds on the Flathead reservation today, Salish biographies, and much more. An amazing insight into the interrelationship of human beings and nature, "I Will Be Meat For My Salish" is a strongly recommended addition to Native American Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections.

Now that Tap's a husband and soon-to-be father, he tries to settle into a quiet routine. He's no longer an escaped fugitive running from his past, just a rancher and family man. But there's intrusions to deal with: Indians camped in their yard, cattle grazing in their living room, a pack of outlaws harassing them, and pacifist neighbors being forced from their homestead. Good conclusion to the series.

Excellent primary sources offer a Japanese perspective on Perry's "opening" of Japan and provide reasons for Japan's isolationism. Short excerpts are readable for students, even freshmen!

No more questions, no more boredom, and definitely no more closed window shades on the flight between Helena and Salt Lake City. This conveniently sized booklet is brimming with engrossing vignettes to enrich your flight. The stories are well selected, artfully told, and amply illustrated. The best part: the book is packed so full that after 6 legs between Helena and Salt Lake, I still have more stories to look forward to. A great way to entertain and educate kids in flight, too.

This is a very inspiring Christmas tale, set in the Mexican mountains, somewhere around the late 19th century. Amidst the civil wars that tear the country, a political refugee finds peace and quiet in his small home town, and comes to listen to the message of the birth of the Saviour.

Very similar in spirit to Dickens's A Christmas Carroll it makes a very nice reading. My mother gave it to me as a present many years ago. It still is one of the warmest memories I keep about Christmas past.

This is an amazing book, the true story of Fannie Sperry Steele, a legendary rodeo rider who was raised on a homestead in north-central Montana during the late 1880s. The book chronicles her career in numerous Wild West shows, her remarkable personal life, and what it was like to live in the West at that time.

Fannie's family had very little money and earned extra cash by selling wild horses, which they captured and trained. By the time she was fourteen, Fannie was riding bucking horses to entertain spectators at local gatherings. Soon she was hired to perform in various traveling Wild West shows, where she participated in bronc riding, relay races, and sharpshooting exhibitions. In 1912 she earned the title "Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the World."

She was such a good rider that men were afraid to compete against her. Apparently male chauvinism was one of the main obstacles faced by dozens of women who competed in these shows, which were the precursors of today's modern rodeos.

For many years Fannie continued to ride broncs, despite pressure to get married and start raising a family. Eventually she did marry a cowboy who operated a Wild West show (unfortunately, the marriage was somewhat tempestuous), and finally they started a dude ranch in western Montana. She lived there until shortly before her death in 1983.

The book is written in such a smooth, interesting way, it's almost like reading a novel. The writer interviewed Fannie repeatedly and had access to her collection of letters, newspaper clippings, etc., which enabled the author to add a multitude of personal details that bring the story alive. The book includes about a dozen photographs: the primitive homestead where Fannie spent her childhood; Fannie on a bronc at the Calgary Stampede, her long dress flapping and her long braids flying out behind; and Fannie in her seventies, confidently riding one of her prized Paint horses.

Surely almost anyone (especially teenage girls) would be fascinated by this tale of a young woman who knew what she wanted to do with her life, and made it happen, in spite of all the people who kept telling her that it was not possible and not wise. This is one of the most inspiring stories I've read in a long time.

This is one of the best collections of short stories I have ever read. The settings for the stories is Montana and the inevitable impact of the harsh environment on the people living there. In seven short stories and less than one hundred pages Blew has managed to combine the effects of an unforgiving climate with the turbulent lives of so-real characters that experience conflict, brutality and heart breaking violence. The environmental effect on the characters in the title story "Lambing Out" is stark and readily apparent. However, the impact in "Paths Unto The Dead" and "Monsters" is more subtle and will give the reader pause and, upon reflection, insight into the incredible talent of the author. This blend of human and natural landscape into the written word is powerful and unforgetable. If you ever wondered why anyone would live "out there", try these stories. For anyone interested in first-rate writing about the interrelationship between a regional environment and the people that inhabit it, this is as good as it gets. Don't be surprised if you end up with the impression the characters are real, that somehow Blew is not making these stories up. She is that good. These are powerful, thoughtful, moving stories that come very close to transcending region.

Tracie Peterson never disappoints. This is another heart-warming story and is the first in her Heirs of Montana series. All three of the books in this series are wonderful. The characters in this series face and overcome very tragic obstacles. If you enjoy historic Christian fiction, don't miss this series. I was sorry to see it end!