Oklahoma Books

AP Maudslay here produces this truly classic, titanic work. He lived at and cleared much of the mayan sites where he did his extensive work. Volumes of beautiful photographs and incredible linedrawings accompany his observations. He was truly one of the great mayan pioneers. I am very happy to see that this century old major work is available and at a very reasonable price! This great work is a wonder to behold and, even at this rather hefty price any serious mayanist shoud procure this as soon as possible while its still available! ALAN J kANE

This is one of those regional books that certainly should have gotten wider distribution and wider press. It was put together by a number of High School English students in Lebanon, Missoui and edited by Ms. Ellen Gray Massey. This is a large collection of personal recollections, stories, and record of how people in the Ozarks lived several generations ago. These are first hand recollections, most of the people recored in this work are now not with us. This is a record of wisdom, how-to-do-it on nothing and more. The are the articles the students published in their school magazine "Bittersweet," some of the best. Do not be misled by the age of the writers. This is a professionally written book, far, far better than most "adult" writers of the same genre produce. If you can get a copy of this work, grab it and hang on to it! Highly recommend this one.

Patrick J. Jung (Assistant Professor of History, Milwaukee School of Engineering) presents The Black Hawk War of 1832, an in-depth examination of the last Indian war that was fought in present-day Wisconsin and Illinois. Volume ten in the Campaigns and Commanders series, The Black Hawk War of 1812 covers the war from rumors preceding its inception to the major battles of the storm, and calm that settled after it. A handful of black-and-white maps and illustrations grace this chronicle, written in plain terms to be accessible to scholars and non-specialist general readers alike

Col. Richard Irving Dodge was chosen to lead the 1875 Black Hills expedition to confirm the finding of gold by Custer in his 1874 expedition (Custer was lied about by the media). Dodge is the epitome of virtue, gentleman and officer in leading this most telling tale from his personal journals.
Dodge is frank in his judgements of evidence which blows everything you have heard about history. IE, the Sioux espouse now the Black Hills are sacred. Red Robe, who is a Sioux, though informs Dodge personally that the Sioux (they took the land from the Crow) NEVER had a trail in the Black Hills. They did not like the Hills at all, because of severe storms, biting flies, lack of game and it rained all the time.
The only reason the Sioux were bargaining over the Hills was, because whites who were called Squaw men were telling the Sioux they could be sold for a fortune...all so they could get a huge cut of the Indian money.
The editor Wayne Kime does a very good job in staying out of the way and allowing Dodge's own words reveal historical facts instead of like most historians who decide their words are more important than the writer.
Kime does though fail in not including the hunting kill charts of game animals Dodge and his party harvested which is disappointing for historical reasons in knowing game numbers and what and where wildlife was traditionally found. He also fails in not noting what the rifles, shotguns and fishing equipment Dodge used.
This book though is a very interesting read, because of Dodge's frankness in all the fascinating daily life, characters, history, facts and adventure of an officer and a true gentleman. Our society needs to be exposed more to citizens like Dodge as our heroes in models for our lives.

Dr. Arlen Fowler has done an excellent job in writing about the little known and researched "Buffalo Soldier" who was vital in establishing and maintaining law and order in the west during the 1860s-1890s. Drawing on resources, Dr. Fowler has writtemng in an excelelnt and easy to read prose.

Dr Fowler researched extensively for this book from little known and altogether scares resources of material. However, all the resources that were available about the Buffalo Soldiers were used and cited accurately in this book. But, the MOST important plus about this book is the interesting stories about the Buffalo Soldiers daily life is told. From the dreary and wretched living conditions the soldier had to endure on a daily basis, to the evident discrimination that the African-American Buffalo Soldier had to endure, to the loyalty and bravery that the Buffalo soldier displayed from guarding a stagecoach run, laying miles of telegraph line, fighting fierce Indians, all these accounts and more are in this book.

I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a great story and documentation about the little known Buffalo Soldier, the American West and fighting the Native Americans. A Great Read!

This book, the other edited book by Senator Boren and others, Preparing America's Foreign Policy for the 21st Century, and two other books, Will and Ariel Durant's The Lessons of History, and Colin Gray's Modern Strategy are a complete starter set for advanced diplomacy.

Read my review of the other book for a high-level summary of where he and his colleagues think we need to take American foreign policy--assuredly a high road replete with morality, legitimacy, and affordability.

Other books I recommend to complement this one:
Wilson's Ghost: Reducing the Risk of Conflict, Killing, and Catastrophe in the 21st Century
The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People
The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project)
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin
The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All
A Power Governments Cannot Suppress

BLACKFOOT WAR ART: PICTOGRAPHS OF THE RESERVATION PERIOD, 1880-2000 is for college-level collections specializing in Native American studies and also for art libraries: it's a stunning survey of Blackfoot war art which presents both their representations of war and insights into Blackfoot culture and rituals. The author is a member of the Blood tribe, and uses both archival resources and museum collections paired with interviews of tribal members to provide a well-rounded, unique focus. The depth and detail in BLACKFOOT WAR ART is unparalleled, making it a major reference pick on the subject.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Since the mid-1950's Oklahoma Natural Gas Home Economists have provided recipes that reflect the richness of the various cultures and cuisines of Oklahomans. It's a wonderful collection of favorite Oklahoma Natural Gas recipes compiled over 70 years.

Many of the recipes have energy saving tips to use while cooking. Blue Flame Favorites should be a part of everyone's culinary library.

... didn't work then nor with the Volstead Act (the nationwide "experiment" with prohibition that enabled Al Capone and others similiarly situated to prosper.) This is the story of Oklahoma's coming into the United States of America with a "dry" State Constitution. It took an ice storm in the early 1980's to rid it of all those vestiges. The book is a well written study of what happens when the separation of Church & State is a sham. It is important reading today. As George Santayana admonished: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

A tapestry-novel, BOY ORATOR covers the walls of your mind's eye with a multi-decade, 360-degree portrait of a rarely presented corner of American history, more powerful still in presenting a coming-of-age as well.

Daugherty gives us the dirt-farming and coal-scavenging poor of Oklahoma during the first quarter of the last century, and dramatizes the brief but fierce conflagration of what was often such people's only hope for better -- the American Socialist movement. Yet he views this history through the eyes of someone who sees the past far less than he does the present and future, namely, the eponymous public speaker of the title, Harry Shaughnessy.

At once charismatic and shy, Shaughnessy's a marvelously complex creation. Onstage, he commands the crowd and outshines, out-talks all challengers; off the boards, he stumbles as clumsily as the rest of us, overwhelmed now by ill-understood romantic feelings, now by the discovery of evil. Some of the scenes -- in particular that of the coal miners' camp -- bruise us with the same the quiet pummeling as we get from a great Walker Evans Depression shot.

Harry and his Socialist brothers and sisters endure a tragedy, eventually. America veers into World War I and, in a classic pattern, its rank and file begin to punish anyone suspected of less than perfect patriotism. But this same crucible makes something more durable, more humane of young Harry. In the negelcted weeds of back-country Oklahoma, the destruction of one lovely bloom has allowed a tough new piece of greenery to flourish.