Montana Books

An excellent view of the life of an American showman. Loaded with photographs from 1910 (when Montie was born) through 80+ years of show business. I've looked at those photographs over and over thinking about how times were back in the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's ... what a change in our history from horse & buggy to space exploration and computers. A great time in history, and a great showman's life. Entertaining!

Montie Montana is loved and adored by generations of children that watched him rope his way into history. His autobiography is loaded with all the stars of Hollywood, including great photos. If you are a Western buff, you will enjoy Montie's accounts of working with Hollywoods' greats. Not a kiss and tell, but a refreshing recollection by a decent man.

The Players: Sterling McCallum, 35, was an ex-military, plain clothes detective working in Whitehorn, Montana under Sheriff Judd Hensley.
He is a loner, he thinks, and for some reason the sheriff seems to think he should be helping -
Jessica Larson, 25, who has just become the Social Services Director. She has spent most of her life in Whitehorn and still dealing with the emotional trauma of being attacked by Sam Jackson's brother.

Now they are dealing with an abandoned baby, Jennifer, 2 weeks old, who was left on the doorstep of the Kincaid Ranch. Many think that this is the illigitmate offspring of Dugin Kincaid. He swears not.

Jeremiah Kincaid is Dugin's father and supports him in turning the child over to social services. Dugin is to be married to Mary Jo Plumber and is afraid this will turn her from him.

The young boy, Keith Colson is in trouble with the law again and McCallum is determined to find out the problem that is driving Keith.
It is finally worked out that Keith will work for Maris Wyler [2] She is now a widow and running her deceased husband's ranch now renamed No Bull Ranch.

Oh yes, we have a murder mystery involving a Floyd Oakley found dead at the Kincaid Ranch during Dugin and Mary Jo's wedding.

And would you believe no PMS - pre-marital sex [will probably turn some off from reading it] The plot deals with the trauma of domestic abuse and how Sterling and Jessica handle it in the course of their work and their own lives. Some secrets are revealed - I really liked Sheriff Hensley - Sterling McCallum is a hunk - Can't wait to read more about the Kincaids, with Maris's story up next in The Widow and the Rodeo Man.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Looks like it will be a hot set.

STERLING mCcALLUM, EX NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, MILITARY LIFER, IS NOW A SHERIFF IN HIS SMALL HOME TOWN. AN ALCOHOLIC MOTHER AND UNLOVED CHILDHOOD HAVE LEFT HIM A TAD ANTISOCIOL AND VERY ANTI WOMEN. ENTER jESSICA, THE SOCIOL WORKER WHO HAS A HEART OF GOLD...AND WHO ALONG THE WAY WAS RAPED AND ABUSED AND TRUSTS EVERYONE...EXCEPT MEN. SHE AND MCCALLUM WORK TOG ON A A COUPLE OF TOUCHING CASES AND AFTER SOME TWISTS AND TURNS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS FALL IN LOVE. IT'S A CUTE STORY WITH PITHY DIALOGUE.IT'S A QUICK, CUTE PREDICTABLE READ IF U RUN ACROSS IT......BUT DON'T BOTHER SEARCHING IT OUT.

Agnes Deernose tells in the first person the story of her life and the culture of the Crow Indians on their reservation in Montana. It begins in the days of buffalo-hunting, and reveals how the Crow accepted the inevitable changes brought by the 20th Century.

The book describes family life, social life, education, religion, and how the Crow supported the Baptist Church. Agnes gives some interesting intimate details of her life.

Fred was an anthropologist and an adopted Crow. He became well acquainted with the Crow Indians, and this story is the result of extensive personal interviews with Agnes.

(Review written by Julia Holmes, the author's cousin. It was edited and posted to Amazon.com by Julie Atkins, her daughter.)

"They Call Me Agnes" is a very personal recount of the life of Agnes Yellowtail Deernose, a Crow woman growing up in the first few generations of reservation Indians. The book is centered around the accounts of Agnes, although the author took some liberties in inserting historical information from field research. Because the book is not about the tribe as a whole, it is not ideal for learning about the Crow as a whole, but is a wonderful resouce for gaining insight on the impact that the enstatement of reservations had on Indian life and the struggles that were faced. The book deals with changing lifestyles and struggles montetarily, religiously and racially. Be aware that because the editor was from anthropolical background, there may be some misinterpretations of things due to the scientific way of looking at things. Other good books to read if you are interested in the interview format dealing with Crow Indians are "Two Leggings" (Peter Nabokov), "Pretty Shield" and "Plenty Coups" (both Frank Bird Linderman). Other books about the Crow written by native writers: "APPSALOOKE Yesturday and Today" (Smith and Old Coyote)

Harriet Allistair sees nothing happening in her life and needs a change - something that is of her choosing, a challenge. She has inherited her uncle's sheep farm in Montana. Now just how hard could attending a herd of sheep be? She doesn't have the support of her parents but she decides to move anyway and prove them wrong. But, boy, has she taken on a CHALLENGE! She has moved smack dab in the middle of a 2-family feud. Between the Hazards and Allistairs. Her property is in the middle of Nathan Hazard's land and he wants it bad. So bad that he is knocking at her door the first night she gets there to wanting to see Harry Allistair to make his offer to buy. Nathan didn't expect Harry to be red-headed with a figure like that either. Nathan is a know-it-all ready to convince Harriet that she can't handle it - Harriet is hard-headed enough to prove him wrong and kill herself trying. So the challenge is on. And hearts get in the way... A fun "one-night" read that will have you "rootin' for Harriet" at one time and for Nathan another. If you want a sweet and fun read- you'll enjoy this one.

When Harriet Allistair's uncle passed away, she inherited his farm in Montana. Her family didn't want her to move, but she needed to get away from them to prove that she could survive on her own. More importantly, she needed to prove to herself that she could survive on her own.

No one had told her that there was a generations old family feud going on in Montana between the Allistair's and the Hazard's. No one told her that her uncle's farm bordered on Hazard land. And no one could have told her she'd fall in love with Nathan Hazard.

From their first meeting, Harriet is infuriated with Nathan Hazard. He was a know it all. He had tried to convince her to sell the farm to him. Yet, she finds herself hoping that he will stop by the farm so that she can see him again.

Nathan Hazard had never met a woman as stubborn as Harriet. He can't wait until she realizes she can't handle the farm and returns home. But somehow he has fallen for this woman and she's an Allistair!

Can this family feud finally end? Will Harriet prove herself to her family? Is Nathan the man to help her start a new life in Montana?

This Harlequin Desire novel will keep you guessing.

- A Harlequin Dreamers review by Tiffany Ann

Michael Sample IS Montana's biographer. Having grown up in and near Billings, we miss the mountains, and this calendar feels warm and familiar. However, as a busy mom, I still need bigger squares to write in and less shiny paper. However, it's lovely to look at.

Lewis and Clark fans should have this book. It is also an excellent book for someone who only wants a sample of Lewis and Clark lore. It is very easy to read. There are many photographs showing scenes along the Lewis and Clark trail today. "Across the Snowy Ranges" limits itself to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in Idaho and Western Montana. This part of the Lewis and Clark route is the only part of the westward bound trail that is relatively unchanged by dams and other human development. It is also the part of the trail that presented the Corps of Discovery with the greatest challenges; bargaining for horses, nearly starving while crossing the Rocky Mountains, and their collective illness when changing to a diet of fish and roots. It was on this part of the journey where one finds the romance of Sacagawea's reunion with her brother and the assistance the Corps received from the Shoshone, Salish, and Nez Perce Indians. The text follows the Corps day-by-day but describes the activities and locations in clear text with only a few excerpts from the Lewis and Clark journals. One of my favorite spots on the entire Lewis and Clark trail is Packer Meadows near the Idaho-Montana border. Not only does this book have a great picture of the site, it also tells the story of rescuing the site from the loggers' chainsaws in 1997.

First off I want to state that this is a booklet and is available through Werner Publications (search google), along with several other interesting titles, and they are relatively inexpensive. No need to pay outrageous prices.

Okay, about the booklet. It is 26 pages, plus a brief introdution. There is a very helpful map with a corresponding key. The book focuses on the part that the Seventh Cavalry played in the battle/siege of the Bear Paws in October 1877 against the Nez Perces. Overall, a nice collectable and good reading for a short trip.

The book covers an aspect of WWII-events that only in later years came into focus: the alien-detention of Italian- and Japanese civilians in the US.

It's a gripping well-researched tale which moves the reader. No 5-star generals here but innocent individuals who were overtaken by the event of something which was much bigger than themselves, which they couldn't control nor define ... they were mere pawns on a global chessboard.

Little guys are the heroes ... the cook, the hairdresser, the musicians from the Italian luxury liner ... and the innocent Americans who'se only crime it was to be from Japanese ancestry.

The book, rather than painting a grim story about the detention, highlights the life of unfortunate individuals and is an inspiration for good feelings. It shows that something good can come out of something not so good.

I'd recommend the book to anyone with a healthy feeling for contemporary history.

ISBN 037382274x - Cute; better than the average romance novel, which makes it good, but not great. And, in my quest for really bad lines in romance novels, Wrangler's Lady gives us "His warmth drew her as a magnet did iron filings." Iron filings? Where did that come from??

Spoiled rich boys Chance, Cash and Rush Saxon (whose parents had exceedingly boring names, which might explain how they named their children) are informed, when their grandfather dies, that they are nearly penniless. The family fortune has dried up and all that remains are three failing businesses in three separate states. Each takes a business and the men set out to see what they can do to rebuild the Saxon empire - or least earn an honest living, for the first time in their lives. Chance gets the ranch in Montana.

His first problem is the state of the business, his second is his foreman - Cleo, a woman. His response to a female running a ranch takes a back seat, however, to his response to this female in particular. Cleo, single mother of Rosie, doesn't trust men and doesn't want to turn into Chance's mistress, so she does her best to keep her distance. It isn't easy, though, because she finds him every bit as attractive as he finds her. Of course, it's a romance novel - they end up together, one happy family. The only surprise was that Rosie's father never did appear to stake a claim, but it was a pleasant surprise! As for future surprises, I don't know if I'll ever read the stories of Cash and Rush, but I'd be shocked if the whole "near penniless" thing wasn't a ploy by their grandfather to turn his grandsons into more than playboys.

I haven't read the phrase "monthly visitor" in any book written after 1970, so that was a little weird, especially in a genre that doesn't shy away from sexual topics. There was one bad edit, a record for the romance novels I've read, with the word "somethin'" breaking at the end of a line as "so-methin'", so high praise to Silhouette's editor on this one. Romance isn't my thing, but Jackie Merritt/Carolyn Joyner is one author I wouldn't mind reading more from.

A freiend of mine Just got married and needed cheap but goo places to go, so I got this book and found great bed and breakfast. It is not a reading book, but an information book, and eay to find what I wanted.