Oklahoma Books

John Gifford's book Oklahoma Sport Fishing is a masterpiece
of quality writing combined with first-hand accounts of where to find fish and how to catch them in the rivers and the streams
of Oklahoma.
Our family takes the book as an indispensible item on every
fishing trip, and we've never been disappointed with the results.
Gifford not only tells you where to fish and how to get there
but also what to fish with and when the best times are. From big lakes to small streams and everything in between, this book goes to the heart of what modern-day, ecologically conscientious sport
fishing is all about. Fishing with spinning tackle,flying fishing
sitting on the bank with a cane pole, whatever kind of fishing
an angler enjoys, they are all discussed in the brillant little handbook that targets the seasons as well as the variety of sport
fish that can be located and captured with pleasure within the
borders of the state of Oklahoma. Don't leave home without Gifford's fishing secrets.

I'm very happy with my copy of Oklahoma Sport Fishing by John Gifford. I'm an avid bass angler and refer to Mr. Giffords book before each trip to the lake.
Mr. Gifford does a great job detailing how to fish for multiple species of fish throughout the seasons in Oklahoma lakes. Even though the book is written about Oklahoma lakes, the tactics could be helpful to anglers in other states with similar lakes and species.
Besides being very informative to fishermen, Mr. Gifford's story telling style is very entertaining! I read the book cover to cover and now use it time and again to prepare lake to lake, season to season. My fishing has improved noticeably since reading Oklahoma Sport Fishing!

This is a beautiful story of a young girl growing up in rural Oklahoma in the first two decades of the 20th century. It shows a family that is united in love and a girl who has a lot of spunk and individuality. It also illustrates the kind of community spirit that existed in that era. My only wish is that she had written a sequel as this story ends with her marriage to the man she loved and lived with for 72 years. It is a hearwarming read well worth the time and money to enjoy it.

The first time I read this book, I cried through almost every page - the story was so sweetly written and full of heart. This is more a compilation of short stories than a chronological personal history - making it very easy to read whenever you have a free moment. The author's writing style flows well and keeps you wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Regardless of whether or not you are an Okie, this book is a marvelous collection of state history and great recipes. I'm enjoying reading it and trying the recipes. All I have tried are GREAT and make for great conversation when served to guests!

I am an "Okie" so enjoyed reading this cookbook. Has terrific
recipes and also a lot of historical information. I highly recommend
it.

I have been familiar with Mr. Cohen's various books on Indian Law, just didn't have the opportunity to own them. I feel very fortunate. As usual, they don't disappoint.
Thank You.
Marty Dorsey

Felix Cohen was a leading creator of the Indian New Deal and a champion of American Indian rights, so there's no better author than he to cover On the Drafting of Tribal Constitutions, reflecting his practical guidelines created in 1934 for tribal constitutional development. The entire work has been edited by David E. Wilkins, includes an essay that describes its origins and background, and is presented with a key to understanding Indigenous autonomy and self-governance efforts: perfect for college-level collections on Native American or American legal history.

If you love musicals, you can spend hours poring over this collection of reviews for the Broadway musicals that followed in the wake of OKLAHOMA. Hits and flops, all are here -- with some great insights and theatre diah provided by Suskin. For serious research or just plain fun reading, this is one of the most rewarding books ever published on the subject. (And the sequel is equally worthwhile!)

I bought "Opening Night on Broadway" when it was first published. I found it to be much more than a written recorded history of the Broadway Musical. It is a time capsule that captures the feeling of the periods when these shows first opened. The reader can almost feel what it was like to be there in 1956 at the opening of "My Fair Lady". Mr. Suskin gives useful biographical information about some of the theater's biggest stars. As someone involved in the business end of the theatre, I also enjoyed finding out whether or not a show was a financial success or failure. My only criticism is, I wish the book was laid out chronologically, not alphabetically. That way readers could get a better perspective of what else was running when "Guys and Dolls", or "Kiss Me Kate" or even "Donnybrook opened" All in all though, I found "Opening Night.." to be the hit of the season

This commentary on Ovid's Metamorphoses is directed at Latin students at the advanced undergraduate and early graduate level, but it also has a lot to offer to scholars and other people who are able to read and enjoy Ovid's original Latin. Written by one of the most distinguished experts in the field, the Latin text of the book follows that of Anderson's own Teubner edition (6.ed. 1993). The commentary reflects Anderson's deep familiarity with Ovid's poetry and his high critical acumen. For a more detailed and highly positive review, see, e.g., Stephen Wheeler in American Journal of Philology 120 (1999) 170-73.

(...)

I just wanted to let the interested (particularly the beginning or intermediate student of Latin) know that, while this is a fantastic edition of Books 1-5 and probably by far the most in-depth commentary available for them, it is not marked (i.e., no macra). Additionally, the Latin text of the Metamorphoses and the line-by-line commentary are entirely separate, so the frequent flipping back and forth can begin to feel cumbersome at times. These things said, I do recommend Anderson's commentary to anyone who desires a brilliant, scholarly light to be shed upon Ovid's Metamorphoses; just be aware that this commentary cannot, as Pharr's Aeneid can, be used in lieu of serious attention to the language and a liberal amount of elbow grease.

I enjoyed this one cover to cover. Being an Ozark Native (lived here all my life) and being from a family (as is my wife) that settled in this area well before the Civil War, I was able to relate quite well to the wonderful stories and accounts presented here by the author. This work truly captures the essence of our past and should certainly be read by any who has the slightest interest in the subject. Like another reviewer, I am afraid this work will be relegated to a narrow audience, which is a shame as there are true gems in these pages. This work examines a somewhat lost way of life and sadly, as each year passes, we loose more and more of it. This work covers the period between 1885 and 1910, but it must be said that many of the traditions referenced here lived long after this time period. Recommend this one highly.

This book might appeal to a narrow audience, but I hope not. Prof. Gilmore has done a great job detailing the history of just how people of the turn of the century Ozarks entertained themselves. Taken mostly from old newspapers and oral histories you get great insight into the box and pie suppers, community picnics, spellings bees, debates, school plays, singing schools, and other gatherings that people used to spice up their isolated rural lives in the rugged Ozarks. I was amazed at some of the worldly topics that were debated in the schools in the evenings and the pure excitment of packing up the wagon with fried chicken and pies to spend the day at the community picnic.

This book provides a warm look back at a much simpler time. It is wonderful reading!!

This is a solid 5-star book for any reader interested in the day-to-day, season-by-season work of cowboying and running a ranch. The author describes in this well-written book his four years (1974-78) of single-handedly managing a cow-calf operation on 5000 acres of sandy grassland in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The writing is precise and informative, full of love for the life he has chosen, admiration for the hard-working men who are his friends and neighbors, and a deepening understanding of the ranch's four not-always-cooperative horses.

There's also a good deal of humor in the book, much of it owing to the particularly unmanageable nature of the cattle on the ranch. An episode of fruitlessly chasing two wild cows through a series of pasture fences made it into a collection of cowboy humor called "Horsing Around," by Lawrence Clayton and Kenneth Davis. We also read how the author gets a reputation for picking the worst weather for fall roundups. The book ends on a soberer note, as Erickson is told that the ranch is being sold and that he's out of a job. While he's happy enough to clear the ranch of the hateful cattle that have tried his patience, there's a bittersweetness as he parts with the horses that we've come to know so well.

This is the first, and maybe best, of a series of books by the author about his ranching experiences. It was followed by "Cowboy Country" and "LZ Cowboy." As in the others, the text of this book is illustrated with a number of nicely selected black and white photographs. Larry McMurtry has some interesting words to say about cowboys by way of introduction (he's usually not so appreciative). Thanks to the University of Nebraska Press for keeping this fine book in print. Readers will also enjoy Ben K. Green's "Wild Cow Tales" and Thomas McGuane's "Some Horses."

Anyone who still thinks the cowboy life is one of great romance - man and animal working in harmony under a blissful sky in wide open country, free and independent, the epitome of Jeffersonian democracy at work - had better read this honest, eyes-wide-open account of ranch life today. Although cowboyng was never really like the myths made it out to be, for some reason the myths took firm root. John Erickson worked for four years in the 1970s on a ranch in the Oklahoma panhandle, and this is his warts-and-all account of his experiences. Unlike in the myths, herding cattle is hard, sometimes brutal work, made even worse by harsh weather conditions, unpredictable animals, unending routine (read tedious) tasks, and cut-throat business practices (this last might be the cruelest of all). Not to say there aren't good times - close friends, favorite horses, handsome views when the wind lays down and time permits noticing - but Erickson makes clear that these good times are only oases in a Sahara of hardships. Not that he's complaining about that - just making an observation. But even Erickson can't resist the mythologizing and romancing completely, and where the book apparently ends at a livestock auction where he sells his favorite horse to (he assumes) a meat-packing plant, the horse is miraculously saved at the last minute and sent to a ranch in Montana: "I can see him now," Erickson writes, "standing in a green meadow with the Montana mountains blue in the distance." Myths, thank God, do not die easy deaths. A well-written, informative, and honest account of punching cattle on the open range.

If anyone on Earth wants to discuss this extinct specie; I guaranttee that my e-mail address is the place to visit. I have had a unswerving fascination with ectopistis migratorius since 1965. Schorger's book is the backbone of any serious study of "The Wild Pigeon" of North America.

Schorger's book is the definitive study of the wild pigeon of North America; it covers all matters concerning the birds' natural history and extinction. People with an interest in North American history, ornithology, conservation and the preservation of natural resources will greatly broaden their background and understanding through this detailed and anecdotal study. It contains 424 pages revealing a powerful aspect of North America's history unknown to current generations: skies filled with inconceivable numbers of birds,-as many as two billion in a single migration. Schorger paints a vivid and poignant picture of a world we have lost, tragically, through our own greed and ignorance. If anyone would care to discuss this book or its subject matter further, I would be pleased to dialogue either by e-mail or letter. I have made the study of the Passenger Pigeon an integral part of my life for the past thirty-three years. Sincerely, Holland E. Shaw

After researching and skimming through other books written about the Oklahoma City bombing and Timothy McVeigh, this book by far takes the cake. I started reading the first chapter and before I knew it I was half way into the book! Author does a great job laying out the timeline, facts, and events that lead up to the Oklahoma City bombing- even after the event! Anoter recommendation would be "American Terrorist" by Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck.

In the rush to keep America safe, this book reminds us that the country inadvertently nurtures terrorism amongst 'all-American' types.

Both McVeigh and Nichols never would have fit the profile of a 'suspected terrorist'. This is because they were military veterans without prior arrest records who lived in middle America.

But Middle America feels alienated from its government. Come to think of it, they ultimately don't trust the government at all. Coming back after a military service, they were drawn into a gun show underground where restrictions on weapons are conveniently unenforced.

The going mantra at such events appears to be "If you want it, there is somebody who is just as willing to sell it to you". And coupled with the presence of equally chilling materials, this ultimately spelled out a recipe for disaster.

Serving as a consultant to Timothy McVeigh's defense team, Stuart Wright did not actually come across as somebody championing his client. Rather, I came away with an objective account of the tragedy.

I also compared his thoughtful examination against our ongoing public paranoia against 'outsiders' particularly those with certain-sounding names. The former seems like it offers the more reasonable strategy for effectively addressing and then winning the war against terrorism--international AND domestic.