Western Books

If you are looking for truth about what happened in Missouri during the War betwen the states this book is for you. The best way to learn what really happened is to read firsthand accounts and that's what this book offers. No one sided historical author can screwup or argue with accurate eyewitness reports. This book records the pure hard facts.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Any interested individual or serious student of this era must read this book. I am fortunate enough to live in the present day setting where the author's story took place. This is the real thing. I only wish there had been more works of this quality produced and saved. We would have a much better insight to those times.

Although I don't like giving a 5 star rating to any book this book deserves 6! This is the real stuff, pre WWII, pre WWI, PRE-TV! It was written at a time before historic brainwashing by movies and television existed. Before people were self conscious about telling the truth. We can see the actual format of the "Civil" War sentiments. He reveals the concepts of dying, of The North, Slavery, and other aspects of the era that we are usually forced to accept from modern day writings, reflecting only current, politically correct viewpoints. The down to earth flow of this book is very enjoyable and is great reading for anyone with interest in this subject matter.

Quantrill is often maligned as a psychopathic killer and a despotic guerilla. John McCorkle not only refutes this common claim by the writers of the winner's history, but shows that Quantrill was a compassionate and honorable man. He shows a side to the War of Northern Aggression that is rarely told.

The introductions decry the author's side of the story, but they provide no evidence that is substantiated. The factual errors that McCorkle relates can easily be relegated to the fact that he was in his 80's when he told his story to O.S. Barton and the ravages of time on the memory are well noted throughout history.

This book is a rare glimpse into what made the Missouri Bushwhacker, or Partisan Ranger as they were properly known, what they were. What they did, how they fought, for what and whom they fought: it's all in here and with a lively color that brings to life the way life was in those most trying of times.

I Highly recommend McCorkles first-hand account. It is not often that we can resolve much of the differing views of history with first-hand accounts by those that were there during most of the events. I would have given this book a five had it not been for the very "out-of-place" commentary at the front of the book by someone named Hattaway (of West Point New York). I taped the aprox 25 pages together with an adivosry to skip this section as it only appeared to be added to censor McCorkles account and done in very poor taste. Why would someone want to take the time to distort someone's personal account of history. The Introduction by Barton is done very well however. Why would the publisher think that a commentary should be added when the work already had an introduction? I think the Commentary might have been added after the book was submitted just to try to promulgate a pre-conceived notion of history. Skip the commentary and its a great short work.

I've read several books on meditation. This is the first one that offers practical methods for achieving real results. Also offers several interesting applications including specific techniques for improving your health.

I can't meditate for hours on end to have some peace of mind to live in this world but I can find 15 minutes three times a week to do this. I can also do brief meditations as I shift from one activity to another. This book has taught me how to do that. I am very grateful to the authors for writing this book and hope that in the future they will write more.
Other recommended books? Thich Nhat Hanh's The Miracle of Mindfulness, Jonathan Carroll's White Apples and Charles DeLint's The Little Country.

I am actually luck enough to be a patient of Dr. Arpaia and this book is RIGHT ON TARGET! It is so helpful, easy to read, easy to understand, easy to impliment - very wise!

this must be the best book on meditation I have ever read. It shows different techniques (short & long ones)that can easily get integrated into our busy lifes. Without forcing any kind of religious views on the reader this book shows how to be able to cope and improve our daily (western style) life. In simple, clearly written chapters one gets instructions and examples on how to train the mind and achieve better health, inner peace and many other goals which are up to the reader. I can recommend this book to anyone who is interested in meditation - from beginner to advanced.

Everyone now understands the value of regular exercise. This book reveals mediation as nothing more than exercise for the mind and makes it about as mysterious as going for a morning jog. It does an outstanding job of showing us Westerners how to integrate meditation into our hectic lives without having to go to a monestary. It also does an excellent job of explaining the kinds of practical benefits you can expect from meditation, and how to go about achieving them. I would consider this the best book I have ever seen for people new to mediation, and the more experienced will find plenty to expand their understanding.

Michael Casey has writeen several books on the practice of spiritual disciplines and spirituality. All are worthwhaile, but this is perhaps his best. It is certainly the starting place for beginning to read his work. As a protestant / neo-pentecostal / evangelical, I found that I was drawn to his way of emphasizing that prayer is a relationship, not an activity or duty per se. This perspective helps me understand the fundamnetals of prayer, and this is what this book is about. Although I have read many books on prayer, from Catherine Marshall to Jack Hayford, from Pope John Paul to the classics, few are more helpful than this book. I find myself rereading certain passages over and over. The only book I have read recently that has had the same impact might be Nouwen's "The Only Necessary Thing." These two books are made out of the same cloth.

Michael Casey, an Australian Trappist monk, has written a wonderful primer on prayer in clear language. TOWARD GOD is an enlightening reflection based on personal experience, touching all the major aspects of the subject of prayer from the Western Christian tradition. I have read many books on prayer, including the great classics, but this is the one I have read over and over.

For anyone who wants to pray but does not know how to pray! Casey helps with a variety of methods and shows that there is not just one way to move toward God. I like the idea that one should use all these ways of praying rather than just one. Casey writes for everyone, not just Catholics. I am a Protestant who found the insights into prayer universal. Casey writes in a way that invites all to pray; gay, straight, feminist, believer or skeptic.

Fantastic book! Many wonderful thoughts/ideas in pursuing life growing closer to God. Plan to re-read many times. It is required reading for my son who has joined seminary and is now in Rome for 1st year training. Just got his list of books they wanted him to bring. He hasn't read it yet, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sometimes when I purchase a book on methods of prayer, I wonder if I should be reading about prayer or should I just get down to the act of praying itself. I can say to myself "well, I need to read these books for professional reasons" but more often than not, I read them for myself, and when I read books such as Michael Casey's TOWARD GOD, I find new insights about prayer that help me in the discipline of prayer and hopefully, draw me closer to God.

For Casey, prayer is both communication with God and being in the presence of God, the latter being the more important. This is in keeping with the traditions of the Trappist order to which he belongs, traditions which stem from a literal interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict. For Casey, prayer is not so much something we do as much as a response to the deepest desires of our hearts to be in communion with God. He introduces readers to some of the great spiritual writers on prayer. He also introduces readers to Christian meditation and contemplation as well as Lectio Divina, a topic he further develops in his book SACRED READING. TOWARD GOD is not so much a how to or a dictionary of prayer, but a description of the way a spiritual life can be ordered and an invitation to use the methods that Casey himself has found helpful, as have so many over the centuries. He also writes his book in a way that makes readers realize that Benedictine methods of prayer are not reserved for monks in monasteries alone and just about anyone who wishes can us these methods daily and not just on rare retreat moments.

The book will be helpful for anyone interested in prayer and hoping to develop a deeper relationship with God. Casey also has unique insights so it will also be interesting for people who may already have a regular routine of prayer and wish to enrich it or revitalize it. For me, I have found the book most helpful at times when my prayer is a bit dry. The book has a way of reminding the reader what prayer is all about and at times this is what we need to continue to grow in our relationship with God.

These vibrant stories of such phenomenal women who Dared to be Different and accomplished such awesome feats against so much adversity will inspire you to reach higher goals, regardless of any obstacles of the times! These outstanding women are incredible to study and this book is an excellent volume of heroism and unique personalities! Kudos!

A great book for learning more about women who made a difference in the frontier and later days of the West. Some subjects were familiar to me while others were completely new.
The author organizes her information in a easily read, informative manner. Each subject was well researched.
A good read!!

Trailblazers-Twenty Amazing Western Women was a fantastic book which I have already given to several friends, who are or have gone through some "rough times" in their own lives, and have thanked me for this book as it is inspirational and a comfort.
I hope it will be used in schools for teen-age girls, and in classes all over for women who seem to need stories of other women and what all they have been through and gotten through.

I would highly recommend this book and plan to give it to others for Christmas presents too. It is nice to have a story to read every night before going to bed, or if you just have a few minutes to devote to a story.

Highly enlightening. I loved it!

This is a terrific look at women who have shaped our country's growth and direction but are always left out of those mythical History classes we have in school. There are some familiar names as well as the names of aviation pioneers and other modern unsung heroines. Each chapter is a delightful short story that has obviously been well researched. Worth the read for women and men, a must for every young girl.

This is a great read about 20 remarkable western women of whom some you will know and others you will meet for the first time. From Sacagawea who accompanied Lewis & Clark, Georgia O'Keefe, a revolutionary in the art world to Sandra Day O'Conner, the first woman on the Supreme Court Justice, these snapshots demonstrate the tenacity and inspiration that guided these women to design their own lives. An excellent read that will inspire you to look deeper into the lives of these amazing women who helped shape the American West.

This book exudes a zest for living I've seldom come across. Written by an outdoorsman/professional guide/hunter/trapper/rancher, the quality of writing is surprisingly good, in fact,superb. I don't recall any dull pages in this book. It is brim-full of tales of the wilderness and all the denizens thereof; ranchers, trappers ,Indians ,horses ,grizzlies and more. There are lavish descriptions of the wilderness itself. The depiction of growing up in this unspoiled(at that time) wilderness was very refreshing. Five stars because it is the best of its kind I have read.

Trails Of A Wilderness Wanderer are true stories from the West blending the autobiography of an outdoorsman with accounts of living in the wild places of the Rockies, following old trails and meeting hunters and explorers. An absorbing outdoorsman's diary filled with nature and observations of the wild.

Good book. Would like to see a complete set of his works as well as a biography written by one of his cronies, or an outdoor-life chronicler.

Mr. Russell takes you back to the early days when only Indians and bears roamed the land, through his youth and adulthood as an outdoorsman in the wilds of early Canada. He tells of living a life we can only dream of now. The people he writes of were real and made Canada what it is today. I have reread this book almost yearly since it came out in 1971. You will feel as if you have walked his trails with him and love the life he led. An excellent gift for the city-bound outdoorsman!!!

I don't usually write book reviews, but as I came across this book for sale on Amazon, it brought back wonderful memories. I purchased this book back in 1973. I loved it then and I love it now. I re-read it for maybe the fifth time. I decided to write this reveiw.
I am not well educated or well traveled, but I know adventure when I read it and this book is of a great adventure. It is a group of short stories written by Andy Russell, who was born in 1915, more importantly at the foot of the Great Rockies mountains in southwestern Alberta Canada.
He describes his childhood growing up on a farm there, where he learned very young how to take care of himself. Fishing, hunting and trapping in a country of great beauty, that he describes as no one else could. Some stories are of breaking, riding and training horses. This is a book for someone who loves animals and the great outdoors, and especially for someone who loves adventure. His travels take him from the farms of the great plains to the beautiful mountains of the west and north to the cold of the frozen tunda. It is also about animals small and large, from weasels and minks to bears and elk, as well as fishing, the kind of which is very hard to find these days. There are stories told around camp fires, of cowboys and of the English Remittance men. Thrills vary from forest fires to the stalking of a trophy elk.
He went on to become a great guide of the Rockies, both for hunting and for those who hunt with a camera. This is a great adventure and a must read. If you read this book you should also read another book by him called "Grizzly Country". It is said by many to be one of the best books ever written about bears, both from the scientific point of view and by someone who was a conservationalist and a naturalist. I love bears and I loved that book also. I loved them both. I hope to read other by him. Enjoy and thank you Andy Russell.

A Sea disaster is turned into a refreshingly entertaining and uplifting story. A good book will touch you and make you see bits of your self. It did it for me. I enjoyed this book and I feel certain you will too.

I read the book in bed before I went to sleep over several nights. I was so engrossed in the story that I found myself staying up much later than usual. I also found myself looking forward to crawling into bed each evening so that I could pick up where I had left off. I felt like I got to know the characters. The story lingered after I had finished reading and put it down. My hat's off to the author.

Charles Clark knows how to spin a fascinating yarn. He is a disciplined writer which makes his book easy to read. The story reaches a logical conclusion.

A fascinating story that was hard to put down. Shows a remarkable knowledge on the authors part of the Hebrew religion,and a sensitivity for understanding the difference from other religions. Also an excellent knowledge of ranching practices in South Texas. The suspense that is created throughout this novel is wonderful. Will be looking for his next book.

One of the best westerns I have read in a long time. Wish it wouldn't end!

Oh Yes, now this is the kind of western I remember reading in the 50's and 60's when the bookstores all carried many westerns. If you remember Walt Slade or Jim Hatfield and enjoyed them then this is for you. Even if you don't remember them I really suggest you try this book. This was the first book by James Griffin I've read but I'm definitely going to buy all of his books and add them to my collection. This is just a great all out exciting western with lots of action and adventure and no sex or swearing. There are only a couple authors writing westerns today that I enjoy and Jim Griffin has now been added to that list.

Wonderfully paced novel. Griffin uses good characterization and a deft use of dialogue to capture a style of western storytelling gone by. The mood and style of this book is very reminiscent of the Pulp Era Western tales of the 20's through the 40's and after. An intersting turn is having the hero attractive to women, but very devoted to his wife, child and his God. He also has an intelligent horse (SAM) who is more than just a prop to talk to, or a plot device to save his bacon. Sam is an equal partner and is treated with love and respect by Our Hero. This is surely a departure from Western Fiction and a good one at that.

Worth every nickel, this book packs a good story and lots of action between its covers. Enjoy this one and look for upcoming books from Griffin.

The author,James Griffin, has captured in this book the true feeling of the West of years gone by. From the first page to the last I was not able to put this book down for fear that I would miss the next adventure with Texas Ranger Jim. There was just the right amount of intrigue, gun fights, and romance without the use of foul language or explicit sexual encounters. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written western novel and recommend it to all who enjoy a good, clean read with lots of action and a little romance to spice things up. Looking forward to another Texas Ranger Jim Blawcyzk novel to come along.

Anyone who remembers any of the Jim Hatfield, Texas Ranger stories from vintage magazines and paperbacks will enjoy this actionful novel with its band of ranger heroes. Unlike the traditional loner of the older tales, though, the hero of this one is happily married with a family back home while he risks his neck tracking down railroad saboteurs. A bonus is that the author knows his horseflesh, and treats the horses as characters in themselves. All in all, a fun read for old-fashioned (and some new-fashioned) western fans.

Trouble Rides the Texas Pacific is a good old-fashioned shoot 'em up in the best style of the Western writers of years past. Ranger Jim Blawcyzk is a straight-shootin' lawman, tough on outlaws, but devoted to his wife and son. The action in this book comes fast and furious, as Blawcyzk fights an outlaw gang that will stop at nothing to destroy the railroad. If you like lots of gunplay, and a very rugged hero, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

In this story you read about two generations and how love for a grandmother the affection that never really died between a grandmother and her affection for a man that she never forgotten and a new love between the grandauther and the man she met. And the emotion of the gradauther when she is confronted with when grandma starts loosing all memory of life.

This was a terrific book; more than just a romance it really got you involved with the secondary characters. I will definitely check out more books by this author.

Not only did the cover of this book draw me to it, but the excellent reputation of Jodi Thomas did also.

I loved the main characters. They were very real. These people, you feel like you know them, maybe because her characters are just like the people you know. The secondary characters were great as well, I wanted to know more about all of them. All these people were vastly different, yet were a family. The story was well written, and flowed nicely. You feel for all the characters in the book, and Jodi Thomas leaves you wanting more.

This contemporary romance displays a new level of talent for Jodi Thomas. I've been a fan for more than fifteen years, but this was a step above. The characters are all slightly damaged hearts with nowhere left to go but Twisted Creek. The family and bonds they form carry them through some tough times and surprising revelations. This one was a tear jerker!

Allie Daniels was not only poor, but unlucky to boot. Her mother had left her on her grandmother's doorstep and seemed to forget she had a child. For years, Allie and Nana tried to stay one step ahead of poverty but it seemed to be closing in on them.

When Allie gets a letter from a lawyer in Texas she is surprised to find a cashier's check for enough to pay off her bills and travel to Texas to look into the piece of lake property on Twisted Creek that was left to her by her Uncle Jefferson.

But one problem made her believe that her luck hadn't changed ... she nor Nana knew of an Uncle Jefferson!

Allie and Nana make a pledge to make a go of the little store and cafe, at least until the lawyer discovers he made a mistake and contacted the wrong Allie Daniels. Nana is proud commander of the kitchen where she hangs her most cherished possession, a wind chime. Their store is revived and soon becomes the gathering place for both good times and trouble.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. But most of all, you'll remember, as you share the stories of a motley crew of folks who bind together in a time of crisis ... one that will change their lives forever.

Valley of the Shadow, the first book in the Dakota Moons series, is set in a sad time of Indian history, and is an exciting, emotional and mysterious story of missionaries to the Dakota Indians.

Simon and Ellen Dane and their two children are serving as early missionaries. The historical focuses on the good and the bad Indians, Dakota and Sioux and the white man's attempt to reach them with the Gospel.

The central character is a half- breed Dakota girl, Genevieve LaCroix. She is pulled between her loyalties to the whites, the Indians and the missionaries. Whitson very thoroughly depicts the complicated relationship between the white missionaries and the Indians. Land, heritage, religion and culture enters into the clash which results in horrible bloodshed on all sides.

A haunting love story unfolds between Gen (Blue Eyes) and a young, energetic activist Dakota, Two Stars. Fighting to remain a brave and strong warrier, Two Stars becomes a changed man due to the influence of the Christian missionaries. His best friend, Otter, now becomes his arch enemy and is central in the attempt to destroy his future with Blue Eyes.

Central to the books' violence and heartbreak is the great Minnesota Sioux Uprising.Turncoats are common among both Indian and white and survival depends on not only age and phyical strength, location and weapons, but whom you trust and who trusts you.

A beaded necklace with a cross in the middle keeps reminding Gen of her Indian heritage and binds her to the handsome Dakota warrior, Two Stars. However, Gen and her 2 charges are captured by unfriendly Indians. Two Stars risks his life repeatedly for the whites, the good Indians and for his love, Blue Eyes (Gen).

A fast moving love story that survives the impossible suddenly has the bottom drop out and leaves the reader in tears - hoping....and waiting for Book 2 in this series, "Edge of the Wilderness."

Starts with a bang. Can't put it down. Edge of your seat drama featuring missionaries confronting Dakota culture and God's grace working in and through and in spite of them all. Agonize with Simon Dane's years of frustration with a fruitless ministry and his fall from a pedestal to become a mere mortal. Struggle with Genevieve LaCroix as she comes to terms with her French father's thinking, her Indian mother's looks, a white man's God who does not fight back, and the making of a man for Daniel Two Stars. Stephanie Whitson makes you care about the people caught in a gruesome slice of history. Janet Chester Bly, [...]

Valley of the Shadow is the story of the Dane family, Simon, a man of God who feels led to work with the Dakota Indians, his wife Ellen and two chilren. In a related storyline, Genvieve is the daughter of a French trapper and Dakota Indian who meets the Danes and becomes their friend and later companion after she arrives at their mission. Two Stars is a Dakota Indian who also finds himself with the Danes, but for an entirely different reason than wanting education and spiritual instruction. Central to the story is the Dakota uprising, with Gen and Two Stars especially proving their bravery. As Gen and Two Stars begin to fall in love, events in the story constantly interfere to keep them apart. The conclusion of Valley of the Shadow will make you anxiously await the sequel.

An engaging tale of Romans 8:28. Stephanie Grace Whitson creates a haunting story of hope in the midst of death, peace in the midst of war, comfort in the midst of loneliness. An encouragement to anyone walking in their own valley of shadows. --Lisa Samson, author of The Church Ladies.

Beautiful Genevieve LaCroix is eighteen years old when her father brings her to Renville mission in Minnesota to receive an education from Rev. Samuel and Ellen Dane, the white missionaries struggling in their ministry to the Dakota in that area. Daughter of a French nobleman and granddaughter of a valiant Dakota warrior, Gen is frustrated by Rev. Dane's unspoken inferences that all things Dakota are "bad." Mrs. Whitson weaves together the strands of Gen's discovery of faith, her love for Two Stars, a Dakota warrior (and his separate journey to faith), and Rev. Dane's spitiual odyssey as he learns to reach out to the Dakota with love rather than pride against the backdrop of the Minnesota Sioux Uprising of 1862 and the year or so preceeding it. Gen, Ellen, Rev. Dane, and Two Stars each have their own path through the Valley of the Shadow; and this tale takes the reader along with each of them as they suffer and triumph. This story is told with great sensitivity and respect for the Native Americans who were defrauded of their lands to allow the great rush for cheap land. Valley of the Shadow is a gripping tale on its own; but reading Mrs. Whitson's excerpt from the sequel at the end of the book makes me more than anxious to read Book 2 of the Dakota Moons Series!

I have been extremely pleased with the content of this book and the way the information is presented. Little attention has been given to North American historians to the "plains wagon", the mode of transport for thousands and thousands of pioneers, as well as hundreds of tons of goods, across the wide, forboding western frontier of north American in from the 1820s thru the 1880s. The fact that not a single Murphy wagon is still in existance anywhere, when so many were made and it is such a famed wagon, points to the disregard the public and historians have shown for this important implement of the American west. The author does a great job, given the sparce available resources, of reconstructing both the history and the virtual views of these varied wagons. Many companies made the wagons, from different towns across the east, from Missouri to Illinois and beyond, and it was a monumental task to assemble information on such a little known subject, but the author excelled in his history, and presentation. His writing is clear and precise, and a pleasure to read. This volume will stay in my reference library for the remainder of my life, as it is priceless, and enjoyable. I am sure I will go back to it and refer to it many times in years to come.

This is an excellent, well researched work, a great companion to Dary's The Santa Fe Trail. It provides detailed drawings of the wagons, their construction and how they were used. There is even a chapter on Wind Wagon Thomas.

"Mark Gardner, who is one of the foremost trail historians of our day, an eminent researcher, and an excellent writer, has now entered the ranks of vehicle historians trying to make some sense out of transport history and the vehicles involved therein. This contribution to both historical trail documentation and the vehicle bibliography as well is superb. No serious scholar involved in either discipline can ignore this book." -- from The Carriage Journal

Among the abundance of literature on various aspects of Santa Fe Trail history, Mark Gardner's _Wagons for the Santa Fe Trade_ begins a new dialog about the development and variance of Trade-related wagon technology. The book documents advances in wagon building techniques as the Trade became more complex and sophisticated. The story of Santa Fe Trail wagon making is the story of the growth and changes in the development of wheeled vehicles designed for heavy-duty long range freighting. The Santa Fe Trade was a primary proving ground for freight wagon building and adaptability. This book grew out of a National Park Service report Gardner prepared on Santa Fe Trail wagons intended for use as a resource for the Santa Fe National Historic Trail project. This version is greatly expanded from the original. From the outset it will become obvious to readers how much painstaking work and time went into its production. During the course of his research he discovered a personal side to the story. His chapter "From Shop to Factory" allowed him to connect with the wagon building business through four generations of his own ancestors, some of whom had worked in the Missouri sawmill industry, and had probably cut lumber intended for the construction of the very freight wagons he now writes about. Gardner has a reputation in the profession for sifting through mounds of paper and microfilm, uncovering lost treasures of material. This reviewer has respectfully nicknamed him "The Mole" because of his research skills. His ability to dig and root through archive and manuscript collections and find the most obscure and previously unknown, yet meaningful bits of information has earned him a place among the great names in today's western historiography. With many books and articles to his credit, Mark Gardner is arguably one of the foremost authorities on the Santa Fe Trade. This latest effort guarantees Gardner's place as heir apparent to the title of Dean of Santa Fe Trail historians. _Wagons for the Santa Fe Trade_ is a detailed, yet coherent guide to nineteenth century freight vehicles. It is a highly beneficial research tool, as well as a pleasant recreational read.

Henry B. Crawford, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

Perhaps the trade in wagons on the Santa Fe Trail is best summarized in one breathtaking quote from a newspaper in 1841:

"Six horse wagons are constructed in Pittsburg, loaded with assorted goods from New York and Philadelphia, transported to Independence in Missouri, and there driven across the country to Mexico . . ."

The great wagons of trade were the means by which the Far West was opened. Mark L. Gardner's "Wagons for the Santa Fe Trade," tells who built these wagons, how they were built and the changes in design as the years passed. Perhaps what comes through most clearly is that the great freight wagons were complex pieces of technology, best constructed by a factory system, not unlike how automobiles are assembled today. By means of these wagons, the South West was brought into contact with the United States, and, eventually, absorbed into the Union. An important and vital chapter of American history well told and well documented.

The final chapter deals with the adventure of the Wind Wagon. In these days of high gas prices it is charming to consider that an attempt was made to avoid high mule prices. A sailed wagon was actually patented (the patent drawings are in the book) and launched. Sometimes the stuff of legend is the truth.