South Dakota Books

The book likens the experience of living in the western Dakotas to that of monasticism. Some poetry in prose as she enthuses over the landscape, and her occasional visits to a nearby Benedictine monastery. (Norris is a Presbyterian.) The book is marred by some digressions on economics that may have seemed necessary to the author, but which did not magnetize this reader; also, there are some remarks about her fellow townspeople (their provincialism, their being "set in their ways") that seem to flirt with "Snobama"-type elitism. There is the incredible claim on p. 210 that the Benedictine order predates "the Catholic hierarchy" -- to employ the popular code, whiskey tango foxtrot? But Norris's genuine affection for the monks, for the landscape, and (yes) for most of her neighbors, does come through and make us almost forget the flaws.

The key to this book is right there in the title. The Dakota of Kathleen Norris' experience, depiction, and understanding is a decidedly spiritual state of being. Just as "deep calls unto deep," so the austere, high plains landscape both evokes and instructs Norris' interior world. Having traveled with Norris through her "Cloister Walk," and having learned her lexicon in "Amazing Grace," I was prepared to look around Dakota with her penetrating vision, to listen to the wind with her attentive hearing, to think deeply about what we were seeing together, and to let my heart grow still as she taught me. Now, though I've never yet been to the high plains, I have truly been to Kathleen Norris' unique and personal Dakota -- and is that not the best accolade for a travelogue, that the reader honestly feels that he's made the trip? I gave this book to a deep-souled friend who needed the time of quiet contemplation it provides, and I recommend it to you as well.

I read this book every couple of years and find it a fresh, new read everytime. I recently ordered an extra copy for some friends. To my parents, this was one of those books you love and give copies of to all you friends, siblings, and children. I think I will be doing the same thing.

I had been meaning to read this book for years. After finally doing so, and then skimming through the 40+ previous Amazon reviews, it is clear that the book will appeal most to those of a highly spiritual bent (but probably not devout followers of an organized religious denomination or practice). I am not highly spiritual, so the book does not speak as intensely to me as no doubt it does to many. Nonetheless, I admire the author's sincerity and her individuality.

As for the "Dakota" angle, that too is present, although not to the degree perhaps suggested by the title. Don't expect some sort of travelogue or overview of the Dakotas. In point of fact, much of the content is rather prosaic, which of course is not really a criticism of what is essentially an inward, spiritual book. Actually, the "geographical" locus of the book has more to do, I think, with the High Plains and with small towns than it does with the Dakotas.

The book consists of thirty or so short stand-alone chapters, interspersed with what the author terms "weather reports". Thus, it is somewhat of a hodgepodge; it certainly is not an example or product of linear thought (which also denotes it as spiritual in nature). I ended up marking a few sentences or paragraphs for future reference. In that sense, I found the book to be somewhat like a magpie's collection -- a few sparkling gem-like pieces of glass amidst a lot of string, weeds, and twigs.

Having moved from a large city to a small town in West Texas, I could totally identify with this book. I learned a lot about the dynamics of a small town, both good and bad. Spiritually, I came to the realization that I found my own desert. The insights that accompany that realization along with the prose of the book are definitely worth the time.

That having been said, this book is not for everyone. It is highly spiritual and insightful, but in an understated way.

Timeless book series. Every generation should have the original series, especially with Garth William's illustrations.

I bought this book as a replacement for one that was missing from my collection.

Laura Ingalls and her family have been living along the banks of Plum Creek for over five-years now. While the lovely town has a school that Laura and her sisters may attend, it lacks much else; and Pa has spent countless years trying to keep afloat, and stop himself, and his family, from succumbing to death. Which is why Pa believes that moving West to Dakota Territory, is the best way to keep a roof over his family's head. Laura, couldn't be happier. As opposed to the rest of her family, which is content in living like a caterpillar, wrapped up in a cocoon; Laura is more like a butterfly, spreading her wings, and wanting to explore the world around her. And when they pick up their belongings and head West, that's exactly what she finally gets to do.

Now almost thirteen-years-old, Laura is no longer given the privilege of simply frolicking around throughout the day. Instead, she must help Ma prepare food, and look after the little ones. But the little ones aren't the only people who need looking after. The family was recently struck with a bout of scarlet fever, and while everyone manage to pull through, Mary lost her sight from the sickness, and must be handled with kid gloves. Laura, however, doesn't mind. She will do anything she can to help Mary adjust, and, just as Pa told her, she is Mary's eyes. Moving West is difficult with so many strikes against the Ingalls family, but things look up when Pa is offered a job as a bookkeeper, timekeeper, and shopkeeper. The job pays fifty dollars a month, and offers a homestead for the Ingalls family to reside in. Pa believes the job is a true blessing, and instantly scoops it up - looking forward to begin work, and find a new place for his family to live. But as they head towards De Smet, the Ingalls family realizes that they aren't the only ones heading West. With the lure of as much free land as you'd like, many people have decided to pack up and head to the warm West. While neighbors are welcome, the Ingalls family must watch their back, for many people are trying to steal the claim's of others, and if they're not careful, they could end up one of the families cast out of the rich new environment.

While the previous LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE books displayed hardships for the Ingalls family, and the friends and neighbors around them, none can compare to the sadness that accompanies the Ingalls family within the pages of BY THE SHORES OF SILVER LAKE, as they must contend with Mary's newly acquired blindness. That issue alone casts a somber shadow over the entire story, however, it does not make things any less interesting. Even with her handicap, Mary keeps a bright smile on her face, and shows that nothing can stop her from helping her family survive - from sewing to knitting, and everything in between. Mary smiles in the face of adversity, and truly becomes a favorite character in this addition. Laura, on the other hand, has truly matured since the previous book, ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK. While she is still as jovial and fun as always, she has more responsibilities at this time in her life, and steps up to the plate without complaint. The family, in general, is delightful to spend time with. The warm, coziness of their home, and the fact that there is always something scrumptious simmering away on the stove provide readers with a comfortable, familiar feeling; while, over time, the characters begin to feel like family members whom you can't help but root for. A story that settles into your heart from page one.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

This is the fifth of nine books in the "Little House" historical fiction series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The book starts with the news, in the first chapter, that Laura's older sister Mary has gone blind. The information is related matter-of-factly, "Her blue eyes were still beautiful, but they did not know what was before them, and Mary herself could never look through them again to tell Laura what she was thinking without saying a word." (p. 2)

Laura has to become Mary's eyes and see for her, describing in detail what she is seeing so that Mary, too, can "see." The perceptive reader understands how central this experience, this role, was in shaping the future author of this series of books which are enduring across generations of readers, young and old.

Much later in the book, in the chapter, "On the Pilgrim Way," a much beloved, Reverend Alden is visiting, passing through with a very young (boy preacher) Reverend Stuart, and has just said to Ma, "I am sorry indeed, Sister Ingalls, to see the affliction that has come to Mary."

The reply comes, "Yes, Brother Alden," Ma answered sadly, "Sometimes it is hard to be resigned to God's will. We all had the scarlet fever in our place on Plum Creek, and for a while it was hard to get along. But I'm thankful that all the children were spared to us. Mary is a great comfort to me, Brother Alden. She has never once repined."

Brother Alden extends encouragement and comfort, "Mary is a rare soul, and a lesson to all of us...We must remember that whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and a brave spirit will turn all our afflictions to good. I don't know whether you and Brother Ingalls know that there are colleges for the blind. There is one in Iowa."

The account continues, "Ma took tight hold of the edge of the dishpan. Her face startled Laura. Her gentle voice sounded choked and hungry. She asked, 'How much does it cost?'"

In this book, perhaps more than the other books in the series, the author develops the subtleties of what the Ingalls family is all about, the close interrelationships of its members, their self-sacrificing devotion to one another. With the news that there are colleges for the blind, Laura determines to work hard so that the family can afford to send Mary to one, a theme that carries throughout other books in the series.

The author does a nice job of developing the central characters, especially Mary, whose blindness does not in any manner stop her from being a valuable, contributing member of the family. For example, it is Mary who warms and entertains baby Grace on her lap in the rocking chair by the fire, a repeated sweet scene.

Mary is mentally sharp and keeps the free-spirited, free-wheeling Laura on her toes, particularly when it comes to being truthful and describing accurately what she (Laura) is seeing. When Laura tells her the road in front of them has disappeared, Mary objects, saying that is impossible. Laura struggles to explain. In the chapter, "The Shanty on the Claim," Laura describes the shanty, which is papered with black tar paper fastened with yellow lath strips as "tiger-striped." Mary corrects her and points out that tigers are yellow with black stripes.

Laura gets her first glimpse of her future husband Almanzo Wilder, who along with his older brother Royal, passes the Ingalls family, the Wilder boys standing in a wagon, driving a beautiful, matched set of horses. Laura's attention is consumed completely by the beautiful horses, and she seems to scarcely notice the young men.

We cover this series, as well as the prequel series (The Martha Years, The Charlotte Years, The Caroline Years) and the sequel series (The Rose Years) in our home school curriculum with my grandchildren, who are currently 11, 8 and 6. My grandson enjoys the books at least as much as my granddaughters.

This book is by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The story is about Laura, her older sister Mary, her two little sisters Carrie and Grace, and Ma and Pa, who are their mom and dad. They move from one place to the next. The setting is 19th century trail and shows a lot of trees, wagons, and people too.
One of the main events is when Mary, Carrie, Grace and Ma get Scarlet Fever and Mary went blind. Another is when Jack was their dog and he died of old age.
The author is telling about her life when she was a little girl. She is Laura. I think my favorite part of the book is when Laura and Lena were riding horses in Lena's backyard. The book starts when Mary goes blind. Some of it is sad, some of it is happy, and some of it is just right. I think everyone could like this book if they really wanted to.
- Emma,9

I think it took about the first fourth of the book before I was completely hooked, so I could possibly fault THE WORK OF WOLVES for a slow start. But after that, I found the story compelling, truly a page turner. As the novel progresses, the separate lives of four very different young men intertwine in completely unexpected ways.
Opportunities abound, in a novel set in South Dakota, for mushy sentiment about the vanishing West, the sad history of anglo and American Indian relationships, and, of course, horses. Refreshingly, this book lacks mush. Instead, the reader is offered interesting and varied vantage points on history, change, good and evil, and the choices of individuals. The portrayals of ranch/rural/reservation life in South Dakota and the people who live there are quite rich,full of life and humor, and the descriptions of terrain, weather and wildlife are spot on. Highly recommended. A must read for those interested in the present-day American West.

This novel is a great read, full of inner thoughts of the major characters (a wonderful mix of characters they are),complete with flashbacks to moments of significant relevancy to the present. This is the story of a strong-willed teenager clashing with a bull-headed and ruthless rancher who never gives up exacting revenge on the kid for beating him at his own game of taking advantage of people.

Carson Fielding's love for his grandfather; Earl Walks Alone's rather silent but all-wise grandmother; Willi, the German exchange student's fascination with his unreconstructed Nazi grandmother, all illustrate the power of the grandparent in the lives of children.

Without giving away the plot ( which many reviewers have already done), The title, "The Work of Wolves," comes from several instances where the antagonist, Magnus Yarborough, isolates his intended victim and then strikes.

"The Work of Wolves" is a psychologica novel, a story of redemption, and a must read.

A wonderful novel. As good as Faulkner and much easier to read. Get this book.

As those of you who have read this novel may have noticed, Kent Meyers is a professor at Black Hills State University in South Dakota. I have had the privilege of taking a couple of his classes at this particular university and could not recommend him more highly as an excellent professor, an inspiring speaker, a very intelligent and well-versed scholar of all things literature, and a truly insightful researcher into those things connected to the rural life in the midwest and beyond.



I grew up on a ranch in the Great Plains of South Dakota, one currently celebrating it's 100th year. My parents are both ranch children and are the children and grandchildren of the homesteaders who settled this country when the government opened it up to the prairie pioneers. Having been so deeply involved in this life, I can say with absolute certainty that Meyers gives a truly accurate and heartbreaking view of the history and future of ranching in this part of America. It is a disappearing life. Cattle prices, droughts, machinery and veteranary expenses, land prices, the encroachment of big-time ranchers to winnow the family operations out, etc. He breaks to the heart of it, exposing the souls of the prairie people and all that rides on their hopes, dreams, sweat and tears.



I originally read this book in the summer of 2004 shortly after it came out. I was particularly excited given that our Introduction to Literature class had witnessed the progress of this book in class, seen early drafts and heard the origins of this powerful, gripping, diverse, insightful novel. Now, right there I was just violating the rules of writing a good story. This past fall I took Advanced Creative Writing with Prof. Meyers and learned vague adjectives and words of that order are the worst way to go about describing when you are writing. His knowledge on this subject is evident throughout. The first time I read this book, I was so enthralled by the storyline I read 100 pages a day until I finished. Still, I took the time to take notes and make copies of particular passages and pages and talked to prof. Meyers about them and how well he was able to delve into every single details and make the visual images and voices explode off the page better than a movie! I recently reread this book and, after the writing class, was again amazed at how patient and intricate Meyers' language is. He takes great care to waste no word and is able to look at his novel from a distant perspective in order to weave the story as professionally and multi-dimensional as Earl's Grandmother's dancing moccasins are. It's amazing! He has told our classes that he will write four of five drafts before he's satisfied. He wakes before sunup every morning to write an average of 20 pages, whatever it may be, in order to keep in form and come up with ideas. He believes writer's block does not exist. Writer's block stems from a person's unwillingness push themselves to continue writing. Rewriting and being willing to start over or start in a new place in the story fixes writer's block. The key is to write, no matter how bad. Meyers always completely rewrites his stories four or five times, starting from a new place each time! He is truly amazingly creative and tenatious. I don't know if I could ever reach his level of creativity.



And let me tell you, I would think he was a horsetrainer himself if I didn't know better. My favorite part of ranching is the horses. Training, riding, cattlework. I love to make a connection with a horse, love to see their understanding when they comprehend what I ask them to do, love the feeling of a horse following a cow of their own volution when they instinctively understand what to do. They are almost mind-readers if you go about it the right way. Kent Meyers brings this out and makes it real to the readers. Also, he is able to bring in the old respect the Native Americans (still commonly known as and called by themselves Indians in SD) have for horses and their intrinsic spirituality. And not only is there the connection between Carson and the horses Orlando, Surety and Jesse, there are the human connections.



Brought from their own individual lives and explicated in the most deep and unique way are Earl Walks Alone, a child of the reservation in Southwest South Dakota working his way off the "rez" with math. Also, Willi Schubert, a German exchange student fascinated by the Lakota culture who's grandparents have a dark Nazi past. Ted Kills Many, the child of alcoholic parents who drinks himself, is very crass but surprisingly deeply caring. Then, there is Carson Fielding, the man who ties all their lives together. Carson is a horsetrainer, and a favorite of his grandfather Ves who instills in Carson a love for the land which is his inheritence and a patient, understanding relationship with horses. Immediately, there is a disconnect between Carson and his father. Charles wished to be a pilot. Instead, Ves kept him on the ranch as "there was always something needed done". Charles was trapped into a life he didn't care for with animals and machinery that didn't hold an interest for him.



But, the real story begins when rich, parasitic rancher Magnus Yarborough grudgingly sells a horse to a fourteen year old Carson after Carson displays an uncanny gift for dealing. Magnus remembers this deal, and 12 years later brings Carson to his ranch to train 3 horses and teach his wife, Rebecca, to ride. Cleverly, Meyers fixes the results of this horsetraining and Carson's connection to Rebecca in the past, the storyline truly picking up in present tense with Earl's discovery of three horses locked in a gateless pen out of sight behind a lake. The results tie Carson and the three high school boys together in ways none could have imagined with commonalities and circumstances none could have predicted. The three horses and the results of these many animal and human connections are far-reaching and vast. Compelling, heartbreaking, intricate, multi-layered and dimensional and reaching to the deepest core of what the ranch-life means to those of us who have lived it all our lives.



This is not simply a novel about horses, ranching and relationships. It is self-discovery, connection to the land and the life of South Dakota and the Midwest, a history story which I know Prof. Meyers went on sabbatical to research. He went to Germany and spent time on the reservation to capture the people and cultures to their utmost depths, bringing his own knowledge and new knowledge to light for anyone from LA to NY and right back to the Great Plains. I can say from personal experience that Meyers captures the language, images and lifestyle of all these South Dakota residents. He has an insight into our way of life I never enjoyed so much or realized so fully until I read it in this book. Everything is true to life, good and bad. In recent years I have been witness to big-time ranchers buying up old family farms the children no longer wish to run, or are unable to maintain. It's sad, devastating. I fear the urban development of the rolling hills and vast expanses of ridges and skies that go on for thousands of miles and the blotting out of stars you can almost touch by the glow of city lights.



This vast, natural land is not something to be feared. It may be lacking in people but it is not empty. The smallest prairie flower contains more beauty than a whole greenhouse full of cultivated flowers. Our flowers, trees, grasses, bushes and all the birds, coyotes, badgers, raccoons, foxes and all other flora and fauna are survivors. They hold to the land and show their colors with tenacity. And our people are like those flowers, as is the land. Tough, but beautiful and untainted by a false existence. Our job does not begin at 9 or end at 5. We don't get snowdays or fanciful weekends, rarely do we get sick-leave or even maternity leave. My earliest memories are playing with toys in the cab of a pickup in a hayfield while my parents cut, raked and baled hay! The land and animals are our lives and need us as much as we need them. Kent Meyers understands this all and illustrates it with the insight and authorship of one who can transport his readers to a new dimension with careful words. I recommend this book to anyone, regardless of upbringing, background, culture or perspective!



Furthermore, Meyers is in the process of writing a novel called "Grammar of a Killing". It is currently in it's final stages and I have viewed and reviewed it along with Meyers' students and collegues through this past schoolyear in his classes and in conversation. Please do read this too. As always, Kent Meyers has poured his soul into the writing and done his research down to the very fibers of his subjects. What I have witnessed so far promises to be as powerful as The Work of Wolves. It will stick with you as long as this novel will and have you pondering and thinking in a new way for months and even years to come. Meyers is a rare author of a high caliber and class of his own. He is a modest genius, not fully realizing the scope of his gift. As a writer, teacher and person, Meyers is very special. Read The Work of Wolves and the ones yet to come!

I believe this may be one of the best books I've ever read. Three very diverse young men, each with unique personal problems, are brought together to try to deal with the plight of horses abused by a frightening and vindictive man. The events and the character's reactions to them is the most startling and unexpected I've ever encountered. I actually caught myself gasping in surprise. If you enjoy a strong style of writing, with good use of similes and metaphors and imagery, Kent Meyers is one of the best I've ever seen. Unusual setting. Great plot. "The Work of Wolves" has it all. If I had to describe this book with one word, it would be "powerful." Mr. Meyers, I am eagerly awaiting your next book!

Another great read from Kent Nelson! He develops his characters so well that we have not just met them, we know them intimately. (It's interesting to know fictional characters better than some of our acquaintances.) Here's an honest story told in pointed detail, great dialogue, graphic descriptions--that's enjoyable to digest, nothing laborious here--and a story not to be forgotten.

Kent Nelson drops the reader directly onto a South Dakota farm, developing a sense of place that will linger long after you finish this book. Nelson's descriptions of the joys and tedium of farm life are finely detailed, and his characters come across as likeable, everyday people. The novel ranges in scope from water disputes to the futility of attempting to outrun your past to a mother and daughter attempting to deal with the death of the family patriarch and the subsequent painful secret that death reveals to them. Gorgeous work!

I found this story of a Dakota widower and her farm challenges and family relationships -- dealing with the 'non-entities' (not) of her deceased husband, and her dead son, in addition to her typically confused and experimental college-age daughter and her emerging family of a wacky, spunky female relationship escapee and young Indian reticent, which comes into focus in the wake of the farming work and environment that presents a main conflict to the story (not to ignore the neighbors-from-hell).

Nelson's particular skills include being able to tell a story that captures your interest (despite plot being rather predictable) and great skill with building reader identification with the characters. The dialogue is skillful - often short and crisp, ironic, and well-on. I could really picture this being a made-for-TV thing. It's entertaining, but I guess I wish I could have felt more in awe of the prose; the writing is effective but doesn't take your breath way, sort of like the difference between viewing a Norman Rockwell vs. a Matisse.

Regardless, I enjoyed the whole book and the characters are remaining with me...

This novel entertained me so much that I couldn't put it down. What more can I ask of a book?

Kent Nelson's writing was lovely and unsentimental, crisp and clear headed. I was hanging on the words, dreaming on behalf of the characters and hoping their problems would find happy resolutions. And they did, but not easily - these characters earned their triumphs.

This novel was full of profound and subtle fire. As a reader, my time was richly rewarded.

Kent Nelson handles setting about as well as any writer I've ever read. This is the South Dakota Badlands and the main characters raise alfalfa, and other crops. The plot revolves around the accidental death of Matti Remmel's husband and a secret he's been hiding from her the past few years. That plot thread soon runs out of steam, and the book becomes more of a relationship novel: Matti and an archeologist who wants to dig on her land; her daughter Shelley and her former high school English teacher; and Dawn, Mattie's eccentric hired hand, and a Mexican neighbor with a secret of his own. Then there's the runaway Indian boy Mattie takes in. All of them are working on building trust.
Sometimes Nelson spends too much time trying to prove he knows all about alfalfa ranching, as he devotes pages and pages to irrigation, fixing flat bed trucks, and building a new kitchen after Dawn sets fire to the ranch house. Otherwise, he does a bang-up job writing women characters and sex from a woman's perspective.
Nelson throws in a brutal ex-boyfriend for Dawn who is instrumental in moving the novel toward a climax. Dawn is perhaps the most self-sufficient and toughest of the three women. She can fix anything and she adds a bit of humor to an otherwise angst-filled novel.
These characters are so real they make those on the MTV program seem cartoonish.

Len Deighton is one of my favorite fiction writers; he is particularly at home writing novels about Germany in World War Two. Thus, when I came across a scholarly work by him on the same subject, I snapped it up and read it with great interest.

This is a very interesting book. It appears to be well-researched, although some reviewers have been critical of numerous details in the book. I am not in a position to judge how valid these criticisms are.

That aside, there is no doubt that this book takes a hard look at its subject: the Blitzkrieg method of warfare. I came away from the book with the conclusion that Blitzkrieg, at least in the 1940s, really only works when one side has a far greater degree of preparedness for war. In France, perhaps the purest example of the Blitzkrieg, the French were bereft of elan or enthusiasm for the war, and its Army was infected with defeatism, bad tactical doctrine (strictly defensive, with no thought of attack), and bad leadership (the elderly General Gamelin, the Commander-in-Chief, was holed up at a luxurious chateau that did not even have radio or landline contact with the rest of the Army!). The German Blitz succeeded because the Germans took chances such as wildly extending their flanks and supply lines--these chances worked against an enemy who was slow to react and burdened with bad tactics, intelligence, and leadership. In short-they worked against the French. It took the Russians, and later the Anglo-Americans, to show the Germans how to fight tank battles.

Deighton also makes a convincing case that the Wehrmacht, although inferior to the French as regards equipment, carried the day due in part to inspired tactical leadership by Guderian and other German commanders (Rommel was one) and much sounder tactical doctrine. No surprise here.

Overall, an interesting look at the early portion of World War Two on the Western front.

I found this book very enjoyable. It was full of interesting facts and moved as smoothly as the fiction the author writes. It starts with a good overview into what took place in Germany to lead them up to the 1939 attacks. It provided an easy to grasp view of the tactics that the German armor forces used to such devastating effect. I also think this work shows the benefit of training and strong leadership, many times the Germans did not have the type of numbers that are generally thought of as needed to attack fixed forces. The additional drawings and diagrams make the test easy easier to understand. This book moves as fast as the battle it describes, it is well worth the purchase price.

This book is the clearest precis of Hitler's rise that I have yet to read. From the end of WWI to the co-opting of the Center Party in Germany to the fall of France, this has it all. It is eminently readable, lucid and cogent.

This is a well-written, well-researched, "quick read," chock full of interesting details, many of which I was unaware of, despite 40 years of reading World War II history. Deighton, author of many engrossing spy novels, uses his considerable story-telling technique to carry the reader along in a story in which its history is well-known, and the end familiar to all. Nevertheless, the book will hold your interest and add greatly to your knowledge of the subject. Imagine the satisfaction you will receive at cocktail parties when you put that smug know-it-all in his place when you correct him and state that the Wehrmacht was actually INCREASING the use of horse-drawn artillery, rather than motorized carriers. You can just sense that comely blonde off to the side of the room begin looking at you with growing interest!

The chapter on the opening campaign of WWII in September 1939, had me asking whether I was reading one of Deighton's works of fiction.In just 2-3 pages he made several ridiculous statements that defy logic. He repeats the fairy tale that Poland's airforce was destroyed on the ground. This is a mistake many authors who churn out books without regard to check facts make. All Polish air force planes were moved to secret war time fields on Aug 30, 31 ,1939. A second unforgiveable error was the repetition of the Nazi slander that Polish cavalry attacked tanks. My father was in the Polish cavalry and he told me this assertion was Nazis propaganda designed to make the Poles appear to be of low intelligence and thus less human.If Deighton were not lazy and would've consulted various works in English on the Polish Campaign of 1939,he would have stumbled on the truth. A third false assertion was that the reason the Polish army was caught in the middle of mobilization, was because they did not believe the Nazis would actually attack. The Poles were caught in the middle of mobilization because the British and the spineless French,made them delay mobilization in the hope they would "provoke" Hitler.
British writers tend to portray other nation's militaries as incompetent to hide the fact the British Army in WWII was second rate.I have news for Deighton ,the Polish soldiers up to the noncoms outfought the Germans in the 1939 campaign. I can prove this statiscally. There are several books which use statiscal models to give the average soldier of each opposing army a rating based on how many casualties were inflicted on the opposing army.
"Sir" John Keegan doesn't like these models because they show the British inflicted .65 casualties on the Germans for every casualty the British suffered in selected battles.

I picked this up a few days ago during a stop in South Dakota on my way from Wyoming back to Chicago. It's been a pleasure having it around to share my trip with. The only downside is that I'm almost finished, and I'm dying to know what's happened to the people, the land, and (naturally) to the buffalo herd since the book was published in 2001.
It's clear how much he loves his subject and there were times reading his descriptions of the Great Plains that it was all I could do to get back in the car and keep heading East. It's hard to explain why landscape that can be so harsh and unforgiving can be so easy to love, but Mr. O'Brien does it a fair turn. If you're thinking of heading out to South Dakota and you have any interest in what life is like for the people who struggle to survive there, then this book is a good place to start.

As I've been involved in agriculture my whole life, I tense up when I start reading generalizations about the industry. But this author has lived it himself and presents alternatives and kindly criticism in a very non judgmental way. It was interesting, provocative, and exciting to see someone so passionate about their calling in life. A great read for entertainment or to make you think.

These are tough days for those of us who care about wild places. Our society is embarked on a blind crusade to fragment, pave and develop landscapes at all possible speed. Our environmental movement is stuck in the mud, beset with clashing personalities, fighting the wrong battles, and spending more time squabbling with its natural allies than fighting real foes. Into this scene comes a book with a plan. Dan O'Briens' proposal to return the native fauna to his ranch in the west isn't new, but his novel advances the idea with force, grace, and even a certain magic. He makes a strong case for an alternative set of values, one that reminds me of Aldo Leopolds' Ecological Land Ethic. O'Brien makes a case that by being responsible stewards of the land we will save not just ecological communities, but also our own souls. It is a much needed message of hope. A friend lent me the book saying only "I think you will like it". Like it I did. Dan O'Brien gets it like few people do, and his writing complements the power of his ideas. This guy is flying under the radar, but I'm glad to have stumbled across this book.

I loved this book. A few years ago I drove across the U.S. and was awestruck by South Dakota; something I really didn't expect. I was captivated by the beautiful, often stark, surroundings and always wondered how the people ranching there lived their lives. This story of one man's journey into ranching was really interesting, personal and just a very nice, casual read. He tells honestly of his hardships, loneliness and all about the bison he cared for, which was quite fascinating. I actually sent him a note telling him how much I enjoyed the book; the first time I was ever compelled to do this, which he kindly responded to. I don't think you'll be disappointed in this book if you're at all interested in animals, wilderness or "finding yourself."

This book is full of thrilling ideas - that the grass and the prairie birds and insects remember and revert to the way they lived together when bison shaped the land; that individual humans can really help heal the land. This story was riveting and that is unusual for me to say about non-fiction. The science was good and the personal drama seemed genuine. This is my favorite book of the year so far.

A number of important books have examined the role of AIM in awakening the American Indian to the plight they have been subjected to. These include Russel Means Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means and Dennis Banks Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks And The Rise Of The American Indian Movement. While the movie Incident at Oglala - The Leonard Peltier Story has added to the story, this very insightful story examines the role of the FBI on the American Indian reservations, especially Pine RIdge and others in the Mid West. It deals extensively with the mysterious 1976 death of Anne May Aqash. This is a heavy book that makes the FBI out to be a truly negative influence and examines the continuing negative role of the U.S federal government vis-a-vis the reservations.

Thoguht provoking and important.

Seth J. Frantzman

How this tome ever got past the editors and into print I will never know. What is the author trying to say? It is never clear. The first part of the book seemingly is about, among many, many, many other things (way too many if you ask me), the murder of Annie Mae Aquash - and great detail is included about the circumstances surrounding the discovery of her death. Abruptly at some point in the 2nd part of the book, we find ourselves at the trial of one of three people accused of her murder (none of whom were ever mentioned in part one, and, as to whom there is virtually no biographical detail included). At the same time, the book includes voluminous biographical detail and digression about many, many, many other individuals, for no particular reason it seems. I finished the book because I wanted to see if the author was going to bring this tangled mass of trivial and unimportant details together in some coherent way, but alas, all I got for the effort was high blood pressure. Among the book's many other flaws are these: the author reports on at least one trial, but seemingly has no grasp of trial tactics or evidentiary rules - he chastises lawyers for not bringing up details that (a) would have been irrelevant; and (2) would have been inadmissible; the author too often says things like "but we will never know . . . " about things that are perfecty checkable, things he could have fact-checked if he had chosen to; and, the author seems to believe in a big conspiracy or two that must explain all of the loose ends he leaves, but he never explains what those conspiracies were about and who was in them. Has he ever heard of topic sentences? I am astounded to read the other positive reviews posted here about this book. I consider it to have been an utter waste of my time, and a disservice to the topics he attempted to cover.

Usually works with this amount of research end up a boring read and destined for the bottom of the book pile. Not so with Unquiet Grave. Good thing I'm retired as I was glued to Steve's book for three days. Whether you are from this part of Indian country or elsewhere, you will find this book a remarkable storytelling backed by solid documentation and a balanced critique of all the players from that era. We complain about journalists who concoct a regurgitated version of the news. This author was not afraid to wade knee deep in a significant analysis of historical events that shaped American Indian civil rights. What disturbs me here is that the author or any citizen for that matter must seek legal action to obtain records from OUR government that are clearly records open to the public through the Freedom of Information Act. That should bother us all.

Steve Hendricks did the best job of any in documenting what happened during this period of time between American Indian people and no-Indian people in one document.
I was deeply committed and involved within the Indian communities because for some strange reason yet unknown to me I have been very close to Indian people since my youth.
I suffered and experienced the daily abject poverty with them in their homes and could not realize why they could never share what most of the people called the American Dream. I knew part of the answer was almost a
total culture of poverty rather than the Indian cultures I had learned about in school.Multi-generational abuse,physical,sexual,and substance abuse,was the direct cause of much dysfunctional behavior I witnessed.I decided early in my life and to do whatever I could do to help change whatever I could in my lifetime that would stop this injustice. I would give my own life to change that.
I always deplored most organizational efforts to accomplish anything however I joined the Michigan Chapter of the Great Lakes Indian Youth Alliance and the American Indian Movement. The reason why I joined is because for the first time in my life I could feel the surge of self respect,self actualization and spirituality within these organizations,and the individuals and Indian Communities involved at that time.It was a refreshing healing wind of change like you feel after a thunderstorm.
I actually thought the young brilliant Indian Warriors were street/woods wise and spiritual enough to avoid the pitfalls of other dominant culture civil and equal rights organizations but ultimately as far as I am concerned the movement became more and more corrupt exactly like the enemy as it matured.
Individual's like Russell Means,Dennis Banks,Ed McGaa,Floyd Westerman and others less visible continued to self actualize and work hard to individually accomplish the original goals of their and our youth in rather unusual ways after AIM died. I know that each one is committed to do what they can do to improve the lives of their families,extended families,and Indian Nations. Sometime being human they fall short of our and even their expectations. They do what they can as Warrior in spite of almost total overwhelming repression by the United States Government and the American society. However humanly flawed they remain in my mind truly contemporary Warriors of this century.
I also feel Steve Hendricks and many others are doing their best to bring out the truth and documentation of constitutional and personal injustices of those days.I expect other individuals with information to come forth with their knowledge and writing because our society is even much farther away from the truth and principals that this Country was founded on today.
As far as I am concerned whoever killed the active committed lives of the Freedom Fighters,Ray Robinson,Anna Mae Aquash, Neogeshick Aquash the FBI Agents, and the others made a serious mestake and destroyed the purity, beauty,and Sacred Place of the Movement. The murderer or murderers who called for the hit on the precious Warrior Anna Mae Aquash in that instant killed AIM with the same bullet. They will pay for that decision deep within their soul.
I was pleased to see a that the Law Library at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law purchased the copy of The Unquiet Grave I am reading for their students.
It is my hope and prayer that the youth of today will read everything they can get their hands on work, and commit to make justice a reality in their lifetimes.
As long as this abuse, poverty, and injustice remains in our society no one will be free. Until the truth is known we will all be in a "unquiet grave" just waiting for the next shovel of dirt.
If you want to broaden your knowledge,be alive,and aware at least read this book and those that will be forthcoming.

Mr. Hendricks' book is burdened with the same dichotomy (Multiple Personality Disorder/schizophrenia) as the Euro-invaders' ever-shifting policy/pendulum on what to do about "the Indian problem." The first part of this book does a salutary job of explaining to the unfamiliar some historical bases of the white "Westward Ho!" "Manifest Destiny" expansion across the North American continent, its effect on Native Americans, and the rise ("AIM is good") of the American Indian Movement. But parts of the second part - the fall ("AIM is bad,") could pass for being ghost-written by nemesis J Edgar Hoover and his COINTELPRO'd FBI.

Though flawed in some "facts" and reporterage, Unquiet Grave is marketable and intelligible to the masses and it is important that wider cultures read this (in the Aretha Franklin sense to RESPECT the Native cultures, delight in diversity, and abhor forced "assimilation and "THINK") about what the US Government did - not only in the Miner's Canary sense (If the US Government so cavalierly abrogates/ignores its treaties with the First Nations before this Nation - what does that tell other sovereign nations with whom we seek to entreat?) but also the Santayana sense ("those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.")

For a fuller understanding of Wounded Knee I (1890); Wounded Knee II (1973,) and context, this reviewer recommends my List "The water's still running and the grass still growing, so .? " including

Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto (Civilization of the American Indian)
and
Robert Redford/Sundance Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story

What did Bill Janklow do? /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer "What do you mean 'illegal alien,' Pilgrims?"

OK, I admit that I was already a Kathleen Taylor fan. Had I not been, FOREIGN BODY would have made me one.
This is a tour de force for Ms. Taylor. Her descriptive skills are at their best as Tory Bauer, her protagonist, doesn't even go outside her own café in Delphi, South Dakota to get involved with another mess. The question is: Is it a suicide or is it murder? Tory and her best friend wannabe-lover, wealthy-librarian Neil Pascoe, try to sort the pieces of a puzzle involving the local Luthern minister, a visiting teen-age choir, and a local scalawag.
As Ms. Taylor fits the pieces together, she builds her characters so completely that, when one finishes the book, he feels as though he is actually acquainted with the town and it's cleverly drawn citizenry.
The Tory Bauer series was already one of the best in the contemporary mystery genre. FOREIGN BODY only builds Ms. Taylor's reputation as a master storyteller and skilled writer.
When is Kathleen Taylor going to get her much-deserved Edgar Allen Poe Award?

Tory Bauer, waitress, part owner of a small cafe in Delphi, South Dakota and reluctant crime solver has fallen into another sticky situation. A young girl has attempted suicide in the Delphi Café and Tory is off in search of answers. I found a few problems with this, the sixth and most recent of the Tory Bauer Mysteries. I have always enjoyed Tory's introspective breaks in previous novels. They are often humorous and surprisingly insightful. But I think Ms. Taylor went a little overboard with this particular gambit in the first part of the story. It seemed to take too long to get to the meat of the tale. By the time Tory sits down with her friend, Neil Pascoe (they are a perfect match!), to discuss recent events, the story begins to move along at a more satisfying pace. There were several writing errors throughout the book. A few examples: In one sentence, the word make was used in place of the word may. "...lost on the our vast grid...". "...that it would to be up to me...". There were so many of these small errors it was a distraction. The print on several pages was faint and washed out looking. For people with normal vision, this probably doesn't pose a problem, but my eyesight is less than good and I had some difficulty with it. The story is a very good one and I enjoyed catching up with the folks in Delphi. It is a Not To Be Missed addition to this excellent series. I'm sorry to be so critical here, but I am hoping that word will get back to the publisher that Taylor's books deserve better editing and more attention paid to the actual printing process.

I HAVE KNOWN KATHLEEN FOR OVER 30 YEARS( WE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL) AND I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD KNOW AN AUTHOR AS GOOD AS HER. HER BOOKS ARE FUNNY AND KEEP YOU READING UNTIL THE END. A FRIEND FROM SCHOOL MAILED ME THE WHOLE SERIES AND IT TOOK ME 3 DAYS TO FINISH THEM ALL, BUT THE LAST ONE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT YET. ALL I CAN SAY IS "YOU GO GIRL!!!!" KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!

Kathleen Taylor mixes a dry wit and enthusiasm for the potential drama of small-town living in the sixth installment of the Tory Bauer mysteries. There were several typos in the edition I read, but it didn't detract from the joy of reading Taylor's latest. This series has become one of my favorites.

The characters are appealing and have a way of finding their way into and out of jams while simultaneously dishing up a slice of Midwestern living that even the most cynical of city folk will be able to enjoy.

I am hoping that this is the latest of many Tory Bauer mysteries yet to come. She has many more stories to tell.

"I've always wondered how fictional sleuths manage to view the continual mayhem with equanimity. I mean, you never saw Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple turning primly away from those who unexpectedly ingested cyanide. Kinsey Millhone didn't run for the can with a hand clamped over her mouth every time she came across a gunshot wound. Even Cecil Younger, a sort of ordinary small-town guy, seemed able to view bodily remains with a calm resignation that was more sad than anything else. They were able to see the unspeakable and process the unimaginable and unravel the Gordian Knot every ten months or so (depending on publishing schedules,) and most of them seemed no worse for the wear (well, Cecil got battered about a bit, but he persevered too.)
I suppose that the operative word here is FICTIONAL.
Writers can make up whatever they want, and their poor creations have no choice but to deal with the overflow. That's how it works in fiction. Characters discover bodies, they investigate deaths, and they solve mysteries and then enjoy a bit of downtime between each installment.
In real life, you'd never expect to find an overweight, widowed, café owner in a small plains town, unfortunate to have tripped over (in one way or another) six bodies (several at her place of business) in less than seven months.
I doubt you'd expect her to have been able to solve the underlying mystery of each of those deaths in short order while simultaneously trying to sort out her decidedly messy personal life and support herself in the trailer-house manner to which she'd become accustomed.And you'd certainly not expect her to have to face the whole process again barely a month after the last grizzly discovery.
If I was reading the story of my life, I'd have a hard time believing it myself.
Welcome to my world."

That's how Tory Bauer, reluctant and self-effacing heroine of Kathleen Taylor's excellent mystery series, describes herself in the newest visit with her and the folks in Delphi, South Dakota. I think she's a hoot! Clever and snappy! There is enough "background" information to start with this one, but why? Enjoy them all in order! Do you want fries with that? ;-)

PS: A Note to Ms Taylor's publishers: What in the name of Heavenly Frozen Bodies are you thinking?!? Bring Back Tory! Now! Right Now!

This book is a biography of a man and place.

The man is the sculptor Gutzon Borglum, the place Mt Rushmore,arguably America's greatest monument and certainly the country's most unique one.

John Taliaferro does a great job in researching the colourful history of Borglum, born to the second wife of a Mormon polygamist, later a supporter of the Ku Klux Klan,and a man with access to every president from TR to FDR.

Brilliant but irascible, Borglum typified the artistic temperament and Taliaferro concentrates on him to a greater extent than another excellent 2002 book on the same subject by Jesse Larner (Mt Rushmore: An Icon Reconsidered).

The irony that this great "Shrine of Democracy" has been built on stolen lands does not escape the author's attention and he details the Indian view. Contrary to some reviewers I do not think this is overdone. History is about conflict and competing opinions and no country, regardless of how great, enjoys a spotless past. As a conservative I consider the Indian criticism has validity.

Taliaferro captures the excitement and passions involved in the creation of this great monument and the history of the Black Hills generally, something that continues to fascinate this reviewer who lives as far away from South Dakota as is possible while still remaining on the same planet.

Having just finished a third book on the monument - by historian Gilbert Fite (whose 1952 book is the best in detailing the politics and construction difficulties of Rushmore) - gives added appreciation to this part of American history.

Reading Taliaferro's book, or the other two mentioned, is a rewarding experience and will enhance any planned visit to Mt Rushmore - something this reviewer did in October 2001 and hopefully will do again.

A compelling description of a man's motivation, relationships, and excessive personality, it almost reads like a novel. And what detail! The additional insights into other historical figures (including characters like Calvin Coolidge) really made it not just a book about Borglum or Rushmore (or Stone Mountain) but an insider's look at a whole period of American history.

Surprise your favorite non-fiction buff with this one from off the beaten path.

Author John Taliaferro has provided us with an interesting and controversial history of Mount Rushmore. The first part of the book is a general history of the area encompassed by the Great Sioux Reservation of which the Black Hills of South Dakota is included. I found this general history to be a good summary of the conflict between the Native Americans and the American government. During the early 1920's South Dakota historian Doane Robinson wanted a monument of significance in the central part of the country for Americans to visit. Enter Gutzon Borglum who was running into difficulties on his Stone Mountain project in Georgia. The author delves into the strengths and weakness of Borglum as a man and as a sculptor. The project proved to be overly ambitious and ended up being a scaled down version of what was originally intended. The author provides us with numerous tidbits of information as to why the four individuals were chosen to be enshrined and the difficulties in carving their faces. Since Mount Rushmore is on land claimed by the Native Americans, part of the book includes the controversy between what some view as a monument to American democracy while others view it as honoring four individuals who have poor historical dealings with Native Americans. Depending on your point of view Mount Rushmore is either a sight for sore eyes or an eyesore. The book, while controversial, is an interesting read. I did find one mistake. On page 43 the author states the Wounded Knee massacre took place on December 28, 1890. The actual date was December 29, 1890. If you are interested in the history of the Black Hills of South Dakota and Mount Rushmore I would recommend it to you as a book I'm sure you would enjoy.

This is a book worth seeking out for those interested in the history of the Black Hills, the American west and in the story of how this unique and monumental sculpture came to be.

Taliaferro will be known by some for his fine biography of cowboy artist Charlie Russell, but this time his main subject, the great Gutzon Borglum, whom some have compared to Rodin, is a much less likeable artist. He turns on his friends, is impossible to work with, and scapegoats with racist and antisemitic prejudices (he was an active member of the revitalized Klan) when things don't go his way. Nevertheless, as an artist he was brilliant, and Taliaferro tells his story, not just of the carving of Mt. Rushmore, but of Stone Mountain in Georgia and other controversial but masterful sculptures, particularly of Lincoln.

Borglum (1867-1941) knew Teddy Roosevelt, championing him as a westerner deserving of his place on Mount Rushmore with Washington, Jefferson, and the Lincoln. He also knew the Wright Brothers, Lindbergh, Helen Keller, FDR, Woodrow Wilson, Coolidge, Frank Lloyd Wright, and other notables of his time, and was an inveterate social climber, and Taliaferro tells of these relationships. Taliaferro writes about the attempts to place a fifth face on the mountain, be it Susan B. Anthony, Crazy Horse, or Ronald Reagan. The book is also about our perception of various presidents. He also writes with sensitivity and insight, but not with sentimentality, about the Native Americans in the Black Hills, bringing to the story Custer, Hickok, Wounded Knee, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, the AIM movement, others, and the fight over the federal government's siezing of land promised eternally to the Sioux. It's often an ugly, if compelling story.

In addition to being an excellent biography of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, this book is also a fine examination of the South Dakotan monument itself. Borglum was a difficult artist: conceited, overly opinionated, and confrontational. Early in his career he developed a pattern of behavior that would mark most of his years as an artist: he would "demand control, ruffle feathers, allege conspiracy, exaggerate evil, throw down the gauntlet, burn the bridge - and lastly, foul the nest." He often criticized publicly (and harshly) the works of other sculptors, especially if they were chosen over his own works in competitions or commissions. But his artistic vision was large and his ability to carve beauty out of mountainsides unmatched. Taliaferro traces Borglum's life, including the time during the 1920s while working on Stone Mountain near Atlanta when he was a member of the KKK - often glossed over by others dealing with the artist's career (the NPS at Mt. Rushmore, for example). And Taliaferro also writes about the monument after Borglum's death, including when Alfred Hitchcock used the monument in "North By Nothwest" and the Sioux Indian protests over Black Hills land ownership during the early 1970s. Taliaferro is an excellent writer, and his final chapter which involves an account of an Independence Day 2001 re-visit he made to the monument is an engaging conclusion to this interesting book. Recommended.

Thomas McCollum's Palmer Lake is a disturbing novel offering a glimpse of where the near future just might lead. A wealthy man commits suicide, and his body is cryogenically preserved - but when some question of whether or not he was murdered arises, advances in cryogenic technology imply that he just might be revived to name his killer! Palmer Lake is truly compelling saga of lies, deceit, money, and power.

McCollum has written a good story that keeps you in suspense until the very end. It's a little far-fetched perhaps, but who would have believed cloning a sheep was possible 20 years ago either. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to combine a little sciene with suspense.

I'd call the book okay, but not much more. There is basically an interesting story plot, but the characters mostly seem artificial and wooden (couldn't use frozen could I?) If it weren't a local guy, I would have passed on it

Palmer Lake is a real page-turner. Author Thomas McCollum combines an extensive knowledge of cryonics with an imaginative and captivating plot. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended for fans of suspense, mystery, thrillers...and anyone who loves a pulse-racing story

This book grips you right from the beginning, with a tense scene that got me hooked before I had even flipped through the fist few pages. After that them mystery and suspense keeps building. It was one book that was hard to put down and easy to keep reading - in fact it was hard to do anything else BUT read it until I finally finished it.

It is hard to classify this book. It has elements of mystery, sci-fi, and adventure. Love and suspense. Something for everyone and a book just about everyone is going to enjoy. A must-be book, as far as I'm concerned.