Oklahoma Books

Over the years, National Park Service Historian Jerome Greene has produced a growing collection of fine books covering various battles of the Great Sioux War--SLIM BUTTTES, YELLOWSTONE COMMAND (Miles' Montana campaign, including the Wolf Mountain and Lame Deer battles), and two books of participants testimony on various battles and skirmishes in the war.

MORNING STAR DAWN picks up where SLIM BUTTES, done in the early 1980s, leaves off. It follows the planning, logisitical preparation, execution and conclusion of the November 1876 Power River Expedition, under the command of General George Crook. The high point of the expedition was reached with the attack on the Red Fork of the Powder River, deep in the Big Horn mountains, when varioius cavalry components under the Fourth Cavalry's Ranald Mackenzie decimated a large Northern Cheyenne village. The battle happened exactly five months after Custer's defeat on the Little Big Horn and resulted in the utter destruction of the village. The Cheyenne were forced to flee the village, losing vital horses,clothing, weapons, and food, leaving the survivors little choice but to perish in the cruel winter cold or give themselves up at the agencies. The battle knocked the Cheyenne out of the remainder of the Sioux War and thus the army could focus its efforts exclusively on the Lakota under Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other leaders.

The book is certainly well-written although not quite as good as the author's previous work, his classic NEZ PERCE SUMMER, 1877. Amidst all the details on the campaign, Greene provides a good retelling of the plight of all combatants, both White and Indian, faced with the burden of war in sub-zero Winter temparatures. The logistical problems of the campaign were greatly exacerbated by the weather, making it difficult to feed horses and mules with the requisite 35,000 pounds of grain a day in such a remote area. Facts such as these make one appreciate the importance of logistics in all wars. In terms of insight into Crook himself, I especially enjoyed the author's including the extracts from the writings of Colonel Richard Dodge and Dodge's low opinion of the close-mouthed Crook as both an organizer and leader of men. Despite Crook's foibles, his tenacity somehow got the job done, that and his having the highly-able Ranald Mackenzie carry out his attack.

Some historians plug gaps in existing scholarship; others built entire levees. Jerome Greene often does both and this book is an example. The Powder River Expedition, though a result of the failure of the Little Bighorn Campaign and often overshadowed by that famous disaster, was an important step in the military defeat and enforcement of the reservation system upon the free Indian nations of the Plains. Until Greene's book, the published resources on Powder River were limited to a chapter in J. W. Vaughan's 1966 _Indian Fights_, a small self-published book Fred Werner, and the fine but limited remarks in Wayne Kime's edition of Col. Richard Dodge's expedition journal. Greene's study does not read quite as well as his _Nez Perce Summer_ and _Yellowstone Command_ books but the book is authoritarive and if the Plains Indian wars are your interest you'll certainly want this book. Dr. Michael A. Hughes, Editor Emeritus, Journal of the Indian Wars

This work has long been in demand by the historian and collector of works on the US Army in the Indian Wars post Civil War; written after the Lakota Souix, formerly woodland Indians in Minnesota, had become horse warriors and the long loomimg threat of Indian war had become open confrontation and contention for the northern plains, the Rockies, and the Oregon country.
Compare this with with the situation twenty years earlier covered so ably by Randolph Marcy.The prairie traveler ; a hand-book for overland expeditions : with illustrations, and intineraries of the principal routes between the Mississippi and the Pacific / by Randolph B. Marcy, Captain U.S. Army His work was indispensible for the emigrant wagon trains departing from Independence, MO, and other jumpoffs.
At the time Marcy made his first trips, the Mexican-American War had just been over and the emigrants simply wanted to pass through the northern mountains and prairies peacefully and safely to the west where soil, water supply and forests were similar to the East where they came from.
The only real Indian trouble in Marcy's time was rustling, stampeding, and petty thievery, however, solitary travel was quite dangerous and travelers were urged to travel in large groups.

"Mountain Scouting" was published in 1881 and was written for young, inexperienced officers.

The fact that the intended audience was novices is one of the reasons that this book is such a joy to read. Farrow doesn't assume you know much and he is quite explicit in his descriptions of how most things are done, whether that is how to make a stretcher out of two rifles and some jackets, or how to load an aparajoe on a stubborn mule

From the Table of Contents (see Amazon's look inside this book feature) you can see that Farrow covers many aspects of life in the field: horse care, rifle sighting, field medicine, camping, etc. It should be noted however that the medical advice can be quite deadly.

The book would be suitable for breaking up into shorter reads. In fact, I can't imagine reading it straight through. Like fine brandy it should be sipped and savored. To the student of History and/or Military matters it will add to their understanding of problems in the field - at least as the field existed in the mid- and late 1800's. There are many detailed instructions and diagrams, and a great deal of fun math which provides fine examples of classic physics and geometry at work.



Pam T.
(mom and reviewer at PageInHistory)

Robert Owens gives a fair and comprehensive biography of Harrison's career and value system. Harrison experiments in anti-slavery idealism during his college years. like many scions of Virginia, he finds himself not inheriting as much wealth and property as his parents. he squanders what land he did inherit selling it to his brother and some others for Bonds that don't get paid. Fortunately there is a frontier of Northwest Territory larger than the 13 colonies. It is full of indians and British rabblerousers. Harrison uses the influence of his family to petition for a commission in the U.S. army. He does his job well, his early failures are only the failures of the entire army.

The Northwest Territory is slow to develop. Part of the reason it is slow to develop is that settlers can claim so much land at once. There isn't a population density high enough to require greater efficiency in agriculture, or enough industry to float a population with greater demand agricultural products. The answer seems to have been acquiring land from the Indians in bigger swoops, which were generally unscrupulous. the semi-aristocracy of the territories favored importing slaves to develop the land. the smaller landholders and workers didn't want slavery to diminish the value of their own production, or big manor slave owners lording it over them.

Once in the private sector, big land holders tried to make money producing vast amounts of alcohol. This abundance of alcohol ultimately produced the slow talking yokel dialect later encountered in the rural midwest and south.

In the end Harrison is a relatively decent person, occasionally taking opportunities that obscured this decency.

The three best things about this book are the extensive primary research, the author's clarity, and his unrelenting fairness to all his subjects. Every time Owens describes any peculiar behavior--whether by William Henry Harrison, other American politicians or by Native Americans leaders--he explains it in its context and then goes on to point out if it fits with the circumstances or if the actors are being inconsistent or hypocritical. While most historians work to understand the nuances and characters of their subjects, Owens is unique in explicitly laying these out along with the logic of his assertions. This helps the reader to really understand the motivations of these frontier people instead of just having to accept an author's implicit assumptions. To paraphrase a line from The Razor's Edge, Owens gives the reason and the intent--most historians just give the reason.

Besides the historical quality and the impressive research, Mr. Jefferson's Hammer is just a highly enjoyable read. Owens writes very vividly and uses lots of colorful language. The last two chapters, which describe Harrison wheeling and dealing for land and build up to the death of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, have the pacing of a novel or at least a popular history. The author also has a snappy way of characterizing people and actions that make the book a lot of fun to read.

One somewhat noteworthy omission is that the section entitled "Everyday Life in Early Indiana" hardly mentions farming (except a couple of lines in passing), which one would suspect would be the most sizeable component of everyday life. He discusses ideological and cultural issues that are more related to the narrative, but it just seems that he could have included more about farming in that part or renamed the section.

That, however, is a small complaint about an issue that does nothing to detract from the author's intent to explore the rationale behind and the unfolding of U.S. and Indian relations on the frontier. I really love this book and think anyone interested in U.S. history would do much to clarify and add depth to their understanding of this period by reading it.

David A. Farris is a local Oklahoma author with an interest in the wierder side of the state. His documentation is well-researched and he allows for even a bit of skepticism and has a witty sense of humor to the stories he reports. He has also published More Mysterious Oklahoma, which is both an update of some tales from the previous book, as well as new material, such as the possibility that Oklahoma was the final destination for American history's most notorious assassin: John Wilkes Booth. I highly recommend any Oklahoman or anyone interested in local lore, legends and ghostly hauntings to pick up any of Farris' books and settle down for a good and interesting read.

This book is a fully documented source of great insite into the happenings of the weird side of Oklahoma. The book will make you sleep with the light on.

I am always amazed by the tedious research necessary for a book of this quality. The writer has only the yearly count and verbal stories from which to verify the "white mans" account. This is a must read for anyone truly interested in the true history of this country, that seems to have been so frequently left out of our history books.

In Native American Weapons, well over a hundred color photos and illustrations provide an important, detailed survey of weapons made and used by Native Americans from Mexico to the US, ancient to modern times. Accompanying these photos and drawings are clear surveys and explanations of both the weapons and their roles in tribal culture and systems. A recommended pick for both military history and Native American collections.

Great overall introduction to the indigeneous peoples of North America. Author succintly covers the basics. Have used this book in American Indian World Views class for a number of years as a required text. Highly reccommended as an introductory overview of topics fom identity through creation stories to current issues, etc. Gerri Parker, Chair American Indian Studies De Anza College

Larry Zimmerman and Brian Molyneaux successfully collaborate in Native North America to illustrate tribal life, sacred arenas, spiritual traditions, and artifacts of the indigenous peoples of North America, from the Inuit of the Canadian north to the Navajo of the American southwest. After a brief introductory history of Native Americans, individual aboriginal cultures are explored, region by region. The informative surveys include Native American spiritual observances, personal and communal rituals, initiation rites, and curing ceremonies. The reader is provided informative descriptions of the powwow, rites of passage, planting rituals, oral storytelling, dreams, the ghost dance, and the drum. Of special note is an examination of issues facing Native Americans today. A very highly recommended title for students of Native American studies and history, Native North America is vividly illustrated with more than 160 color photographs.

This is an examination of the American Indians who inhabited southern New England (including Long Island) from roughly Cape Ann near Boston to the Housotonic River in Connecticut. All aspects of the Natives' life and culture are considered, with separate chapters focusing on settlement, agriculture and trade, work and gender, livelihood, the role of the sachem (tribal leader), kinship, cosmology and religion, and ritual. Bragdon quotes frequently from first-hand accounts kept by early Europeans, including Roger Williams, William Wood, and Edward Winslow. But she also cites the archeological record, detailing much of what has come to light at various sites within the region. It's estimated that about 90,000 Natives populated the area at the time of European contact; epidemics and rapid European population growth slowly at first, and then much more quickly, reduced that number greatly by 1650. The very earliest relations between the Indians and whites seemed to be friendly, but that didn't last long: cultural differences were too great to sustain cooperation. I found the most interesting chapters to be those about the sachems, social relations, and rituals, though all of the book is filled with meaningful and compelling detailed information. The book takes a worthy spot among the many other outstanding volumes in Oklahoma's "Civilization of the American Indian" series. Highly recommended.

This book is a keenly interesting look into the ways, the works, and the world-views of the early inhabitants of what today is Southern New England. Dr. Bragdon writes not in an historical style, but rather in the ethnographic tradition. Thus, her chapters are sometimes rather slow going unless you're an anthropologist. There's a lot of jargon. It's still a great read for the non-specialist, however. I would like to recommend keeping a dictionary handy, for times when the esoteric nomenclature of anthropology becomes as impenetrable as a pre-colonial flock of passenger pigeons.

The book is not divided up by tribe, as one might expect. Instead, Dr. Bragdon has divided her work by conceptual paradigms, or by umbrella descriptions of features of life shared by all the peoples of the land under discussion. Chapters delve into cosmology, ritual, or social relations, as well as "Kinship as Ideology," "Metaphors and Models of Livelihood," and "The Quotidian World:Work, Gender, Time, and Space."

By the way -- if you don't read fairly carefully at the beginning, you may miss something important. Dr. Bragdon has chosen to employ the term "Ninnimissinuok" as a blanket term for members of ALL the local Algonquian tribes. Just be aware that that what the word means -- otherwise you might waste a lot of time scratching your head, wondering who, exactly, these Ninnimissinuoks are supposed to be. I mention this because it's not nearly so well-known a term as, for example, Narragansett, or Wampanoag -- but perhaps it should be. The author demonstrates it's validity, and it's importance.

The bibliography at the end of this book is worth the book's price, all on it's own. There's a discouragingly large amount of poorly researched, pseudo-mystical writing out there, on the subject of Native Americans. Well, you won't find any here! All the cited works I've tried to locate have been of an extremely high caliber. The bibliography alone could keep you happily reading about the native peoples of Southern New England for many, many moons.

Again, this book can be a little steep going at times, if you aren't trained as an anthropologist, but it's worth the effort. Definitely two thumbs up.

the book gives in both words and photos the entire history of native silversmithing from its inception to the mid 1940 when the book was frst published. An excellent companion book to one of the many books written on comtemporary native american jewelery making.

The book describes many facets involved in the creation of Pueblo Indian jewelry. This book is quite possibly the best and perhaps only scholarly work that explains jewelry making from the Indian perspective. The book gives much insight into the conditions on pre-1940 reservations and the trade practices that gave rise to "dead pawn" jewelry. This book is a must for serious collectors and those seeking thorough research. However, the book gives very little attention to the Harvey phenomenon, preferring to deal more directly with traditional Native American art (i.e. the jewelry that the creators would wear on themselves).

This book is a fascinating and skillfully written story set in the American Southwest from the 1860's to the 1890's. It is told from a variety of viewpoints--native American tribes, settlers, and cattle trail hands--that bring to life their triumphs and tragedies while fighting for survival on the frontier. The author vividly portrays an array of historical and fictional characters in a unique geographical and historical setting and manages to weave into the story a mystery that is only revealed as forces converge through the characters over thirty years.

The North Fork is an example of great historical fiction. Lively characters and unpredictable plot twists make this book a real page turner. All southwestern history buffs should enjoy this book immensely.

This book will draw you in and capture your interest.
It is a fascinating account of the lives of R.H.
Wessel and Margaret Scow. From R.H. Wessel's
experiences in coming to Oklahoma Territory in the
early 1900's to his courtship with Margaret, well
documented through many letters written to each other,
this book is both intriguing and inspiring. Kenneth
Peek does a great job of compiling the many letters
and photographs into a moving portrayal of life on the
Oklahoma frontier.

I absolutly loved this book! It was such a treat to be able to read the wonderful letters written so long ago between Rhinehardt and Margaret. I can't believe how people endured without any modern convienences.You almost feel these people you are reading about are a part of your family. I wish the author will write another sequel soon! The beautiful photos in the book were lovely. Makes me want to go to Oklahoma and see it for myself!