Oklahoma Books

Years ago, when preparing for my 50-state road trip I'd purchased a load of travel guides to help plan what to see in each state. The guides satisfied me until I stumbled upon the first ART OF STATE book in Iowa and quickly purchased all the other states available. This curious book series made all other travel books pale by comparison. Deceptively small, slim, lightweight and light read, these books pack a punch of meaningful, inspirational information. Beautifully designed and written, they are thoroughly engaging and a joy to read--like finding an ancestor's scrapbook or diary in the attic and reading a fascinating family heritage while peering over images of a buried past. Each author must be a native or a deliberate transplant, for they tell each state's story lovingly, with a deep appreciation of the state--and not just its good features, but the blemishes, too, described evenhandedly. Photographs of architecture, landscapes paintings, crafts and memorabilia complement the words. Each book presents the state's history, climate, landscape, traditions, symbols, recipes, must-see destinations and a statewide calendar of events. I've purchased all the books in the series (20 of the 50 states as of 2007). If your budget won't allow you to buy all 20, at least buy two: one of your home state and one of your adopted state. You'll be amazed at what you discover.

I apologize for raving so much about THE ART OF STATE series, but it was such a find, like discovering a diamond in a sea of glass. I can't help but gush.

Now, about the Oklahoma edition. Each book in the series has a wallpaper design on its inside cover: a background color, unique to the state, dotted with a state motif. I try to guess what the wallpaper will be before opening the book. Sometimes I guess correctly, but not often. Oklahoma's motif is an oil derrick set against a burnt orange background. (I'd expected a cowboy motif since Oklahoma has more cowboys per capita than any other state and a red background because of it's red earth. But I was wrong, again.)

The Oklahoma edition exceeded my high expectations of all the ART OF STATE books. How did the author ever find such remote parcels of history and trivia? For example, the early 19th century English botanist, Thomas Nuttall, nicknamed "Le Fou" (French for "the crazy one") who traveled through Oklahoma in 1819 "rhapsodizing about the plant and animal life." Or, the "Uncivil War," when U.S. soldiers pulled out of Indian Territory to fight the American Civil War, leaving the Indians they had been protecting to fend for themselves. Many joined the Confederates as they were surrounded by Confederate neighbors, and caused a mini-Civil War between the tribes. The battle of Honey Springs in Oklahoma was the first time in American history where whites, blacks, and American Indians fought alongside each other. Not only did I learn more about Oklahoma, the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, Route 66's beginnings, and the state's famous sons: Woody Guthrie, Count Basie, Ralph Ellison, Gene Autry, and Will Rogers (a Cherokee who joked, "My ancestors didn't come on the Mayflower--they met the boat."), but I learned a great deal about the art, history and the landscape of the state. For example, Oklahoma, a landlocked state "without a single natural lake has more shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coast, combined," due to its numerous public works efforts, specifically the dams. And the "empire of grasses," Oklahoma's three distinct types of prairie grasses. I enjoyed the story of the land runs, the oil rushes (and their unique lingo), and the dust-bowl exodus. The wild characters, such as "Alfalfa Bill," a kooky governor who championed alfalfa farms. The Trail of Tears story broke my heart, as did reading about the treatment of American Indians who lived in Indian Territory before it became white man's Oklahoma. When it did become a state, however, its 1907 Constitution was strongly populist "packed with provisions for direct democracy, employee and consumer protection, and corporate regulations"--hailed as "the most radical of state constitutions." It took three days to read it out loud for ratification. For all its uproarious land rushes, oil gushers, cowboy and American Indian tales, art and song, Oklahoma is a a great read. When author Edna Ferber researched the history for her novel Cimarron, she tossed most of it out because the stories were just" too fantastic" to be believed. That's Oklahoma.

Touring the Oklahoma capitol building was a revelation to me. The paintings and sculptures at the capitol are sublime, often breathtaking. Murals, portraits, lunettes, rondelles, sculptures and statues are mesmerizing -- meaningful, stirring, beautifully executed. Wilson Hurley, Enoch Kelly Haney, Mike Wimmer and many other Oklahoma artists have done an outstanding job.

Here now is a handsome book of reproductions of these, with stories of what the art represents, how each artist executed the piece, and how the artist and piece were chosen or commissioned for the capitol by the Oklahoma Arts and Humanities Council.

This is a quality art book and a comprehensive history! I am enjoying my copy immensely.

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.

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

As a student in Université Laval in Québec city (Canada), my teachers usually recommand books in our maternal language, french. But for this class titled The Athenian Democracy, our teacher recommanded this book. This book is a piece of art, a complete view of what might have been civil right and practice in Antiquity, in Athens, that is. I also recommad it for every people interested in ancient history and in, foremost, politics. Hansen reviews political practices with an continuous effort, respecting what were man, not only statistics or technics.

Awakening To Equality: A Young White Pastor At The Dawn Of Civil Rights by Karl E. Lutze is the engaging story of a young Lutheran priest's approach to the newly emerging era of American civil rights activism in 1945 as a newcomer to the world of clerical practice. As the young Karl Lutze found himself placed in Oklahoma's Muskogee, amidst a greatly African American community, Awakening To Equality carries the reader through the inherently fascinating saga of his dual practice in Tulsa and Muskogee, and his journey through sights and experiences of black and white power rallies, activism from both races, and an economically impoverished but spiritual enriched black culture. Providing an unforgettable story and a timeless perspective of significant time in American 20th Century cultural and political history, Awakening To Equality is very strongly recommended to students of American history, particularly the Civil Rights movement, for its invaluable eye-witness perspective.

If you're into pre-Columbian and Mexican history this is an excellent choice to add to your collection. Written by Alfonso Caso, who directed the findings at Monte Alban and was the former director of archeology in the National Museum of Mexico, the man knows his history. The Aztecs and all their rituals , including the Gods and calendar are explained in easy to read language. The text is not overburdensome with highly specialiazed jargon but is eloquent and to the point. This book is an easy read. The illustrations are worth the price of the book alone. They are by Miguel Covarrubias, one of Mexico's finest illustrators at the time, and he does a fantastic job depicting the colorful Aztec world. An essential book for anyone intersted in exploring the Aztecs.

I AM COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED BY THIS BOOK. I HAVE READ IT FOUR TIMES THIS YEAR. MARY WRITES OF HER EXPERIENCES DURING WWII LIVING ON A FARM AND RAISING HER CHILDREN. SHE MAINTAINS AN OPTIMISM AND AN INNER STRENGTH THAT IS RARE AND BEAUTIFUL. VERY INSPIRING BOOK, VERY FUNNY AND TRUTHFUL BOOK. I AM LEAVING FOR TULSA TODAY TO TRY AND FIND HER FARM AND SEE IF I CAN FIND A BIT OF MARY'S STRENGTH LEFT BEHIND.

It is easy to pass over a book such as this, unless you are specifically researching lawlessness in the Old West.

Don't be so hasty.

Not only is this a well written book, it is engaging on its own level -- that is, quite well written and far beyond the standard dry text one would normally associate with such a topic.

Of course, I have my own prejudices -- I am a Sacramento Valley peace officer with an interest in history. Many of the local haunts have particular meaning to me, as I know the locales and can associate places with the text.

In any case, the book is very well researched, supports its facts in detail, has a nicely dispersed display of black and white photos throughout, and reminds us that many of the officers of yesteryear had their beginnings in the criminal element.

Few things were as clear as they seem in a number of idealized western films. There were base motivations: greed, violence, power.

And yet, on the other hand, this is not ! what one would call a PC book in which history has been rewritten with an eye to a particular agenda. History is what it was. Rough and raw and ragged on the edges. The book is not candy-coated.

Sorry to say, the book will probably not reach a mass audience. But hey, John Boessenecker: I read your book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Well done, my friend!

Did you grow up watching Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger chase bad guys on television every Saturday morning? If so, read Bah, Bah, Black Sheep, the story of a young man from a good family who became an outlaw in north Texas and south Oklahoma in the early 1900's. Using his well developed journalistic style, author Joe M. Leonard, Jr. chronicles the background and crime spree of Haney Liddell, whose black sheep life choices must have been a mystery and heartbreak to his otherwise upstanding family. The book is enhanced by numerous photos, maps and documents. As with television westerns, the law prevailed eventually, but the reality of Bah, Bah, Black Sheep is much more fascinating than any fiction.