Montana Books

Going to Glacier National Park? Taking a tour? Driving on your own? Either way, this is one of the two or so books you'll want to take along with you.

Why this recommendation. "Geology" is more than an introduction to the geology of Glacier Park. It is a description of Going-to-the-Sun Road which is the only road to transverse the Park. It notes and explains the major geological points of interest along the route. These points correspond to the general points of interest and places you will want to stop.

Far beyond geological explanations, this small 62 paged yet large 8 ½ by 11 inch glossy paged volume is full of remarkable color photographs and explanatory charts. It includes a three page fold out showing the entire route of this remarkable road and the mountains surrounding it. This alone is worth the price.

I am not educated in geology to pass judgments on this material. But I note that it was prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey and published by Glacier Natural History Association. Both are groups with a solid reputation. But, as the Introduction says, it is "directed toward (those) with little or no background in geology".

I've always enjoyed tales of out of body experiences, though generally they've been a little too stereotypical. Arline Chase transcends the norm to begin this novel in a gripping new way, which involves a boy, cut from his family, found in a near-dead state by Blackfoot Indians.

She's set the story around the time of the massacre at Wounded Knee, a period that has not and could not be explored enough. Questions still remain over who was really at fault, and using historical research, Chase tries to settle the dispute albeit with fictional characters. Though you may not agree with her vision, you will want to complete the ride. But this ghost dance does not take place at Wounded Knee. She shows respect to the culture by not fictionalizing what happened at Pine Ridge.

The plot intrigues, the characters rich and satisfying. And the fun she has with history is worth the read. We all know that all periods in history hold a lot of mystery, and its in this vein that we history fiction writers take some liberties, for there are times we think, if it didn't happen this way, it should have. And Ms. Chase is one of those who can write in history as though her fictional world really happened, with an excellent effort at capturing historic lingo.

Although I'm not a Blackfoot historian, I appreciated what felt like an appropriate depiction of a late 1800s Indian culture. And I enjoyed the fun the author had with conversations of cross-cultural miscommunication.

This novel gives you page-turning action for your money, well spent. You'll feel yourself ghost dancing in the thrilling spiritual nature she's devised. This is paranormal historical romance in the truest sense of the genre.

A combination of color and content that outlines the early labor and political movements in Butte and Western Montana.

This is fairly typical Grace but one of my top twenty. Elizabeth has grown up in Montana in very primitive circumstances, the beginning of the story is the last of her family dying. The man Elizabeth suspects of having shot him wants to make her his so she flees in the night to search for a new life with relatives back East she has never met. In her journey she meets a man who is lost and though she is very wary of men they become quite close until she is warned by acquaintances along the way that their traveling alone is not proper and that the gentleman certainly knows that. I like the way Grace shows her lack of convention and develops her character. She is always praying the Lord's prayer but doesn't know God or the Bible at all. Any way, the gentleman gets a telegram from back East saying his Mother is very ill, Elizabeth refuses to go along because she now knows its not right..he leaves very upset to leave her and she journeys on to Philadelphia where she meets her mothers family and her fathers family. Worthy read! (But It's not worth 70 dollars! Go to the library!)

for the armchair scientist and/or the knowledgable tourist.

A couple of years ago I basically followed the same route covered on this 1989 field trip and was greatly rewarded by having the book at the ready.

IT IS SUCH A PLEASURE TO READ A BEAUTIFUL NARRATIVE THAT HELPS ONE APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY AND NATURAL DIVERSITY OF THIS SPECIAL BIOSYSTEM... A BOOK FOR NATIVES AND VISITORS ALIKE...GREAT PHOTOS ARE A BONUS...

For anyone who has ever been to southwestern Montana and immediately fell in love with it, this book is for you. Written from a woman's point of view, filled with humor, reverence, and awe, Ruth seemed to capture in words every emotion that I felt but couldn't articulate when I first hiked the beautiful Bitterroot Valley and the Big Sky areas of Montana (especially the never-ending fear of encountering a grizzy). I have read and re-read the book many times and have given copies to my friends to help them understand why I was captivated by Montana, its beauty and its people. And when I read it, I am immediately taken back there, far away from the realities of living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

The writer gives many short, quick bits of wisdom. It may seem like common sense, but these days, common sense isn't so common. I also purchased her book 'A Cynics Guide to Love' but this one is still my favorite.

The Iron Horse, a fire-breathing, smoke belching, steam hissing giant that dared to rumble through the Montana Wilderness on a pair of steel rails less than five feet apart, coursed its way into the history and hearts of Americans. Read this wonderful History and Guide as you retrace the path of the Milwaukee Railroad's electric iron horse through the Montana wilderness. Filled with pictures and loads of information. A must read for Railroad buffs all over the world

Custer was a great military strategist, WA Clark was an honest man, The buffalo were not killed off by the white man, The Indians were murdering godless savages, Henry Plummer was a ringleader of desperadoes that killed 101 people in a year---------NOT! So much for the Hollywood style myths perpetuated by less than thorough historians. This book brilliantly debunks the Henry Plummer myth through careful reasearch, and demonstrates that the Vigilantes killed numerous innocent people (along with a few crooks) with nothing more than a desire to eliminate whoever got in their way. This is a well documented read that for the first time demonstrates that the truth indeed is more fascinating than the myth covering up the mob mentality of the Vigilantes. I grew up in Montana and looked at these Vigilantes as heroes. But after reading this brilliant delivery of the facts.....I find myself somewhat feeling burned by the history writers who self-servingly smeared everyone they hung (after they hung them).......including a verifiable honest hardworkding hispanic in Bannack that the Vigilantes referred to as the "Greaser". Of course there is author bias contained in the book, but behind the style and content of the authors are hard undeniable facts........facts that tell perhaps one of the most fascinating stories in the history of the west--a story untold until these two authors presented it. Read this book if you can get your hands on it. I did, and I am glad I did!! Was Henry Plummer a victim? Well if Custer was a Brillilant military strategist, then he was not. But only you can answer that question.