Missouri Books

Informatively written by John Shelton Reed (educator, social scientist, and the author and/or editor of thirteen books about the American South), Minding The South is a wonderful celebration of the American South and its culture -- a regional society which has resisted being assimilated by the mainstream United States in order to keep its own distinctive personality. From the search for objectivity among common pitfalls in remembering Southern history especially before and during the civil war; to profiles of talented Southerners who have devoted themselves to everything from rock and roll to designing silver jewelry, Minding The South is a splendid and enduring tribute to American Southern culture and custom.

With all of the A/G books out there on ethics this is the best. There is no better way to see just where they stand on *most* ethicial topics. This book is a good read but the authors bias keeps comming through the scripture.

Latza's latest book is a fantastic piece of work. From the people and the places to the wildlife and the vistas, Greg's book covers it all. "The Missouri" gives the reader a great feel for the importance, the mystery and the beauty of this historic river. Whether you've lived near the river your entire life or only visited, this is a book you should have on your coffee table.

Martin Hinz tackles the biggest problem in Missouri on the first page of this volume in the America the Beautiful, Second Series, to wit: How do you pronounce the state's name? Should it be "Missour-EE" or "Missour-AH?" So it is that Chapter One, Versions of Missouri" uses the question of pronunciation, which throws in the mix those who say "Missour-UH." Hintz is even able to look at how region and age come into play for which version Missourians use. That might be why the chapter ends talking about how Missouri got its nickname the "Show-Me" state, which is not as controversial a topic.

The next three chapters look at the history of Missouri. Chapter Two, "The Good Old Days," traces the early history from the nomads and mound builders who first settled the region to the Spanish and French who settled the region and the controversy that raged when the state wanted to be admitted to the union and the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (Missouri admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state). Chapter Three, "Movin' On," looks at the bloody history of the state during the Mormon Wars and the Civil War, and ends with the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 and the establishment of Prohibition. Chapter Four, "In the National Limelight," looks at the Great Depression, Harry S Truman as the Missouri president and the post-World War II era to the 21st-century.

Chapter Five, "The Neighborly State," looks at how four major geographic areas unite to form Missouri: the glaciated plains of the northwest, the western plains, the Ozark Mountains of the south, and the southeastern lowlands. "A Rich Diversity of Towns" is the topic for Chapter Six, looks at the cities and villages that are rich in history, and also contains the recipe for Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce, which is a horrible thing to read late at night because that is hardly the time to start making barbecue sauce (besides, I do not have any liquid smoke). The politics of Missouri is covered in Chapter Seven, "'Show-Me' Government," which includes both Tom Pendergast's political machine and Missouri Senator David Rice Atchison, the man who was president of the U.S. for one day in 1849. This is the chapter where you get to find out about the state symbols, which includes the state folk dance (Square dance), musical instrument (Fiddle), and animal (Missouri mule).

The economy of Missouri is detailed in Chapter Eight, "In the Center of It All," which looks at the mix of agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. Chapter Nine, "The People of Change," looks at all the migrants who have come to Missouri, which has always been a crossroads for travelers. Finally, Chapter Ten, "Poets, Painters, and Players," looks at the creative people and athletes who have come from Missouri. Of course, this list begins with Samuel Clemens, but includes T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, W.C. Handy, Thomas Hart Benton, George Catlin, Dizzy Dean, and Mark McGwire.

The back of this book has a Timeline that has parallel columns showing U.S. and Missouri state history. Then there are several pages of Fast Facts, while there are lists of history, fiction, and biographies, as well as websites and addresses where young students can go To Find Out More. As always, this American the Beautiful book has dozens of informative sidebars where we find out more about the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Missouri slave named Dred Scott, the James Boys, Joseph Pulitzer, George Washington Carver, and the major earthquakes that have rocked Missouri. These sidebars could well be the most interesting part of the book, although any young student will find more than enough information for a report on the "Show-Me" state. How you pronounce it will be up to you, but be careful.

This book provides a brief history of Missouri, from the native Mound Builders, to the first Europeans, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark Expedition, settlement, statehood, Civil War, and the Pony Express. The book also provides a discussion of current government, economics, and people. The highly visual book is geared for mid-elementary, but the pictures are mature enough to work with older elementary students. This book would be valuable to use in a Missouri history unit.

Home to Mark Twain, Harry Truman, and riverboat gamblers, Missouri, the "Show Me State" (known for its cynics) is rich in cultural history. This book will show you how rich.

The "Portrait of America" series is a sensational and easy to understand introduction for pre-teens to the 50 states and to the places and events that shaped the history of the United States. This "Missouri" installment is very good. The book is broken down into sections like "History", "Culture", "Economy" etc., and each section is thoughtfully written and edited.

This book, as well as the entire "Portrait of America" series, will prove to be a valuable teaching tool to all primary school educators.

This book was a GREAT pictorial representative of how the state of Missouri actually is. I gave it to a foreign exchange student from Germany who loved it!!!

'The Missouri Breaks' caps a short list of "anti-western" films that marked the death of the classic western as an American Icon. Writer Thomas McGuane skillfully weaves the counter-cultural mores of his own generation into the fabric of this non-conformist screenplay in which the "good guys" are the cattle rustlers and the "bad guys" are the law (or what passes for law in the west). Jack Nicholson (as a rustler) and a very scary Marlon Brando as a looney bounty hunter head up this cast, which reads like a rogue's gallery of great character actors such as Frederick Forrest, Harry Dean Stanton and Warren Oates. Many mainstream American critics panned this film, largely because of its refusal to fit within well-defined story arcs, yet foreign critics praised it for its rawness and superb acting. If you're a fan of films that stretch the limits of their genre, then 'The Missouri Breaks' is a must-see Western.

Former show cave operator H. Dwight Weaver presents Missouri Caves in History and Legend, the concentrated essence of a lifetime of history and research into Missouri's caves created by limestone bedrock slowly dissolved by groundwater. Bringing the reader on a tour underground, Missouri Caves in History and Legend reveals what caves have to tell us about extinct species and early Native Americans; how caves were used to mine saltpeter, onyx, and guano; how caves became hideouts for Civil War soldiers and notorious outlaws such as Jesse James; and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating tour accessible to readers of all backgrounds - the next best thing to visiting Missouri's caves in person!

Dr. Robert P. Forbes is no stranger to students of the antebellum era. His previous articles have been noted for their clear readable style and scholarship. Dr. Forbes states the book took a long time to come into being as a finished work. The result shows a well thought out examination and interpretation which makes the wait worthwhile. His colleagues, experts in the field of antebellum history, state they "learned a great deal from the work." The real value of this work is in its examination not only of the well known history of the Missouri Compromise itself --the formulation and passage of the legislation--but the even more important aspects of the effect of this compromise and the devastating result of its being revoked. The book has enough meat in it to satisfy the most discerning scholar and a facile style to satisfy the general reader. This is a volume that belongs in the library of every student of history, of politics, social movement, and ultimtely the disolution of the Union. Congratulations to Robert Forbes for a great gift to us.