Oklahoma Books

"Collecting Autographs and Manuscripts" by Charles Hamilton, Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1961, hardback, 269 pages. Written by one of the premier autograph sellers. It is illustrated with more than 800 facsimiles and other reproductions of historical documents signed by nobility, political leaders, American "Wild West" sheriffs and badmen, the U.S. Revolutionary War (1776), the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), military, 18 different signatures by Napoleon, and worldwide literature fields. Also notes on how to identify forged items. Hamilton includes a lot of personal knowledge about buying and collecting autographs.

When my son started his senior year at DeSmet Jesuit High School I thought that it was time to learn more about the man for whom his school is named. With this in mind I began "Come Blackrobe". At the end of the book I was both pleased and a little disappointed. I was pleased because I had read such a good book about Indian relations in the West and had learned so much about Fr. DeSmet's career.. I was a bit disappointed because so little of Fr. DeSmet's personality had shone through the pages of the book.

Fr. DeSmet was a Belgian Jesuit who came to St. Louis in 1823. Over the next 50 years DeSmet would use St. Louis as his base of a career which ranged from Europe to the Rocky Mountains. Throughout this half century, DeSmet dedicated his heart and soul in support of missions to the Indians with whom he exchanged trust and affection.

Although remembered primarily as a missionary, DeSmet served the Jesuits in several capacities. He served of the Missouri Province of the Jesuits as treasurer and consultor. Much of his efforts were directed at recruiting and fundraising in Europe, which lead him to cross the Atlantic twenty-one times. An internationally recognized figure, he visited Presidents at the White House and was knighted by the King of Belgium.

I was particularly interested in DeSmet's service as an army chaplain. In 1858, DeSmet had served as a chaplain with an army expedition to Utah. In 1861, DeSmet was personally asked by Col. Francis P. Blair to serve as a chaplain in the Union Army. Blair viewed DeSmet as "one of the most beloved and honored priests in the entire country."

Fr. Killoren goes on to explain that "Archbishop Kenrick, however, saw Blair's move as an inducement to Irish Catholics of the St. Louis area to join the Union ranks. Kenrick's sympathies were with the South, and the archbishop insisted that DeSmet's Jesuit superior deny Blair's request."

I take issue with Fr. Killoren's characterization of Archbishop Kenrick as a Southern sympathizer. The truth is that Archbishop Kenrick's position on the issue is unknown. Guiding a divided flock, he maintained a posture of strict neutrality. His sole public statement on the Civil War was an appeal for moderation and submission to God's will within the Archdiocese. Archbishop Kenrick was an alumnus of Maymooth Seminary in Ireland at which students were taught to strictly keep the Church out of politics. The ban on service in the chaplaincy by diocesan priests was general. He did not display any approval of the actions of the diocesan priest, Rev. John B. Bannon, who did serve as a chaplain to the First Missouri Confederate Brigade.

As the title indicates, most of this book relates the story of the tragedies which befell the Indians as they gradually lost the Great Planes to the whites. Beginning with the Jeffersonian Indian Policy, Fr. Killoren relates the policies up to DeSmet's final visit to the Indians of the Rockies in 1870.

DeSmet's initial model for the Indian missions was based on the Jesuit Reductions which had been successful in Paraguay about two centuries before. The goal of the Reductions was to establish a Native Christian Empire segregated from white encroachment. By 1847 the influx of whites had demonstrated the impracticality of this model and forced its abandonment.

Although never learning an Indian language, DeSmet remained a steadfast friend and protector of the Indians throughout his life. In many cases, his most helpful contributions were his counsel to the Indians to peacefully accept the growing white intrusion into their lands. In one incident DeSmet had to disabuse the Indians of the notion that the hordes of immigrants across the Oregon Trail evidenced a depopulation of the East.

Much attention is given to the many rendezvous and meetings between government agents and Indians, some of which DeSmet attended. It must have been disheartening to DeSmet to have counseled the Indians to enter into so many agreements which were eventually broken by the government, even though agreement was, in the long run, in the Indians' best interest.

DeSmet's career came full circle, ending, fittingly enough, with his last public act, the dedication of the Steamboat DeSmet, which would ply the waters on which its namesake had traveled so often, on the St. Louis river front on May 13, 1873. On his way to the ceremony, Fr. DeSmet saw the many changes which had taken place during the 50 years that he called St. Louis home. During that half century, he had served as Missionary, treasurer, vocation recruiter, fund raiser, spiritual counselor and friend. He died on May 23, 1873.

This is really two books in one. One deals with the relations between the government and the Indians on the Great Plains. In this Fr. Killoren does an excellent job in relating the story of government policy and the changes it effected in Indians life.

The other book deals with Fr. DeSmet and his career. I said in the beginning that I was both pleased and a little disappointed in this aspect of the book. I was pleased in the many aspects of Fr. DeSmet's career which are related here. Fr. Killoren does an excellent job in relating all aspects of this multifaceted career. My only disappointment is that DeSmet's personality does not shine through the pages of this work. Nonetheless, I think that, when visiting the Old Cathedral in downtown St. Louis, my minds' eye will often see this saintly missionary return to the altar from which he traditionally sought God's blessings in preparation for his journeys.

The Korean war has interested me since I spent some weeks in South Korea during the 'Pueblo Crisis', when North Korea captured a US Navy spy ship in its territorial waters. The response of South Koreans was an outpouring of enormous pride at the accomplishment--and of memories about the Korean War, whose scars were still visible.
The memories of the South Korean people to whom I spoke supported Burchett's account of the war: namely that we were the aggressors throughout, that we treated the Korean people (South and North) brutally, and that the Northerners are heroes to the Southerners for their principled resistance to invasion and occupation by a foreign power.
Burchett has written one of the few eye-witness accounts of the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts from the 'other' side.
With reunification of the two parts of Korea now under way, we can expect to hear more about that other side in years to come. In the meantime, Burchett's book is a useful antidote to the usual propaganda.

Glanville Downey was a major American mid-twentieth century scholar of Roman history and most especially the Roman Near East. Search in Amazon under books for "Glanville Downey - Constantinople" to find all of the various editions of this book that are available. The Dorset reprint in hardcover is generally the most available and least expensive. This work is a short and selective consideration of its topic. However, by his choice of material and its arrangement, the author has been able to accomplish a great deal. Downey states that this work is aimed at a non-specialist audience, however, to glean the most from this study some background in Byzantine history would be helpful.

First, the historical Constantinople is covered followed by a description of Constantinople in the time of Justinian the Great. The contemporary emperorship is then described with a very insightful explanation of Eusebius's religious justification of a Christian emperor. This justification provides for a smooth intellectual transition from the pagan past to the Christian present. The immense legal reforms and codification of Justinian are then covered and their significance is explicated. A short section on the expansion of the Empire follows. A major consideration of Justinian the builder is provided. Interestingly, the last third of the book deals with religion in one way or another. The consideration here is magisterial in my estimation. The divine liturgy then current is described in detail followed by a very clear, if not overly detailed, explanation of the post Chalcedon problems with the maintenance of Christian orthodoxy and Justinian's efforts to solve those problems. That this explanation is understandable to any reasonably literate reader is in and of itself a major achievement. Lastly, the transition to Christian education is covered.

In describing Constantinople of the mid-sixth century and Justinian the Roman emperor, Downey leads the reader naturally into his contention that religion was most pivotal to the events of the era. And, he more than adequately supports that contention with fact and interpretation. A picture of a strong, industrious, impatient, and pious Justinian emerges. The narrative is vivid and flowing but dense and full of meaning. Carefully reading this delightful book will provide the reader with a clear image of both the city and the emperor along with his court and to a lesser degree the empire. Byzantine art and architecture are not covered. No notes are given, but a useful select bibliography of sources prior to 1960, the date of original publication, is provided. For any reader with more than a casual interest in the Byzantine empire, this is a must read. I believe there is something to be gained here by all but the most advanced specialist in Byzantine history.

Contrary Neighbors is an enjoyable and informative book for historians as well as the novice on the subject. Even with its complexity of tribal names, the writer tells a story and holds the readers interest.

A great tale - as usual Rhodes combines the lives, circumstances, and events of people and places HE actually knew and ... you can taste the dust, and smell the sweat of the horse swaying beneath you. Bring a canteen, a good knife, and a pile of hard-tack

This book captures the behind the scenes grit, the preceding events and the lives of the individual wrestlers and coaches that produced such a fantastic season and team. Kim Parrish, has gone beyond just telling the story of the team but has deftly used the "power of the pen" to recreate the events in such detail the only thing you actually miss are the sounds and smells of each event. More than just a sports book this is a training manual on "How to Win"! Cowboy Up reveals the winning principles that can be applied to any life pursuit you may desire. This book will hold your attention, bring great enjoyment, show you what makes champions and what keeps OSU the leader in collegiate wrestling. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and heartily recommend it.

Cowboys and Kansas is a must for anyone interested in researching and/or reading just that: cowboys in Kanas. The book gives you a thorough look at the uniqueness of cowboying and cattle ranching in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. There are countless books covering the more "popular" Texan cowboy or the cowboy of the trail driving days. Along with some of his other books, Mr. Hoy provides much needed information regarding the Kansas Cattle business, particularly during the early 20th century.

This book covers numerous facets of Ancient Egypt through 16 informative essays written by the leading international Egyptologists : Ian Shaw describes the geography and topography of the country; Jaromir Malek introduces the beginnings of this fascinating civilization as well as its history; Morris Bierbrier deals with the discovery of Ancient Egypt and presents a few of the first Egyptologists (Mariette, Maspero and Amelia Edwards); Janine Bourriau describes life and the ancient Egyptian family; Jac Janssen covers its economic aspects; J. D. Ray explains the principles of kingship and the pharaohs; Kenneth Kitchen tells of Ancient Egypt and its relations with Nubia, Punt, and Asia; Waltraud Guglielmi covers the religious aspects with the many Egyptian gods; Arielle Kozloff lets the reader know more about art and architecture; Cathleen Keller describes the Egyptian monuments; Alan Bowman tells of the invaders and the Ptolemaic dynasty; C. C. Walters covers Coptic Egypt; D. S. Richards explains the impact of Islam; Jane Jakeman describes the modern city of Cairo; Penelope C. Johnstone describes the influence Ancient Egypt has in our modern world; and finally Fayza Haikal describes family life in modern Egypt with accounts of marriage and other activities. This thought-provoking book is primarily aimed for non-specialists and novices.

Having worked for the National Park Service, I really enjoyed this book. But I think anyone who has a great passion for our national park system would enjoy it. I had expected it to be a somewhat tedious plod through NPS history, but instead it was the very personal story of Horace Albright, and the role he played in getting the NPS off the ground. It was a page-turner from start to finish. It would make a great gift for anyone who's ever been involved with the NPS as well. I bought my copy through the Grand Canyon Association (who run their bookstores at the park). They also have a website you can order form. I heartily recommend this absorbing and fascinating story.