Oklahoma Books

Angels in the Dust is a beautifully written book about life during the Dust Bowl. The story is touching and Margot Theis Raven has a true talent of writing. The illustrations are breathtaking!!!

This is a wonderfully written book. The story is touching. The language is expressive and descriptive. The illustrations are vivid and add much to the story. This was a great book to read aloud. It can give students a taste of life in a different time and place. Wonderful!

What an excellent book!! I could not put this book down!! It is a definate page-turner!! Very well written. The author did her research as it gives an insight to a great historical figure. I highly recommend this book!!!

Shirl Kasper has written the most historically accurate book on Oakley. Her marriage to Butler was in 1882, remember she loped 6 years off her age when another younger woman sharpshooter joined Buffalo Bill's show? She was 21 when she married Butler, not 16 as many books show.

This is one of the best books about the Anzio landing I have ever read. It puts the reader right there on the front lines with the soldiers and what they were experiencing during that long siege. I have a special interest since my father served with the 45th Division from 1941 to their entry into Rome. This book is a keeper.

This is one of the best World War II books I have ever read. It is a combination of history text and memoir and will appeal to readers of each type. This book is well researched, and well documented and tells the story of Anzio that is both informative and engaging.

Detailed and for the most part objective. Lots of new information
from other sources.

Part 1 of Volume 10 of the "Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier" series, At Sword's Point: A Documentary History of the Utah War to 1858 chronicles the 1857-58 armed confrontation between Mormon Utah Territory and the U.S. government, which was the most extensive American military action between the Mexican and Civil wars. The entire incident is covered in two volumes; this volume is part 1, which examines the war's causes and preliminary events, such as President Buchanan's executive decision to replace Brigham Young as governor of Utah and reinstate federal authority through an army expedition. Also scrutinized are Young's reactions to the threat, the beginning of hostilities, and Thomas L. Kane's departure in 1857 on his subsequently famous mission to mediate a compromise. An extensively researched and annotated collection of primary historical sources, illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, At Sword's Point is especially commended for college library and Utah history shelves for its wealth of firsthand accounts of soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict.

Nothing short of a dream come true for a great lakes history or indian history students. I stumbled across this book at a local college library and was hooked. This book is put together in a clear and easy to understand format and would be a jewel in anyone's collection of great lakes or indian history. The illustrations are beautiful and the maps detailing the tribal centers and distribution are numerous, clear and very detailed. Much more than a mere atlas, this work actually seems to TEACH the reader because of the friendly and easy to comprehend writing style. Why various tribes lived where they did, where the came from and where they moved to (forcibly or otherwise), relations between tribes, how they got the names they are commonly known by today, how they lived.....As you read more and more you can actually see why the large groups of Native Americans(because of old animosities, heritage, etc.) did not band together and change history how the Americans and Europens were able to dictate terms over and over as the years went on. Never before have I come across something so complete and accurate on this subject.

If you enjoy reading pre-Revolutionary history, this book will help you get your bearings. Marvelously crafted.

This is one of the better books written on the pre-columbian history of Anahuac (Mexico). The only negative comment i have regards the book's title. The people of Tenochtitlan did not refer to themselves as "Aztec," but as Mexica. Aside from this, Davis is an excellent writer and his text reads more like a novel than a "history book." Highly reccommended as an introduction to Mexica history.

Nigel Davies has given the english speaking world a top notch history of the Mexica people (a.k.a. Aztecs). This history was required reading for one of my undergraduate courses.

Davies traces the history of the Mexica from their pseudo-mythical origins to the post-conquest era. His is primarily a political history, although a quality political history cannot exist by itself without reference to the social and religious milieu as well. Davies develops these in a cause and effect manner very well.

In regards to the Mexica, their religious beliefs seemed to be the force that prompted them on to conquest. They believed themselves to be a people chosen by the gods to conquer the world as they knew it. It was also their religious beliefs that, to some extent, thwarted an effective defense against the Spanish conquistadors.

This book is a summary of the events. However, it would appear that it is one of the few available in the English language. Simply put, a brief review of Davies' endnotes demonstrates that the vast majority of research into this area is in Spanish.

That being said, this book is a wonderful starting point for researching Aztec history. Davies gives in-depth analysis on all of the Mexica emperors. I cannot recommend it highly enough primarily because it is well balanced. The Mexica are not demonized nor are they lauded as an exceptionally "moral" people. The same goes for Davies' treatment of the Spanish conquistadors. This book rates high for its impartiality and its content.

I was particularly impressed with its treatment of post-conquest Mexico. This was a time when the Church, and most particularly the Franciscans, tried to cope with what was often a greedy Castillian hierarchy bent on extracting all wealth from the heartland of New Spain without regard to the welfare of the native peoples. The scathing reports about the abuses of the Spanish warlords, for lack of a better word, to Emperor Charles V by the religious authorities were particularly interesting.

I highly recommend this history.

This book, a first-hand account of the Johnson County War in Wyoming that pitted big-ranch cattlemen against settlers and homesteaders, has a storied history. A. S. Mercer does not assume the role of an objective historian here, but rather is bitterly opposed to the cattlemen and their tactics used against inflooding settlers; he lays his cards on the table when he writes, "The invasion of the state of Wyoming by a band of cut-throats and hired assassins in April 1892 was the crowning infamy of the ages. Nothing so cold-blooded, so brutal, so bold and yet so cowardly was ever before recorded in the annals of the world's history." Because of this impassioned attack and his willingness to name names (some in very high places), the book was attacked upon publication, banned, burned, declared to be obscene, and stolen off the shelves of libraries (even the Library of Congress "lost" its copyright copies). Fortunately some copies escaped destruction.

Simply put, the problems in eastern Wyoming involved the large cattle interests - cattlemen who had used for decades the vast expanses of wide-open lands to free-range their cattle - and "invading" homesteaders who were settling along the best of these lands (usually river bottoms), fencing in their claims, and frequently rustling the cattle they found wandering the countryside (Mercer downplays this cattle stealing, which was the major concern of the cattlemen). Feeling ignored by the legal system, the cattlemen took matters into their own hands, hired a number of "hitmen" in Texas, and plotted the murder of settlers who they felt represented the biggest threat to their interests. A few ranches were attacked, Nate Champion and Nick Ray of the KC Ranch south of Buffalo were murdered, but then the tide turned and the citizens of Johnson County rose up against the vigilantes. Ironically, the US Army was called in to protect these "invaders," and by escorting them out of the county allowed most of them the opportunity to escape prosecution. The "war" and its aftermath created much controversy, legally and financially, perhaps the most interesting being the "disappearance" before trial was to take place of the chief witness to the murder of Champion and Ray.

An important feature of this edition is the 40-page Forward by William H. Kittrell that tempers some of Mercer's emotionally charged claims and helps to set the record more on an even keel. Although often written about, the Johnson County War was more a tempest in a teapot than a defining historical event, mainly because little changed as the result of it; Mercer's declaration of the event as "the crowning infamy of the ages" is a gross exaggeration. His exaggeration, however, is not in the depictions he describes, but in his interpretations. The book is a classic in literature about the West, and Mercer is as feisty and opinionated as any westerner ever was.

The Banditti of the Plains, by A. S. Mercer

The 'Foreword' by William H, Kittrell gives a history of this censored book. Although Mercer escaped alive, the shop that printed it went out of business after its owner was jailed (p.xvi). Asa Mercer once sat on the lap of Congressman Abe Lincoln, graduated from Franklin University, and migrated to the Northwest Territory. He became the first president of the University of Washington. In 1864 he aided the migration of marriageable young women from Lowell Massachusetts (p.xxi). Mercer encouraged immigration to Washington Territory. Mercer later lived in Oregon and Texas, then moved to Wyoming in 1883. "Banditti" is a now obscure term for highwaymen who robbed travelers; the cattle barons of Wyoming and their imported Texas mercenaries would be better called terrorists today. The corporate owners and their hired killers sought to exterminate the homesteaders and small ranchers of Wyoming to steal their property. The cattle barons owned the governor and senators, who passed laws to give the cattlemen incredible power: they could seize and sell the cattle of anyone they called a "rustler". "Rustler" defines a person who is "energetic, smart, and successful"; a "go-getter". The cattle barons only wanted the lands that were next to their lands.

The 'Introductory' by Mercer explains how the pasturage of this area was discovered by accident (pp.5-6). Corporations were formed to raise cattle. The boom was followed by a bust after the long winter of 1886-1887. Pages 7 to 9 explain the economics behind this industry. Mismanagement caused declining dividends; they sought a scapegoat. Mercer wonders if the losses were caused by local management diverting stock and pocketing the money. Mercer points out there is less stealing and lawlessness in the West than back East base on the rate of the prison population (p.10). [Does this relate to the rate of owner-operators against wage-earners?] Mercer acknowledges that fencing the range adversely affected the free movement of cattle (p.13). [Should settlements of people be discouraged to benefit the cattle barons?]

The first victims of the cattle barons were Jim Averill and Ella Watson in July 1889. Next came the killing of Waggoner in June 1891 (leaving a wife and two small children). An attack on Nate Champion failed in November 1891 (pp.22-23). Next they ambushed and killed Orley Jones and J. A. Tisdale (pp.24-25). The cattle barons then decided to send in a small army of hired gunmen and organized an invasion (Chapter III). A propaganda campaign published stories in Eastern newspapers. The laws of Wyoming made it illegal to hire a body of gunmen without legal authorization (p.42). The cattle barons planned to kill the Sheriff and deputies, some of the County Commissioners, then run amok to get rid of the homesteaders and small ranchers (pp.47-48).

The invasion of Wyoming began in April 1892. They took a detour to attack the KC ranch and kill Ray and Nate Champion. They succeeded this time, but travelers now carried a warning to Buffalo. Sheriff Angus formed a posse of 200 armed citizens to come after the invaders (Chapter VI). The invaders then retreated to the TA ranch for their defense. Sheriff Angus discovered the murders of Champion and Ray. After two days of siege the cavalry from Fort McKinney showed up and captured the cattlemen's gang. Colonel Van Horn refused to surrender these criminals for trial! The Acting Governor prevented Sheriff Angus from arresting these killers (Chapter IX). Chapter X tells how two witnesses to the murder were taken out of state. Would the cattle barons kill one of their employees to advance their agenda (Chapter XI)? One Presidential lie is on pages 117-118. The cattle barons tried to muzzle the press (Chapter XII). When the trial began in Jan 1893, the judge ordered the charges dismissed (Chapter XIV)! The farce was over, but it created opposition to corporation rule in the future. Chapter XVI explains why no cattle were missing from the Western Union Beef Company - they had a surplus! Mercer ends by telling of the advantages of Wyoming: coal, iron, oil (Chapter XVII). [This can explain why corporations sought to prevent people from the "right to keep and bear arms". Today's Supreme Court could have taken away their lands by "eminent domain"!]

BETWEEN THE BLOODS is the story of a boy facing poverty and racism as he grows up in the years following WWI. Wayne struggles to understand a world that punishes him for his mixed heritage. Illegitimate and poor, Wayne suffers the abuse of Bill, his one-legged, drunken step-father, who says Wayne is cursed by the Dog Star. And wherever Wayne goes, he finds people determined to prove Bill right. But with the love of his mother, his dog and an assortment of colorful friends, Wayne has good adventures to go with the bad. Follow Wayne through the years as he searches for his identity and finds humor, friendship, tragedy and hate along the way.

ROBERT GREY CLOUD has been many things during his lifetime -- farm hand, door-to-door salesman, store clerk, businessman -- and he can add author to that list. Born in 1912, Robert lived through the times described in this book and his own childhood experiences were the inspiration for Between the Bloods, his first novel. Still seeking new adventures, Robert celebrated his 90th birthday with his first tandem parachute jump. Robert lives in Idaho with his wife of 63 years, Jean.

[Yes, I am related to the author - he is my grandfather]

BETWEEN THE BLOODS is the story of a boy facing poverty and racism as he grows up in the years following WWI. Wayne struggles to understand a world that punishes him for his mixed heritage. Illegitimate and poor, Wayne suffers the abuse of Bill, his one-legged, drunken step-father, who says Wayne is cursed by the Dog Star. And wherever Wayne goes, he finds people determined to prove Bill right. But with the love of his mother, his dog and an assortment of colorful friends, Wayne has good adventures to go with the bad. Follow Wayne through the years as he searches for his identity and finds humor, friendship, tragedy and hate along the way.

ROBERT GREY CLOUD has been many things during his lifetime -- farm hand, door-to-door salesman, store clerk, businessman -- and he can add author to that list. Born in 1912, Robert lived through the times described in this book and his own childhood experiences were the inspiration for Between the Bloods, his first novel. Still seeking new adventures, Robert celebrated his 90th birthday with his first tandem parachute jump. Robert lives in Idaho with his wife of 63 years, Jean.

[Yes, I am related to the author - he is my grandfather.]

I found Beyond the Four Corners of the World to be an excellent piece of work on two levels. On the surface it's a biography; one woman's journey away from - then back to - her roots and her homeland. On a deeper level, it's a rare glimpse into the religion, culture and lifestyle on the Navajo reservation. Upon completion of this book, I felt that I had gained insight not only into the mind and heart of Ella Bedonie, but also into the beliefs and values of the Navajo People.

The story of Ella and her struggle with illness and how it intersects with her spiritual and cultural world is at once fascinating and very sad. To read Benedek's account is to travel by literary horseback deep in the rez, and meet the residents of a different world, one which is changing, one which is struggling to hold onto traditional ways at the same time. I recommend this book to anyone with interest in native people, anyone interested in cultural perspectives on illness. And anyone else! Benedek is academic and personal, she takes you there.

William L. Sublette was one of the most important of the Mountain Men during the ten-year period 1823-1833. He was present at many of the most memorable events in the Far West during that time period and had associations with a number of the leading figures in western exploration and the trans-Missouri fur trade. Born in Kentucky, he was a member of Ashley's second expedition up the Missouri and participated in the ill-fated Arikara War that took place in June 1823 at the Arikara villages in northern South Dakota. Later that year he accompanied Jedediah Smith and Thomas Fitzpatrick to the Wind River, and then trapped along the Green before going with Smith to the Snake country. In 1826, on the Bear River, Ashley sold out his interest in the fur trade to Sublette, Jackson, and Smith. In the fall Sublette trapped the Yellowstone country (Yellowstone Lake was then known as Sublette Lake), before wintering in Cache Valley.

On January 1, 1827, he and Black Harris set off for the States on snowshoes, reaching Lexington, MO, by early March after a difficult journey. For the next few years Sublette took provisions from Missouri to the mountain rendezvous, only to return in the winter with that year's furs. In 1830, he used ten wagons, the first wagons to go through South Pass. Smith, Jackson, & Sublette sold out to the Rocky Mountain Fur Company that same year, and in 1831 he set out with Smith to Santa Fe from St. Louis with trade goods; it was on this trip that the fabled Smith was killed by Cheyennes.

He returned to St. Louis and got together another outfit for the Rockies and was at the Pierre's Hole rendezvous in 1832, where he was wounded during the Battle of Pierre's Hole by Gros Ventres Indians. He returned to the mountains again the following year, reaching the Yellowstone, but was so ill he returned to St. Louis by November. He sold his fur business to the American Fur Company, and then with Robert Campbell in 1834 established Fort William on the Laramie River (later Fort Laramie). The next year Fort William was sold and Sublette retired from the fur trade. He set up a mercantile business in St. Louis and became interested in local politics. He went back to the mountains one last time, in 1843, when he accompanied William Drummond Stewart, a wealthy Scotsman, on a "tour" of the Rockies. He died in Pittsburgh in 1845 of consumption and was buried in St. Louis.

Dale Morgan once wrote that Sublette "was probably the most consistently fortunate man ever to enter the Western fur trade," and other than being wounded at Pierre's Hole in 1832, it appears to be true. He was one of the few mountain men who retired comfortably on the money he made in the fur trade. John Sunder's biography is magnificent and captures the man, his accomplishments, and his times, especially in the mountains, perfectly. It's among the best of the mountain man biographies available, and I recommend it highly to anyone interested in the subject.

Since I enjoy reading about the fur trade era, and since I live in Wyoming with a county named after Sublette, I decided to read the biography of this noteworthy man to gain a better understanding as to what part he played in the early American West. John Sunder has done a wonderful job of research and writing in this book. It was a pleasure to read. William Sublette was a man of remarkable stature, being so instrumental in all aspects of the fur trade from the early 1820's to the mid 1830's. After reading one adventure after another during these mountain years in Wyoming, the author then takes us past these formative years to when Sublette was later a prominent farmer, businessman and political affiliate in the St. Louis area. I can see why Wyoming named a county after him.