Montana Books

This book is fun. Arthur Conan Doyle, it is not. Montana history, it is not. Nevertheless, it is fun. The author's claim is that a long-locked safe contained manuscripts written by Dr. Watson which chronicled five cases that brought him and Sherlock Holmes to Montana. All center about the Butte-Anaconda area. The details are accurate enough as to the geography and time that the reader will enjoy speculating about people, events, and places. In many cases, the speculating will not be difficult.

The cases are plausible as Sherlock Holmes stories. Most of Watson and Holmes' mannerisms are also plausible. The investigative approaches are equally credible. To go into details here would reveal too much. This book is a necessity on the book shelves of avid Sherlock Holmes fans and of Montana history nuts. For others, reading it will be fun. If it sparks an interest in the history of Montana, Butte, and Anaconda; the author provides references leading the reader to factual sources.

The concept is open-ended enough to allow sequels. Anyone reading this first volume will quickly buy the next if there is one. You won't regret getting this one and reading it, just in case there is another.

My purchase of this book was based on curiosity more than anything else; frankly I held no great expectations for the book. Then it arrived and I started to just glance through it. I was hooked, totally immersed in the time and place that was Holmes' era. Everything, from the art work to the writing was superb! Instead of a glance at the book, I read it all the way through, putting aside such things as housework, dinner, and other small details. This is not just a good book, it is a great book, an adventure in its own right into murky Old London and 221 Baker Street.

I bought this book because it had Montana in the title. I grew up there and was interested in how the book would portray the State. As an engineer by profession, I particularly enjoyed the description of the mining technology used during the late 1800's. I also think the author did a great job of describing life in Montana during that period.

I had never read a Sherlock Holmes or any other mystery book before and found these stories quite entertaining. Each of the stories has a kind of twist at the end which is hinted at in several places in the text but which I, at least, didn't see until it was over. The plots were clever.

The book is excellent light reading, perfect for bus trips to work. I give it five stars.

Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles is an imaginative work that's a welcome addition to the panoply of works which has extended the life and breadth of experience of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective. Larry Millett, through his series of five Holmes novels set in Minnesota, showed that Holmes' incredible detective skills could be successfully employed in the pursuit of evildoers in America.

The Montana Chronicles likewise returns Holmes and Watson to the good old USA but has expanded upon the approach taken by Millett in several favorable ways. First, the venue has been changed to Montana, a place with its own mystique and a most interesting frontier history. Second, the author has successfully integrated figures from Montana's past into the story narratives. And, third, the book includes a number of historical photographs from near the turn of the century which help draw the reader into the stories.

I liked all four of the short novels presented in the book but preferred The Tammany Affair above the others, simply for the adroit way in which it used that portion of Montana history popularly known as the "War of the Copper Kings" as the setting for a mystery set around a racehorse.

I also give the author great credit for crafting stories with intricate, but not obtuse, plots that develop in a well-paced, but measured, way. It was a comfortable writing style, and I would not hesitate to purchase another book by the same author. Hopefully, he'll have something additional on the market in the not-to-distant future.

I enjoyed this book immensley. I have been a resident of Montana nearly 90 years ( and yes I needed some help to get this review on the computer). The author, does a wonderful job of weaving in characters of historical significance to Montana. I remember my parents talking of these people and I remember some of the buildings and places in the story. It is very good and held my attention for the two days it took me to read it. I enjoyed the book enough that I bought several additional copies for my sister and brother.
A Senior Citizen
Helena Montana

Sketches From The Ranch: A Montana Memoir is an engaging compilation of the thoughtful writings of Dan Aadland. Sketches From The Ranch is about living on a western American ranch (which was founded in 1892), experiencing the turn of the seasons, rejoicing in the birth of colts and calves, embracing simple means of life even as Thoreau did at Walden. Superb black-and-white sketches by artist Nik Carpenter add a visual and emotional touch to this moving memoir.

Sketches From The Ranch: A Montana Memoir is an engaging compilation of the thoughtful writings of Dan Aadland. Sketches From The Ranch is about living on a western American ranch (which was founded in 1892), experiencing the turn of the seasons, rejoicing in the birth of colts and calves, embracing simple means of life even as Thoreau did at Walden. Superb black-and-white sketches by artist Nik Carpenter add a visual and emotional touch to this moving memoir.

Dan Aadland's memoir includes many wonderful stories of hard work accomplished in the beautiful ranchlands of Montana. I enjoyed learning about the true bravery required to bring a string of ponies hundreds of miles over wild terrain. The joys and sorrows of daily ranch life are artfully depicted, along with the history and culture of southern Montana. An excellent read.

I am an unlikely reader of a book about ranching, a city professional within minutes of the Mall of America. Yet, Dan Aadland brought me intimately into his world and not only let me taste the experience of ranching, but like all good writing, let me feast on life. The sensual quality of the author's writing moved me to respond with my senses. For example, I found that I most enjoyed reading the book on my deck overlooking the woods, feeling the breeze against my face. It was in this setting that I read about cattle buying. Here is a subject I definitely would not have pursued on my own. But Aadland brought the scenes and participants to life and had me so engaged, it was one of my favorite "sketches." I relished his description of the feast he prepared on his private moose hunt. As he wrote about storytelling over Yukon Jack and grapefruit juice, I was compelled to pour my personal version: Cuervo Gold on the rocks with lime juice. I sipped as he told his stories. Dan Aadland not only illuminated the world around him. He effectively brought me into his private world of thought and emotion. I felt right with him as I read his disclosure, "I wonder what I would be psychologically without this space around me, shudder, and force myself to think happier thoughts." I shuddered with him. His emotional honesty was particularly striking as he describes an emotional catharsis toward the end of the book. Aadland's ability to expose the most private--and enlivening--aspects of human experience helped me to identify with him and feel less alone. This was particularly poignant when I recently experienced an emotional reaction similar to the author's. I called up the experience of the author and felt soothed. The isolation-breaking quality of Aadland's writing is a real gift to his readers. I came away from Sketches with a deep respect for ranching, and for a life well lived.

Montana has produced so many fine writers. Here's another one. Aadland is the son of a Lutheran minister, growing up in south central Montana between the Beartooth Mountains and the Crow Reservation. His "memoir" is mostly about the present, with flashbacks to the past, which include stories of his wife's forebears, who emigrated from Norway in the late 19th century to set themselves up as ranchers. And there are memories of his boyhood, working as a hired hand, a tour of duty in Vietnam as a marine, and raising a family.

The particular achievement of the book is its description of daily life on a modern-day ranch. Of the many books on ranching, this one conveys better than most the seasonal routines of labor from spring calving and breeding to fall roundup, sale barns, and feeding during the months of snow. There are descriptions of haying, fieldwork, irrigation, keeping machinery running, and visits from the vet. The book also describes well the evolution of ranchwork from when ranchers used horses and hired men to get the work done, and neighbors pitched in to help each other with harvesting. Today, much of the work is mechanized, ranchers work alone, and the undependable seasons, slow markets, and razor-thin profit margins require second incomes for both rancher and spouse. Besides raising cattle, Aadland and his wife are school teachers. He travels 60 miles each way to the high school in Bridger (pop. 724), and in winter months sees the ranch in sunlight only on weekends.

He's also a horseman, raising and training walking horses, and much of the book is devoted to this subject. There are descriptions of patiently working his horses, including a team he uses to harrow a field for no other reason than to experience the pleasure of this old-fashioned method of farming -- no deafening engine to block out the sounds of the natural environment, or to damage hearing. He's a literate rancher, quoting Robert Frost and Thoreau, and both thoughtful and articulate. He's also informative. You learn about practices of breeding horses and cows and how a vet tests for pregnancy. You learn the tentative relationship between weather forecasts and the timing of cutting and baling hay. He has a steady eye and a sense of pacing that makes his book a graceful and unhurried cycle through the seasons. You become so intimately involved in Aadland's life that the sudden tragedy that occurs in the final chapters is both a jolting surprise and thoroughly heart-breaking

It should also be mentioned that this is a handsomely designed book, illustrated with many fine drawings of ranch life by artist Nik Carpenter. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in working ranches, the Big Sky country, horses, and the making of not just a living but a life. As a companion volume, I suggest "Some Horses" by Thomas McGuane, another Montana writer, as well as Linda Hasselstrom's "Windbreak," which recounts a year on a cattle ranch in South Dakota.

This is a wonderfully written guide book! The descriptions are clear and informative. Great tips for families! Can't wait to use it again next season! I hope this author continues to write more!

This book is a must for people who like to explore the xc trails around Bozeman and Livingston. I've found many new fun trails to check out thanks to this guide and it's descriptions. Thanks for providing us with this much needed resource.

Great Trails with Excellent maps that gets you out skiing in some incredible places. Thanks for this great resource guide.

An easy to use trail guide to cross country skiing and snowshoeing near Big Sky, Bozeman and Paradise Valley. Good maps, accurate details, nice size.

I LOVE this book! Thanks for filling a void that wintertime backcountry enthusiasts have had when trying to explore new regions of Southwest Montana. Everyone deserves to get out and play on skis - and this book is the perfect resource to throw in your pack with your water bottle and lunch to get ready for an adventure on a new trail. Thanks for providing such a user-friendly resource for all of us snow-lovers! I love the maps, too.

I found this book to be simply and utterly fantastic! The photography is absolutely magnificent, and the recipes contained are authenticly Columbian. The layout of this book is a work of art, and it makes you incredibly hungry just to fan through the pages. A comprehensive and broad presentation of Columbian cuisine is presented here in a collage of photography that will marvel your eyes. The historical material was very well presented and the book itself very well researched. If anyone is wishing to explore the depths of Columbian cooking, this book will take you there. If you merely want to explore a colorful and culinary tour of Columbia and its riches in all that is tasty, then this book would be a great place to start.

Annyone interested in Colombian cooking should pick this book up - the recipies are representative of a Colombian meal and the photos are outstanding.

I got this book in Bogota and I really love it. The pictures are absolutly great. I do not get most of the ingredients here in Japan but I love to see the pictures and to remember the good and friedly meals I shared in Colombia. I think it is also a great present.

This is exactly the kind of book i was looking for. Something that would give me examples of regional Colombian cooking, along with info and great photography of the people and country side. So far, i've only tried a few recipes, but I know that my guests are eager for more spanish cooking soon! It's a beautiful book, that I hope will be passed down to my children and their children one day.

The book has the famous Colombian recipes with great pictures and it makes a review of all different regions.

After gold was discovered in the Bitter Root Mountains of present-day Montana in 1860, lawlessness followed the rush of miners into the region. Bannock and Virginia City became important centers within the mining districts, and by 1862 were typical western "shoot-em-up" towns teaming with unsavory characters, racked by violence, and basically "removed from the restraints of civilized society" and its laws. It's in that context that the Montana Vigilantes were created, a group that, according to the author, brought order out of chaos by offering "a shield of protection" to the citizens while wielding "a sword of retribution" against lawless marauders. An interesting development occurred in Bannock, however, in that the elected sheriff (Henry Plummer) apparently at the same time was the leader of the most notorious road gang (thieves and murderers) in the territory. Thomas Dimsdale, an Englishman who had gone to Viginia City in 1863 for his health and who shortly after operated the first newspaper published in Montana, wrote a series of articles for his paper about Plummer, his operations and agents, and the work of the vigilantes to bring to justice (often by hanging) these criminals, and these articles were later collected to make this book.

In 1987, a new biography of Plummer by R.E. Mather and F.E. Boswell threw Dimsdale's book into the realm of controversy by declaring a belief that Plummer was innocent of the crimes Dimsdale accused him of and that Dimsdale praised the work of the vigilantes too highly and uncritically. There is no doubt that Plummer had a criminal past before coming to Bannock (he was hanged there by the vigilantes in 1864), having served time in San Quentin for murder. Who is closer to presenting the truer picture is hard to say, but Dimsdale's work is a thrilling and dramatic account, a fascinating narrative that is as lively as a Max Brand western story.

The writing style / language is like that spoken in the HBO series Deadwood. A bit hard to get used to but then an interesting read and a very clear glimpse of what it was like in Montana during the 1800's.

This fascinating document is an account of the notorious "road agents" operating in Montana in the early 1860s during and after the Alder Gulch gold strike. These men took over the towns of Alder Creek, Virginia City and Bannock and ran them as criminal enterprises. Eventually groups of ordinary citizens formed secret vigilante organizations to combat the road agents. Taking the law into their own hands they pursued, shot or hanged as many of the road agents as possible. On Virginia City's Boot Hill there are presently gravemarkers with the names of a number of the men mentioned in the book who were captured and hanged by the vigilantes. Dimsdale, the author, was born in England and took over editorship of the Virginia City paper. Some of the events he witnessed, but more he relates from the testimony of those who participated in them. The accounts are a bit confusing -- they read as newspaper reports and lack a historian's distance and clarity. But they make up for all faults in the immediacy of their telling. This is a very valuable document of life in the old west, and gives an extraordinary sense of what life was like in a raw mining town, too new to have any legitimate law enforcement. Mark Twain cites Dimsdale and quotes him copiously in "Roughing It," his account of his adventures in Carson City, Nevada, and other places in the West.

Dimsdale writes of Montana history in a clarity not often appreciated by some history authors. "The Vigilantes of Montana" brings, page after page, the gold-rush era of Montana Territory to the memory and eyes of the reader. This fascinating text tells the story as my ancestors told of living in Montana during this period. It is an excellent choice for any reader interested in a true account of the romantic and hostile West.

This was first given to me 1976. What I would do with this one, I don't care about vigilantes, I have no interest in Montana, and time is too precious to take it away from the 19th century, my favorite. It suddenly dawned upon me, this is the 19th century, and if someone is going to understand the mindset of the century, you will have to examine the mindset of the whole population. Reluctantly I picked the book up and began reading. Some hours later I set the book down sorry that the author had run out of words.

Thomas J. Dimsdale was an Englishman who settled in 1863 and Virginia City, Montana and in 1864 took over as editor of the Montana Post. The newspapers served as the first publisher in serial all of The Vigilantes of Montana and perhaps some of the writing in this book, some of the romantic element, some of the color of the book is explainable artifact it was first written for the newspaper. In this century that has arisen some question about the true facts surrounding the "villain" of the story. Henry Plummer arrived in the gold camp in Nevada City in 1852 and very soon participated in the wholesome disreputable houses when he saw fit to murder two men. By 1862 former was notorious as a boss of the gang of criminals. In 1863 moved to Montana and news was elected sheriff. This is the story of the vigilantes who tracked down, tried, and executed plumber and his gang of desperados. Some modern researchers who tried to prove Plummer innocent of the crimes for which he was executed.

The author describes this event in colorful detail and very readable narrative as you see in this excerpt:
"seeing that the circumstances were such as embedded of neither vacillation nor delay, the citizenry here, summoning his friends, when up to the party and gave the military command, "company! Forward march!" This was at once obeyed a rope taken from a noted functionary's bed and had been mislaid [more was immediately sent for and soon they were hundreds of feet of good hemp] ....
"The order to `Bring up Plummer' was then passed and repeated; but no one stirred. The leader went over to this `perfect gentleman', as his friends called him, and was met by a request to `Give a man time to pray.' Well knowing that Plummer relied on a rescue on other than Divine aid, he said briefly and decidedly, ' Certainly, but let him say his prayers up here.'"

And, "Soon after, the party formed and returned to the town leaving the corpses stiffening in the icy blast. The bodies were eventually cut down by the friends of the road agents and varied. The `Reign of Terror' in Bismarck was over." The book continues for another hundred and eighteen pages of the same where only the names and places are changed to condemn to posterity the guilty. At the end, the author provides a section of short biographies of the leading players.

This is an easy reading book, well worth what you might pay for it, and whether all of the factual information is an is factual is somewhat immaterial here because it does give a picture of these decades in the West India and Hollywood would be afraid to imagine.

Deborah Oberbillig's fascination with birds lures us into an amazing world of feathered friends who have been been given much by nature for survival and brightening our world. Bird Feats of Montana is a colorful book - full of facts from the fastest and highest flying birds to the smartest. How and where do they live? How and what do they sing? Which builds the most interesting nests? Along with everyday facts, we find out how a curlew catches a toad, how a woodpecker extends his five-inch tongue to scoop up insects and the mystery of the leaps and dances of mating Sandhill Cranes. Did you know that ospreys and owls have a reversible outer toe so that they can perch on a limb and hold on to a newly caught fish at the same time? Eagles have binocular vision which enables them to spot a pigeon three miles away.
The book is well illustrated with excellent photographs and drawings along with lively text, highlighted with colorful titles. Children will learn their birds by name and even more exciting, the amazing things that they do, not only in Montana but in other parts of the country where many of the same birds are found.
Written for children ages 8-12, this book will enchant and educate all ages. I highly recommend it for libraries and personal collections. It's a great grandmother's gift and grandmothers too will love reading it.

Though it's called Bird Feats of Montana, this book will appeal to kids in any state. We live on the other side of the country, in Vermont, and a some of the birds featured in the book don't live here. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable for my kids--what kid wouldn't want to know about the best dung collecting bird, wherever it's from? The format (one superlative bird to a page) makes it easy for kids to just open up to any page and learn something new. Great addition to the family bookshelf!

Packed with an array of anecdotes and research, written in an accessible style children and adults will enjoy - I learned many new things, e.g. the language of chickadees and the magnetic compass birds use to migrate by the stars...as a resident of Colorado, I recognize a good many of the birds in my geography.

David C. Richie
Wilderness Monitoring Coordinator
Wilderness Workshop, Colorado

I think this book is great for kids. There is so much information on birds -- the reader will really get to know them. The illustrations and layout are fun and engaging. It would be great for any family visiting Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks -- or families like ours who live in a city but dream about the wide open spaces.

This book is a great source of fun facts about many common birds in the northwest. Colorfully designed and illustrated for kids, adults will enjoy it and learn from it too. I'm a naturalist guide in Alaska, and I discovered lots of "gee whiz" facts I can share with my clients.

for any gov., hist., econ., soc., anth. student a must read

"Democracy in America", published in two parts (the first in 1835, the second in 1840), is the great work of Alexis de Tocqueville, a young, aristocratic Frenchman, who traveled through most of the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States during a 9 month period in 1832. Tocqueville had originally set out to study the U.S. prison system but what he saw inspired him to write about much, much more.

The foresight he had for such a young man is really impressive to read 160 years later. What he saw in the morals, work ethic and government structure of the United States led him to accurately predict many of the ways in which the U.S. would lead and has led the world. At the same time Tocqueville was not oblivious to many of the ills in the America he saw. He very wisely writes of the cancer that the institution of slavery was to not only all black Americans, but to the white, Southern farmers and workers as well.

I hate having to give these books "stars" for ratings because in many cases it takes away from the ultimate importance and classic status of a book like this one. Tocqueville does tend to jump around and venture off into different topics that don't fit with the rest of their chapter, which could be attributed to his youth. Also, a few of his predictions, naturally, were way off. A native Texan, I had a good laugh at his view that "the province of Texas is still part of the Mexican dominions, but it will soon contain no Mexicans." But overall Tocqueville's view of America was honest, accurate, and the perfect explanation of why, on a daily basis, people continue to risk their lives to gain the freedom that only the United States of America offers.

This is one of the greatest books ever written on politics! Toqueville analyzes American democracy and its inherent strengths and weaknesses from the view of a foreigner, thus giving the reader a balanced view of the situation. A definite must-read for anyone concerned with politics and American politics in particular.

to read democracy in america is to confront greatness itself, to follow the reflections of one the greatest political thinkers of all time, a man of balanced rationality, with a passionate concern for the fate of democracy--true democracy, that is, not the kind we see politicians preach on tv everyday. personally i prefer volume 2 of this great work, where the author summons up his astonishingly penetrating power of analysis and prophesy

De Tocqueville was simply of one of the great social scientists writing about America and Democracy. From reading the book I deduced that De Tocqueville was a social scientist before Marx! He compares European culture and government with the fledgling culture and democracy he observes in America. He is very much impressed with what he sees taking place in America in the 1830's and hopes it will spread to Europe. He at first believed that America's prosperity was simply due to geography and their distance from powerful neighbors, he abandons this idea after his visit to America. He comes to realize that the West is not being peopled "by new European immigrants to America, but by Americans who he believes have no adversity to taking risks". De Tocqueville comes to see that Americans are the most broadly educated and politically advanced people in the world and one of the reasons for the success of our form of government. He also foretells America's industrial preeminence and strength through the unfettered spread of ideas and human industry.

De Tocqueville also saw the insidious damage that the institution of slavery was causing the country and predicted some 30 years before the Civil War that slavery would probable cause the states to fragment from the union. He also the emergence of stronger states rights over the power of the federal government. He held fast to his belief that the greatest danger to democracy was the trend toward the concentration of power by the federal government. He predicted wrongly that the union would probably break up into 2 or 3 countries because of regional interests and differences. This idea is the only one about America that he gets wrong. Despite some of his misgivings, De Tocqueville, saw that democracy is an "inescapable development" of the modern world. The arguments in the "Federalist Papers" were greater than most people realized. He saw a social revolution coming that continues throughout the world today.

De Tocqueville realizes at the very beginning of the "industrial revolution" how industry, centralization and democracy strengthened each other and moved forward together. I am convinced that De Tocqueville is still the preeminent observer of America but is also the father of social science. A must read for anyone interested in American history, political philosophy or the social sciences.

I've met Spike's decendents, stayed at their ranch, and this is how I discovered these books by Spike Van Cleve around ten years ago. They are so good, I had to share them with friends and I loaned them out. Since they have disappeared, I need to buy them again! These are timeless stories that show the true flavor of the people and the country. I don't buy many books--but these I will buy twice.

THIS IS A VERY FUNNY AND DANG GOOD READ IF YOU LOVE HORSES
AND THE WIDE OPEN COUNTRY OF MONTANA AND WYOMING. HE LETS YOU IN ON HOW HE UNDERSTANDS HORSES AND TELLS OF SOME WILD DAYS IN THE SADDLE.THERE ARE SOME GREAT DUDE RANCH STORIES ABOUT DIFFERENT GUESTS.IF HE WERE STILL ALIVE I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO GO TO HIS.HE IS A SPECIAL,COLORFUL AND DOWN HOME, HILARIOUS GUY.

I lived in Montana for two years and a friend suggested I read this book. I bought a copy and could not put it down. After I finished it two days later, I bought his other book "A Day Late And A Dollar Short". Ten years later, I am still reading them. Spike doesn't just tell you a story, you live it. If you have any interest at all in ranch life, horses, family, humor, or Montana history; these should be on your list. You'll learn what "slaunchwise" humor and "going to the mountains" is all about.

It's unfortunate that he only wrote two books.

As your friend and fellow author put it, I too, "hope God gives you a horse" Spike.

This book describes the people, the attitude, and the lifestyle of Montana - from 1870 until today. The Crazy Mountains continue to evoke the same vast, colorful emotions from those of us who have had the priviledge to grow up beneath them. A must read for anybody who has lived in Montana - and a "should read" for anybody else. A colorful, vivid reminder of home - one of my favorites.

This book is an excellent piece of work. I probably am somewhat biased as like the author, I too spent my formative years in the Big Open of Eastern Montana. I can certainly sympathize and relate to alot of what old Spike says about nature, family and ranch life in general.

Marta is a wolf whose mate dies in the early spring. She has to support three pups with the help of oldtooth, an elderly male. Its the modern age in society, and Marta and Oldtooth travel into a further and more dense area...just to be captured and relocated. It was late summer when she last saw the Dahl Lake, but when she is sent to Alaska, she flees and leaves her pack behind. Without her, her pack dies, will she be next?

I like the broad language use and the many comparisons with things. I also love the plot, and how its based on a different point of view; one we seldom understand. THe survival theme will put readers on the edge as one thing after another unfolds.

4 stars, for good language use, suspence, and plot. Very realistic and eye-opening, with a non-anthropormorphic point of view. If you like the Oddessy-type books, you will love Wolf.

This is a great book! I would highly recommend it. 'Asta Bowen depicts these wolves lives so realistically that you might think she had walked right along with thwm. It is as if she can think like a wolf, live like a wolf, feel like a wolf, BE A WOLF! This tragic tale is an amazingly moving and catching drama that I would recomend to any one! On a scale of 1-10, it's a 20! I loved it and I hope she writes some more!:-)This book should be included in everyone's home library. I have read it over and over and I have loved it more every time I read it! All I can say is that 'Asta Bowen is an amazing author, simply amazing!

This book is amazing. Having 'Asta Bowen, whom I was a student of, read this outloud it was incredable to hear Marta's voice and experience through the person who gave that to her. I hope she will write more books about herself because she has many tales to tell that haven't been told. Great job Ms. Bowen, you're a great inspiration, an excellent teacher and a wonderful writer.

An alpha-female wolf named Marta lived in an almost perfect home in Pleasent Valley with her new litter of pups, but are soon "rescued" and relocated to a place where Grizzlies rule. Marta is then confident to return home-with or without the rest of her pack. She then struggles for her life, trying to find enough game to survive. She then finds a place which has much game, few humans, and just an all around great place to live. She then finds a mate and gives birth to her second litter of pups. Soon she...oh, I can't say or I'll ruin the book. You have to read this book! It's a sad book but a good one, too. This is a must read book.

This book is a must-read for animal lovers. Live inside the mind of a she-wolf and discover their thoughts, fears, and terrors. It will break your heart and take your breath away and you will think about it for YEARS to come.

Frank Morgan would rather put up his guns and live in peace, but outlaws have smashed his life, seriously injured his wife, and taken his son. Now he rides into a valley busy with a range war. Fortunately for Frank his reputation has preseeded him. The battle is on and Frank needs to make some quick hard decisions in order to confront all the danger.

I was so impressed with this series I e-mailed the author to let him know just that.

Frank Morgan, is at it again and won't back down from some pushy ranchers that think they're above the law. As well as some wantabe famous gunfighters looking for a reputation.

You won't be able to put it down once you get started. It keeps you on one heck of a ride and Mr. Johnstone did an excellent job as before putting together a outstanding western novel.

It's a must read!! For true western readers or those with interest good ole fashion manners.

I really enjoyed the fourth book in the Last Gunfighter Series. The action is fierce and the book is one that is hard to put down. The main character, Frank Morgan, continues to try and put his guns up and settle down. but Fate won't let him. Great reading!

I now own all 3 of "The Last Gunfighter" series. In my opinion, they only get better, and this last one was the tops! I enjoyed counting the dead and wounded Frank Morgan left behind in all 3 books of this great new series.

When it comes to Westerns this one is excellent.Johnstone has that special knack of being able to tell it like it is, at the same time as being able to tell it like it was.Once you get into the story,and that takes only about 2 pages, it is hard to put down.I don't know what it is,but Johnstone breaks up this story of 240 pages unto 32 chapters.That approach results in him having to keep something new coming and the story moving right along.Hey,he isn't the first to use this approach,after all,wasn't the Bible written this way?If you want an example to follow,it's not a bad choice.The copy I have is a Collector,s Edition and included a 6 page Afterword by the author.I enjoyed it immensely and he tells us a bit about himself and why and how he got into writing Westerns.Along with great stories,Westerns usually have some excellent artwork on their covers;this one is super.It would be good if a little about the artist was included.
I once read that all novels really fall into two types:
A-- A man went on a journey
and
B-- A stranger came to town
This one seems to fit both bills;but is really type B.
As I read this story I was reminded of the verse:

"Yeah,though I walk through
the Valley of Death
I fear no Evil
'cause I,m the meanest
S.O.B.
in the valley!
It didn't take Colonel Trainor,Gilmar,Bullard and their gunhawks long to find that out, when they decided to mess with Frank Morgan.
A couple of good lines Johnstone gives us are:
"Stand still and listen and live or grab iron and die,Morgan,"the voice said,"It,s your choice."How little he realized what was in store for him.
"Think about death,boy," Frank told him."Give it some hard thought.Dead is forever,boy.Do you realize that?"
While some novels seem to need steamy encounters,Johnstone can say it all with:
"Frank grabbed her and pulled her down on the sofa.One thing led to another..."
"Frank once read about some fellow way back centries ago who was asked if he was afraid of something that faced him.No,the man said.He wasn't afraid of anything in the future,only what was behind him."
Frank knew that would be true as he continued his journey out of the valley.
If you want to read a good Western,you'll not go wrong with this one.