Missouri Books

In The American Way of Peace, Jan S. Prybyla traces the implementation of an idea derived from bedrock American values that has shaped the American character from the nation's beginning. The idea-simple, generous, optimistic, and effective-was and remains to give people realizable hope, an attainable dream, by creating a peaceful, secure, and materially comfortable world, a Pax Americana, the American Way of Peace.

In the period surveyed, beginning with the end of World War II, this objective was achieved through American initiative and with American leadership, despite resistance from Nazi barbarism, Soviet serfdom, and, more recently, Islamic extremist inhumanity. There has also been opposition from some of those in the western confines of Europe whom Pax Americana helped raise from the ashes to which they had been reduced.

The American Way of Peace examines the work of reconstruction, the enemy bombardment, as well as the hurtful sniping along the way by the beneficiaries of American support. Prybyla recommends a reevaluation of American relations with those to whom friendship is but a utilitarian device, in light of the present eruption of terrorism worldwide. The need for America to act wisely and resolutely in defense of civilized values, to stem the third tidal wave of terrorist savagery, and to venture where others fear to tread is more compelling now than it has been in the six decades past, for today America's very survival as a force for immense good in the world is being put to the test.

About the Author
Jan S. Prybyla is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pennsylvania State University, President of the Conference on European Problems, and Adjunct Faculty member of the Foreign Service Institute at the U. S. Department of State. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Market and Plan under Socialism: The Bird in the Cage and Reform in China and Other Socialist Economies.

Really a great book on a most deserving subject. St. Louis was famous at the turn of the century for its Private Steets, New Orleans imitated this with the spectacular Audubon Place and Houston had Courtland Place. This book has wonderful images and the text is scholarly, honestly if you have any interest in beautiful homes or just love first rate books, then you will not be disappointed.

First of all, a disclaimer. My grandfather, Horace Baker, wrote this book, so its interest to me is probably more than to most. This book was originally printed in 1927 and saw very limited distribution. Contrary to what Amazon says, Dr. Ferrell is not the author. However, what Dr. Ferrell did do for this reprint was to add some pertinent endnotes to link my grandfather's close (and sometimes incorrect) view of what was happening to the bigger picture of the Meuse-Argonne battle. Also, some helpful maps and a few photos have been added as well. About the text itself: Horace Baker's text begins on arrival at the front and ends with the armistice. It is well written with a simple, usually matter-of-fact style. There are a few purple passages but they do not distract too much from the facts and there are even a few bits of humor. It is very readable and flows easily.

The recurring themes are the same that sadly occur thoughout most wartime experiences: exhaustion, hunger, exposure to the elements, fear, and violent death.

I would recommend this book for anyone who has serious interest in The Great War. I also recommend Dr. Ferrell's book "America's Deadliest Battle: Meuse-Argonne, 1918" as a companion to this in order to understand what was happening on a larger scale.

At the crossroads of America, the town of Arrow Rock was established in Missouri's Boonslick region where Indian traces, the Santa Fe Trail, and the Missouri River converge. Michael Dickey, the site administrator at the Arrow Rock State Historic Site, provides a rich narrative of Arrow Rock's rise in politcal and economic prowess, its decline after the Civil War, and its rebirth in the twenty century as a major historic site visited by nearly 200,000 people annually. Dickey's work is the most comprehensive history of Arrow Rock ever published and will stand as the primary reference for years to come. This statement is supported by the fact that he was given the Governor's Humanities Award by the Missouri Humanities Council in November of 2005 for his publication as a significant achievement in recording Arrow Rock's diverse heritage.

Dickey's narrative is divided into seven chapters, providing a detailed history of Arrow Rock within a broader framework of time and place. The first chapter begins in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with the Missouri and Osage Indians and their initial contact with the French and ends with the Louisanna Purchase. This is followed by a section on the first American settlers and their conflict with Native Americans, culminating with the War of 1812. During this period, he highlights the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the creation of Boone's Lick, the Arrow Rock Bluff, and Sibley's Fort, an Osage trading house. Chapter three, "Taking Up the Land," dicusses the wave of American settlers after the War of 1812, the establishment of the Arrow Rock ferry, the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, and then the establishment of Arrow Rock, as a polical, commerical, and agricultural center in central Missouri. Chapter four highlights Arrow Rock's civic and cultural institutions, including churches, fraternal organizations, schools, and businesses, like the Huston Tavern. Chapter five focuses on the major players in Arrow Rock's history including Dr. John Sappington, who popularization the use of quinine to cure malaria, the political prowess of the Sappington family, which included three Missouri Governors, George Caleb Bingham, Missouri's famous nineteenth century artist, and John Sites, Arrow Rock's gunsmith. The sixth chapter provides an excellent summary of the pre-Civil War tension on slavery in Saline County, the harshness of the Civil War, and the postbellum reconstruction, which includes the establishment of African-American community in Arrow Rock. The final chapter highlights the town's transformation into a historic site and the beginning of heritage tourism.

The major strength of Dickey's work is that it combines primary and secondary resources, oral histories, maps, and archaeological research to tell Arrow Rock's story. In particular, this volume is filled with direct quotes from the people that actually lived and died in and around Arrow Rock, offering a rich insight into the mindset of the past. Supplementing this text are approximately 100 illustrations, including historic prints and images that have never been published previously.

The concluding chapter, which covers most recent history of Arrow Rock, lacks the same depth of insight as previous chapters. It would have been nice to read the preservation history through the personal accounts of the Daughters of American Revolution, the Missouri State Parks, or the Friends of Arrow Rock officers and members, who were instrumental in transforming this village into a National Landmark Site in 1963. What did these organizations say or do that had such great figures as President Harry S. Truman willing to serve as a trustee for the Friends of Arrow Rock or Bess Truman, Patricia Nixon, and Jacqueline Kennedy to contribute recipes for the Arrow Rock cookbook? What made Arrow Rock so important to these people that they wanted to save and celebrate this town's heritage? Dickey provides part of the answer with his publication - Arrow Rock's rich history.

Overall, this publication had few weaknesses and those that exist were caused by the lack of primary documents. For example, prominent, Euroamerican men were frequently highlighted in this history (e.g, John Sappington, George Caleb Bingham), with women, minorities, and children spoken of in less detail. Despite this criticism, Dickey does give some insight into this neglected history, including the gender roles of women during the Civil War as they operated both the house and farm activities (p. 231), the struggle of post-Civil War African-Americans to obtain their own homes and to create their own community (pp. 249-253), and children's activities and games (pp. 136-137). Future research is still needed to expand on these forgotten persons to tell the whole story of Arrow Rock.

Dickey's work was partially funded by the State Historical Society of Missouri through a Richard S. Brownlee Fund Grant and published by the Friends of Arrow Rock, Inc. The latter is Arrow Rock's local historical society, established in 1859 to help preserve and interpret the town's heritage. The quaility of this publication is on the same level as many academic presses. This is truly amazing, since this town only has about 70 people. Despite the town's small size, the Friends of Arrow Rock have been from their inception a pioneer and model for historic preservation in Missouri. This latest publication continues this great stewardship of past.

The 4th Revised Edition (ISBN # 0826203949): "This new edition contains 76 drawings that add much to his narrative, plus a foreword discussing Benton's place in American art and an afterword covering his career after 1968...." by Baigell. Chronology. Bibliography.

Simply the most compelling treatment of Augustine as political thinker on the market.

Awakening To Equality: A Young White Pastor At The Dawn Of Civil Rights by Karl E. Lutze is the engaging story of a young Lutheran priest's approach to the newly emerging era of American civil rights activism in 1945 as a newcomer to the world of clerical practice. As the young Karl Lutze found himself placed in Oklahoma's Muskogee, amidst a greatly African American community, Awakening To Equality carries the reader through the inherently fascinating saga of his dual practice in Tulsa and Muskogee, and his journey through sights and experiences of black and white power rallies, activism from both races, and an economically impoverished but spiritual enriched black culture. Providing an unforgettable story and a timeless perspective of significant time in American 20th Century cultural and political history, Awakening To Equality is very strongly recommended to students of American history, particularly the Civil Rights movement, for its invaluable eye-witness perspective.

Mr. Meyer's account of his life as a jazz musician in the early 1920's is an entertaining glimpse of what it was like in the glory days of jazz musicians. The writing style is somewhat rambling, but that understandable since the book is really Peg's recollections, strung together.
In an era when musicians are routinely replaced by recorded performances and synthesizers, it is easy to envy Mr. Meyer's life, playing music on the Mississippi riverboats.
This book is interesting, entertaining, and insightful.

Gerald R. Butters, Jr. (Associate Professor of History at Aurora University) presents Banned in Kansas: Motion Picture Censorship 1915-1966. In 1915, Kansas was one of a handful of states that established its own film censorship board. From limiting depictions of sexuality to censoring violence in the 1932 classic "Scarface", the Kansas board controlled what the state's population saw on the silver screen for over fifty years. Banned in Kansas explores the political, social, and economic factors that led to the policy of movie censorship in Kansas, the attitudes of ordinary Kansas citizens toward the censorship, and why censorship continued for so many decades. Banned in Kansas also scrutinizes the daily operations of the film censorship board, and the complexities it encountered with regard to shifting definitions of cultural morality, as well as vagaries of political and legal systems. Black-and-white stills from censored movies illustrate this informed and informative contribution to American cinema history.

This is a brilliant collection of essays by Dr. Samuel Francis, perhaps the leading paleoconservative writer today. As many people don't know, most of today's so-called "conservative" thinkers are in fact "neo-conservatives," or as Francis says "neo-liberals." They accept many of the premises of liberalism, but think liberalism went to far in the 70's. Rather than providing an alternative to the liberals, they are just another aspect of what Francis' mentor, James Burnham, called the "managerial class." This collection contains excellent essays on Martin Luther King, Joe McCarthy and other subjects.