Missouri Books

Meuse-Argonne Diary: A Division Commander In World War I is unique, for during the length of America's participation in World War I, only one commander of a division - the author William M. Wright - is known to have kept a diary. It chronicles General Wright's two months at St. Mihiel and particularly the Meuse-Argonne, the largest and deadliest battle in American history. Wright's division of 28,000 draftees from Missouri and Kansas was one of two American point divisions when the U.S. First Army pressed the German defenders back to the Meuse River. A remarkable and pinpoint-critical eyewitness account of a pivotal time in world history, that bravely commisserates with those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country in desperate times.

Since I, too, grew up in Boonville, I'm inclined in favor of this book--I'm sick of reading about people who grew up in New York. I'm also inclined to be highly critical--though I now live two thousand miles away, my hometown is dear to my heart. If Bob Davis has the audacity to write a book about Boonville, he'd better he get right. Well,he did! From the descriptions of food (". . . red Jell-o with marshmallows in it was a dessert. Green Jell-o with cole slaw in it was a salad.")to the interaction of children and adults (he's expected to apologize to an adult who nearly runs over him with a car), he's dead-on accurate. Even his thought patterns are straight out of Boonville ("I don't want to malign anybody either way, but I am pretty sure that all four of the town boys in my class were virgins when they graduated and that at least three-fourths of the country boys were not.") Highly readable and a font of information for people who think the Midwest is dull.

This is a review of all major literature on Middle American Herpetology, herein defined as the region from southeastern Mexico through Panama. There is a brief introduction and description of methods in English and Spanish. This is followed by a table listing publications which deal with a specific taxa or group. The body of the book is a listing of taxa in Amphibia and Reptilia at species level. For each of 782 species, the authors list citations for key literature, illustrations, and distribution. This is followed by a bibliography of literature cited and a scientific name index. There are 91 color plates, 5 to 7 per page, in a section at the front of the book, and 21 small black and white plates inserted into the body of the text next to the relevant taxa. These photographs, which show a small range of the species covered, are very attractive, but they do not add appreciably to the overall value of the text. Overall this is an excellent book and an invaluable scientific resource to any researcher working on the herpetofauna of the region. I find this book to be extremely useful, and it is consistently my first refernce for bibliographic material.

I live in Oh and bought the book in OH. I have not figured out how to tell which state the book is for. I can tell you that everything matches with what I know. It is excellent! It includes lots of good practical information. I grow Blueberry, Red and Black Raspberries plus the garden vegtable and fruit plants.

hi,

please update your listing.

thanks,
adam gallagher

hi,

please update your listing.

thanks,
adam gallagher

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.

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.