University of Montana Books

Swartout's book succeeds on a couple of levels--it manages to draw some of the more interesting and colorful characters out of MT history while keeping the bigger picture fully in mind. At times the writing is a little wooden, the tone a little self-important...but the essays are definitely worth a read. Especially valuable are the insights into the lives of Montanans that are often ignored...

Bevis clearly presents both his own expertise on Western (specifically Montana-based) literature and the theories of the writers he presents. Reading this book will remind you of all the wonderful aspects of the books he analyzes and make you yearn to read those you haven't yet. Bevis is certain to present multiple opinions on a work, while still admitting his own preferences in a lyrical, charming fashion that surprisingly never seems to undermine his critical thoughts. The analysis of A River Runs Through It, one of my personal favorites, is refreshingly honest in its attack, even while the author unabashedly displays his own love of the work.

Having grown up in Butte Montana and being very familiar with Ms. Finns work, I cannot say enough about how valuable this book is in terms of telling the long-untold story of women in the mining community.

Her intense and thorough research is extraordinary and her heartfelt personal connection to the subjects she deals with make it an engrossing book. I recommend it to all who would understand the universal plight of women creating culture in a society which chose to largely ignore them - a society that could not have existed without them and their heroic efforts.

Montana is indeed a state of extremes. Temperatures can go from seventy below to a hundred-and-ten in the shade. Montanans historically elect Republicans at home and send Democrats to Washington DC. Western Montana was built on mining and lumber. Eastern Montana was, and is, farming and cattle. K. Ross Toole also wrote "Montana: An Uncommon Land." Since their publication, every book on Montana references one or both of these two books.

True to his subtitle, Toole writes about matters of such scope that they polarized people, leading to tension and conflict. He talks about the boom and bust that drew homesteaders to the state and then drove them away. He portrays the strife between management and labor, as well as manager against manager, which lead to the "War of the Copper Kings." Montanans sent young men to the World Wars in record numbers and mounted an inquisition of unprecedented proportion wherever they sensed even a hint of disloyalty. Economic pressures created both millionaires and paupers. The combatants in these epic struggles furthered their positions by employing the press, the universities, and whatever else was at hand.

Each of these clashes had consequences reaching far beyond the borders of the state. Corporations such as Anaconda, Standard Oil, and most of the national railroads took part in the battles. Many of them emerged severly wounded. Politicians rose and fell. Fortunes were made and fortunes were lost. By shining a spotlight on the differences that made a difference, K. Toole has helped to clarify the forces that molded history.

Admittedly, "A State of Extremes" is dated and looks at Montana history from a restricted perspective. For a more balanced view of Montana history, you can turn to "Montana: A History of Two Centuries" by Malone, et al. However, do not deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying K. Ross Toole's books.

I had this book on the shelf for years before I finally picked it up to read. It didn't take long once I started. This is the type of first-person history that we should have more of. It is the story of the life of a man who witnessed much that was worth preserving and it was written with the assistance of someone who knew how to bring that story to life. The story is that of a man named John Leaky who becomes important to the reader but it is what he bears witness to that is important for everyone. It is the story of the life of a cowboy. It starts in Texas before the Civil War. Mr. Leaky shares with us the history his grandfather shared with him and we get an interesting glimpse of early settlements in the Lone Star State. Comanches, Texas Rangers, cattle rustling, border incidents, etc fill the first third of the book.

As the author becomes a young man, he takes a trip north herding cattle and eventually ends up in the western Dakota/eastern Montana area where he spends the rest of his life. Since this is the area I've lived in for the last 23 years, I found this part of particular interest. It can be of interest to anyone else who enjoys the history of the US cowboy. For those familiar with this part of the country, Mr. Leaky tosses out a lot of names of people he knew and worked with or for. That adds a great deal value to geneologists and local historians. As I was reading this at the local gym, I was able to go over and show someone the name of his father and grandfather.

This is a very engaging work of history and can help answer the question, what ever happened to the cowboys of the Old West?

This is a remarkable book. It is a primary account of a child's life growing up in Montana and Canada in the early part of the twentieth century. Margaret (Peggy) Bell's life spanned some 94 years, from 1888-1982, and her story is as exciting and troubling as any account one is likely to read, fiction or non-fiction. That the book is edited by Mary Clearman Blew makes it not only highly readable but lends it undeniable credibility.

Bell's account of growing up on the high plains of Montana and Canada is a rare, first person account of life on the frontier with it's numerous hardships, grinding poverty, and ultimate struggle to retain her mind and spirit that will break your heart and make you shout for joy...sometimes within a few paragraphs or pages. In a straight forward, honest, almost stoic manner she describes the many life lessons she learned and discusses a subject that is rarely seen in print in the literature of the period: the abuse, sexual and otherwise, she experienced at the hands of her uncle and stepfather. This is an amazing book that chronicles the life experiences of a resilient woman in a man's world that lived to understand who she was, where she came from, and what it all meant. That she could tell such a story without self pity or sentimental, touchy-feely themes is remarkable. Brutally frank, honest and ultimately uplifting.

This collection of plays is highly accessible, and they cry to be staged__especially The Star Quilt, which I found to be the most moving, insightful, and powerful of William J. Yellow Robe's collection of plays. Through two women characters__one American Indian and one white__the playwright eloquently delineates the profound lack of understanding and awareness of American Indians on the part of the "white" American society ( which, in my opinion, is still in the throes of narcissicisstic adolescence as a society). Through this four-scene play about the relationship between two women__ one Assiniboine Sioux and the other of WASP heritage__the story of a tenuous friendship unfolds. Every time I read The Star Quilt I weep at the tragedy of non-Native Americans who have objectified, defied, and betrayed American Indians (and many other "alien" cultures) to this very day. The miracle is that many American Indian tribes today are growing stronger in their cultural practices and beliefs in the wake of "white" American society's shallow materialism. William S. Yellow Robe communicates this through realistic dialogue in a play that ends with humanity and insight. The other plays in the collection, Where the Pavement Ends, hold powerful messages of American Indian values such as respect for and preservation of all life. They are told with humor, whimsy, creativity__and a vein that runs through all of William J. Yellow Robe's works: humanity.

Readers have to understand that this was just the first book written on the battlefield archaeological project that spanned a number of years. The work culminated in a second work, Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle: The Little Big Horn Reexamined

Several other co-workers and collaborators have also published on their work on the archeological and forensic pathology of the battlefield.

Don't judge the conclusions of this work too harshly. As a geoscientist, I would much rather put faith in hard forensic evidence and statistical analysis, than recreations of events based on hearsay, ax grinding, faulty remembrances, flag waving, hero worship, personal bias and any other self serving motivation humans are subject to. Fox uses sound scientific analysis to lay out a time line and sequence of events that has at least been accepted by the National Park Service.
But there will still be experts with thier opinions based on conjecture and arm waving sallying forth to do battle and tilt at windmills.

This book would be helpful for research but it is too technical for the lay reader.

IT WOULD BE MORE INTERESTING TO READ THE BIBLE BACKWARDS, VERY BORING PAPERWEIGHT - WASTED $ 16.00. ONLY A FEW PICTURES, VERY SMALL DRAWINGS AND TOO MANY WORDS.

This is an excellent book because it cuts through the partisan pro Custer, anti Custer views that are the main theme in almost all the books about the battle written to date. I highly recommend all the books written by Fox on this subject because he has no pre conceived ideas or biases. He bases his interpretations on the physical evidence remaining at the site and draws his conclusions from that evidence.

Reading accounts of the Battle of the Little Bighorn sometimes leaves a mass of confusion to the reader. Even visitation to the site does not always enable oneself to clearly picture the events of that day. This book, which does not attempt to explain why things happened does much to set the scene and completes the picture that is painted by the numerous accounts of what happened. The reader may find this book to be dry, perhaps repetitious in some place, but in the end, will appreciate the information that is provided. Be aware that reading this book will forever cause the reader to imediately reject any printed material on The Battle of the Bighorn, that is not properly (and correctly) researched. This book is a good reference for any library.

I found the flavor of this book to be somewhat disturbing in that it consistently sought to portray women as victims of oppressive men--this is a tired philosophy as far as I am concerned. Yes, women were victims, but resulting from the norms of the era in which they lived, married, raised families and worked. My own mother would have been prohibited from keeping her job as a clerk at the local five & dime store in 1934 by the local clerks' union had she married--married women were not allowed to hold union-protected jobs. My mother and her love eloped and kept their marriage a secret so that she could continue to work and help raise money to start their new household. Unfortunately, her husband was killed in a car wreck 2 months after their secret marriage, and then the whole "world" knew of their marriage, but as she was suddenly single again, she was allowed to keep her job. Yes, women were beaten by their husbands, and all sorts of dire things happened in family life in Anaconda. However, there are just as many, if not more, happy stories of good families, loving and respectful husbands and employers. These stories are also important to ensure the presence of honesty in the mosaic that is Anaconda's history.

Unfortunately, women's stories although numerous, were most often limited to mere phrases or to one or two brief sentences--how much nicer and more valuable it would have been, I think, for the writer to have concentrated her researcher's energies on capturing more in-depth knowledge of these women.

There have been a few books written on Anaconda's rich history, but this book reveals areas "whispered" about but not previosly written about. As Ms. Mercier mentions in her book, it was a "City of whispers". The book covers controversial events, such as women working in the community, women's roles at home, and the male dominated working class. The book explains how the Unions came to be dominate in the community and why they were needed. It also covers the Union battles with each other for control. It also talks about the Urban Renewal Era and how the community attempts to survive after severe employment cut-backs as a result of the Anaconda Company's blunders in management. Ms. Mercier spent years interviewing people now deceased, and has added insight how things happen in a one company town. I think she tried to cover both sides of the controversies, but there were some areas that were skimpy with information. In all,it is good reading not only for locals, but for anyone interested in the roles of women in a working class community and the problems that arise in a "Company Town".

While this book has its place, read The Ways of My Grandmothers by Beverly Hungry Wolf if you want to know what it was like to BE Indian. Being from Montana I'm very familiar with Schultz and his wife; and their involvement in the loss and recovery of medicine bundles that went to Bernadotte in Sweden. Schultz was 88 when he died in 1947 so his wonderful story telling has its place. But, in general, I'm leery of books that make it appear that Indian culture is a pre-20th century phenomena when it is alive and well NOW. I would wish that if you enjoy this book that you would also take a moment to read contemporary authors on what it is like on the Red Road today. Native America, today, is alive and well. There are problems in any culture, but the gifts are many. Hope to see you on the pow-wow trail!

J. W. Schultz was a storyteller extraordinaire, not an historian. If you want the true flavor of the times and people portrayed in this book, without being a stickler for correct dates and perhaps even names, then this book is for you.