Western Books

The Western Writers of America awarded "Leaving Missouri" the 1998 Spur Award for Best Paperback Original! Since only 6 or 7 Spurs have been given to female authors of book-length fiction in the past fifty years or so, I thought this was worth mentioning. "Leaving Missouri" is a hoot! It's funny and charming and scary and sad, a book you'll want to read over and over. Bring Kleenex!

A good story of "Hush Up Clutie Mae Chestnut" Initially, the dialect was a bit overpowering, but the storyline soon puts that out of mind. The book reads quickly and well; I found myself amazed at the number of events occuring within a short period of time. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Recknor's works.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It made me sad and made me laugh- what a good book! Clutie Mae is quite the character and her story is unique

Ellen Recknor's "Leaving Missouri" has surpassed standard western fare and shapeless pulp fiction, and has earned the right to keep company with the great literature we remember from the good old days (the quality of which we were sure would never again be found in the new release section). The lushly detailed characterization and slick-as-a-whistle comedy, go hand in hand with an immensely moving story. This young heroine moves not only beyond the state line, but beyond her small-town ideas and limitations, as she gains wisdom and strength on the journey to adulthood. You will laugh, you will cry, you will cheer. And by the end, you will have lived a lifetime through the eyes of Clutie Mae Chestnut.

I've bought copies for everyone I know who's interested in westerns. Leaving Missouri is a genuine hoot.

This textbook is required for an online class I am taking, but it is so well put together and interesting that I would recommend it to anyone interested in a business law crash course!

The product arrived next day as I had paid for it to do so. The condition was good. I would buy from them again.

This book was one of the best Business Law books I have ever read. The authors write the book that makes Business Law easy to understand. It is very well written and once you start reading it, it is hard to stop. I highly recommend this for any Business Law Course or if you want to skim the surface of the subject, then this book is the proper gradient.

This was an interesting textbook. I almost decided to keep it for future reference. Some of the material did not go into the depth I would have preferred, but it was still a really good read for a textbook.

This text was actually enjoyable to read most of the time. There is a lot of good information, and the presentation makes it easy to digest. It is still a text, and there is a lot of information. Still, when compared to most textbooks, this is among the best for both coverage of the material and ease of reading.

The media has so saturated the public with Asian martial arts stories that the western heritage of combat has been forgotten by many people. Lessons From The Western Warriors provides a new perspective by taking the reader on an exploration of effective fighting moves and tactics used in the western world. The author Fred Neff, who is both a Kempo master and a lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides a fascinating history of western fighting going back to the ancient Hebrews, Egyptians, Babylonians and Greeks. The author Fred Neff's explanation of the Greek art of pankration, which encompassed both striking and grappling was intriguing. Also, very interesting was the development of boxing and wresting throughout history as explained in the book. I really enjoyed the author's straight forward way of presenting little known history. Author Fred Neff's book is divided into chapters on Common Questions, Physical Conditing, Stance and Movement, Punching, Kicking, Dodges and Blocks, Combinations (of blows), Combining Boxing and Grappling, Strategy and Suggestions for Enhancing Training. Learning how to out think the adversary comes through loud and clear in this presentation. The strategy section helps provide guidelines for doing this that should be adaptable for anyone. I like the flexibility Fred Neff provides by teaching moves and tactics that can be adapted for use in a variety of different situations. From Fred Neff's narration to the safety guidelines for practice the book emphasizes the avoidance of excessive violence and respect for other people. The broad base of experience of author Fred Neff as a teacher, Kempo Master and accomplished Minneapolis, Minnesota, lawyer no doubt played a part in the new perspective provided in this unique work. Fred Neff has received many awards for his active community involvement including the City of St. Paul Citizen of the Month Award, a Commendation for Distinguished Service From the Sibley County Attorney's Office, and the Lamp of Knowledge Award from the Twin Cities Lawyer's Guild that are reflective of his interest in helping other people. Lessons From The Western Warriors is not only very interesting, but is helpful to readers in a number of ways. It provides a fresh historical perspective on the fighting arts, teaches the use of western fighting moves for self-defense and emphasizes the need to out-think the adversary rather than just rely on powerful or exotic moves. Just as a powerful swing of a bat in baseball does no good if it is not timed correctly, similarly a powerful or exotic blow is not effective unless it is tactically timed to hit the adversary. Lessons From The Western Warriors is a book that provides valuable information, methods and tactics in a straght forward and interesting manner, so it earns my unqualified recommendation.

This book is recommended by Ned Beaumont in a couple of his books. This book looks like it would be good for a kid dealing with bullies, like the other reviewer. The techniques aren't hard core and brutal, it's stuff that shouldn't get you in trouble with the law. It's got some pretty good basics, the grappling could have had a couple of joint locks added though. It should have been a little bigger and a little more detailed. I'm going to give it to my little brother, I think it'll help him. I ordered mine through amazon from Adsrus on a Saturday. It shipped on Monday from Iowa and arrived at my home in south east Texas on Thursday. The total cost was $6.42. It's definitely a good deal.

While browsing, I happened to find a truly unique and dynamic book entitled Lessons from the Western Warriors by Fred Neff. The self-defense techniques included in the book are from the western world as opposed to the usual rehash of Asiain fighting arts. As I looked through the book, I found it interesting to find reference to the ancient art of pankration that was practiced by the Greeks. I was fascinated to discover that people in the west had their own martial arts history. I ended up buying the book. Once I got into reading the text, looking at the photographs and practicing the techniques, I found that they were both effective and efficient. I think this book is simply terrific and heartily suggest that anyone with an interest in learning really effective self-defense and fighting techniques get a copy of the book.

This book on western fighting tactics is truly unique. After reading Lessons from the Western Warriors I could only conclude that this book is a very well thought out approach to showing the core fighting methods that has emerged over time from the western world. Many of the punching techniques were familiar to me based on my experience with boxing. I have personally used some of the same techniques shown in this book both in the boxing ring and in more than one fight outside the ring. From my experience, the fighting moves shown in the Lessons from the Western Warriors really work! I like this book by Fred Neff very much and give it my highest recommendation. (Even if all you are interested in is basic self-defense, this book is a must.)

During my senior year in high school, I hit upon a book at the library called Lessons from the Western Warriors by Fred Neff. I took it out and started to practice the techniques in it. A byproduct of my practice was that I started feeling stronger and more confident. After graduation, I was at a party where the "jock" who had the reputation of being the toughest guy at our school was, as ususal, picking on my friends. He was big and powerful with a very intimidating way about him. I always tried to avoid him, becuase of the beating he had delivered to people I knew. That night he added me to his list of potential victims, when he purposely bumped into me and ended up challenging me to a fight. Having studied and practiced from the Lessons from the Western Warriors book, I carefully sized up this tough guy and accepted his challenge. Despite my nervousness and to the surprise of everybody at the party, I won the fight. After that time, he never bothered me again. I credit the book on Lessons from the Western Warriors for that win. In April of this year, I came upon and bought this great book. Lessons from the Western Warriors shows realistic fighting techniques and strategy that can be used by anyone. The book provides tremendous lessons on fighting techniques and strategy that should be useful in mounting an effective defense against all types of antagonists. This book is really worth reading.

This is one of the few books in western thought that cannot recieve enough praise. It is all at the same time a compilation of classical and medieval thought, a biting commentary and critique of 17th century Europe (England in particular), an exploration of philosophy as science, and to top it all off the first truly modern work of political philosophy. This is one of those works that anyone who truly wants to call themselves educated must read, whether their focus of studies is philosophy, politics, literature, science or even mathematics.

The fundamental nature of this work is to construct a reasoned materialistic account of human behavior starting from basic definitions and postulates (very similar to geometry). From these basic principles Hobbes constructs an account of human physchology based on human desires which then culminates in man's need to leave the natural state of the world into the constructed society, which Hobbes calls the leviathan. I cannot even attempt to give a summation of the steps of Hobbes's argument here that would do him justice, but suffice it to say that Hobbes's conclusion is that in order to be happy and safe man must give up his rights to a strong soveriegn. This is a conclusion that may not look modern or attractive at all to most readers, but Hobbes's reasonong is so clear and detailed that it forces the reader to, if not agree with all of his principles, at least take them very seriously. This is one of those books that forces one to reaxamine all of their assumptions about the world. Hobbes is also one of those misunderstood authors who are portrayed as being cold and ruthless, but are simply trying to provide their readers with an accurate and analytic account of humanities problems and hopefully providing solutions.

If all of this hasn't scared you away yet I do have to say that Leviathan is not an easy book to read. Its thought is difficult and its language is archaic, but for those who are willing to accept the work this book can be very interesting and rewarding. Hobbes might be a dense writer, but unlike many philosophical writers, he is a very clear and concise and often surprisingly witty and wry.

There are two editons that I recommend. The first is the Hackett edition. Not only does it take the liberty of changing the veried spellings of Hobbes's 17th century english, but it also includes textual variances from the earlier Latin edition of the work. Some of these variants are significant and should be takin into consideration by the serious student. The other is the Cambridge Student Edition, which is the edition I used because I'm one of those students that enjoy reading the early english texts with their strange spellings. The disadvantage of this edition is that it does not include the latin variations. The introductions and suplementary material in both of these editions are fine, but my personal favorite is the introduction written by Michael Oakeshott which can be fond in a collection of his essays entitled, "Hobbes on Civil Association". Another work which greatly elucidates some of Hobbes's strong almost vehement reactions to anything democratic is Hobbes's "Behemoth" in which he provides his account of the English Civil War. If you are really interested in Hobbes I also highly recommend his work "De Cive". Hobbes is hard, but he is unavoidable for anyone interested in understanding our modern world and our world in general. You may even find that, like myself, you just can't get enough of Hobbes.

There are lots of editions of Leviathan around, so why buy this one? The things the editor, Ed Curely, has done to make this edition accessible yet scholarly, like:

1. Updated spelling and punctuation. Although I personally miss Hobbes' original spelling (see the Penguin edition for that), as a teacher I appreciate Ed's making it easier for beginners to read Hobbes' words.

2. Index. Most editions do not have one.

3. Glossary. Hobbes used many terms that are now archaic, and Ed's brief but clear glossary helps clarify the text.

4. Ed's Introduction. Curley is one of the most careful and knowledgeable commentators out there, and he briefly but expertly introduces some of the major themes of the book.

5. Latin variants. Hobbes wrote Leviathan in English and in Latin, and there are some interesting differences between the two versions. Ed presents many of these in the footnotes, plus he includes English translations of the Appendices of the Latin version.

Hobbes is a misunderstood philosopher. He envisaged that executive power would be based on the will of the people who allow it to be exercised. In this way Hobbes saw the development of a social contract between members of society and those who govern, based on individual rights not to subsciptive service as vassals. He also warned that agreements (or covenants) without either armed or moral right to be enforced would remain simply that - words. Hobbes does indeed speak to all peoples who live in our society - white, black and any shade in between.

Why Absolute Sovereignty Can Not Offer Perpetual Peace
-On the Desires of Men

In the Leviathan, Hobbes brings forward the theory that Commonwealths arise because without governments, people live in a state of nature with the constant danger of death. Furthermore, he believes that the best form of Commonwealth is one ruled by a monarch with absolute power; just like a person with two brains will not function, if the power of the monarch is not absolute, the commonwealth will fall back into the warring state of nature. When the sovereign power becomes truly absolute, Hobbes believes the Commonwealth could "live as long as mankind" unless attacked by foreign powers (p210).

Indeed, Hobbes is right in that life under any government is better than life with no government, and also that multiple powers inside one commonwealth will cause an end to the commonwealth. Nevertheless, he is wrong in asserting that absolute monarchy is the panacea for perpetual internal peace. There are two intrinsic flaws in the his system which are bound to push the commonwealth into the state of nature: one flaw is the unchecked greed of the monarch, another is caused by the unfulfilled desire for power of the subjects. Although this paper can not offer a better formula for governments, it will show that absolute monarchy does not provide the perpetual security that Hobbes promises.

First of all, extraordinary greed of the absolute ruler can break the Commonwealth. A ruler's greed can impoverish his subjects so abjectly that they no longer have enough food to survive on. Since the purpose of the commonwealth is to guarantee the security of life, and without food there is no life, the greed of the ruler will force the absolute Commonwealth to fall back into the state of nature.

Hobbes believes that the interest of the ruler and the interest of his subjects are so interdependent that the actions of the ruler will always be in the interest of his people. He writes,

"Now in monarchy the private interest is the same with the public...the riches, power, and honor of a monarch arise only from the riches, strength and reputation of his subjects." (P120)

Hobbes is right; the sovereign is the incorporation of its subjects, and so any injuries to the people are collectively an injury to the sovereign. Nevertheless, arising out of the great complications of the businesses of state and the wide expanse of a Commonwealth, there will always be a lag between when acts of the sovereign takes effect with people and when the sovereign feels the reactions of his people himself. A ruler with perfect prudence might be able to see through the gap and act in ways that are only ultimately good for the people and himself, but as Hobbes rightly observes, no one has perfect prudence (P14). This imperfect prudence becomes especially short-sighted when the ruler's reason is clouded by his present desires. Hobbes acknowledges these desires, for he says:

"And hence it is that kings, whose power is greatest, turn their endeavors to the assuring it at home by laws or abroad by wars; and when that is done, there succeeded a new desire, in some of fame from new conquest, in others of ease and sensual pleasures, in others of admiration or being flattered for excellence in some art or other ability of the mind." (p58)

So clouded by the lack of prudence and by excessive desires, the monarch might take actions that seem good at the moment for himself, but which turn out harmful for himself later. To illustrate this, let us observe the following scenario:

The new ruler of a poor but secured country builds a modest palace, for he has learnt from history books that he should not splurge. A couple years later, however, a desire for great things tempts him, and he wants to build a winter palace. He seeks advices from ten advisors, who had all the qualities that Hobbes praises (Chapter XXV); nine out of ten advisors privately dissuade the king from this luxury for a flood is raging and their nation is poor. Saddened, the king turns to the last advisor, who, seeing an opportunity to gain favor with the ruler, loudly exclaims that the other counselors do not love their king who needs a winter palace to escape the cold. The king happily agrees with him as his reason becomes clouded by desires; and soon, the construction begins.

Having gained favor, the 10th advisor convinces the ruler to imprison the other advisors for their "bad mouthing" of the king, making him the sole voice by the ruler's ear. As time goes on, the king exerts ever greater taxes on his people to pay for ever grander palaces, and every time, the advisor not only finds more elaborate excuses for the king but praises him for his greatness and also funnels some of the money for construction into his own coffer. The affairs of the nation are in utter neglect.

One night, the king remembers his father's warnings against indulgence, and he shakes with fear; but when he sees his gardens filled with singing girls half naked, lacking the prudence to see the future awaiting him, he says to himself, "I have been endowed differently by God, the fate of others can not be my own."

The poor people of this nation become more desperate by the day, yet the ruler who lives deep inside his palaces can not know their suffering. Some years later, the harvest is so bad that people have barely enough to feed themselves, yet the king sends his money collectors for even higher tax quotas. Realizing that they could either die of starvation or die fighting against the dictator with at least a chance to live, the farmers revolt. Hobbes would support them, for he writes, "the obligation of subjects to the sovereign is understood to last as long, and no longer, than the power lasteth by which he is able to protect hem." (P144)

When the farmers' army charges into his bed chamber, the king finally feels the injuries that he has done to the people and to himself, yet reason and prudence are too late.

Absolute sovereignty means absolute power, and as the old saying goes, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." In fact, Hobbes acknowledges the greedy corruption of the monarchs, and even gives his justification. He writes,

"A man may here object that the condition of subjects is very miserable, as being obnoxious to the lusts and other irregular passions of him or them that have so unlimited a power in their hands...not considering that the estate of man can never be without some incommodity or other, and that the greatest that in any form of government can possibly happen to the people in general is scarce sensible, in respect of the miseries and horrible calamities that accompany a civil war." (P117)

Hobbes makes no mistakes here. Any government is better than no government, but as mentioned before, he makes the claim later that Commonwealths, "by the nature of their constitution they are designed to live as long as mankind" unless attacked by foreign powers (210). In the same chapter (XXIX), Hobbes attributes all the internal infirmities of the Commonwealth that shorten its "natural" life to variations of the lack of absolute power, but describes no infirmities when the Commonwealth is ruled by an absolute monarch. He thus makes it clear that if there is absolute power, then the commonwealth will "live as long as mankind" even if the monarch is corrupted. However, as shown in the illustration above, Hobbes' absolute monarchy does have tremendous infirmities.

Hobbes can, however, still argue that the previous illustration is an extreme example that barely happens in reality. Hobbes might say that if only the absolute sovereigns all studied the Leviathan carefully, they will always initiate policies for the interest of the people. Granted, Hobbes' excellent book can convert many, yet, even when the absolute sovereign is good and strong, the Commonwealth can still fall back into the state of chaos.

To Hobbes, the foremost law of nature is to find security ("a man is forbidden to do that which is destructive to his life" [P79]), but is survival the only thing that men search for? No. As Hobbes points out himself, survival is the means and not the ends of life. And while people all want to survive, they live for different ends of life as influenced by their education and upbringings. Hobbs indirectly talks about the fulfillment of some ends life when he writes,

"In such condition (of war) there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain, and consequently, no culture of the earth, no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea, no commodious building" (p76)

For certain people, the end of their life lies in gaining political power-to be the ruler instead of the ruled. Hobbes indirectly recognizes people's "unnecessary" desire for power, when he writes (OL) "there are those who, from pride and a desire for glory, would conquer the whole world, which they pursue farther than their security requires." (P75)

This kind of desire, nevertheless, can not be fully satisfied in a state of absolute sovereignty. For one, the greatest prize of all, the prize of becoming your own sovereign is off-limits. Additionally, although those borne with the heart of Napoleon might be few, lower offices and positions in a state of absolute power come merely at the mercy of the sovereign-for one eager for any honor and position, his dream may never fly high because the sovereign can give the honor he deserves to someone else. As Hobbes says himself, "a man may be worthy of riches, office, and employment, that nevertheless can plead no right to have it before another, and therefore cannot be said to merit or deserve it." (p57)

For some, the limitation on of the fulfillment of their political dreams results in nothing other than the acceptance of their fates, yet history never fails to produce some who have the eagerness and bravery to challenge the ultimate authority and break the bondage of power.

Hobbes would call the act of such eager men anti-nature, since dissenters will almost certainly face unnatural deaths by the sword of the king, or face the danger of death by returning to the state of nature. However, again, survival is the means, not ends of life. The following example illustrates why people might endanger their means for their ends.

Colonized people have throughout history fought for independence against their colonial sovereigns. To Hobbes, these wars for independence must be irrational: for one, the colonized people could be enjoying many benefits either from direct aid or commercial links with their colonizer; additionally, hundreds of thousands of colonized people might die in the immediate war or during the consequent internal power struggles caused by the revolt. Yet, despite the "practical benefits" and the peace that the colonial sovereigns bestows upon the colonized, this smooth highway of subjugation is not the one that the people want; they desire for a road, smaller and rougher maybe, but one that is built by themselves to a destination that they determined for themselves. Thus, in their search for the power that is forbidden to them, they set out for the "unreasonable".

To be sure, Hobbes' Law of Nature still holds: on the battle fields, those who fight against the sovereign will always do all they could to triumph over their enemy and avoid death, but again, the need for survival is only a part of the story.

Regarding this fight for independence, Hobbes might say, as he writes, "those men that are so remissly governed that they dare take up arms to defend or introduce an opinion are still in war." (P113) This means that since the any revolutionaries must never have been a part of the commonwealth, and hence the commonwealth was only attacked from the outside and did not fall internally. Nevertheless, Hobbes also says that a monarch's "subjects" are delivered from their former obligation, and become obliged" to the victor in a war against their original sovereign. (P145) The new subjects of the monarch might have a high tendency toward revolting against ruler for the same reasons mentioned before, and in this case, Hobbes must certainly recognize that the revolutionaries are a part of the Commonwealth.

In the Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes dedicates himself to finding the best form of government, that perfect house which can last forever and provide eternal peace for all. The book is quiet admirable with its precise arguments and high ideals. Nevertheless, Hobbes ignores the fact that people will always willingly take actions that might hurt their security because they are either short-sighted or desire for something other than mere survival. Still, the Leviathan is a work of Epic proportion, and this essay does not find a form of government better than absolute sovereignty.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) wrote "Leviathan" in 1651, it was his most important philosophical work. I think you should know something of Hobbes to understand how his thinking was influenced by his experiences. He was born 2 months prematurely on the day the Spanish Armada approaches the English coast. His mother's fear of invasion caused the premature birth. Hobbes remarked late in life, "his mother brought forth twins-myself and fear." Fear seems to be Hobbes life long companion and the key passion in his political system, which uses human passions as its foundation. He was a child prodigy reading Latin and Greek at the age of six years old. At fifteen, he entered Oxford University and hated his educational experience there. He thought the curriculum was too immersed in the ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle. He called them "erroneous doctrines," and throughout his life he railed against English universities for there stodgy curriculum.

At the age of 22, he graduates and takes a job to tutor the son of the Earl of Devonshire. It gives him the opportunity to travel throughout Europe where he meets with Galileo in Florence and Descartes in Paris. Descartes calls Hobbes the greatest political philosopher of his day. During the British civil war, Hobbes flees to Paris because he is a well-known monarchist sympathizer. In 1651, he publishes his monumental work "Leviathan." He returns to England, submits to Cromwell's government, and withdraws from politics. He is on friendly terms with Charles II when the Stuart's are restored to the throne.

Hobbes philosophy is "materialistic"; he is greatly influenced by Galileo's mechanistic approach to science, and Euclidian geometry. His ambition was to explain all phenomena, man, and government with mathematical precision. In "Leviathan," he explains human conduct is a product of human passions. The most dominant passions are fear of violent death and desire for power, both are manifestations of man's most basic impulse, "self preservation." Hobbes asserts that the basic impulse is the right of the individual; he calls it a "natural right." All men process this natural right equally. This theory leads Hobbes to believe man's natural state to be one of constant conflict with each other. This leads him to write the following quote he is most known for: "men's lives are solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." So as not to have to live in constant state of fear or conflict, men make a contract for protection with the state. Hobbes believes that the best state is one led by a single sovereign whose power must be unrestricted with all three branches of government devolving to him. A single sovereign who has absolute power and cannot be replaced by the people.

His political writing had immediate influence in the world and influences other philosophers like Spinoza, Hutcheson, Locke, and Hume. Hobbes is the first man to write about political philosophy in such methodical terms. He is an excellent writer and his theories are easy to understand by the laymen. As a graduate student of political philosophy, I recommend if you have an interest in politics, philosophy, or government then you must start with reading Hobbes "Leviathan."

A great look into a very interesting life. If you are interested in life in the west or in shooting western firearms or just long range shooting in general, this book is a must read. I highly recommend it.

Few books capture the spirit of the American West so well. Billy Dixon participated in both the battle of Adobe Walls and the Buffalo Wallow fight. His accounts of these battles and experiences of life on the frontier have been plagiarized by screen writers for decades.

Mr. Dixon was a humble man with determination, ability, and grit the likes of which are seldom seen. This combination of humility and awesome ability make him a real-life hero and legend, deserving a place in the American consciousness on the level of Daniel Boone.

If you have read "On the Border With Crook", you will also love this book.

This book reminded me of the axiom of Benjamin Franklin's autobiography that a good life comes to a person who is thrifty, kind, honest and modest. This is the perfect description of Billy Dixon.
I will not give away any of the life of Mr. Dixon as it is a wonderful treasure to explore, but I will state you will regret like I did in his modesty at times does not allow him to explore in detail his life. "The Shot" at Adobe Walls is barely a mention, but he makes up for it in detailed memories of the battle which Hollywood and authors would never dream of. This is the key to the Life of Billy Dixon in that his attention is in the little things which he gives to history. Everyone knows of the herds of buffalo as far as they eye can see, but Mr. Dixon will tell you about the buffalo as only one man who knew them.
I will offer one warning though and that is do not read the forward by the historian as all he does is steal parts of the book in 20 pages of droaning on and it will be better for the reader to let Mr. Dixon introduce himself in this book and then read the forward last if you feel the need.
As a witness to Mr. Dixon, I read Buffalo Bill's autobiography and to show the difference in these 2 boys without detracting from Mr. Cody, when Bill Cody was a boy among the hard bitten men of the plains the worst would hit him. Billy Dixon though in the same period with the same men was befriended by them and they took him under their wing. That is the kind of good soul Billy Dixon was.
The adept reader will soon enough recognize how much of the book is Mr. Dixon's own words, the few times his wonderful wife explains things for him as he had passed on and the fortunate few times an editor weighs in with a few lines. Billy Dixon in his modesty is the most powerful force in the book and that is the way it should be.
In finishing the book, I could only think what an honor it must be for the living relatives of Mr. Dixon to know they are related to a man of such character. America has been blessed in having his story and having so many thousands of people who built our nation.
Bill Dixon was awarded the Medal of Honor and we are honored to have him. He was the kind of friend everyone hoped they would have as he always was a friend. He learned the lesson of life in having all his family to die when he was a child, so Billy Dixon was a friend forever when he was yours.
5 stars for Mr. Dixon.

For the last year or so I've been reading books about the Buffalo Hunters on the Plains and had heard of this one several times. When I saw that Amazon finally had an affordable version I put in my order for a copy.
The book was dictated by Mr. Dixon to his wife in 1913, published afer his death in 1914 (he never got the chance to do much more than dictate notes)then revised in 1927 and reprinted in 1987 and 2005. It is written as if he wrote the book although his wife and her publisher actually did the work. I'm guessing that Mr. Dixon was not quite so literate as the writing gives you the impression (very little formal schooling) and some of the descriptive terms must've been inserted by the orginal publisher.
You get a biography of Mr. Dixon starting from about age 14 (some sketchy details before that) when he left his Uncle's home to head west to fight Indians and hunt the Buffalo in 1864. There's a lot of detail about his adventures and travels, first meetings with Indians, his first buffalo kill, the countryside and animal life. The detail on the buffalo hunting parts is actually pretty vague, all of the books by the old timers I've read are, but still very interesting. Mr. Dixon is famous for his shooting during a battle with Indians at the Adobe Walls trading post in 1874, including one lucky shot at about 7/8 of a mile- there are several detailed pages about that battle and the subsequent Buffalo Wallow fight, also in 1874. For the first Dixon was still a Buffalo Hunter, he'd quit the business to become an Indian scout at the time of the second battle. I found it interesting in that while I wouldn't term Mr. Dixon an "Indian Lover" he did have a lot of repsect for the variuos tribes.
The last couple of chapters kind of round up some interesting scraps from that point until the current (1913) day- they're rushed but still of interest for historical and hunting details.
I've also read "The Border and The Buffalo" by John R. Cook and "Buffalo Days": stories from J. Wright Mooar as told to James Winford Hunt, this book is the best of the three and well worth owning.

Having grown up on the remote ranch lands in the Texas Panhandle, just a stone's throw from the site of the Battle of Adobe Walls, I grew up hearing from the old timers who knew him, stories of the great plainsman, Billy Dixon. Since my early childhood, Dixon has been one of my heroes. In 1913, Dixon was approached by an Oklahoma newspaperman with an idea that he should write his autobiography. With the encouragement of his wife, Olive, Dixon decided some folks just might enjoy hearing his stories. Sadly, his passing precluded the finish of the book, necessitating the change from autobiography to biography, with the finishing touches by his wife, Olive. The book was originally published in 1914, only months after Billy's death. It was reprinted in 1927.

Those original copies are near impossible to find. I spent many years trying to locate a copy. Then in 1987, a limited edition leather-bound reprinting was done. I have number 34 of 50. I always thought it was such a shame that so many people would never have the opportunity to know of Dixon's story. So of course, I was thrilled to learn that in recent months, THE LIFE OF BILLY DIXON, by Olive K. Dixon, was once again reprinted, this time with enough copies of this wonderful book for everyone.

When we think of Plainsmen, buffalo hunters, Indian fighters and the like, many people come to mind such as Buffalo Bill Cody or Wild Bill Hickock but these folks have nothing over Billy Dixon. The only difference being, Dixon never sought fame. Had he succumbed to the dime novelists of the time, his name would be a household word today, for his adventures and accomplishments hold full measure to anyone of that era.

As this book was originally intended an autobiography, the story is told in the first person account, which makes the reader feel as though you are sitting at a campfire, listening to Dixon tell of his adventures and hardships. This book truly and avidly brings to life, a true life adventure story that anyone who appreciates that era or that lifestyle, will not want to miss.

Anyone who has ever earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, as Dixon did at the Buffalo Wallow fight, deserves to have their story told in vivid detail, but Dixon's life is presented here in such fascinating detail as is rarely achieved. Surely Miss Olive's, as she was affectionately known throughout the area, background as a school teacher contributed greatly to the telling of this story by adding literary prose equal to the most accomplished of writers.

If you appreciate true life adventures, the kind told without the need for embellishment for the sake of sensationalism, this is a must read. From the loss of his family very early in life, his early days as a young bullwhacker, the transition to a buffalo hunter, Indian scout, postmaster and rancher, it's all covered in explicit page turning detail. My only regret to this magnificent story is that it should have been another thousand pages. I absolutely hated seeing this book come to an end. This is a real life story that deserves to be heard and one that you will not soon forget.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com

This book has it all! Immediately after finishing my copy, I ordered a bunch for friends and family. I wanted everyone to enjoy the delightful stories and whimsical humor. It's a wonderful glimpse into a largely vanished era and lifestyle, a peek into the past. All of that, in combination with simple homespun wisdom and tasty recipes. And yes, I've actually tried some of the recipes!

LifeSpice is not only packed full of delicious, easy and one of a kind recipes like Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie, Purple Cow(an ice cream treat your kids will LOVE to make and eat!) Heritage Yeast Bread...and an incredible dessert recipe for a pie that uses Pinto Beans ( Coconuty, chewy, nougat center-delicious and your guests will never guess the secret ingredient!)...LifeSpice is a good read! Not only has Daina gathered some of the best recipes in Indiana, she includes a specific story or saying to go along with the dish- giving it extra meaning for both the cook and the diner. My favorite, "Don't waste your time wrestling with a pig. You'll both get dirty and the pig will like it!". Don't miss this gathering of great food and wit!!

You know, when you've had a rough day, nothing's better than talking with your family and eating a heaping plate full of food that will make your heart beg for mercy. Lifespice is filled with the kind of stories that get passed down for generations and changed a little bit with each telling. They're the kind of stories that get told around the family dinner table over a damn good hearty meal.

Sure, the recipes are the kind of thing that would make Wolfgang Puck hide under the couch and burst into tears, but who names their kid "Wolfgang Puck" anyway? They're simple, traditional, fattening, and very, very satisfying.

The food is delicious, the stories both warm and touching. If you grew up in the midwest, this book will feel like some home. It's like having you family over for dinner except there's no eucre game afterwards and nobody's whining about Bobby Knight.

If ya can't tell, I loved this book! I left the midwest years ago and this book really makes me feel at home, no matter where I am. It's a great gift for midwestern escapees!

This is a delightful collection of recipes spiced with the author's personal memories which mixes to make an unbeatable combination. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and particularly love the recipes for beef stew and cornbread sticks. This book is a keepsake which I know I will use over and over. This is an author that bears watching--she is obviously going places! I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Daina Chamness combines down-home common sense with a delicous helping of fantastic recipes. If you like cookbooks, you will love this wonderful collection of Hoosier dishes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I purchased in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Being a woman living in the Southwest, having a true love of the wide open spaces, guns and westerns that do not cover the same old territory already visited by thousands of writers, this book was tops with me. I felt the feelings of the main character, Janice McCord, and could ride along with her on her trail of revenge.

Every location in Thompson's novels are true and may be visited today. The Littlest Gun takes place in the beautiful state of New Mexico, which was still a territory in 1878. The Rio Hondo Valley, Silver City, Lincoln, Fort Sumner, White Oaks and Las Vegas are just a few of the locations in this novel.
This is a review from a serious western novel reader.

I couldn't put the book down without knowing what happened next. Some gritty scenes that remind us of how life was back then and how far we've come. Easy flowing dialogue that makes me feel like he's sitting here telling me a great story. The descriptions of the landscape remind me of the true beauty of the desert. I would like to read some more by this author.

The Littlest Gun carried me along over the vastness of New Mexico. I could see, hear and feel the landscape. The characters Thompson peoples his tale with are real. His dialogue makes each character a unique individual. You can hear them speaking. Lots of action and a tale well told!

It's like taking a trip thru the southwest past. So vivid you feel like your there. I couldn't put it down. My friends who have read it said I would enjoy it. I did and I'm looking forward to something else Paul Thompson puts out.

Lived in Berlin for 2 years. Travelled all around Europe and before any of my trips the first thing I packed, even before my underwear, was my Lonely Planet western Europe. It was such a great help. I got to see sooooooooooo much.

Excellent reading. Wondered if I went to the same school with the author.

anthony.greicius@jpl.nasa.gov

We're getting ready to go on a trip through Europe and picked up this book to help in our planning. Its 2" thick so it's a pretty big book but also covers all the main cities. One-page maps are provided which is nice to have before arriving in a new place. It has attractions, museums, walks, places to stay that range from the hostels to pensions and smaller hotels. Having traveled through Europe as a teen using the Let's Go series, I figured this is the next step - good adventures off the beat path but nt roughing it quite as much as I did 25 years ago. Excellent resource!

Arm with this book and maps you got from the tourist infomration is pretty much what you would need on a trip. In fact, there are times that you would only need this book to get around the city to find a specific sight or even a restaurant in the heart of a city. Me and my buddies were using this book on our 7 weeks tour and had no problem at all. The description of the accomodations is very close to reality. The language section helps a lot to get around the city. The only drawback is that the transportation information is not detail enough for you to find the place you want, that's why you should always use this book with the maps you got from the tourist information.

I've been to Europe >50 times, nearly all countries. Here are my reviews of the best guides to meet you r exact needs.....I hope these are helpful and that you have a great visit! I always gauge the quality of my visit by how much I remember a year later......this review is designed to help you get the guide that will be sure YOU remember your trip many years into the future. Travel Safe and enjoy yourself to the max!

Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet has City and Out To Eat Guides. They are all about the experience so they focus on doing, being, getting there, and this means they have the best detailed information, including both inexpensive and really spectacular restaurants and hotels, out-of-the-way places, weird things to see and do, the list is endless.

Rick Steves' books are not recommended. They may be an interesting read but their helpfulness is very poor. They don't do well on updates, transportation details, or anything but the first-time-tourist routine and even that is somewhat superficial on anything but the mega-major sites.

Frommer's
These are time tested guides that pride themselves on being updated annually. Although I think the guides below provide information that is in more depth or more concise (depending on what the guide is known for), if your main concern is that the guide has very little old or outdated information, then this would be a good guide for you.

Blue Guides
Without doubt, the best of the walks guides.... the Blue Guide has been around since 1918 and has extremely well designed walks with lots of unique little side stops to hit on just about any interest you have. If you want to pick up the feel of the city, this is the best book to do that for you. This is one that you end up packing on your 10th trip, by which time it is well worn.

MapGuide
MapGuide is very easy to use and has the best location information for hotels, tourist attractions, museums, churches etc. that they manage to keep fairly up to date. It's great for teaching you how to use the public transportation system. The text sections are quick overviews, not reviews, but the strong suite here is brevity, not depth. I strongly recommend this for your first few times learning your way around the classic tourist sites and experiences. MapGuide is excellent as long as you are staying pretty much in the center of the city.

Time Out
The Time Out guides are very good. Easy reading, short reviews of restaurants, hotels, and other sites, with good public transport maps that go beyond the city centre. Many people who buy more than one guidebook end up liking this one best!

Let's Go
Let's Go is a great guide series that specializes in the niche interest details that turn a trip into a great and memorable experience. Started by and for college students, these guides are famous for the details provided by people who used the book the previous year. They continue to focus on providing a great experience inexpensively. If you want to know about the top restaurants, this is not for you (use Fodor's or Michelin). Let's Go does have a bewildering array of different guides though. Here's which is what:
Budget Guide is the main guide with incredibly detailed information and reviews on everything you can think of.
City Guide is just as intense but restricted to the single city.
PocketGuide is even smaller and features condensed information
MapGuide's are very good maps with public transportation and some other information (like museum hours, etc.)

Michelin
Famous for their quality reviews, the Red Michelin Guides are for hotels & Restaurants, the Green Michelin Guides are for main tourist destinations. However, the English language Green guide is the one most people use and it has now been supplemented with hotel and restaurant information. These are the serious review guides as the famous Michelin ratings are issued via these books.

Fodor's
Fodor's is the best selling guide among Americans. They have a bewildering array of different guides. Here's which is what:
The Gold Guide is the main book with good reviews of everything and lots of tours, walks, and just about everything else you could think of. It's not called the Gold guide for nothing though....it assumes you have money and are willing to spend it.
SeeIt! is a concise guide that extracts the most popular items from the Gold Guide
PocketGuide is designed for a quick first visit
UpCLOSE for independent travel that is cheap and well thought out
CityPack is a plastic pocket map with some guide information
Exploring is for cultural interests, lots of photos and designed to supplement the Gold guide

Colleen has done it again! Another great book! I have suggested it to my friends and no one has been disappointed!

In this book, author Colleen Coble takes her characters' deep into a mix of mystery and suspense as well as relational issues. The book opens with the stalker in Allie's residence taunting her. In a panic, Allie grabs Betsy and runs to the only place she can think to hide that also promises safety. The only problems: she has no money, nobody expects her, and she can't tell anybody what's really going on for fear the stalker will find her.

The book is filled with romantic twists that kept me turning the pages as much as the suspense did. The tension is high as the stalker continues to strip Allie of everything important to her and strange events occur at the ranch. The setting is rich. I could picture the isolated Texas setting, and almost taste the grit in my mouth. The characters are richly drawn and detailed, with even the supporting cast causing me to root for them.

This was a book I couldn't put down. Fortunately, I read it on a plane so I had uninterrupted hours to inhale it.

Tragedy is etched into Allie Siders' life, with the loss of husband in Afghanistan, her parents suddenly and finally the murder of her sister. So traumatised by the shocking losses, Allie's five year old daughter Betsy has not spoken a word in over a year and Allie is desperate to ease her suffering.

Seeking out her husband's best friend, Allie finds herself at the Bluebird Ranch, a place where endangered horses and kids on the edge learn to trust again. Ranch owner, Elijah DeAngelo, is welcoming but the cold reception Allie receives from foreman Rick Bailey has her doubting they can stay.

With threats from an unknown stalker and Betsy's grandparents seeking custody, Allie may have to take an unthinkable way out.

Lonestar Sanctuary is just what the reading doctor ordered! When I long for an uncomplicated and engaging read, Colleen always hits the spot. With effortless prose, sweet characters and intriguing suspense, I enjoyed every page as Allie, Betsy and Rick battled their fears within and without. With the perfect combination of suspense and romance, underpinned with threads of faith, Colleen's latest novel is sure to please.

I thought this was one of Colleen Coble's best books. If you are a fan of her series you will love this one. It is a great book for the romantic and the suspense aspects. It gave you a little bit of both without being over the top. I highly recommend this book. I found it to be an easy read and one that I didn't want to put down.

From the Inside jacket of the book:
Allie Siders is desperate to help her 5-year-old daughter, Betsy, speak again. But with a stalker out for revenge, all Allie can think about is the safety that awaits them at the peaceful Bluebird Ranch, nestled deep in Texas Hill country. Not only is the ranch a sanctuary for abused horses, but also for troubled youths. And Allie is determined to get Betsy, who hasn't spoken a word in nearly a year, all the help she needs-and find a safe haven for them both.

Ranch owner Elijah DeAngelo, compassionate and kind, eagerly welcomes the duo. But Rick Bailey, the handsome foreman, hasn't decided to let down his guard...yet. As promises made long ago soon force Rick and Allie to work together to save all they hold dear, will they discover the remarkable power of love along the way?

MY REVIEW...
I loved this book! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I loved the characters because they were so real and the dialog really held my interest. I highly recommend this book. Colleen never disappoints in bringing a great story to her readers.

Can't wait for the sequel, Lonestar Secrets.

Frank Dobie, a University of Texas professor, spent years collecting stories of the old southwest. Many are tales that he wrote down of 19th Century life. Several are collected into volumes about important parts of life at the time, including "Longhorns" and "The Mustangs".

They provide great insight into the origin of those animals and their importance to people who lived in those times.

Another excellent Dobie book is "I'll Tell You a Tale," with excerpts from these two books and others. The anthology includes tales of gold, stories of irony, Old West characters, and saddle stories.

This book is classic Dobie in style and is "the" book on Texas Longhorns. Dobie takes us through the history of the breed, through the animal, through the men and women that loved, used and abused them, and through the many tales that surround them, both fiction and fact. The animal stands large in this work, but the flavor of the old days, of the hardships, of the ranch life, of the love for the land of the people who lived and died there is a part of it too. For anyone with an interest in this breed, this book is a must read. For anyone else with a feel for the Southwestern United States, Texas, cowboys, or the land, it's time well spent.

As horses were introduced to America by the Spanish, so too were cattle, and both species became feral, then wild, and learned to survive on their own under extreme conditions in the west. Not infrequently some retained some of their domestication. Texas was the land of their beginning as catalysts to a lifestyle peculiarly western because of how they developed. The Longhorns were tough individuals as well as part of a breed apart, and Dobie was just the sort of person to describe them for what they were, and the men who made it their purpose to use them. Dobie is a story teller of exceptional talent as well as an historian of necessity if his stories are to carry any weight. Each Chapter deals with an aspect of the beast and its habitat from which they were removed to form enormous herds driven north by cowboys over tractless miles to railheads when they arrived or to distant markets before their coming. Cowboys were tough, but also gentle as they crooned softly to the cattle on a stormy night hopefully to prevent "stompedes." Dobies' tales of individual Longhorns illustrates that within the being of some was a spirit that exceeded normal expectation, and contributed to human emotions in spite of themselves. The Longhorns began to fade as bloodlines were mixed to improve the breed, and as railheads came closer to the herds. For "improved" cattle had not the prowess or the ability to survive without the help of man as did the pure Longhorns. They were a breed in transition from one life style to another, but their memory remains because of Dobie and his tales. Fascinating reading.

THIS BOOK WAS GREAT COLLECTION OF STORIES ON THE LONGHORN. IT STARTES WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF CATTLE AND HOW THE LONG HORN CAME TO BE. THERE ARE A FEW TALES OF THE LONG HORNS LONG HORNS,AND AFEW ON WHY IT WAS THE PERFECT ANIMAL FOR TEXAS CATTLEMEN.THE BOOK IS ENDED ON A SAD NOTE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE LAST OF THE WILD LONG HORNS

J. Frank Dobie spent his life documenting the grassroots history of Texas and this book is probably his finest examples. I've read all of his books and found this one to be the most informative. There's also a wonderful collection of photographs of many of the different variations of horn and hide at the rear of this book. You'll learn how the cattle came north from Mexico in the beginning and how early settlers rooted them out of the thickets of East Texas to start their herds. You'll learn about many of the principal cattlemen of early Texas including their drives north to the Kansas railhead.

If you enjoy Texas history you'll really enjoy this book.