Oklahoma Books

Grazulis states, "Awareness is the key to tornado safety" (163). The best way to understand safety measures in the midst of a weather emergency is to become educated on a particular subject. The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm thoroughly explains tornado history, formation patterns, and safety patterns that are necessary to the understanding of a tornado. Though the subject matter may seem particularly dense or difficult to understand, Grazulis writes in such a way that every reader can comprehend the importance of tornados and the way they have impacted society. A common theme throughout the whole book is the idea that tornadoes, as a whole, are still a nebulous meteorological phenomenon. In spite of this, the author still is able to flush out a complicated topic and does so with great ease. This book shatters fears that may surround the tornado. Grazulis is certainly skeptical of the news media's coverage because of the way it sensationalizes tornadoes. After reading this book, one will have a much more realistic idea of tornado behavior. For me, I will no longer become paranoid when I see tornado watches on television, see pictures of tornado wreckage, or watch Twister or The Wizard of Oz. Instead, safety strategies will trump fear and understanding of this superstorm will overcome the unknown.

Written primarily for the layperson, The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm won't disappoint you if you're curious about the most enigmatic of atmospheric phenomenon. Grazulis is well known for his historical tornado data work (and has done a stellar job of it too) and has taken much of his knowledge, put it into this book, and made it accessible for the non-scientist. People like myself who are knowledgeable in the atmospheric sciences may find the book a bit basic, but we're not the target audience. Regardless of your knowledge, this book is an attractive read. In the light of the revision of the old Fujita scale of tornado intensity, I'd like to see a revised edition published.

For a relatively small number of Americans each year a tornado will threaten life and result in a life-changing loss of possessions and property. A greater number will observe the phenomenon but, as luck would have it, remain scared but unscathed. However to the vast majority a tornado is nothing more than a compelling news item on television which highlights the casualties, personal losses and structural damage. This is reinforced by the compulsory 30 second sound bite by someone who has lost everything but survived and another who lived nearby but remains intact. The video from the chasers is breath taking but accompanied by the standard script of 'Oh my god...Oh my god...guys...Holey crap...guys...'

As I write this (May 2008) the tornados currently in Oklahoma have all of these elements. So far this year America has had 103 tornado deaths and this is alarming.

Grazulis has written with a wonderful balance of narrative and scientific text. A reader is drawn through the chapters and will come away better informed on tornados, their cause, observation, classification, magnitude and probability. The relatively small probability of any one person or any one building being struck in any year seems to be a risk acceptable to this conditioned society and to the insurance industry. The declining trend in the number of fatalities is attributed to improving meteorology, warning systems and improving design of structures. There is however a hint those tornados could become more frequent and severe with climate change.

Tornados are now better understood because of Grazulis.

Perhaps the book will be the catalyst that motivates scientists, engineers, architects and urban planners to come together to build improved structures and communities so as to better resist the destructive forces of tornados. Otherwise it seems that society will continue to believe that a tornado is an irresistible force. I promote the idea of engineering-out the likelihood of devastating loss. Perhaps we can diminish the likelihood of Americans following Dorothy and Toto to the Land of Oz.

Since there's a lot of science going on behind tornado occurances -many myths have developed since the phenomena is so scary & hard to explain

Thomas P. Grazillus manages to do just that in this book - explain the science behind the tornado so the average joe could undertand it, while explaining the truth about myths, while trying to understand where these myths have risen from.

I wanted a book for by granddaughter who is 10 and who had expressed an interested in tornadoes. It was, perhaps, a little above her level, however it can be read in parts. I ended up reading the entire thing before I could let go of it to send it on. Puts the tornado,the incidence of seeing one, and the likelihood of experiencing damage all into perspective. Knocks down the myths of tornadoes, when, where and what they strike. A must for any library on meteorology. Sufficient statistics and hard science to satisfy even the already knowledgeable storm chaser.

This book was one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in years. The author's lifestyle may be unorthodox to modern ways of thinking, but he presents his life in such matter-of-fact manner that he never comes across as self-righteous or weird. He's rhapsodic about the pleasures of his work on the farm without turning introspective. A really lovely book.

This book is a delight to read. Peaceful and quiet in setting and tone, I return to it often when the dream of moving to our farm seems far away. How simple a one-person farm...and how complex. Winchester takes pleasure in the smallest of details and the largest as well.

This book started out rather dull and almost lost me after the first few chapters...I even told my wife that I doubted I'd finish...then, all of a sudden, the story got interesting. The author might be a tad idiosyncratic, but he seems honest and by the end I came to appreciate his words and observations.

This beautiful little book is one of my favories. I read it every winter and it reminds me why I try harder every year to live a simple life. I wish Mr. Winchester would write more.

This is one of those books that sneak up on you and before you know it you are finished and wish that you had only just began. It is unfortunate that the reviewer from Tulsa, Ok (not the buckle of the Bible belt, Alabama is) felt the need to read his perversions into this book and it's sweetly innocent look at a simple life, it proves that some people just don't get it. Quite the contrary to what that reviewer said, the author seemingly had plenty of friends, who showed up to help him out when his barn was destroyed by a grass fire. One has to ask, did he really even read this book at all, or just skim over it for a book report? Maybe he should just stick with Hemmingway, who by the way, did NOT live on a farm.

"DETAILED EVIDENCE ABOUT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S unholy alliance with the terrorist underworld---and of a sting operation that led to the Oklahoma City bombing---will no doubt shock many people.

Reporter David Hoffman's definitive, two-year investigation leads to a number of revelations....."
[from the book of the back cover]

This manuscript of this book is available online, and is well worth a look before purchasing the book. I have read through Chapter 2, "The Face of Terror", which analyzes the mainstream accounts of McVeigh's life up to his time at Calspan. As a woman born in 1962 in Western New York, I am convinced that Hoffman's analysis is the ONLY one I've read so far that has the ring of truth to it. Why is it so hard to believe that a smart, motivated, conscientious young man had no future in a state that had poured its treasure and manpower into becoming the most progressive Socialist Utopia of all these United States? I believed - and got the hell out of there - like 30% of the entire male cohort born in that location.
What follows afterwards - the allegation that McVeigh may have been a Manchurian candidate starts sounding to me like tinfoil hat brigade fodder. Will I continue to believe this, as I work my way through the rest of this book with as much thoroughness as I have already? I don't know. But so far, I haven't been disappointed, and have been impressed enough to keep reading.

Like the Warren Commission Report on the murder of John F. Kennedy, we have another super bullet or in this case bomb that can do stuff that can't be done(in science or logic). The FBI, ATF... don't have a good reputation of being top crime investigators; in fact under Hoover's watch they seemed more interested in getting "dirt" on top politicians, civil rights leaders...than solving crimes.

I never bought the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK on his own with an old rifle that had magic bullets. No matter that real sharpshooters couldn't reproduce his marksmanship; the fatal headshot very likely came from the front, not the rear. The evidence points to multiple shooters, but the government concluded that Oswald acted alone...baloney.

The Oklahoma City bombing is the same old sale's story from the FBI, which the author proves was faulty investigating by quoting real life bomb experts who say that a fertilizer bomb didn't do-do what the government said it done. Like the super bullet of Oswald, we have the super crap bomb of Timmy's! It seems the government is more interested in getting a warm human body convicted for the crime, and closing the case. Hey, it's a win for the government; who cares if someone else was involved or was the real killer(s)... what happened to justice in the US of A or did we ever have it(remember the verdict in OJ's trial, money and fame can buy you freedom for your sin's).

I haven't finished the whole book, but I've carefully read the first few chapters, skimmed the rest and studied the appendices. What I'm trouble with is the lack of intellectual rigor. Hoffman writes with a goal in mind-he starts out with a thesis and then marshalls facts to prove it. A proper approach to such an explosive (pun intended) hypothesis is to carefully show how you ruled out contrary evidence.

I got a bit of a sick feeling in my stomach as Hoffman actually makes Timothy ("Tim" or "Timmy") out to be some kind of sympathetic or respectable person who was simply exploited by CIA type bad guys into doing something he didn't want to do. I don't care if there are others to blame or there was a government cover-up or other malfeasance, this guy was involved in wanton murder and it is sickening to whitewash it at all.

The only possible redeeming quality of the book is information suggesting involvement of other groups and the government's apparent reluctance (to put it mildly) to pursue these other possibilities. This includes the many witness accounts of McVeigh being spotted in the company of accomplices up to and including the morning of the bombing, serious technical questions about the ability of the ANFO bomb to do the kind of damage done to the Murrah building and possible links to middle eastern terrorists or terror-sponsoring governments.

A far better treatment of the subject is Jayna Davis' book, "The Third Terrorist" which is very careful in its analysis and doesn't try to weave these black theories of secret government plots to make right wing nutjobs take the blame. I would not recommend purchasing Hoffman's book: get it from the library. Or better yet, read Davis' book and skim Hoffmans'.

This book is extremely well researched and stunning in its conclusions. That this event could happen as described should shake to the core every American's faith in governments and their law enforcement institutions.

A note on reading the book: it is extremely dense. It is easy to lose site of the forest in each chapter as you hack your way through the trees. A clearer focus on story line instead of overwhelming us with an incredible density of detail would have made what is already a powerful read even more powerful. Also, I think the credibility of the author's message would have been enhanced if he just let the chilling facts speak for themselves, rather than resorting, at times, to shrill and childish editorializing.

However, neither of these criticisms should dissuade anyone from reading this book. As a matter of fact, it should be required reading for all people of democratic societies to rid them of the naive belief that governments work in the best interest of the people they supposedly serve.

Without intending to sound too cliche, it is people like David Hoffman who are the true defenders of the Bill of Rights in the American Constitution.

If this book interests you, you might also like any non-fiction by Gore Vidal (a big proponent of this book), Christopher Hitchens (The Trial Of Henry Kissenger, No One Left To Lie To) and the "fiction" of James Ellroy (American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand).

If you are as into the guns as you are the stories, this is particularly good book. Every few pages is a full color spread of authentic Old west shotguns, lever actions, pistol, and single shots. They are pictures of the actual guns used by famous outlaws, law men, and others from various western history museums - very cool! The text is good but not great. it is wirtten more from a historical perspective than a story telling one. Still a book you should own if you like anything about the old West.

I received "Age of the Gunfighter" last night and have only been able to glance through it's pages a few times.

On the positive side, my initial impression is that the book is a gorgeous encyclopedia of photographs of famous people, towns and firearms.

On the negative side, my cursory glances through the book have shown some significant historical errors. The only sub-section of the book I have any real knowledge about is the Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid. The book contains some glaring errors in this section.

In a photo, the author mixes up the identities of John Poe and James Brent and states that Brent accompanied Poe and Pat Garrett to Fort Sumner when in fact, it was Tip McKinney who accompanied them, not James Brent.

The author correctly identifies a photo of Bob Beckwith but states that he was a follower of Billy the Kid who died when he and McSween tried to escape McSween's burning house. The fact is that Beckwith was a member of the Murphy-Dolan faction and fighting on the opposite side of Billy and McSween that night. Billy and several "Regulators" had already escaped when Beckwith called for McSween's surrender. Something went wrong and after the smoke cleared from the resulting shootout, both McSween and Beckwith were dead.

Finally, the author states that Pat Garrett killed Billy the Kid with a Colt Single-Action .45 when Garrett actually used a Colt Single-Action .44.

I haven't had a chance to read much of the author's narrative so possibly these errors are due to someone else editing the descriptions of the photographs.

For the photos alone, this book is a definite must-have for the Frontier enthusiast and based on this alone should rate the book five stars. However, the questionable historical accuracy of some of it's narrative requires me to downgrade my rating to four stars.

Joseph Rosa presents us with a stunning visual collection of photographs, mainly featuring fine specimens of mid to late 19th century firearms, and vintage photos of emminent gun-fighters of the era. There are several interesting nostalgic paintings displayed as well, by artists such as N.C. Wyeth. Although the illustrations are the most striking feature of this book by far, there is plenty of interesting text as well. The chapters within cover these topics: The Violent West, Feuds and Range Wars, Cowboys and Cowtown Chaos, Law and Order: From Gun to Gavel. In general, this book is an enthralling visual catalog of the firearms, both famous and obscure, that were utilized in the American West during the years 1840 to 1900. Within you will see collections of rifles, pistols, shotguns, and miscellenous historical relics, all arranged in vivid color layouts.

...between the vast number of personalities discussed, and the quality & quantity of the photos included; this is the ultimate reference on the good guys, and the bad guys of the Wild West... the gear they wore, the guns they used, the circumstances surrounding what each gunfight was really about, and the ultimate fate of each legend.

This is the best book I've ever found that extensively shows what the Old West of the Gunfighter was really like.Rosa has done a supurb job of defining all aspects of this intriguing period,roughly from 1840 till the end of the century.
Rosa covers all the Gunfighters whose names and faces who have become legends. He also shows us many of the less known and less written about. He has included some of the best pictures of these people you can find ,and all in one volume. Here we are shown how they dressed,and the guns,rifles and tools and equipment they used. We also get wonderful photographs of the towns they inhabited,both inside views and street scenes.There are concise and factual write-ups on many of the characters and their claims to fame.
Rosa has been consistant in providing the dates of most of the photographs.I am not sure when the photography technology was first developed that allowed such a great record;but it was around the time of the early years of this period.Just imagine,what a true representation of these days would have been impossible without this invention.
If you read many westerns or much history of this era ,you will be forever running into the types of weapons used.You are often left with wondering what they looked like. Well,wonder no more;just pull out this book and you will see excellent photographs and descriptions of these firearms,cartridges,cleaning tools,pistol and rifle cases,watches,holsters,belts,playing cards documents,swords, knives,badges,hats,saddle bags and countless other artifacts of the time.The author also shows the musemms where these artifacts are retained.
Also scattered through the book are beautiful examples of artwork done by famous painters of the period.Several maps are included that make stories and history of the Old West very easy to follow.Anyone who has tried to locate events of this period by using present day highway atlass will appreciate them.
You will also be amazed with the detail that Rosa has collected,obviously verified and included in the book.Not only that,he does it in a manner that doesn't get the reader bogged down in detail. What I really mean to say is that the information is there in great detail;but the reader is able to skip over or delve into;the choice is his.
Another aspect of this book that is also noteworthy is its high quality of construction,binding,paper stock,printing and color rendition makes this a reference book that will stand up to years of use.
This book was first published ic 1993 and again in 2000 and as you can see,it still commands a good price.That certainly proves how good and popular this book is, and would be a very often referred to and treasured book for anyone interested in the Gunfighters and any other History of the Old West.I can tell you it is certainly a favorite of mine.

Fantastic! I read this book in the late 70's when we lived in Oklahoma and thought it was a great mystery then. I have never forgotten it!! It is every bit as good as "Blood and Money". I would love to read this book again, but have not been able to find it in any bookstore. Why hasn't some television network ever made of movie out of this one? It would be a great whodunit! What has happened to the rest of the family?

Fantastic! I read this book in the late 70's when we lived in Oklahoma and thought it was a great mystery then. I have never forgotten it!! It is every bit as good as "Blood and Money". I would love to read this book again, but have not been able to find it in any bookstore. Why hasn't some television network ever made of movie out of this one? It would be a great whodunit! What has happened to the rest of the family?

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. My husband grew up spending time on the ranch with the Mullendores and was very good friends with some of the ranchers of L&B Ranch. The story is so true. It was an excellent book!!

I read this book for the first time in the late 1970's and wanted to read further about the case when I finished it. The ONLY information I found in my library were the two articles from the Wall Street Journal, which prompted the book in the first place.

I found the book to be reliable and a most interesting read, considering the murder has never been solved. When I discussed it with a friend from Caney, Kansas, he told me he was well acquainted with the case and its principals and was unequivocal regarding the identity of the murderer. Apparently it is common knowledge in that town (his opinion dovetails with mine, by the way). Once you read the book, you should have no doubt in your mind regarding the name of the killer. But, one wonders why the Mullendores themselves from that day to this seem to have no interest in bringing him to justice.

This is fascinating stuff, well written and well researched.

I have read this book and found it to be incredibly true since I personally know everyone in the book as my father grew up right next to the Mullendore ranch. Several of my relatives are listed in the book and were employees at the time of the murder. The people who think the Mullendores are nice people have never met them. If you drive through their ranch today you will see men on horseback with rifles following your movement.

I was hoping for a revelation about the state home for orphans. I was surprised that no more was there. I knew Glen Ewing well, for he was my teacher in HS. I was very disappointed to read the language that I seldom if ever heard when I was a child and I am 8 years or so younger than Rex. I, too, grew up in this area of Ok. Also the slams given to the Church of the Nazarene were horrible. I have been in the Nazarene church since the day I was born and the Round Grove church since 1949 and have NEVER seen holy rollers, nor people talking in tongues(Pentacostals) that really belonged to that faith. NOR are they people that do not believe in Drs.!! We have many born again Christians who are also Doctors.

I read this book with my book club and was pleasantly surprised by both the high quality of the author's prose and the amazing detail of his memory. Researchers say that strong emotion fixes details of situations in one's head and that was clearly the case for Rex Wilson. His recollections tell the reader not only about his own abandonment, adoption and childhood, but paint a fascinating portrait of life in rural Oklahoma in the Depression years.

I think the editing could have been a little tighter and I would have liked to have seen more photos, but the memoir was great. I'll never look at adoption the same way again.

Not being adopted or knowing anyone who was adopted in my rural community in Oklahoma where I was raised, I did not read OUT EAST OF ALINE for the adoption story but for the portrayal of "life as it was" in northwestern Oklahoma during the 1930's. I was not disappointed! My personal memories (and stories told to me by my parents) and those of the author paralleled each other, yet in a delightfully told, very descriptive manner that made my memories come alive once again. Further, the description of his trip West with his parents, camping along the roadsides, was hilarious! This story demands a sequel as to what happened during his high school and college years that further developed his visions for his future.

Rex Wilson always knew he had two identities that never quite merged into one. He remembered his birth name, his father's death in 1930 when he was four, and his mother leaving him and his siblings in the Oklahoma State Home for White Children soon thereafter. This was not a particularly cruel or neglectful institution by the standards of that time and place, but it had all the usual institutional faults and it left scars. The next year he was adopted by the Wilsons, who wrested a living from the sandy soil east of Aline, Oklahoma, and had no children of their own. They were well-meaning and expressed love as well as they knew how, but the boy to whom they gave a new name was never quite secure.

Despite this he was a lively and intelligent boy who learned much from the family farm and Round Grove School, which had a single teacher and up to forty pupils from first through eighth grades. One of his teachers recognized his unusual qualities, double-promoted him and taught him the value of co-operation in basketball and with an ingenious scheme to get out-of-date mail order catalogues for use in the school's outdoor privies. Daily life in the days before rural electrification is described in great and accurate detail. He also lovingly describes shopping visits to nearby towns and a trip to Arizona that awakens what will become his lifelong interest in archaeology. He catches the exact speech patterns of that time and place with the deadpan humor charcteristic of the region, never once abandoning the viewpoint of the boy he once was. At the end of the book he has graduated eighth grade and is ready to face a wider world.

Out East Of Aline: An Adoption Memoir is more than a biography. Author and retired archaeologist Rex L. Wilson writes from a child's point of view, remembering his own abandonment at an orphanage at the tender age of four and a half years. He was adopted by an Oklahoma farming couple a year later. Thus began his journey into the strange ways of his new home, the heartbreak of learning that his biological mother would never claim him, the unease of living in a community where adopted children were mistrusted as reform school candidates (at best), and finally, gradual acceptance into his new way of life. Out East Of Aline is not only about adoption issues; ultimately a tale of perseverance, hope, and the joys of living. Recommended.

This book is a valuable contribution in refuting the falsehoods spread by the so-called "Christian" Right, and particularly by the far Right Christian Identity movement which is even more extremist. It is a good companion to a wonderful new book titled Real Prophecy Unveiled: Why the Christ Will Not Come Again, And Why the Religious Right Is Wrong, by Joseph J. Adamson. And another good book is A Pilgrim's Path, by John J. Robinson. Thank God for books like these, because they shed light in a world made dark by "religious" bigotry, hypocrisy, and aggression. They give me faith that the humble and meek shall inherit the earth after all.

This is a good history of the Christian Identity movement. The biggest fault this book has is it barely touched on the huge influence the old Mormon faith (before it became pc) had on Identity doctrine. As much of a kook religion as it is Identity theology has always fascinated me. I do find it rather odd that some of the biggest foaming at the mouth Jew haters are people who either practice religions that have roots in the Jewish culture or even claim that they are Jews themselves. Its like they have Jew envy or something.

This book does a very good job of attempting to trace the origin of Chrisitan Identity up to the current day. While it does cover material that is already common knowldege amongst those familiar with Christian Identity, and it doesn't address fully the current members of this right-wing movement, I would suggest this book to anyone who has a rudementary understanding of Christian Identity but who would like to learn more.

Barkun recites a Talmudic workmanlike account of Identity recent history, but he is intentionally selective in omitting material which is damaging to his worldview, he is a Russian jew living in USA. In the book, Barkun seeks to downplay the real genealogy of (just what he is) an Ashkenaizic "jew". He omits scholarship such as Prof Wexler of Tel Aviv which shows that the Ashkenazi jews are not at all "Bible Jews". This alone verifies the core teaching of Identity preachers: the illusive Identity of the dominant "jewish" group. What else does Barkun, who is clearly a bright fellow, what else does he conceal in his book and which would undercut his thesis? He speaks of Dispensationalism but he never goes on to tell us that Scofield who concocted a very popular Bible commentary ca 1900, was largely funded by Zionist jews such as Schiff. Schiff was the same Russian jew who through his Wall Street brokerage virtually funded the "Russian Revolution" which resulted in the killings by Russian jews of over 50 million Christians in Russia and Ukraine. You could either attribute these deaths (Christians murdered by jews) as being of Satanic or earthly origins, but they clearly are a part of history. The recent book The Black Book of Communism, which is clearly not "an evil Christian Identity book", lavishly documents these crimes.

What else does Barkun selectively omit from his book. He glosses over Identity persons and groups which he apparently realizes are helpful to the cause of jewish zionism. For instance, he says at the outset that he will have little to say about Herbert Armstrong. Any man who lived through the era of 1930 through World War 2 and on through the 1970s surely remembers listening on the radio to The World Tomorrow --Armstrong and his son Garner Ted Armstrong. But, Armstrong clearly taught Identity and Armstrong LOVED the jews. He cheered on Roosevelt and his jewish advisors who faked the "surprise attack at Pearl Harbor" to bring America into WW II and the deaths of many million Christians --all for the benefit of the jews. The reason Barkun has very little to say about Armstrong is because: here was a Christian Identity preacher whom the jews used to advance their goals of eliminating Germany and creating the marxist experimental State called "Israel". Another Identity preacher of today who serves the jews is Pastor Arnold Murray of Arkansas. In fact, the leading Identity preacher now in 2007 is Murray and his Shepherd's Chapel. He is on TV, radio, Internet, and shortwave. There is no stronger supporter of the jews and Israel. No mention of Murray in Barkun's book. Can you guess why? There are several other very significant omissions in this book. And, it is both obvious that Barkun was shrewd both in making conclusions and in failing to connect the dots in many areas.

While I highly enjoyed this book and found it meticulously, yet engagingly, researched, I will try to refrain from repeating what other reviewers have already stated. What I would like to add, is that I was unexpectedly impressed with the tortuous connections Barkun unearthed between the Identity/British-Israel sects/movements and other strains of Protestants and Pentecostals. I felt that I learned not only about Identity, but also gained a wider perspective on America's colorful religious history. Barkun also did an admirable job of maintaining a degree of objectivity and emotional distance from his subject, preventing a preachy or moralistic tone from overwhelming the book.

I loved this book about a psychic single mom who struggled to raise her four kids. It drove me crazy that she kept going back to her jerk of a husband. It was an enjoyable reading experience.

I bought this book on the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble. I think I bought it for a few bucks. No offense to the writer, but that's about all it's worth. Had I bought it at full price, I would have been a little upset.

The book starts off just okay. The writing style is almost generic at times. It's definitely easy to read but there are many points in the book that I was wishing the author had given more detail. At times I felt as though I was just reading the pages instead of visualizing the story. For the most part the story was predictable. There really wasn't anything original or special about it. I tend to like stories about the Midwest, the south and everyday folk. However, this book didn't really touch me. I can tell by the packaging and the title of the book they are aiming for a Fannie Flagg audience. But this is no Fried Green Tomatos.

On the positive, the book became much better about half to 3/4 of the way through. But overall the book did not draw me in. It took me a few weeks just to finish the book and I like to read, but I just didn't get into reading this until the last few chapters.

Overall, the book is average. The last book I read that was really good was "Amy and Isabelle" by Elizabeth Strout. I read it in less than two days. I couldn't put it down. Although a different kind of read, it was by far more interesting.

Dunbar has written a wondeful story about coming into your own and finding stregnth that you didn't even know you had. This tale is one that I believe that we can all relate to - felling overwhelmed and learning to trust both ourselves and the wisdom of the universe in the gifts that it has given us. Her images stay with you long after you have put down the book.

So this woman is stuck in hard times indeed: husband left her, bills piling up, pregnant, trying to take care of four other kids, etc. She has always played life in her small town by the rules, never upsetting anybody or standing out. Now she has to find a way to earn money fast, and her family can?t live on the pity of the community. Reluctantly, Aletta Honor plays the only card she has left and opens for business as a psychic reader. But wouldn?t you know it, the whole town seems to have something to say about this development and pretty soon the right-wing religious folk are picketing. Despite persecution from her husband, her church and even her mother, Aletta is determined to help everybody who comes to her door in need because she truly believes that her gift is from God. What a likeable heroine.

Author Danya Dunbar writes the lives of Aletta, her family and friends with heart and sympathy; even despicable, cheating husband Jimmy and the stereotypically intolerant and self-righteous religious folk that protest Aletta?s business are handled with some softer moments. Though insightful flashbacks and Aletta?s psychic visions we learn many secrets of Okay County?s residents that explain how they came to be the people they are today, good but full of hurts. The overriding theme appears to be that everybody is just looking for a little love however they can. (get out those sap buckets!). I do wish Dunbar hadn?t written Aletta as so much of a dashboard saint herself, however; her only flaw appears to be loving people too much. Syrup, anyone?

Personally, I found the book?s title to be a little too prophetic of its lukewarm plotting. I have no real objection to it Read The Saints and Sinners of Okay county if you want a nice, quick read for the summer and a smidgen of feel-good New Age style spirituality. I?m just not a sentimentalist myself, so this type of novel reads as over-the-top to me. But hey, different strokes and all that, so you might enjoy it.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

I enjoyed this book enough I guess. It wasn't exceptional...but not a bad read either. I guess for me it ran right down the middle. This is the story of Alleta Honor, who's raising three children (and pregnant with the fourth) and dealing with her sleaze-ball husband Jimmy, who's drinking and runnin' around are taking it's toll on the family.

Now, Aletta has a special talent that she's kept secret for most her life, whenever she touches people she sees images about their lives, wether it be their past, present or future. After unexpectedly helping a woman at the town's bicentennial parade, she realizes that she may be able to make a little money off her talent, she needs to make it somehow due to her husbands absence and the bills piling up.

Once Aletta sticks that sign on her front lawn advertising psychic readings for $5.00, everything in the little town of Okay, Oklahoma, and the Honor household begins to change. How the townsfolk, Aletta and her family deal with things are at times funny and heartbreaking. We're given pieces of Aletta's childhood throughout the book, and learn how she came to inherit this talent, and how her family and friends delt with it.

I don't highly recommend this book, nor do I discourage anyone from reading it. I didn't find it to be a stand out book, but I liked it nonetheless. Just you're run-of-the-mill small town southern story, with a little psychic powers thrown in. Not too bad.

Samuel Ross photographed two Learjet's at the airport before taking off for Oklahoma to see his dad and his new family. He was just trying out his new camera. He didn't see an angry man who tried to stop him from taking the shot; they ran after him and entered the plane.
Nothing could have prepared him for his hick stepbrother, or the rustic house in backwoods Oklahoma. Someone called and said he won the photo contest. He thought it was a mistake until four men appeared at his door wanting to kill him.
I think Journey Into Terror is a great book for someone that likes action. If you read this book you will wonder what happens next. This will be a great book if you live in the woods or get chased a lot of times by strangers. And don't ever take a picture of strangers.

The book Journey into Terror by Bill Wallace is about a twelve year old boy whose parents are divorced. In this book Sam, the main character is at the air port waiting for his plane to visit his dad. While he was waiting he decided to take some pictures whith the camera he got from his dad. He took a picture of two Lear jets whith some guys in the middle of the two Lear jets.Sam took a picture of the wrong guys, they were after him. I didn't really like this book. I thought the author left out to many detals. I wouldn't recommend this book to any one but thats just my opinion.

Journey into terror is a book about Sam and his family getting into trouble. They're captured by unknown people. They go through many adventures throughout the story. It starts with Sam taking a picture of a guy that's bad, now the chase begins. I think that people should read this book because it has action, excitement and other cool stuff in it. It would be a miracle if someone put the book down. I learned that you shouldn't give up. I also learned that you should never tell a bad guy a secret.

When 12-year-old Sam goes to Oklahoma to visit his dad and new stepmom and stepbrother, he takes a picture of two men at the airport and thinks nothing of it. But it turns out that the two are professional killers and the picture is incriminating evidence. The hit men come to the house and kidnap everyone, and Sam and his stepbrother, Gary, escape and go to get help. You'll have to read what happens next!

This was a good book, but there was a lot of complaining in it! More than half of it is Sam going on about his stepbrother, his feet, being way up in the mountains, the temperature ... I would've liked it better if I hadn't read Bill Wallace's other books first. I think "Quicksand Swamp" is his best.

I really enjoyed this book. Even though in the begining Alice was convinced that she would hate her pare-shaped teacher Mrs. Plotkin, as the story goes on she learns that looks are only skin deep! I'm looking forward to reading more Alice books in the future!

Many thanks for splendid item & price, and professional service. KN

How could I not give 5 stars to a crack-shot gunslinger who murdered numerous men then became a lawyer and actually wrote a book about his violent life?
I've read the other reviews so I will try not to repeat anything you've already read. It's rumored John W. Hardin didn't write the book! Considering what I already said about becoming a lawyer I can't see how he wouldn't have been able to write it himself. I'm not sure when he started or how long it took him but he was able to pinpoint some of the dates so I'd have to say he kept some kind of a diary or guessed in order to appear more authentic.
If/when you read the book maybe you'll notice his writing seems to get better as the book progresses. At the beginning some paragraphs last more than a couple pages with him changing the subject throughout. Well before the end, however, the writing improves greatly. But I believe it was all written by the same person because the style didn't really change. Maybe if he had lived longer he would have gone back and re-wrote the earlier part of the book to match the style of the later parts when he became more educated.
I remember hearing how he "was so mean he once shot a man for snoring." Hardin never mentions this but I believe it was the part about killing the guy who tried to sneak into his room to take his pants and then fleeing in his underwear and running around trying to elude Wild Bill Hickok and his men. Seems if Hardin killed the guy for the reason he specified he wouldn't have needed to run away especially since he and Wild Bill shared a respect for one another.
His point of view on all the events may have not have been 100% true but it tends to validate the type of person he was... And it's all in his own words.

Hardin begins his narrative by acknowledging that he is very much a product of a particular time and place, a particular culture. He does not see any reason why he should attempt to transcend that, let alone apologize for it. He accepts himself for what he is and expects everyone else to do the same. He is above all a man of violence, ready and able to resolve all conflicts with physical - if necessary, deadly - force. Raised in Reconstruction Texas, he finds plenty to fuel his resentment, including carpetbagger politicians from the north and newly emancipated slaves appointed as police officers (an unquestioning racialism was part of his heritage). Nor is it in his nature to run from a fight. When he hears that Wild Bill Hickok, then Marshall of Abilene, has threatened to kill him if he ever sets foot in the town, what does he do? Goes immediately to Abilene of course, to face him. I would have been inclined to go anywhere but.

Tough, fearless, uncompromising and cunning (at one point, he pretends to cry, in order to throw his captors off-guard) with an uncontrollable temper, he became the most formidable gunfighter of the Old West. How many men he killed no one knows for sure. Not even he knew. It was at least 20, probably 40 or more.

His life story has the strengths and weaknesses common to all autobiographies: it is the authentic voice, but it tells us a selective and heavily slanted story. It remains an invaluable primary source and should be required reading for anyone seriously interested in the history of the American West. Although not great literature, it is well written. The Western Frontier Library edition is good, with a useful introduction and postscript, but I would have liked a few footnotes, to save me having to go online for explanations of 'headright' and 'galluses', etc.

The autobiography of John Wesley Hardin would be illuminating if it was not one long tedious, blow-by-blow account of the man's life. Even though there is a brawl, a gunfight, or a mad chase on nearly every page the book manages to be excruciatingly dull. The reason? Stilted, cumbersome, self-absorbed writing. It is hard to find value in this work even as primary source history because there is not really much history there.

Although this book is far from objective and the author tries to justify the many murders that he commited, this is still a good book for someone interested in western history or western gunfighters. John Wesley Hardin was possibly the most notorious and most prolific killer of the era.
While this book is not the most objective it does give a good insight into the subject's thinking. It is also the only way to track Mr. Hardin through some periods of his life