Nebraska Books

This is an excellent biography of John Wesley Powell--exlorer, geologist, scientist, writer, and politician.
Anyone who reads this is sure to increase the amount they know about this historic figure, and about the West in general as the stories of each are inextricably tangled. The book excels at its account of John Wesley Powell's life AFTER his famous trips down the Colorado River, and does a great job of describing Powell's role in the battle against over-populating the West.
If the book has faults though, they lie in that many of Stegner's sources have since been expounded upon or dismissed entirely, and so the facts in this book aren't entirely current. Also, Stegner dismisses too quickly the merits of the story of James White, a man who very possibly went down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon two years before Powell did.
And, it's kind of ridiculous how Stegner criticizes Powell's second expedition's photos as if they were famous works and art: This photo "is marred by too much nondescipt low-water beach in the foreground," and that sort of thing.
This is a great book for anyone interested in John Wesley Powell or the Colorado River. It's possibly Stegner's best nonfiction work, though "Mormon Country" is good as well.
For another great account of John Wesley Powell, read "Down the Great Unknown" by Edward Dolnick.
Or, for a half-decent book about Wallace Stegner's peculiarly white view of the American West, read, "'Why I Can't Read Wallace Stegner' and Other Essays" by Elizabeth Cook-Lynn. That one's kind of interesting.

Once upon a time in the West, a man named William Gilpin was blown westward along with an expedition of John Fremont that took him as far as Walla Walla, Wash. In 1846 he fought in the Mexican War. In 1861 he went to Washington, DC, after Abraham Lincoln was elected. Later he became the first territorial governor of Colorado. Once upon a time, Gilpin saw the land beyond the 100th meridian (which runs through the center of Nebraska and Kansas) through a mystical fervor. The semiarid lands were no desert, but a pastoral Canaan. Agriculture would be effortless. All that was needed was the plow break the soil so that rain would naturally follow.

At the same time that Gilpin was convincing the country that the West was a Biblical Paradise, an exploration party headed by John Wesley Powell was camped a few miles from Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was 1868. At this time Powell was not the pioneer that Gilpin was, and he was 34 compared to Gilpin's 55. Powell's interests were always varied. In 1860 his *mollusk* collection won awards at the Illinois State Agricultural Society fair. In 1861, he volunteered to join the army in the Civil War. Within six months he rose through the ranks to become a captain, an expert on *fortifications*. In April of 1862, Powell lost an arm due to a Minie ball at Shiloh. Powell continued through the war. In 1865, Powell began a professorship in *geology* at Wesleyan.

Powell began his exploration of the Green and Colorado rivers on July 6,1869. On August 30, 1869, only six of nine men and two of four boats managed to go all the way through the Grand Canyon to come out near Yuma, Az. The rest of the Colorado had already been explored. In a few short months, John Wesley Powell had gathered enough data to challenge Gilpin's portrayal of the West. For the rest of his life, he would try to convince Congress of what he had learned about the proper way to treat the land beyond the 100th meridian.

Powell's geological and *ethnological* work and his study of Native American *languages* continue today to form the basis for our understanding of these subjects for southern Utah and northern Arizona.

I re-read this book and Powell's own "Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons" over the Holidays and have decided that these 2 books are absolutely inseparable. You must read both and I'm glad to see that Amazon offers a special deal for the purchase of these 2 books together. In my opinion, you should read Powell's "Exploration..." first and then read Stegner's book. Stegner's book is very readable but I hesitate to call it an easy read. While you are reading this book, you have to stop now and then to absorb and reflect on the opinions, actions, and counteractions of that particular moment. Everything must be placed in some historical, political, and personal context (3 dimensions which necessitate contemplation by the reader). Stegner does a wonderful job in maintaining the general flow of the text and he supplies an extensive listing of notes for those who want more information and detail. In my opinion, this is a wonderful book about a brilliant man with incredible foresight. Now, it seems that we need a beacon like Powell warning the Easterners about their relentless development of land with no thought or planning on the impact to their water resources and water quality. Most folks in the Eastern U.S. take their water resources for granted. We need a modern day Powell to warn us about the consequences of increased impervious area before its too late.

Almost everything that could be done wrong in the development of the modern American West (and not just the Rockies westward, but the High Plains as well) was warned against by Maj. John Wesley Powell, but done anyway by the federal government and various states.

The result? Water crises, fights over water rights, lying, chicanery and stealing in the name of water rights, corporate farms squeezing out small farmers, urban sprawl and smog in the middle of deserts, dust bowls and more, were either forseen or hinted at by Powell.

The 100th meridian of latitude is the U.S.'s "dry line." Areas to the west, generally, before you get to the Pacific Coast, average less than 20 inches of rain a year. Hence the title, and the basis of Powell's warnings.

And, AND, all of that came after this one-armed Civil War veteran led the first navigation of the entire whitewater section of the Colorado, actually starting on the Green River in Wyoming and running all the way down past the Grand Canyon. (Despite some claims otherwise, it seems pretty clear James White did NOT do this.)

It was this trip, in the name of scientific research, that gave Powell his standing to eventually found the Bureau of Ethnography, do further Western research and make some top-notch recommendations for the development of the west.

The reason I didn't five-star this is that I would like to have seen a little more depth to Powell's post-exploration career. Also, a little more personality profile of Powell's struggle with disappointment over the Newlands Act and other repudiation of his ideas would have been nice.

True, Stegner may not be a professional historian, but it would have been nice to see him incorporate this.

To get an idea of what I mean by the end of this critique, please read Donald Worster's "River Running West." Also, Worster provides a bit of corrective to Stegner's occasional near-hagiographical approach to Powell.

I kept waiting for this book to get boring. It has all the potential to be boring. But it's not. It's an excellent introduction to the history of the West. I learned little tidbits about all sorts of varied subjects - Native American tribes, government, the history of the USGS. Stegner does get a little too wrapped up in the details at a couple points, especially when he gets into all the wrangling in Congress over Powell's various ventures, but in general it's an excellent book.

Essentially a physicist's interpretation of the Battle of Little Bighorn, author John S. Gray's "Custer's Last Campaign: Mitch Boyer and the Little Bighorn Reconstructed" is a fascinating account of one of the most storied battles ever to take place on American soil. And this was a battle, with more than 350 men, women and children killed in the span of two furious hours on the dusty slopes of 1876 southeast Montana.

This is not a book for beginners of Custer/Montana lore. It can be extremely tedious at times as Gray utilizes time-motion studies to piece together the puzzle of what happened during the Seventh Calvary's final minutes. Since every man of the U.S. Army was killed during this prong of the battle, there are no eyewitness military accounts. Yes, hundreds of Native Americans survived, but few spoke of this battle for fear of punishment and hatred of Anglo historians. Crazy Horse, one of the few Native American leaders during this confrontation, was assassinated a week after arriving on the reservation. So this very important man's account was never taken. Thus, we are left with a hodgepodge of hazy Native American reconstructions.

Visiting the battlefield today, which stretches over several miles, solemn white headstones mark the spot where bodies of the Seventh Calvary were found. The location of these stones are included in Gray's complex, mathematical equations. What he's intricately pieced together, with the help of eyewitness accounts, archaeological digs and his own analytical mind, is a realistic result of this unusual battle. His conclusions are perhaps outside of the realm of what people would consider today.

The myth surrounding Custer and Little Bighorn has been shaped by such matinee films as "They Died With Their Boots On," "Little Big Man" and television's "Son of the Morning Star." These films portray Custer as headstrong, vain, heroic and, in one case, a tad insane. But each version, thematically forged by the decade it was filmed, portrays Custer fighting gallantly to the last, standing alone in buckskins while angrily firing his pistol at the approaching Native American hordes. Custer, as if performing the concluding act of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," falls dead to the ground in bloody, poetic, slow motion. It makes for a great painting hanging above the neighborhood bar.

The reality, revealed by Gray's novel, is Custer did indeed have a battle plan rather than making a vain stab at glory. But his forces were simply overwhelmed, chaos ensued, and panicking men were run down like herds of buffalo. It's not very poetic, but has war truly ever been? To understand America's fascination with this battle, one must first read Evan S. Connell's "Son of the Morning Star," one of the greatest historical nonfiction novels ever written.

Gray discards such weighty wisdom like an old blanket, and scientifically gets to the root of what actually happened. A Last Stand does indeed take place on Custer Hill, where Custer's body was found. Survivors panic, some commit suicide, and Boyer and company frantically run west, fighting and killing in a froth-like animal panic. But west is towards the Native American village they were attacking in the first place. They are then desperately cornered in a ravine, a small gully which can be stared at to this very day.

When the U.S. Army rides into a primitive village, shooting defenseless women and children, the primitive man will fight back if for no other reason than to protect their families. Like poking a stick into an ant hill, Custer and his Seventh Calvary were overwhelmed, the sorry battle ending in a ditch. Men attempted to claw their way out, perhaps asking themselves how they ended up in such a remote location, dying the loneliest of deaths.

This battle haunts us for a number of reasons, mainly because of our inhumane treatment of the Native American people. So we obsessively analyze this epic Homerian battle, trying to find a moment of heroism, a brief glimpse to help salve our morally guilty wounds. But all we find in Gray's account is wide-eyed reality, and desperate men crying in a ditch. Gray's novel details these horrors in scientific fashion, and unknowingly provides a glimpse of the dangers of American warrior vanity.

The reader becomes mesmerized and impressed by the thorough and meticulous process of constantly checking witness testimony with known topography and horse/walking/etc. mph rates, then time/motion studies with all possible data examined to see what plausible explanations can be more pushed forward as likely scenarios.

At the center here is the infamous Indian scout, Mitch Boyer and the testimony of the young Curly, survivor with Custer.

Amazing how the evidence Gray presents turns Custer 180o around from what is historically bantered, an aggressive disobiendent hawkish leader. Gray's reconstruction reveals soldier who emphasized and implemented what orders were given to him, to pin the Indians from left flank escape, and all the time awaiting Benteen's company and ammo train, which never arrived in time.

Disappointed that no chronology chain here shown how the followup takes place to discover the battlefield. Possibly Gray's other books on this subject cover that.

Remarkably well written, able to keep this reader's attention easily even with all the careful calculation checks, etc.

After reading the glowing reviews here on this book, I purchased it and went to work on it. I have to say, this is probably the most disappointed I've been in any book in a long time. Yes, the author puts together some impressive time/motion study. And I did gain some insights into both the battle and the causes of the campaign.

However, I found the text very dry. MitchMitch was here. Mitch went there. Mitch did this. Mitch did that. I also was overwhelmed with the details of who was where when. In the middle of all this detail the author has a hard time giving you his main point behind all the statistics.

I also didn't like the huge number of assumptions on speeds he made to arrive at his conclusions. He may well be correct, but anyone can make a theory fit the facts if they toy with the numbers. What is "trotting speed"? What is trotting speed over rough terrain? What is it uphill vs. downhill? Do units trot constantly or make stops now and then? The whole time/motion study thing left me unconvinced. It is at best a theory.

Surprisingly, a minority of the book was about the battle itself. I realize the author may feel it's already been covered. But his concentration on who was where when left way too many details of the participants unrevealed. It came off as very dry. Why did Reno do what he did? Or Benteen? The author made assertions about their motives, but gave relatively little foundation for his assertions, relative to the masses of data on less interesting topics.

I think the author did a great job at what he set out to do. It just wasn't as interesting as I expected. And the lack of detailed battle and campaign maps was disappointing. One gets lost in all the names of various coulees, ridges, knolls, hills, fords, and other bodies of water.

I found the time/motion graphs very difficult to read, with some variables on them not even indicated on the legend. But I did figure them out. I think he could have used a much better layout to show the timeline of events. I kept having to page back to reference previous graphs as he added more information. Past a point the mind can't keep it all organized, and more effective visual aids would have helped.

I was left with many unanswered questions about the battle. Topics such as weapon effectiveness, actual tactics used, etc, he seemed to just ignore in favor of his extensive analysis of who was where at what time.

I have read other books that give much better overlays of what happened and why, but lack the depth of this book. I'm hoping to find one that puts it all together.

This book is actually in two parts. The first half is a biography of sorts of the half Sioux, half white scout Mitch Boyer, who served with various military units on the Plains beginning in the 1850s and ended his life with George A. Custer at the Little Big Horn in June 1876. The second half is a detailed, at some points even minute-by-minute, account of Custer's Last Stand. Examining all the evidence (though disregarding but not totally dismissing the archaeological evidence that was just being made known in the 1980s), John S. Gray reconstructs the last week or so of Custer's campaign, concentrating especially on the afternoon of June 25 when Custer and the Seventh Cavalry met their demise.

A scientific historian, Gray introduces time-motion graphs to depict the movements of troops and Indians on the battlefield. More constructive for me are the itinerary tables that do pretty much the same thing but in a different configuration. Gray theorizes a general counter-clockwise movement of Custer's troops from the Medicine Tail Coulee to Calhoun Hill and eventually to Custer Hill where (Custer's) Last Stand occurred. His interpretation follows pretty much the standard one (challenged more recently by archaeological reports which extends troop movements beyond Custer Hill). He believes the testimony of Indian scout Curley, who had been with Custer right up to the early action on Custer Hill and then left the scene about a half hour before the final moments of the fight, was generally accurate and valid, though misinterpreted by interviewers at the time. Gray must be commended for insisting that what happened during the last half hour of the fight must remain conjecture only, since hardcore evidence is lacking.

It's hard to imagine a more thorough examination of events surrounding this single battle could be made (that will not stop others from trying, I'm sure), and Gray's account might be the closest we get to what actually happened (barring the uncovering of future evidence or revelations made by archaeological findings). Too detailed to be one's first book on the Little Big Horn fight, it will surely be devoured by anyone with a strong interest and some already acquired background information concerning the battle. An important study, highly recommended.

This is an outstanding work, and Gray did a great deal of work to piece togather the Indian accounts of the final battle and like his work shows the last stand wasn't on Custer hill, but the rush to the river to escape the attack on Custer hill from behind by Two Moon's force. Two Moon's account doesn't go into much detail and has to be put togather with the other accounts to know Mitch is the one leading the men towards the river after Tom is killed on the Hill by Rain in the Face. Most do agree the last soldier standing at the Custer battlefield was Sgt. Bulter.
The men rushing to the river and death were for the most part E company, Dr. Lord and Mitch Boyer (who was already wounded).

There is only one more mystery of the this battle to be solved and that is the horse found miles away dead and shot in the head by the trooper, with its oat bag full and gear intact (which means someone other than Curly made it out of the battle, which means it had to happen before the final stand and best bet it happen when the horses were chased away from Calhoun and Keogh's command by Crazy Horse's force).

This book was good although extremely hard to read and get through. I only finished it because it was for book club. I would not recommend this classic.

Illumination (1896) has been an underground classic among serious writers and readers since its publication. Although it sold well in its day, it was largely lost to mainstream attention for most of the 20th century. Only in the 1980s did it first start appearing in school settings with the first critical edition by Nebraska Press (and Penguin Press editions around the same time). It has been called an "American classic" by more than one critic and writer.

First, an explanation of the odd title. Frederic intended the title to be simply "Illumination", which it was indeed published as in England, but due to some mis-communication at his (soon to be bankrupt) American publishers - a working draft had the internal working name of "damnation" - it was mistakingly published as "The Damnation of Theron Ware". Later publishers in the 1930s then combined the two into the full title "The Damnation of Theron Ware, Or, Illumination".

This is an important novel and can be critically approached from a number of perspectives. Probably most important and timeless (c.f. Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion" (2006)) is Theron Ware's "Illumination" about truth in religion. Is the value of religion based on the belief in a real God, or just a belief in a god that may not even exist - the existence of which doesn't matter - the value in religion comes from _pretending_ to believe. It is unclear in the end if Sister Soulsby, Forbes and others truly believe, or just pretend to believe, and if it even matters.

The narrative technique of writing from Theron's perspective, hearing in the first person about his own "Illumination" and personal growth (a positive healthy thing it seems to him) - which is then re-played at the end of the novel from other peoples perspective, is very powerful and well crafted. It really makes the reader examine times in their own lives when they thought they were on the right and true path. It has a certain Rashomon theme of subjectivity and what is the truth of events from multiple perspectives.

Although I was a lit major, this book was never on any of my reading lists in college. I chanced upon it when it appeared on my son's required reading for a course..and wow, am I glad I did! It should be a classic, have no idea why it isn't, if only for the detail and insight about church politics and the workings of congregations in the 1800s.
This gem of a novel focuses on Theron Ware, a Methodist minister who has had a less than stellar career, which leads to his current posting in a small, backcountry town. He vows to make a new start and, for a time, things seem to go well. But alas, Theron is less certain than he appears, making him easy prey to those with questionable values and setting him on a parth towards destruction. For the first time in his life, Theron questions his calling, his values and even his marriage.
I couldn't wait to see how this one would end..and I won't give the ending away here. I'll just say that if you pick up this one, you won't be disaapointed.

Although this is a Faustian tale, the redemption is not uncertain-it is completely absent. The much put out Theron faces his new future in the West as a hopeless innocent, only his wife expresses modest doubt about his re-education. Having succcessfully ruined the surprise ending, I can only suggest everyone find a copy of this wonderful novel, set aside a day, and read it straight through. An amazing work from an under appreciated author.

Okay, granted. In some ways, this is pretty thin soup. A short novel, after all, and not by any stretch of the imagination a major novel, certainly not in the sense that Middlemarch or Ulysses are major. But I'd put this on a list of personal favorites. And there are certain second rate novels which for all their second-rateness should not be lost. Frederic lived not too long, accomplished not very much, saw not everything there was to be seen - but in this little fable of a Methodist preacher who never quite got the point, Frederic himself pretty much gets it right. Not a mean achievement for a lifetime, and so one not to be forgotten.

To many fans of college basketball, the ACC can be defined most seasons by what happens within the confines of the state of North Carolina. With four teams growing up within 50 miles of each other, and each one featuring a host of truly unique and competitive individuals as their coaches, the North Carolina teams have continually dominated the scene in college basketball for the past 50 years.

The book follows the story of Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest from their days in the Southern Conference to the formation of the ACC, right up until today. Each era is defined by the men who coached and played for each of these teams throughout the years. The book provides an excellent history lesson on what has become the center of power in the most competitive conference in college basketball.

I have been a fan of ACC basketball for the last ten years and this book helped me to learn the history of the most storied teams within the league. If you are a fan of NCAA basketball, this is an excellent book and should be highly recommended.

Four Corners is a thorough history of basketball in North Carolina--a very interesting subject for basketball fans everywhere (it is home to more dominant programs than any other state in the country)--but unfortunately Menzer's book is like the four corners defense in that it really slows things down. He is not a particularly good writer and his anecdotes often fall flat because he does a poor job of explaining the story. Another problem is that he relies on very few sources, so his book is terribly biased and its stories are limited. For instance, Menzer relies on Billy Packer to essentially tell Wake Forest's story. While Packer is amusing, he is arrogant and is only one person so Wake's history is not three dimensional at all and really doesn't seem particularly interesting. Despite these flaws, which would prevent me from recommending this book to anyone who doesn't love college basketball and particularly the Carolina schools, this book is a good companion for a fan and will give them some interesting historical context that will allow them to appreciate their team that much more. Also, it will provide some nice trivia for those who like to bring up obscure facts during arguments about who is the best player, team, coach, etc. in the history of these programs.

Borrowed this from the library and brought it back late because I read it twice. I am planning to get it again and read it again. I have grown up with ACC basketball, but I never had the whole historical context laid out for me. This book does that. It is well written (thank you, but I understand "Duke continued their run" just fine) informative, chatty, and obviously written by someone who loves, lives, and breathes his subject matter.

Four Corners by Joe Menzer is an outstanding review of the modern era of college basketball in North Carolina. It is a must-read for the Carolina hoops fan and a good selection for any college basketball aficionado.

The wit and insight of Four Corners puts Menzer on a path trod by the likes of Frank DeFord and other greats of sports journalism. His style is well-structured and clean, without dips into slang and minutia that too often mar sports writing.

Four Corners is definitely Five Stars. Joe Menzer wins this year's "Sixth Man Award" for North Carolina college basketball.

I have started my summer reading and so thoroughly enjoyed Menzer's Four Corners. I played womens's basketball and have always enjoyed the game. I never really understood the ACC rivalry. Thanks to Menzer's book, I do now. I so enjoyed this. A must read!

I loved this book. It is detail and description based rather than plot based, and that is why it is so beautiful. Cather creates a compelling portrait of the sacramentality that it is possible to create in an otherwise ordinary existence, and the ways in which a sense of sacredness pervades and enlivens what would otherwise be a torturous and barbaric life. The interesting details of frontier life in the seventeenth century, specifically the ones relating to food (mysterious chocolate for breakfast, growing lettuce in the cellar in the winter, etc.) were fascinating, as were many of the tangential characters introduced through each of the novel's six books.

I found her idealized description of a Catholic/Christian society frustrating, not from narrowness or inaccuracy, but from my own sense that such a society is impossible now and was probably impossible then as well, as much as I wish that it had really existed and still exists somewhere in the world. I cannot recommend this book enough. Please read.

I agree with the person who mentioned that this is not the book to purchase if you are looking for action or adventure, but if you are looking for beauty and personality then this is the book for you.
Being about Quebec three hundred years ago it goes into detail about people from all the various ways of life, including the very poor and disabled to the Govenor of the state and Bishops who knew the King.
I laughed, I cried, and I just finished the book moments ago and am having a difficult time not hugging it constantly.

This book is like a wonderful trip back in time with endearing characters and the backdrop of old Quebec as it's setting. A central character named "Cecile" introduces us to many interesting people like poor Blinker who is sort of a Hunchback of Notre Dame type but who is really gentle and kind. And then there is Jacques whose mother is sort of the village harlot but he is full of love and wonder and is a great companion for Cecile.This book will inspire you to travel to Quebec City which is one of my favorite places to visit. The architecture, the culture of the French-Canadians is a real delight.

I can but echo the other favorable reviews already here: this book is one of the most magical and delightful I know of. The society and civilization of Quebec in 1697 are so remote from our own that this story might as well be classified as fantasy, and it makes us entirely absorbed in the life and times of the people in the city. The story is told in the 3rd person and the central character is Cecile Auclair, a girl of 12, who lives with her widowed father, the town pharmacist.

I can well understand why some younger readers do not like it. It does indeed use some "French words," and there is not a lot of "action." Older readers will not mind this.

I was given this book in 1967. It was the senior Religion prize at my Jesuit high school. Readers should be aware that some appreciation for the viewpoints and beliefs of the Catholic Church, as it was in 1700, will help in savoring this book.

Willa Cather wrote "Shadows on the Rock"(1931) late in her novelistic career following her more famous book, "Death Comes for the Archbishop."(1927). As is the earlier book, "Shadows on the Rock" is influenced heavily by Cather's fascination with Catholicism (a religion she did not practice), her love of French civilization, and her interest in frontier places.

Cather's novel is set in the remote world of "New France", in French Quebec of 1697. The story tells of the early French settlers and of the reasons which impelled them to leave France in search of a new life in a difficult, harsh land. Located on a forbidding cliff on the St. Lawrence River, Quebec was inaccessible to incoming ships from France or elsewhere for all but the summer months.

The main characters in the novel are Cecile Aubade, a girl of twelve, and her father Euclide, an apothecary who came to Quebec together with its governor, Frontenac. Euclide's wife had died in Quebec two years before the story begins in 1697 and Cecile is showing as caring for her father, preparing his meals, cleaning the house, and tending the apothecary in has absence. The book is a coming-of-age story for Cecile, but it differs from the usual form of coming-of-age books in its quiet flow, stress on the ordinary world of everyday, and domesticity.

Cather gives the reader a picture of the life of old Quebec through the interactions of its people with Cecile and Euclide. We meet Frontenac and two rival bishops, the pious aged Bishop Laval, the much more worldy Bishop Saint-Vallier, and a host of clergy and nuns, some devoted to mysticism and solitude. Cather also shows the reader the more secular side of Quebec in many humble people, sellers at outdoor markets, sailors, refugees from France, and fur trappers, especially a man named Pierre Charron, whose heart was broken when his sweetheart took up the life of the cloister and rigorous spirituality. Cecile befriends a seven-year old boy named Jacques, the son of a prostitute. The friendship between Jacques and Cecile receives much attention in the book. Jacques is invited to the family's Christmas celebration and places a toy beaver, made for him by a sailor, in the family creche, symbolizing the coming of Christianity to the New World.

With the exception of a short epilogue, the book is told over the course of one year of Cecile's life in Quebec. This timeframe affords Cather the opportunity of describing Quebec and its environs in beautiful detail throughout the course of the year and to watch the maturation of Cecile and her increased devotion to Quebec. The story celebrates place, rootedness, religion, domesticity, and the value of living life in the everyday. Events in Quebec are contrasted with life in France with its wars and corruption. The even flow of Cather's book tends to mask some of the instances of torture and death practiced in the Old Regime that she describes.

This novel has always been recognized as static and unexciting. But Cather's recent biographer, Janis Stout, aptly describes the book as "luminous and significant." "Shadows on the Rock" was a best-seller when it appeared, even though the book received a poor critical reception. The critics found the book showed a tendency towards escapism from the modern world and its difficulties and an attitude of sentimentality and romanticism. The book has an underlying tone of irony. The world of old Quebec is portrayed with an aura of stability and permanence while the reader knows, as Cather knows, that fifty years after the time that the book ends, France will lose Quebec forever together with its possessions in the New World.

Although this book does not rank with Cather's best work, I was moved by it and found the criticisms overdone. In its emphasis on contentment, finding joy in the everyday, and the virtues of family life, "Shadows on the Rock" has something to teach today's world.

Robin Friedman

This book grabbed me from page one and I could not close it until I finished it. Dinah Lenney is a magnificent writer -- clear and truthful and observant. It's as good as "The Year of Magical Thinking."

This is a very deep and beautiful read. By the end of the book, I felt I personally knew the characters in her life. I especially loved Lenney's devotion to her children and her quest to make sense of the tragedy so she might offer them hope. There's some really beautiful scenes in the book and it's worth checking out.

Several times I wanted to put the book down and start something different but I kept sticking with it. There are parts of the book that just drag and other parts that captured my full attention. I really couldn't rate this more than 3 stars. I have read other memoirs from the series "American Lives" and I liked them a whole lot more. I also have several that I have not read yet..so I will give them a try.

Great, honest, brave memoir, wonderful writer.
The chapter on Christmas is unforgettable.

This book is brave, funny, honest and insightful. The murder of Lenney's father is a jumping-off point for a post-mortem examination of her dysfunctional family, and in this sense it is about all messy American families and the pleasures and pain found therein. Lenney is all voice - she riffs and rants, deftly weaving a story that keeps you hooked. Her prose is a delicious, shiny candy shell for the softer, sweeter stuff within: her deep affection for her children, her husband, her trying first family and the father she struggled to know and love.

I was really disappointed by this book. I had read "Crazy Horse" by Sandoz and was impressed. But not here. If there was ever a book that needed editing, detailed maps, a good timeline, a list of characters explaining their relationships, dates in the texts, and footnotes, this was it. This book had one map that was as close to useless as possible and a brief (one page) timeline that was hard to follow. I read a 1992 University of Nebraska publication. The writing style is convoluted. Plus there are so many characters here involved in some many different incidents that it was painfully confusing to try to figure out what was happening, what had happened to each character, when it happened, where they had been, and what their relationships were. I can't figure out why I labored to finish it. Reading this was like slogging through quicksand. I am sure that the tragedy of what happened to the Cheyenne is a great story, deeply moving and revealing. I just can't believe this is a good telling of it. My recommendation is to find a more enjoyable and informative book on this topic.

Cheyenne Autumn is a very educational book. I learned many new things about the Cheyenne and their way of life. It was so very disturbing for me to have to learn the actual hell these people were put through. I would have enjoyed this story much more if the author had not have introduced the characters in the novel before the story actually started. When the time came for a character to be introduced, I had already forgot who they were. The only other major problem I found was that I was very confused with the transitions of paragraphs. This novel jumped time periods between paragraphs quit frequently. I am the type of reader who prefers to know exactly what is going on and with who. When so many things are going on that I can't comprehend them all and understand them completely, I get frustrated. This story takes a lot of time to read because you have to read it slow. In order to read this book all of the way through, you have to want to read it and you have got to be patient. This is not the type of book someone should read because they have to. Read this book because you wanted to be educated on the Cheyenne and their way of life. If this is your desire in reading this book, then you will enjoy it very much.

Mari Sandoz, one of the greatest American writers, amazed me once again in Cheyenne Autumn. A heartbreaking story of injustice and cruelty, Sandoz brings out the heart of the people through vivid imagery and insights that will make you feel you are on the trail with the Cheyenne.

Sandoz sees through the heart, and in this remarkable book takes the reader back in time. The book does not simply recount a tragic story, but rather reveals a people's life and their struggle to regain it. I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned with the human condition.

Cheyenne Autumn is a very educational book. I learned many new things about the Cheyenne and their way of life. It was so very disturbing for me to have to learn the actual hell these people were put through. I would have enjoyed this story much more if the author had not have introduced the characters in the novel before the story actually started. When the time came for a character to be introduced, I had already forgotten who they were. The only other major problem I found was that I was very confused with the transitions of paragraphs. This novel jumped between paragraphs quit frequently. I am the type of reader who prefers to know exactly what is going on and with who. When so many things are going on that I cannot comprehend them all and understand them completely, I get frustrated. This story takes a lot of time to read because you have to always be paying attention to every small detail. In order to read this book all of the way through, you have to want to read it and you have got to be patient. This is not the type of book someone should read because they have to. Read this book because you want to be educated on the Cheyenne and their way of life. If this is your desire in reading this book, then you will enjoy it very much.

Documents the flight of the Cheyenne from the Indian Territory in Oklahoma back to their home in the north. The Cheyenne were promised that they could leave and then chased like escaped prisoners when they did leave. Time after time they survived seemingly insurmountable odds, but not without loss. I believe that the Cheyenne who lived this story -- Little Wolf and others -- would be happy to know that they were remembered with this book.

Being from Michigan, I knew George Custer was a Civil War hero. After reading this book I realized just how important that man was to the Union cause. Although young, Custer was mature beyond his years, his prowess as a calvaryman is second to none. He was loved by his troops and respected by his enemies, some who he bested many times during the Civil War. He was a true leader in every sense of the word. Fearless and steady, always leading his troops into a charge. Ever concerned for the well being of his men. This book is a wonderful piece on a great man who was lost in history by speculation and heresay. Had he his Michigan Calvary Brigade, his beloved "Wolverines" or men like them at Little Big Horn and not 17 and 18 yr old troops as recently discovered, even though being outgunned I am sure there would have been different results for historians to ponder. Rest in Peace Major General Custer, your name is forever cleared.

This is a good read and will open up a new opinion of Custer for most people. It was only in the 20th century that the name of George Armstrong Custer became associated with the ultimate bad decision and failure. In the last half of the 19th century, he was still remembered for his daring and SUCCESSFUL civil war exploits. It is nice to see his Civil War record documented in one spot so that future generations can see that there was more to this warrior than the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He employed the same tactics but with much more confidence and obviously greater success.

This book tells the fascinating story of George Armstrong Custer's Civil War career. The self-confidence of this man, followed by his real accomplishment, is amazing. Prior to reading this book, I was aware of only Custer's battle with Jeb Stuart at Gettysburg. Now I find that Custer met Stuart on numerous occasions and, in fact, it was his brigade that was responsible for Stuart's death at Yellow Tavern. For the life of me, I can't figure out why this epic rivalry between these two great cavalry leaders is not better known.

The bad news is that the writing is merely adequate. The prose is a tad purple and the last chapter, in which the author summarizes his theory that Custer was truly a great military leader, is superfluous in that the author has done a much more convincing job in merely telling the tale. Finally, I might quibble about the title. I almost didn't buy this book because I thought it was an alternative history of Little Big Horn.

We live in an age with a scarcity of heroes. This book presents us a hero in the classic mold. We could do worse than to emulate this man. It is perhaps telling of our times, however, that rather than to acknowledge Custer's heroism, we defame his memory.

This is a fine work of scholarship on General Custer. It is incorrect to assume with this book that Urwin has a tendency to Custerphilia. If that be so, then may we accuse other historians of Robert E. Leephilia, or Martin Luther Kingphilia, or John F. Kennedyphilia? It is only the truly biased that will attach such a title to an author who is presenting Custer in a just light, rather than anyone else. We don't have to be a contemporary of an historical figure to know the facts and contributions of his life, and Urwin's excellently researched book brings out all the facts surrounding Custer's outstanding leadership as a Civil War soldier and officer, and most importantly, Urwin has finally given Custer his just due as a great American patriot who was so instrumental in preserving what we so easily refer to today as our USA. It was General Phil Sheridan, who stated in an enclosed note to Mrs. Custer when presenting her with Lee's table upon which the surrender was signed, "that there is scarcely an individual in our service who has contributed more to bring about this desirable result than your gallant husband." Urwin brings out all the facts that substantiate this statement; not denigrate or fictionalize it. If you know nothing about Custer, read this book and its preface first, then for an account of The Little Bighorn, read "To Hell With Honor" by Larry Sklenar. As Urwin states, "Custer's critics have been legion, but only the most vehement and biased has ever dared to suggest that his performance in that bloodiest of America's wars was anything less than brilliant."

George Armstrong Custer is known to most people today as the general who led his soldiers to slaughter at the hands of the Indians at the Little Bighorn in Montana. But it was the glory and fame earned as a dashing and courageous Civil War cavalry officer that made that defeat so shocking and controversial. Gregory J.W. Urwin focuses on those Civil War years in this study.

Custer graduated last in his class from West Point in 1861 (he may have been expelled if the army wasn't in desperate need of officers at the time). Assigned to a cavalry regiment, he first saw action at First Bull Run. There and later with McClellan on the Peninsular and then with General Alfred Pleasanton, Custer gained a reputation for bravery and bravado. He especially distinguished himself at Gettysburg and in the Shenandoah Valley with Sheridan in 1864. But perhaps his greatest achievement was the constant pressure he and his troops put on Lee as he retreated toward Appomattox Court House; Lee said it was a major factor in his decision to surrender.

Custer was dashing and fearless in battle - and was not shy about having the spotlight on him. This, of course, breeds jealous enemies as well as cheering supporters (and is one reason why the Little Bighorn debacle was, and remains, so controversial). Urwin goes out of his way to make sure his book has no odor of the academic about it (despite the numerous footnotes and extensive bibliography): he writes in a familiar and totally informal style and describes much of the action in a novelistic way. This makes much of the book a page-turner - a fresh thing for historical writing. A most enjoyable read, and probably the definitive account of Custer in the Civil War - before his experiences on the Plains changed him and ultimately led to his downfall.

Zenith, Nebraska. June 1916. A postage stamp costs two cents. Woodrow Wilson is President. The Great War looms in Europe. And the lives of two young people are about to change forever.

Doyle Lawrence is 17 years old, his life already mapped out for him: attend Princeton, learn to be a gentleman, then join his wealthy father's law practice. "And the Miller girl," the elder Lawrence admonishes Doyle one evening, "is not someone you should be seen with."

Zee Miller's father is a strict Baptist preacher whose belief in the evil of motion pictures butts heads with Zee's burning desire to become an actress. When her father finds her copy of Picture Progress, the magazine published by Paramount Studios, he forbids her to read the material or to entertain her foolish notions one moment longer. But the acting bug has bitten Zee harder than her father imagines, and life in small-town Zenith soon becomes a strangling chain around young Zee's neck. "When Joan of Arc was tied to the stake, Zee saw herself in that role. Not only that, she saw herself as Joan of Zenith. She would burn up here into ashes."

At the end-of-the-year high school dance, Doyle asks Zee to marry him, but Zee refuses. Not because she doesn't love Doyle. She does. But she doesn't want to hold him back, and she can't give up her Hollywood dream either--the dream no one else, not even Doyle, believes in. Someday, she will show the world.

When the U.S. declares war on Germany, Doyle drops out of Princeton to enlist and is soon shipped off to Europe. He returns home months later no longer a boy on the verge of great things. He's a broken man whose innocence died on the battlefield. Zee's innocence has also died, but in a different kind of battle. They both eventually find themselves in the City of Angels, each unaware of the other. She's in L.A. to become a movie star, Doyle simply to survive. How far will Zee go in her quest for stardom? Will she find a way to redeem her life even as Doyle falls in love with her best friend?

I don't normally read historical novels, but Glimpses of Paradise held my interest on every page. The scenes clip along at break-neck speed, and historical facts are seamlessly entwined into the story. It's hard to guess who's a real historic figure and who's fictional; they all feel real. With its speakeasies, thugs, and ruthless opportunists who try to ruin Doyle and his friends, Roaring 20s Los Angeles stands up and breathes in this story.

For those familiar with James Scott Bell's contemporary legal thrillers, don't think he's ditched his signature courtroom drama in this one. There's plenty of legal action, it just doesn't take center stage until later in the novel when Zee is accused of murder. Readers of Jim's previous historical series will also be pleasantly surprised at the re-appearance of beloved character Kit Shannon (one of Jim's personal favorites), who plays a small but satisfying role in Glimpses of Paradise.

Particularly intriguing is the inclusion of real historical figure R.A. Torrey, an evangelist who won his first convert after hearing Dwight L. Moody preach in 1878. Slower scenes in Torrey's point-of-view are interspersed throughout the book, detailing his struggle to defend his Christian beliefs against the watered down theology of his day, and it's Torrey's influence that first challenges Doyle's notions about the things of God.

Glimpses of Paradise has it all. War. Romance. Suspense. History. Overall, it's an extremely satisfying read from one of fiction's masters.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze Magazine

When I picked this up, I wasn't too sure what to expect. Would it be historical? Would there be some action? Would it paint a picture of the will of God? All 3 of those questions are answered yes! In "Glimpses of Paradise" there is a lesson. God can take anything, and use it for His purpose. This takes us into the early 1900's. From Nebraska to Los Angeles, from dusty church pews to illustrious parties among the rich and famous!

Zee Miller and Doyle Lawrence are two totally different people. They also have early childhood affection for each other. But Doyle goes off to war, and Zee sets out to get rich and become the actress her father would never let her be. They both break away from their families, and set out to live their own lives. People get hurt, fights break out, tempers flare, and God is at work in the crazy midst of it all. Blood boils, and the booze flows, and the bootleggers think themselves ever so slick! We may even receive a surprise visit or two from one Kit Shannon Fox. Who knows!

James Scott Bell set out to write something that would grasp the heart. So in a sense, this really isn't just a glimpse, but a darn good look at what some people call reality. And an even bigger look at what an extraordinary God can do in ordinary situations. He's been in that business for quite some time! And James Scott Bell can go about his business with another great read for his readers. When the time comes, I'll simply crack the cover for a quick glimpse... then I'll indulge in what he has to offer!

I'd wanted to read this book for some time, so I started reading it right after I bought it. I was immediately drawn in by the characters of Zee and Doyle, who were realistic, likeable, and well-developed. The plot was good and quite different from typical historical fiction. As the story progressed, I couldn't seem to enjoy it quite as much. It started to feel slightly repetitive, and the law aspect came in much, much later than I had expected. Zee and Doyle were still excellent characters, but the circumstances they were placed in became less interesting to me. I also didn't like the addition of the incredible stereotypical "good girl" character. All of the other characters were so well-developed and unique, but this character (I won't tell who, you'll be able to tell if you read the book!) was so static and unchanging that she didn't even seem realistic, as the others did. The ending, though different than I expected, was well done. But, overall, the style in which the book was written was beautiful, and the majority of the characters are excellent! All this to say, not my favorite book ever, but still a good read!

I generally read non fiction. Occasionally, I go to the library and pick up a book and have to renew it before I finish it. Not so with Glimpses of Paradise.
I loved how the author weaved the lives of the main characters together. While initially, his references from RA Torrey didn't seem to fit, they pulled together and gave the book a touch of the master plan.
I wanted to read the book because it is set pre-WWI to post WWI in Nebraska and LA, a period and place I am not well read in. Reading for me has to be educational before being entertaining. I got both in Glipses of Paradise.
Now I want to own all of James Scott Bell's books.

James Scott Bell has done it again. Glimpses of Paradise brilliantly portrays the coming of age of two young people as they struggle with parental expectancies and their own dreams. Doyle Lawrence finds himself on the battlefields of France in WWI fighting evil, while his childhood friend Zee Miller chases her dream to Hollywood to become a movie actress.

Ever the masterful story-teller, Mr. Bell brings the era of the early twenties alive before your eyes and makes you care about his characters. With unexpected twists in the plot and characters that aren't stereotyped, Bell has given us a page-turner. One of the best reads of the year!

There's not much that one can add to this list of great reviews. That's what kind of book this is. I found it remarkable how quickly the landscape changed in those 10 years regarding populations of Native Americans, buffalo, and beaver. In the last few entries we begin to see some of the damage done upon the Native Americans i.e. small pox, alcohol, and lifestyle and it's very depressing. Likewise, Osborne describes the plummet in buffalo populations and the approaching end of the fur quest as beaver populations dwindled and other furbearers were becoming more profitable. These were a rugged bunch of men and this is perhaps the best look into their lives and into the changed and vanished West.

This well-known and highly-regarded account of the life of a fur trapper in the Rocky Mountain West was born as a corrective by its author of an earlier narrative (Pattie's PERSONAL NARRATIVE) that he thought was filled with inaccuracies. Osborne Russell spent eight years as a trapper in the employ of a number of fur companies before becoming an independent trapper working out of Fort Hall. Fortunately, when he first went to the mountains with Nathaniel Wyeth's expedition in 1834, he began to keep a journal. From his journal he compiled a manuscript for publication; it's from this manuscript that the present book is based on. Osborne had a tendency to run sentences together and to practice unconventional language usage, all of which editor Aubrey Haines retains in this edition. One quickly gets used to it, however.

Russell was an acute observer and, especially in describing his travels, was careful to mention distances and names (streams, mountains, etc.) when possible. Haines has been able to trace Russell's travels accurately, and ten accompanying maps illustrate his wanderings. (Haines's annotations are also numerous and thorough.) He trapped for a time with Jim Bridger, and some of what we've learned about him has direct bearings on Russell's journal accounts. In fact, Russell's book is the major source of information for a number of important events in the Rockies during this time. He also writes about the Indians (especially the Crows, Blackfeet, and Snakes) and much about the animals found in the West. Most of all, he tries hard to convey the life of a trapper - scouting the country, the laying of traps, hunting for game, dealing with the weather and terrain, the rendezvous experience (Russell attended six of them) - all the everyday routines trappers went through. This indeed is the most valuable thing about the book. Russell left the mountains in 1842 and settled in Oregon City; after an unsuccessful run for governor in 1845, he wrote his manuscript for JOURNAL OF A TRAPPER. He got the gold fever in 1848 and went to California, where he became a merchant. After his partner ran off with the company funds, Russell spent the rest of his life trying to pay off the creditors. He died near Placerville in 1892.

This is a must-read book for anyone interested in the fur trade period of the trans-Mississippi West. It's gone through many editions and always seems to stay in print, thank heaven. Highly recommended.

Osborne Russell was never one of the elite of the Mountain Men. He spent most of his time in the mundane tasks of cooking, cleaning, and other camp chores while on trapping expeditions. But he wrote one of the best accounts -- certainly one of the most accurate -- of the peregrinations and the exciting events in the life of a Mountain Man. Osborne was in the Northern Rockies between 1834-1943 and was a minor participant in many expeditions and fights with the Blackfeet.

Editor Haines has compiled the routes of Russell's travel in 10 maps and added explanatory notes to his narrative. However, a lot more could be done to make this book more readable. First, there are no chapter or paragraph divisions to ease the task of the reader. It's even hard to keep track of what year Russell is talking about. Secondly, there is room for many, many more footnotes and explanations of what Russell was doing and when and where.

We need a new edition of Russell's work which will make it more accessible to the reader. This old edition is invaluable if you are a student of the Mountain Man, but the casual reader will bog down.

Smallchief

The trapper's journal by Osbourne Russell during the early to mid 18 hundreds came as a bit of a surprise. First the book is a factual account without any explication of the events more than is necessary. It is not told as an adventure story eg "Last of the Mohicans" but rather as a journal pure and simple of the travels through the Rockies, mainly Yellowstone, of this young trapper over 9 years in the pay and as a member of Jim Bridger's fur company, around 100 men. The trade was at its peak at this time. As is true of most journals it is full of abbreviations of words because of time constraints eg brot. for brought, staid for stayed etc. This gives the impression of crudity in the writing, or of a man not used to writing but rather writing in only a haphazard fashion. Every reader knows how easy it is to loose all the fine points of writing when it is not practised constantly. The journal is full of place names and directions of travel and a few maps indicating the progress of the trappers. There is some description of the scenery and the Indians of the area eg Blackfoot which are a constant threat, Shoshones (Snake), Bonnack and Crow. Occasionaly I was pleasantly surprised by paragraphs of eloquence and beauty mixed in with the simplistic writing which was the norm. Russell was capable of very good writing when he was inspired or wished to do so. This is also demonstrated by his letters to his sisters which are written with great style and few grammatical errors, completely unlike his journals.

There is much which comes to the fore in regard to the period eg the waste and destruction as the parties of trappers even in groups as small as 3 wonder the countryside and simply kill a Bison Cow for a meal and then discard it, or just take the tongue to eat. Incredible disregard for nature is shown at times. The trapper is in continual fear of Blackfoot war parties who harrass them, both white and Indian, constantly. In one instance an enormous group of Blackfeet, thought to number up to 1000 or more by Russell, attempt to eradicate the entire group of Bridger's trappers, about 100. They decide not to due to an unfavourable (omen) display of Northern lights. Even in his day as the story nears the end of the 9 years Russell tells of the scarcity of Buffalo which were not wiped out in total until 1870 or so (80 million -> 1000). Its almost as if it comes upon them suddenly, "5 years ago thousands crossed the valleys of the Yellowstone, now its hard to find any". Russell even becomes a little conservationist in spirit when he states that maybe its time for the white man to leave this country because the wildlife has been so denuded.

An interesting book but with far too few passages describing the trapper's feeling along the way.

This is by far one of the best books that a fur trade re-enactor can read. It is also a must read for the modern beaver trapper as well. Osborne describes the everyday events of the fur brigades in their heyday. If you are a buckskinner, living historian, trapper or just an old west history buff then this is a MUST have!