Oklahoma Books

Gilbert Fite's "Mt Rushmore," (1952), like the great monument, is a superb piece of work and lives up to Professor Herbert T. Hoover's description of it, (to me), as the best on the subject.

I have read two new excellent books this year on the monument ('Mt Rushmore:An Icon Reconsidered' By Jesse Larner, and 'Great White Fathers' by John Taliaferro) but I agree with Hoover that Fite's work, now over half a century old, is still the best, in regard to the politics and construction of the 'Shrine of Democracy.'

Professor Fite, a South Dakotan historian now retired in Arkansas,has an easy and engaging style of writing that appeals to the general reader, as well as obvious research abilities that make him repected by his peers.

He brings to life the major players behind the creation of Rushmore monument: Doane Robinson, the lawyer turned- visionary historian who dared to dream of a great monument; Gutzon Borglum the brilliant but irascible sculptor who created something unique for the national memory; the able administrator John Boland whose financial skills were essential for success as was his humility and ability to withstand the bile and denigration of Borglum; and the political skills of Congressmen William Williamson, Francis Case and, in particular, Senator Peter Norbeck, arguably South Dakota's greatest senator and governor whose name is forever connected with the best in conservation principles.

Fite's description of Norbeck's Iron Mountain Road as ensuring the most spectacular framing, or telescoping, of Mt Rushmore by the use of three different tunnels is spot on and brought back warm personal memories of my visit in October 2001. This road plus the earlier Needles highway,together with Custer State Park and game sanctuary remain Norbeck's monument.

There are some great photos of the the early work at Rushmore and of most of the men mentioned above, including my favourite of Doane Robinson, taken in his later years. It seems to epitomise the author's description of him as "mild and even tempered" and reflects why "through the years South Dakotans had come to love and respect Doane Robinson."

Fite is understandably tough on Borglum, who could be very unfair to people who disagreed with his views, while recognising his genius,(although Taliaferro's book goes into greater biographical detail of the sculptor, his family and Ku Klux Klan background), and chronicles the financial and political struggles of the project as well as the dissenting voices to the monument.

Mt Rushmore is indeed a place to reflect, in a dramatic setting-a monument for the ages, representing the greatness and best traditions of America. However, it should also be mentioned it has been created on stolen land and the two newer books mentioned, as you would expect 50 years on, do detail Indian perspectives and grievances, and the other notable events in the history of Rushmore, since Fite's work was produced.

However, as I write this review on the second anniversary of an evil and barbarous terrorist act, it is worth reflecting on that the men of Rushmore were essentially builders-unlike the wreckers and destroyers of the Taliban whose contribution to history was to smash the great Budhist statues of antiquity because they were not monuments of their faith.

Like Mt Rushmore, Professor Fite's book is well constructed and makes us think of peoples and values of worth. Highly recommended.

What the amazon reviewer fails to disclose are the moments in this book that make it vivid: There is a queasy and scary scene where Charley escapes being gang-raped (while in male garb, no less), and another where she limps to a surgeon after being shot in the leg during a mugging! In fact, she gets shot a couple of times throughout the book!
You can read this book in one sitting and believe me, you'll want to--it's that riveting!

This is one of those books that if you are partial to History .AND. Trivia that you will devour like candy. It is just packed full of the obscure -which is not to say unimportant - information, like how to calculate the amount of shot on hand if it is placed in a triangular pile.

The author's experience comes from his own military service in the West when he was in charge of Indian Scouts. He writes, however, from his teaching post at West Point and the book lists his status thusly: "Assistant Instructor of Tactics at the U.S. Military Academy, and Formerly Commanding Indian Scouts in the Department of the Columbia.".

As a guide, Farrow intended this book for army newbies - which is one of the reasons that it's a joy to someone like me; it doesn't assume you know a great deal. Thus he is quite explicit in how to make a stretcher out of two rifles and some jackets, as well as how to load an aparajoe on a stubborn mule.

The "look inside this book" feature lists the contents, so you can see that he includes information on horse care, rifle sighting, field medicine, etcetera, as well as a dictionary of Chinook Jargon. You should note however that some of the medical advice is downright dangerous, if not deadly. Sugar of lead anyone?!?. But in general the book is just chock-a-block full simply fascinating, detailed information for the field officer, soldier, historian, or history buff.

Five Stars :::
This is a fun, educational book. It would be suitable for breaking up into shorter reads such as on the Metro, or um... around the house. 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 frequently detailed instructions and diagrams, although that isn't always the case.

There is lots of fun math as well. Basic examples of classic physics and geometry. This might make an excellent math book for the reluctant student if they can 'get into' the historical aspects. My only regret is that Farrow did NOT give details on how one can use turpentine and wax to waterproof canvas and duck.

Pam T.

(...)

The wonderfully named Cuthbert Morton Girdlestone first published this guide in 1948. It has been frequently re-issued, also under the title Mozart's Piano Concertos, and gone through several editions, though all versions I have seen are basically identical.

At the time it first appeared Mozart's piano concertos were not as widely known and performed as they are today (no complete recordings of the entire canon were available, for example), so if Girdlestone appears to be making a special plea for their recognition, he had ample reason. With several volumes of trenchant analysis of the Viennese Classical composers and their output now available by such luminaries as Charles Rosen, Girdlestone's work may now seem old-fashioned to the point of raising smiles, an impression only reinforced by the handwritten musical examples (not very well coordinated with the text, incidentally). It is amusing to read the Concerto in B-flat major K. 450 described as "a well-bred gentleman," and such examples of what might be called musical anthropomorphism crop up frequently. Girdlestone was not a trained musical theorist and when he tries to talk of technical matters such as harmony or key centers he is fuzzy and at times downright wrong, no small matter with a master of tonal harmony and musical form. He also denigrates the musical worth of the early concertos in what seems an unnecessarily harsh manner, and his insistence that a benchmark of quality for a piano concerto be "collaboration" between the solo instrument and orchestra, by which he seems to mean dialogue and contrapuntal combination, is dogmatic as well. By his standards, for example, the so-called "Coronation" Concerto, K. 537, is an inferior work; but Rosen and others have pointed out how its compositional techniques anticipate those of Beethoven and subsequent early Romantic composers of piano concertos.

Nevertheless, Girdlestone's passion for Mozart's music, and his recognition that its charm and grace does not preclude deep and profound emotion, override his frequently flawed analysis, drawing the sympathetic reader in. It is hard not to agree with, or be moved by his statement that the piano concertos are a medium by which "we penetrate... into the inner sanctuary where the harassed and overworked man [Mozart] found afresh the radiant life which never ceased to spring up within him." In addition, his placing of the piano concertos within the context of Mozart's entire output is interesting and frequently provides valuable insight into the composer's general aesthetic. When my first copy of this book finally fell apart I searched for another copy to replace it, and found it here on Amazon. I recommend that all musicians and music lovers acquaint themselves with this pioneering, loving musical guide.

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.

It would be hard to fully understand recent and past work on shotgun performance and patterns without first reading this book. This is not entertaining reading, it is technical stuff for those who want to better understand shotgun patterns. I am glad I purchased and read it.

The myths of the Wichita are a mythic interpretation of the Place where the present-day city of Wichita stands, but they also are an important link to the world-wide mythologies of ancient times. They both offer an insight into the spiritual meaning of this Place, and have the potential for helping mythographers to understand where Native American myths fit into the larger picture of ancient culture. The ethnographer, Dorsey, has a genuine understanding of the Wichita and of the need to transmit their legends accurately and with a cultural context.

Following a series of recommended drives throughout the Middle South from west to east, this compact little book provides an excellent listing of sights (including brief descriptions) that a reasonably intelligent reader might enjoy. I read it with highlighter in hand, marking the sights that appealed to me, an approach I recommend to others.

Mr. White appears to be an active bird-watcher (he apparently has written other books on that subject). Readers who share that interest will find this book particularly interesting, since he highlights the best bird-watching spots along the Gulf Coast.

Any college-level holding strong in Mexican history and culture holdings will find National Narratives in Mexico: A History an essential acquisition: it examines different historical visions of Mexico as it was interpreted in its own time, surveying issues of ethnic identity, culture, and different concepts of history reporting and representation over the centuries. Modern Mexico can best be understood by realizing the differences in these approaches, and National Narratives in Mexico assures Mexico's volatile history is understood through the source documents making assumptions, assertions, and facts. Add black and white drawings by Raul Velasquez and you have an excellent, scholarly survey which should be a foundation pick for any serious collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This fascinating book lists almost 200 U.S. Indian tribal flags arranged in alphabetical order. Every flag design, before being described and analyzed in detail, is introduced by a map locating the Tribe within the U.S. The text, rich in detail and well-documented from Native sources, is further illustrated by a set of 192 color plates, allowing full appreciation of these flags. You are invited to plunge into Indian lives and beliefs: the harmony between man and nature, wisdom, religious feelings, attachment to earth ... Through flags, the book allows you to discover a fascinating and ancient people, whose spiritual richness is only equaled by their diversity. It pays homage to Indian traditions, art and culture. Don't hesitate to buy this book, it will be an exciting adventure!